Chapter 1

To promote our meal-prep ghost kitchen as the "cleanest eats in town," my husband, Tyler, forced me—his pregnant wife—to host a livestream. He wanted me to eat ten of our signature Teriyaki Bowls back-to-back, just to prove our food would never cause food poisoning.

Sympathizing with how hard he worked to launch his business, I swallowed my pride and agreed.

But just as my stomach started cramping so badly that I had to run to the bathroom to throw up, I heard the unmistakable sounds of Tyler and his gorgeous female investor hooking up in the back office.

"Baby, I did exactly what you wanted," Tyler panted. "I made that plain country girl eat ten whole chicken bowls in a row. Her stomach is practically bursting. Are you happy now?"

"So happy..." Chloe’s sultry voice drifted through the door, followed by a soft moan. "Don't worry, your next round of investment money is practically in your account."

Their breathless whispers were drowned out by more groans.

Clutching my cramping stomach, I felt a sudden, terrifying warmth dripping down my thighs. I was bleeding.

I was terrified. Fearing for my baby, I dragged myself along the corridor wall, trying to find Tyler so he could call 911.

But through the crack of the office door, I saw Tyler passionately caressing Chloe’s bare back.

"Your skin is so soft," Tyler murmured. "Not like Hazel. Her hands are so rough they feel like sandpaper."

"So when are you going to divorce that plain Jane?" Chloe purred. "My dad said he won't invest another dime until I’m officially the co-owner of this place."

"As soon as the kitchen’s running smoothly, I’ll bring it up," Tyler promised, kissing her neck. "If I divorce her now, who’s going to do all the heavy lifting? I can't let your beautiful hands get ruined, sweetheart."

"Oh, stop it, you flirt!"

Right before my eyes, Chloe casually tossed a used condom aside. It landed right inside the giant pot of teriyaki glaze—the very pot I spent hours scrubbing every single night.

Tyler and I had been together for five years. When he started this business, I did all the heavy lifting, cleaning, and managing, even throughout my pregnancy.

But to him, I was nothing but free labor.

I slid down to the cold floor, letting the blood stain my clothes, until Tyler finally walked out and found me.

"Hazel? Why are you sitting on the floor? Is the livestream over? How were the views?"

I let out a bitter, weak laugh and grabbed his arm.

"Tyler, please... take me to the hospital. The baby..."

He finally noticed the blood pooling around me. For a second, he looked shocked and reached down to scoop me up.

But Chloe stepped out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, Tyler, a little spotting is totally normal in the first trimester. I heard some girls even get their periods then. Don't let a minor scare ruin our big day."

"I finally got that local food reporter to agree to an interview today. If we miss this slot, we might never get another chance."

Chloe pulled a pad out of her designer purse and threw it at my feet.

Tyler frowned, looking down at me with mild annoyance.

"Hazel, just tough it out. Stop being so dramatic. You're already past three months; the baby is stable. It's not that easy to lose it."

My heart shattered. "Tyler, please... I'm begging you. I'm scared..."

Before I could finish, another wave of intense nausea hit me. My stomach burned, and I rushed back to the toilet, vomiting violently.

When I finished, there was a harsh knock on the bathroom door. Tyler's voice was cold.

"Once you're done throwing up, get to the kitchen and clean up. The reporter will be here in ten minutes."

I wiped my mouth, sitting on the cold tiles, completely drained of strength.

"I'm sick, Tyler. Do it yourself."

Tyler's voice flared with anger.

"Hazel! You said you supported my dream! Is this how you show it? If you slack off now, how am I supposed to explain this to Chloe? She put so much money into this place!"

"You're being incredibly selfish!"

He kicked the door open and dragged me out by my arm, ignoring how pale and weak I was.

The condom in the glaze pot was gone—he must have fished it out before dragging me in. But the kitchen was still a disaster. Food prep was scattered everywhere, and sticky liquids coated the floor.

Clutching my stomach, too weak from the cramping and blood loss to fight him, I silently picked up a rag and began to clean.

Only then did Tyler's frown soften.

Chloe walked in, inspecting my work. She pointed her manicured finger at a tiny grease spot deep under the prep table.

"You missed a spot. And here Tyler was, boasting about how neat and clean you are."

Without a second thought, Tyler grabbed my shoulder and shoved me down, forcing me to crawl under the counter to scrub it, completely ignoring my pregnant belly.

I swallowed my dignity, literally kneeling at Chloe's feet to clean her mess.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her smirk.

By the time I finished, my lower back was screaming in pain. I couldn't even stand up straight.

Tyler walked up behind me and patted my shoulder.

"Chloe and I are doing the interview together. I'm going to tell them she's my co-founder and partner. Just... hide in the back, okay? Don't show your face."

A sharp pain pierced my chest. I forced myself to look Tyler dead in the eye.

"Tyler, you told me I was the only co-owner of this place. You said I was your queen."

He looked uncomfortable and quickly averted his gaze.

"Hazel, try to understand. I've sacrificed so much to make this business succeed."

"An owner's image matters for PR. Look at your face, look at your clothes... how can you possibly compare to Chloe?"

I looked down at my reflection in the stainless steel sink I had just polished.

My makeup was completely ruined by sweat and tears. I looked pathetic.

There was a commotion at the front door. The media crew had arrived.

Hearing the voices, Tyler panicked and shoved me into the tiny staff bathroom.

I huddled in the dark, listening to Tyler enthusiastically show the reporters around the kitchen. I heard him introduce Chloe as his beautiful partner, and heard the crew tease them about what a gorgeous power couple they were.

I felt completely numb, my heart breaking into a million jagged pieces.

Suddenly, someone outside mentioned needing to use the restroom. Before Tyler could stop him, the bathroom door swung open.

The reporter gasped, startled to find me shivering on the floor.

"Uh, Tyler? Who is this? Why is there a woman hiding in the bathroom?"