Chapter 1

It was only after I married Griffin that I found out his ex-wife hadn't just taken custody of their daughter.

She had also taken a promise from him.

Every season, he had to accompany them on a half-month trip. The time and destination were entirely up to his ex-wife.

As a result, I was left all alone on the plane on our honeymoon.

For three consecutive anniversaries, he canceled on me at the last minute, time and time again.

That was until I was so terrified by a prank gift Poppy sent me that I fell down the stairs.

I miscarried on the spot, hemorrhaged, and was rushed into the ER. The nurses told me to contact a family member to stay with me after the surgery.

But I had to call Griffin over a dozen times before he finally picked up.

His tone was full of exhaustion and impatience.

"Nora, are you so jealous now that you've resorted to lying and framing my daughter?"

"Today is the first day of our fall family trip. I'm not going to abandon them to go back and keep you company."

"By the way, make an appointment with your doctor tomorrow to get your tubes tied. I promised her mother that Poppy would be my only child."

It turned out that even if I hadn't miscarried.

He never intended to keep the baby in my womb anyway.

I calmly hung up the phone and signed the surgery consent form myself.

If he couldn't let go of his ex-wife and their daughter, then I would simply give the position of Mrs. Prescott back to her.

***

On the third night after my surgery, Griffin and the others returned early unexpectedly.

I was sitting at the dining table, drinking the chicken noodle soup Connie had made for me. Connie was the housekeeper who had watched Poppy grow up.

Veronica smiled at him, her words laced with venom.

"What did I tell you? Even with you gone, she wouldn't mistreat herself. I've seen plenty of these jealous little girl tricks."

"And to think you and Poppy were actually worried something happened to her and insisted on coming back to check. I don't care, we agreed on a half-month trip, and we're still thirteen days short."

"You have to make it up to me. Let's leave next Wednesday. I want to go skiing in Aspen."

"I know," Griffin said flatly.

I instinctively glanced at the calendar on the wall.

That day was my and Griffin's fourth wedding anniversary. He had promised he would spend it with me this time.

It seemed he was going to break his word again.

Veronica shot Griffin a look, as if urging him to do something.

Griffin asked me helplessly, "Nora, did you get your tubes tied?"

That was the first thing he said to me after walking through the door. Even the way he addressed me had changed.

Because once, when Veronica came to pick up Poppy and heard him call me "Norie," she threw a fit on the spot.

Her voice trembled with anger.

"Griffin, if you want to show off your affection for your young wife, can you at least pick the right occasion?"

"Being so intimate in front of my daughter—do you want her to feel like her mother is a failure?! Have you ever considered my feelings?!"

Ever since then, whenever Veronica was around, Griffin only ever called me by my full name—Nora Weil. But with Veronica, he still called her "Ronnie" with that same easy affection.

I spoke calmly.

"No, and I don't need to anymore."

"That hemorrhage didn't just take the two-month-old fetus from my womb."

"It took my uterus, too."

The smile vanished from Veronica's face instantly, and Griffin frowned.

He caught sight of the box on the chair.

Inside lay that incredibly realistic 3D doll with bloody, terrifying features.

"Why did you bring something like this into the house? Aren't you terrified of these things?"

I looked at Poppy, who hadn't said a word since she walked in but kept sneaking glances at my stomach. I said expressionlessly, "You'll have to ask your daughter."

Poppy instinctively and frantically looked at Veronica.

Veronica immediately pointed her finger at my nose and cursed.

"Nora, do you have no shame? You're a grown woman, and you're trying to frame a child?"

"My daughter is only six years old. Where would she even get something like this? Don't think I don't know what you're plotting!"

She snatched up my bag and dumped its contents all over the table with a clatter.

Veronica picked up a bottle of folic acid and smashed it hard at my feet.

She turned and interrogated Griffin.

"Is this what you meant when you said she was obedient, sensible, and good to Poppy?"

"Slandering Poppy for causing her miscarriage, refusing to get her tubes tied behind our backs, and secretly taking folic acid to prepare for pregnancy!"

"She just wants to have her own child, kick Poppy out, and hog the trust fund that's supposed to be left for Poppy! If you dare let her child compete with Poppy, I'll die right in front of you!"

Griffin frowned helplessly.

"I never thought that way. Just talk properly. What does it look like, losing your temper in front of the child?"

He didn't blame her for crossing the line.

Nor did he blame her for insulting me like that.

He just habitually patted her back to soothe her. "You go back first. I'll handle this."

Veronica scoffed coldly.

"Of course I'm leaving, and I'm taking Poppy with me."

"So certain people don't bully my daughter while I'm not around—people who do things like this will pay the price sooner or later!"

She angrily dragged Poppy into the room to pack her bags. Poppy kept looking back at me the whole way.

The living room suddenly fell quiet.

Griffin pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion.

"Norie, you went too far this time. Poppy is Veronica's life. Even if you're jealous, you shouldn't target her."

"I need an explanation for the folic acid."