Chapter 1

“Dad went to pick up sis today,” my son, Leo, said from the backseat. “What sis? ” My hand tightened on the steering wheel. “Just sis! ” He fiddled with his backpack. “Dad said I couldn’t tell you, Mom. ”

Red light. I slammed on the brakes. “Honey, what does sis look like? ” I tried to keep my voice steady. “She’s really pretty, with long hair. And she has a big Mickey Mouse backpack. ”

“How old is she? ”

“I don’t know. A little bit older than me, maybe. ”

My son is five and a half. “Mom, what’s wrong? ”

“Nothing. ” I forced a smile. “Mommy’s just a little tired today. ”

My phone rang. It was Mark. I didn’t answer. Friday, 5:30 PM. As soon as we got home, I asked Leo directly, “Where is this sister? ”

“Over on Willow Creek. ” He said innocently. “Dad took me there, and he bought me fries. ”

“What’s the address? ”

“I don’t know the house number, but it has a really big slide. ”

Willow Creek. That’s an upscale neighborhood in the East District. Properties there cost a fortune. “How many times have you been? ”

“Three times, I think. ” Leo mused. “Oh, wait, four! Last time Dad even bought sis a cake. ”

My hands were shaking. “Go to your room and play with your toys, sweetie. ”

As soon as I closed the door to his room, I called Mark. It connected on the third ring. “Amelia. ”

“Willow Creek? ”

Silence on the other end for three agonizing seconds. “How…how did you know? ”

“So it’s true? ”

“Amelia, I can explain…”

“Explain what? That you have a daughter? Or explain how long you’ve been hiding her from me? ”

“It’s not what you think…”

“Then what is it?! ” I sneered. “How old is the child? ”

“Five. ” His voice was barely a whisper. Five. We’ve been married for six years. “Who is she? ”

“That…”

“Tell me! ”

“You don’t know her. ”

“Her name. ”

“Sarah Harris. ”

My mind went blank. “I’ll go see the child this weekend. ” I heard myself say. “Send me the address. ”

“Amelia, please don’t get agitated…”

“I’m perfectly calm. ” I hung up. My phone immediately rang again. It was him. I turned it off. Just then, the front door opened. It was my mom, Eleanor. She’d said she’d come over to help with Leo today. “What’s wrong, honey? You look awful. ”

“Mom…” I burst into tears. An hour later, I’d told her everything. My mom’s face went from red to white, then white to red. “Divorce. ” She uttered only one word. “Mom…”

“Divorce immediately. ” Her voice was eerily calm. “I’ll have your brother, David, come over tomorrow. ”

“But what about Leo? ”

“Leo stays with you. You take the house, the cars, everything. ” She spoke with absolute certainty. “And that woman and her child? They won’t get a single penny. ”

Just then, the sound of a key turning in the lock. Mark was home. He saw my mom and froze. “My mother-in-law is here too. ”

“Too? ” My mom scoffed. “Wouldn’t it be more convenient if I wasn’t here? ”

“Mother-in-law, please let me explain…”

“Explain what? Explain that you’re keeping a mistress and a child outside our home? ”

“It’s not like that…”

“Then what is it like? ” My mom stood up. “Tell me clearly, what exactly is going on with that child? ”

He glanced at me. “Speak! ” My mom slammed her hand on the table. “She’s an old girlfriend. ” He finally began. “After we broke up, she found out she was pregnant, but she didn’t tell me. Not until the child was three, and she found me…”

“And then? ”

“And then I… I couldn’t just abandon them. ”

“Couldn’t abandon them? ” My mom laughed, a chilling sound. “So you secretly kept them, mother and daughter, behind my daughter’s back? ”

“I only gave her child support…”

“How much? ” I cut in. “What? ”

“How much every month? ”

He stayed silent. I opened my banking app and typed in my password. In the transaction history, on the 15th of every month, there was a fixed transfer: $8,000. “Eight thousand. ” I said. “Eight thousand a month, for five years. How much is that? ”

“Four hundred eighty thousand. ” My mom calculated for me. “Four hundred eighty thousand! Your son’s kindergarten costs $20,000 a year, and he’s giving that bastard child eight thousand a month? ”

“Mom, don’t talk about the child like that…” He pleaded. “I’m not your mom! ” My mom pointed to the door. “Get out. Get out now! ”

“Mother-in-law…”

“I said get out! ”

Just then, Leo’s bedroom door opened. My son stood in the doorway, his eyes red-rimmed. “Mommy, why are you fighting? ”

My heart sank. “It’s nothing, sweetie…”

“Is it because of sis? ” He started to cry. “I shouldn’t have said anything, Daddy said not to tell…”

Mark’s face changed. “Leo, you…”

“You taught your son to lie? ” My mom looked utterly disgusted. “I didn’t…”

“You made a five-year-old child keep your secret. What is that if not lying? ”

I picked up Leo and retreated to the bedroom. I closed the door, but the arguing outside continued. My phone rang. An unknown number. I answered. “Is this Mrs. Miller? ” A woman’s voice. “It is. Who’s this? ”

“This is Sarah Harris. ”

My hand trembled. “We need to talk. ” She said. “Tomorrow at 3 PM, at the Starbucks on Willow Creek. ”

“Okay. ” I heard myself say. After hanging up, my phone vibrated again. It was a bank text: “Your joint account just had an outflow of $100,000. Current balance: $23,678. ”

One hundred thousand?! I immediately stormed out of the bedroom. “You just transferred a hundred thousand dollars? ”

He froze. “To whom? ”

“I…”

“Tell me! ”

“Sarah needed to change apartments. She was short on the down payment…”

I laughed. I finally laughed.