A movie? The family dinner sounds far more entertaining.
If he’s introducing the new girlfriend to the family, then shouldn’t the wife be there to offer her opinion?
I hung up and got in my car, heading straight for the family estate. On the way, Andrew’s texts kept coming.
Honey, did you make it to the theater? Looks like there’s a big event at the mall today, did you see it?
He was checking up on me.
I wasn’t worried. I did a quick search for the mall’s events, took a screenshot, and sent it back.
Yeah, saw it. It’s pretty crowded.
My reply was curt, but it seemed to put him at ease.
Okay, babe. Have fun. Love you.
The same sweet words he always used. They turned to ash in my mouth. I put my phone away and didn’t reply.
When I arrived, I slipped on a hat and a mask and entered the property quietly through a side gate. The party was already in full
swing. Nearly all of Andrew’s relatives were there.
09.57
09 57
Chapter 1
His mother was beaming, flitting about like the perfect hostess. Her attentive, doting manner reminded me of how she’d been bef- ore Andrew and I were married. She used to treat me like her own daughter. When she knew my constitution was weak, she’d drive to a farm upstate to buy organic chickens for soup; when I was cold, she’d knit me scarves and slippers. She even remembered my father had a sensitive stomach and would brew special herbal remedies for him.
Even my own father, a man who’d seen everything in the business world, was won over. “The Coles are good people,” he’d told me. “I can rest easy with you marrying into their family.”
But now, as Andrew walked in with a radiant Jenna on his arm, his mother was the first to rush forward.
“This must be Jenna! Oh, you’re just as lovely as Andrew said. You can tell you’re a good girl.” She turned to her son. “Andrew, you
better treat her right. No bullying, you hear?”
His father, usually so stern and reserved, put down his newspaper and clapped Andrew on the shoulder, a look of deep satisfaction
on his face. “Good eye, son. She looks strong. Healthy. It’s about time the Cole family had a woman who can give us a son.”
And just like that, I understood. All this time, they resented me for having a daughter. They wanted an heir to carry on the family
