Chapter 1

On the way to take our daughter's one-month photos with Austin Farley, my best friend stopped the car in front of everyone.

"I regret it."

"I never should have stepped aside and let you have Sharon Summers. She's a gold digger. All she ever wanted was your money!"

"Let's get back together. Please?"

Something flickered in Austin's eyes, a moment of hesitation, but in the end he drove around Janice Henson and left.

Quietly, I let out a breath.

Grateful that I still had my place as Mrs. Farley.

But during the shoot, Austin suddenly backed me into a corner and said, cold as anything, "Thirty million. Move out."

"Fine. I'll step aside for Janice."

I nodded, clutching the hem of my clothes.

"A gold digger through and through."

Anger flashed in his eyes, and right then he made a call, telling someone to bring the divorce papers.

But a gold digger as reasonable as me? You'll never find another one.

Plenty of men would jump at the chance to marry me.

...

The divorce papers arrived.

Austin tossed a pen at me at once.

I took it, and just as I was about to sign, he caught my wrist.

"Last night in bed you were screaming that you couldn't live without me."

"Now, facing a divorce, you're this calm. Janie was right. You really are a gold digger."

Austin stared hard into my eyes.

As if searching for the smallest flicker of panic, of pleading.

I didn't quite understand it.

He was the one who'd brought up the divorce. I'd agreed. And now he was upset again.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

Austin let go of my wrist. "Don't tell me a gold digger like you has pride too?"

He said it with a sneer, then turned and walked off.

I rubbed my wrist and signed my name on the papers.

What gold digger doesn't love money?

And besides, this was a full thirty million!

By the time our daughter's photos were done.

A storm had broken outside.

Austin texted me on his own: 【Twenty minutes. I'll come pick you both up.】

Something in my chest trembled.

I suddenly remembered the day I gave birth. The rain had been even heavier, and Austin had dropped his business partners and rushed to the hospital in a panic.

He'd stayed by me the whole night.

In that moment, I couldn't have said how happy I was.

Even a gold digger everyone laughed at could have her spring.

Buzz, buzz!

Then Austin sent another message: 【Don't let our daughter catch a chill.】

I froze for a second, then managed a small smile down at the baby in my arms.

"Good girl."

"Mommy's riding on your good luck again this time!"

But twenty minutes passed, then forty... and there was still no sign of Austin.

I took out my phone, meaning to ask him, and saw Donald Gilbert's profile picture light up on my social feed.

I tapped in for a look.

Ten minutes earlier, Donald had posted a photo of himself sitting in a passenger seat.

Caption: 【The one who loves you will always wait for you, no matter how long it's been, no matter how far the distance, no matter the wind or the rain.】

I recognized it.

That was Austin's car.

So I let go of the idea of texting Austin, and opened the ride app instead.

But the rain was too heavy.

No one accepted the ride.

I thought I'd go back inside the photo studio to wait it out, but the manager stopped me.

"I'm sorry."

"We don't receive people who have no business here. Please don't put us in a difficult spot."

My wedding photos and my portrait sessions had all been taken here.

It was the first time I'd been treated like this.

I couldn't help asking, "Is this Austin's doing?"

The manager said nothing.

I didn't press for more. I only said, "I won't come in. Just let me put my daughter inside."

"She's too little. She'll catch cold."

The manager hesitated, but still wouldn't agree.

My nose stung, and something sat heavy and wrong in my chest.

I remembered when our daughter was just born.

Austin had held her and wouldn't let go, saying he'd spoil her into the happiest little princess in the world.

And now he didn't care at all.

Then, out of nowhere!

Several cars tore past, throwing up a sheet of water more than six feet high.

I spun around quickly, shielding my daughter against me.

And got drenched like a soaked cat myself!

It happened again and again, until I couldn't hold back a sneeze.

Even the blanket wrapped around my daughter was soaked through in a wide patch.

So she wailed and wailed.

The people at the photo studio wouldn't help.

I couldn't get a ride.

Just as panic was clawing at me, another car came toward us, and right as I was about to flinch away, it slowed.

Slowly it pulled up beside me.

Then the door opened, and a low voice came from inside.

"Vivi, get in."