Chapter 1

With only 60 dollars left in my wallet, I actually considered giving my son to my ex, Gabe Myers.

Just as I dozed off for a moment, Alex's voice echoed in my mind. 'Dad's performance is flawless. He's actually a billionaire but keeps pretending to be broke to impress that woman, Elise.

'He gave her diamond watches worth millions of dollars and limited-edition cars, and she threw everything into the river. There's probably a pile of cash and property deeds rotting at the bottom.

'Wait, Mom, why is your nose bleeding?'

I jumped up in shock and grabbed Alex's shoulders. "Forget my nose. Which river?"

*****

The call from Alex's preschool came while I was gutting a fish.

I brought the knife down, and scales splattered across my apron. My phone was buzzing in a dirty plastic bin, so I shook my hands dry and tapped the speaker.

The teacher said, "Ms. Graham, Alex's tuition has been overdue for two months now. If it isn't paid this week, we'll have to ask you to take him home for now."

The veins in my hand bulged as I gripped the knife handle. The fish on the cutting board was still thrashing, its tail slapping against the counter. "How much?" I asked.

"With additional fees included, the total comes to 12 thousand," she said.

12 thousand. I looked down at the cracks around my nails, fish blood stuck in them, no matter how much I scrubbed.

I hadn't paid my stall rent at the market this month. The landlord had given me a final warning yesterday. The fridge was broken, and I couldn't afford to fix it. Alex's sneakers had already split open.

"Give me three days," I said.

"Two days. That's the limit." The teacher hung up.

I tossed the knife aside and slid down the damp wall to the floor. The fishy smell hit my nose so hard that it made me want to gag.

Five-year-old Alex was sleeping on the folding bed behind the stall, his cheeks rosy, clutching that faded toy he'd hugged so many times.

My phone rang again. It was Gabe.

I stared at the name for several seconds.

He was my ex-husband, the guy who told me his startup crashed, that he owed 1.5 million dollars, and didn't want to drag me into his mess.

When we divorced, he said the house we shared had been mortgaged to the bank. I walked away with nothing and moved into a tiny rental behind the market with my newborn son.

When I picked up, his voice was so gentle, like he was acting in some cheesy romance show. "Vanessa, how's Alex doing lately? I really miss him."

My throat tightened. I used to love that voice. Now it made me sick.

"Gabe," I said in a trembling voice. "I can't pay the tuition anymore. Take Alex with you. He'll be better off with you."

He went quiet for a couple of seconds. "What did you say?"

"I mean it," I said, wiping my face with a hand smeared with fish scales and tears. "I can't take care of him anymore. You love him so much. Take him. I can't afford it."

'No.' A scream came from somewhere behind me.

I spun around. Alex was already awake, standing beside the folding bed, his face pale and his eyes wide.

His lips didn't move, but his voice burst clearly inside my head, trembling with tears.

He said, 'Mom, don't leave me. Dad is actually super rich. The diamond watch he gave Elise is stuck in the weeds under the third pillar by the Verdos River.'

I froze.

"Vanessa? Are you still there?" Gabe's voice came through the phone. "Don't make any rash decisions. I really don't have the cash flow right now."

"Shut up," I muttered.

I wasn't saying it to Gabe.

I stared at my son, eyes locked on him.

Alex's mouth stayed shut, but his voice kept screaming in my head. 'Mom, are you really going to leave me? Don't. Dad is a total liar. He just bought a new car yesterday.

'He said he wanted to see if you were a gold digger. That woman is called Elise Olsen. She tossed the watch Dad gave her into the river. Right under the third bridge pillar. It's tangled in weeds with a red string tied around it.'

My phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor.

"Vanessa?" Gabe was shouting.

I scrambled up and knocked over the fish tank, water splashing everywhere.

I rushed over to Alex, crouched down, and gripped his shoulders tightly. I asked, my voice shaking, "Alex, did you just say something?"

Alex shook his head, looking confused, his lips pressed together, but the voice popped up again in my head. 'Mom is acting strange. How does she know what I'm thinking?

'Wait, her banking password is six eights. She never told anyone.'

I was dumbfounded.

My banking password really was six eights. Even Gabe didn't know it. I had changed it after the divorce to keep him out.

"Vanessa, are you there?" Gabe's anxious voice came from the phone on the floor. "Is someone talking to you?"

I stared at the phone lying on the floor and suddenly started laughing. After a few seconds, the laughter turned into tears.

"Never mind." I picked up the phone, my voice eerily calm. "I was joking. Alex is fine with me."

After hanging up, I took Alex and headed out to the Verdos River that night.

It was late autumn in Korrigon, and the wind was sharp as a blade. I rented a boat, bought a retrieval net, wrapped myself in a heavy coat, and searched beneath the third bridge pillar for three straight hours.

Alex sat at the front of the boat and pointed into the water. "Mom, right there, in the weeds."

I lowered the net into the water, then dragged it back up.

A waterproof bag broke through the surface. Inside was a watch. A Patek Philippe with a star-patterned dial, glowing with a blue sheen under the moonlight.

I turned it over, and the engraving stood out in the moonlight: [Gabe Myers. 2019.06.18.]

It was Gabe's name and the date of our wedding anniversary.

At the bottom were bundles of cash, bright bills tied up neatly. It was 30 thousand.

I sat in the rocking boat, gripping the watch in my hand, shaking uncontrollably.

This wasn't a fake. It was the real deal.

Gabe once showed me the picture and said he'd buy one for me when he had the money. Turned out he could afford it all along. He bought it for someone else while I was arguing with customers over a few cents at the market.

A shiver ran down my spine.

That was when I realized I had been fooled for five years.

Suddenly, the watch in my pocket started vibrating. I scrambled to pull it out, and the screen lit up with Gabe's name.