Chapter 1

My husband, Andrew Goodwin's, college sweetheart, Sophie, died and came back as a cat.

Now she ate imported cat food and slept in a luxury Misty condo, and she bit me and scratched me whenever she felt like it.

If I showed even the slightest hint of annoyance, Andrew tore into me.

"Why are you jealous of a cat? Sophie's gone, and this cat is all I have left of her. I'm trying to hold onto her memory. What's wrong with that?"

Misty gave me a smug look and curled up in my husband's arms.

Andrew stroked her fur and said in that sickeningly sweet voice, "Poor Sophie. If I could do it all over again, I'd make sure you had my child so you wouldn't be alone."

I pressed my lips together. I could make sure she wasn't alone right now. So I took her to the park, where there were plenty of stray Mistys roaming around.

Those Mistys in heat were going to love her.

*****

Andrew went downstairs to grab a package, and the second the door clicked shut, the cat jumped out of its cattery.

It made a beeline for me, arched its back, bared its teeth, and let out a low, threatening growl.

I ignored it and turned to head back to my room, but it lunged at me without warning. Its claws raked across my arm and left three angry red scratches that immediately started bleeding.

I winced and bent down to grab the slipper by my feet. I'd barely raised it when the door swung open.

It instantly retracted its claws, tucked its tail between its legs, and scurried over to Andrew's feet. It looked up at him with wide, glistening eyes.

It let out pitiful little meows, all while shooting me sideways glances like I'd committed some horrible crime against it.

Andrew scooped it up and ran his fingers gently through its fur. His voice went soft and tender in a way it never did with me. "What's wrong, Misty? Who hurt you, baby?"

I pointed at the bleeding scratches on my arm and tried to keep my voice steady despite the stinging pain. "Andrew, it scratched me. I'm bleeding."

Andrew didn't even look up from Misty in his arms, and his eyes never once landed on my wound.

"That's impossible. Misty is the sweetest thing. She wouldn't hurt a fly. You must've done something to scare her, so she was just defending herself. Come on, you're a grown woman. Why are you making such a big deal out of this? It's just a cat."

Misty nuzzled against him and tilted its head at me, blinking slowly. The smugness in its eyes was almost unbearable.

I gripped the slipper so hard my knuckles went white, and something heavy and painful settled in my chest. I didn't say another word.

Two days later, Andrew went to the grocery store and told me to feed Misty while he was gone.

I mixed up some of that expensive imported cat food and set the bowl down in front of it. Misty sniffed it, then swatted the bowl with its paw, sending it flying across the room.

Food was scattered everywhere, and a few pieces even landed on my pants.

I crouched down to clean up the mess, but Misty started pawing at my hair and climbing all over me. Its dirty, litter-covered paws left dusty prints all over my collar.

I'd had enough and stood up to grab the broom, but when I got to the door, I heard keys turning in the lock.

Misty bolted to the door and meowed at Andrew, then deliberately slammed into my leg and dropped to the floor with a theatrical thud.

It rolled over and exposed its belly, playing the victim like it was dying.

Andrew rushed over and scooped it up, and his voice came out in a panicked tone. "What happened to you, Misty? Did she push you? Are you hurt, baby?"

I bit back my anger and tried to explain. "It ran into me on purpose, and it knocked over its food bowl and got litter all over me."

Andrew's expression went cold in an instant, and his tone turned icy. "Emily, stop blaming everything on her.

"Misty's so sweet and well-behaved. She'd never do something like that. You probably refused to feed her and tried to scare her off, so she panicked and bumped into you by accident.

"I've told you a thousand times to treat her better and think of her as family, but you just won't listen."

He looked down at Misty in his arms, and his voice softened completely. "It's okay, Misty. Daddy's here and no one's going to hurt you. Just stay away from her so she can't scare you anymore."

Misty narrowed its eyes and looked smug, then nuzzled Andrew's chin like it knew exactly what it was doing. My hands shook with rage.

Andrew always believed Misty and always blamed me, and even when the evidence was right in front of him, he refused to see it. Instead, he turned everything around and made me the villain.