Chapter 2

I was stunned. I never thought Ethan'd say yes like that.

This dish was a family heirloom. An ancient secret recipe.

But I had terrible allergies. Every time I made it, I'd end up all banged up.

In my whole life, I'd only ever made it for Ethan.

The first time he saw my messed-up fingers, he freaked out. He rushed me to the hospital, driving like a madman, crying the whole way.

He kept saying it was all his fault and made me promise never to make it again.

By the time I left the hospital, my fingers were wrapped up like sausages. And Ethan got pulled over by the cops for running all those red lights.

When I didn't move, Ethan's voice went cold. "What are you standing there for? It's not even that hard. Are you really going to be mad at a poor little girl?"

I almost laughed.

Someone who'd only ever eaten it didn't get to say how hard it is to make.

All my anger disappeared when I saw Bonnie, my cat, soaking up the sun on the stairs.

I remembered the last time I'd said no to getting him condoms in the middle of the night. Bonnie, my cat of two years, ended up with a broken leg.

"Okay," I said, steadier than I expected. "But it'll take a while."

"No worries. But I'm sensitive to crab shells. Could you handle them for me, Vivian?" Cherry smiled smugly, her voice syrupy sweet.

There was no allergy medicine left at home. And those cheap gloves were no match for live crabs. Soon, my fingertips were covered in stings.

After I finished more than twenty crabs, my hands were all red and swollen.

When I started working on the artichokes, my allergies kicked in, and I couldn't stop coughing.

I hurried to the window, wanting some fresh air.

But Cherry's voice cut through the air. "Vivian, how can you leave the window open? If the crab smell gets out, the taste won't be right anymore."

She came over and thoughtfully closed it tight.

I stared at Ethan, who was lounging on the chair, not moving an inch. Tears slid silently down my face.

Tessa felt bad for me. She quietly handed me some band-aids at the door.

"Mrs. Gregory, go apologize to Mr. Gregory. He cares about you so much. I'm sure he'll kick that little bitch out."

I shook my head. "It's fine."

I mixed the crab meat and roe with a bunch of precious ingredients, stuffed them into hollowed-out artichoke, and steamed them over a low flame for four hours using the ancient method.

It was almost two in the morning by the time I brought the dish to the living room. They'd just finished up.

Cherry's skin was barely covered by a few scraps of black lace. She was drying her wet hair and said in a sweet voice, "You're so nice, Vivian. Ethan wouldn't stop. I could barely handle it."

Staring at her bright red lips, I remembered Ethan's promise that he'd never kiss another woman besides me.

I missed the crazed look that flickered in Cherry's eyes. She believed that as long as my hands were ruined, Ethan would surely marry her.

When I didn't respond, Cherry suddenly slammed into my hand carrying the pot. "Vivian, your face is swollen up like a balloon. Ethan, come look at this," she jeered.

I couldn't get out of the way in time. I stumbled and fell to the floor.

Crash! The pot shattered, followed by a series of sharp cracks.

Crab meat was scattered all over the floor.

Shooting pain spread from my wrist. I sucked in a breath as I clutched my rapidly reddening arm.

Cherry's scream instantly filled the living room.

Ethan, with only a towel wrapped around his waist, rushed over to me. But he scooped up the unconscious Cherry instead. "Cherry, are you okay? Call the doctor."