Chapter 1

I was six months pregnant, and I'd already quit my job to stay home and rest until the baby came.

With no income of my own, I had to depend on my husband.

But he called me lazy and useless.

He demanded I do the housework every day if I wanted to eat.

The problem was, my belly kept getting bigger and my legs swelled up, and there was housework I simply couldn't do.

So he used that as an excuse to withhold my meals.

When I was so hungry I nearly passed out.

I waited until he was gone and quietly took the fish out of the fridge, stewed it, and ate.

When he found out, he raged at me and called me a "thief."

I figured he'd curse a couple of times to let off steam and leave it at that.

I never imagined he'd actually call the police!

I stared at him, unable to believe it, tears streaming down my face.

"I was so hungry."

"Even if I don't eat, the baby has to..."

He looked at me, his eyes cold. "Taking something without asking is stealing."

"Didn't your parents teach you that?"

"Finn Delgado, please, don't call the police..."

"Too late!"

"This time you're getting a lesson you won't forget."

"Because today you dare to steal a fish."

"Tomorrow you'll dare to steal money!"

...

By the time the officers showed up at the door.

My eyes were red and raw from crying.

"Finn, I was wrong."

"I'll never sneak food again, I swear."

The officers looked at me with pity in their eyes.

Then one reminded my husband, "Mr. Delgado, your wife is pregnant."

He raised an eyebrow. "So what?"

"All this over a fish. Is it really worth it?"

"She's your wife."

"And she's carrying your child."

He curled his lip like none of it mattered. "So what? Sure, the baby's mine, but isn't it hers too?"

"You—"

The officer was left with nothing to say.

"Stealing is stealing."

"I don't care if she's my wife."

"You do your job and take her in."

"Just don't get in the way of my gaming."

With that, he turned and headed for the bedroom.

He'd just reached the doorway when he stopped.

Then he looked back at the officers.

"Oh, right. When you take her away."

"Don't forget to put the cuffs on."

"She needs a lesson she'll take seriously, after all, or she won't learn."

And soon enough.

Once my husband watched with his own eyes as the officers snapped the cuffs on my wrists.

He nodded, thoroughly pleased. "That's more like it."

"You take her down to the station and feed her for a few days."

"Saves me some money."

"Two birds, one stone."

The officers stared at this man playing the part of a "husband," disbelief on their faces.

They'd handled plenty of bizarre, jaw-dropping calls before.

But this one, today.

Broke every mold they thought they knew.

After I was taken away.

One of the officers let out a long sigh, then unlocked my cuffs.

"Ms. Henson, it's not that we want to pry."

"But a man like your husband."

"What's the point of staying with him?"

Watching the city scenery slide past the window, the pedestrians flashing by in a hurry.

A flicker of pain crossed my eyes.

"The thing is..."

"He used to be really good to me."