Chapter 1

It was the first time the families of my boyfriend and mine met.

At the dinner table, I chatted politely with my boyfriend's parents when his sister-in-law suddenly looked as though she realized something.

She blurted out, "Melissa, you look so familiar. I remember now. I performed your abortion, didn't I?"

Then, she covered her mouth in fake shock.

But the damage was done. The table exploded.

My boyfriend's parents, who fussed over me a moment ago, started whispering and pointing.

"Youngsters these days really mess around."

"No wonder she wants to get married quickly. Guess there is a reason."

My parents' faces burned with shame.

My boyfriend glared at me, furious.

I slowly set my utensils down and spoke calmly, "It's normal for you to find me familiar, Tracey. I monitor the security at Serenity Cove. I watched you go in and out of Building Six every day.

"If I'm not mistaken, Unit 904, Building 6, belongs to the Tanners, not the Durans, right?"

*****

It was the first time the families of my boyfriend and mine met.

To make it feel more formal and keep things from getting awkward, my parents brought along my chatty aunts, Ramona and Sheila, to help keep the conversation going.

Mark Duran's side, on the other hand, showed up with a whole army: his parents, grandparents, his older brother and sister-in-law, and a bunch of relatives.

We had to squeeze in four extra chairs to make sure everyone could sit down.

Once all the food was served and everyone had a round of drinks, things finally got underway.

I did my best to find things to talk about, making small talk with Mark's parents.

Mark sat next to me, occasionally reaching over to put some food on my plate.

The atmosphere was a bit forced, but at least things were going smoothly.

Just then, Mark's aunt steered the conversation my way. "Melissa, you're so pretty and always look so put-together.

"You really need to give my daughter some tips. She's always so frumpy, and it's hard for her to even find a boyfriend."

Aunt Ramona praised right away, "Mark's handsome and has a great job. The two of them are perfect for each other."

Everyone started chiming in, trading polite compliments and small talk.

Just as I was about to chime in with something polite, Mark's sister-in-law, Tracey Harrell, who was sitting across from me, suddenly locked eyes with me.

She said, "Melissa, even though this is our first time meeting, I can't shake the feeling I've seen you somewhere before!"

I gave her a polite smile. "I guess I just have one of those faces."

But Tracey shook her head, scanning my face like she was trying to place me.

Suddenly, she blurted out, her voice rising as if she'd just solved a mystery, "Wait, I remember now. Wasn't I the one who performed your abortion?"

The moment she said it, the whole table went dead silent.

Tracey acted like she'd just realized what she did.

She stammered, "Oh, I-I can't believe I just said that. I really shouldn't have brought it up in front of everyone."

She hurriedly covered her mouth, looking all embarrassed, like she'd just let something slip.

My mind went completely blank. I couldn't believe Tracey would slander me like that in front of everyone.

Instinctively, I snapped back, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Tracey instantly acted all hurt and innocent. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Melissa. I can't keep my mouth shut sometimes. I didn't even realize what I said. I swear I didn't mean it."

But the damage was already done.

Mark's mom, Kate's smile disappeared instantly, and his dad, Vernon's face darkened with a frown.

Mark's aunt, who'd been complimenting me, suddenly turned away, her face dark.

Low whispers started buzzing around the table.

"Young people these days think they can get away with anything just because they're pretty."

"No wonder she was so eager to meet Mark's parents and get married. Now it all makes sense."

"Tsk, Melissa looks so innocent and quiet, but who knew she was so wild."

My parents' faces flushed deep red. They fumbled for words but couldn't say a single thing to defend my innocence.

Mark's aunt didn't bother to hide her disgust. "Forget what I said before. My daughter is not hanging out with someone like Melissa."

But Aunt Ramona and Aunt Sheila were so mad, they smacked the table hard.

"Melissa would never do something like that. Keep running your mouth and we won't be so polite," Aunt Ramona shouted.

Mark whipped around to face me, his eyes blazing with shock and barely contained anger.

He said, "Melissa, is Tracey telling the truth? Did you cheat on me and get an abortion?"

"No!" I cut him off, my voice firm and unwavering. "I've never had an abortion."

But once doubt was planted, it spread like wildfire.

Kate said coldly, "Where there's smoke, there's fire."

I looked straight at Tracey, the one responsible. My chest felt tight with anger.

I'd never met her before today. I hadn't done a thing to her, but she decided to make up stuff about me for no reason.

I took a deep breath and tried to keep my cool as I said, "Ms. Harrell, you can't go around making stuff up. You know slander is against the law, right?"

But instead of backing down, Tracey suddenly started acting all hurt and innocent.

Her eyes got watery, like she was about to cry. "Melissa, I swear I didn't mean it.

"I'm just straightforward. I say whatever pops into my head. I don't know how to sugarcoat things or play mind games."