Chapter 2

Nora nudged Selena.

"Take it out.Let everyone see it."

Selena took an emerald pendant necklace from her bag.

The center stone was clear and vivid,ringed with small diamonds.

Under the table,my hands clenched.

I had seen that necklace when I married Ethan.

Ethan's relatives had laughed and said it was the piece the Walker family passed down to the new Mrs.Walker.One day,it would be mine.

Last Thanksgiving,his aunt had brought it up on purpose.

"Chloe has been married into this family for seven years.Are you still not giving her that necklace?"

Margaret's face had stiffened.

Ethan smoothed it over for her.

"There's no rush.Chloe understands.She said it can be passed down later."

I had never said that.

For seven years,Margaret and I had no open conflict.

When she was hospitalized,I took time off to care for her.When she moved into my home,I never complained.

But she was always distant with me,and she was just as cold toward my son,Noah.

So she was not slow to warm up.

She had simply accepted another woman as Ethan's wife long ago.

I pretended to gossip.

"How long have you been married?Margaret treats you so well."

"One year."Selena lowered her head and smiled."Ethan's parents are wonderful to me."

Someone asked how she and her husband had met.

Nora rushed to answer.

"Selena used to be a consultant at a wellness center.She's honest and knows how to charm older people.Margaret really liked her."

Selena added,"I met Ethan because I knew Margaret first.If she hadn't brought us together,Ethan and I wouldn't have gotten together so quickly."

My nails dug into my palm.

The woman I had called Mom for seven years had built another family for my husband with her own hands.

Nora was still gushing.

"Margaret is so generous.She gives Selena her pension and investment dividends to spend."

I finally understood.

After Ethan and I got married,Margaret asked us for three thousand dollars a month for living expenses,saying she and father-in-law William had no steady income.

Ethan and I both earned well,so we had paid it for seven years.

It turned out they were not broke.

They were using my money to subsidize another woman.