even told relatives that Lucy was lucky to have a husband who “put up with her.”
Meanwhile, Lucy had been isolated.
No phone.
No transportation.
No access to the money I earned.
They controlled everything.
Including her treatment.
Then I found the message that destroyed me.
A text from Theresa to Brianna.
“Keep her quiet until Nathan finishes the contract. Once the settlement comes through, we won’t need to pretend anymore.”
Settlement.
That word caught my attention.
Because they knew something I had never told them.
I looked at my family.
“You want to know why I came home today?”
Nobody answered.
I smiled.
“Because I received a settlement.”
Theresa’s eyes widened.
Brianna immediately leaned forward.
“How much?”
There it was.
The question I had been waiting for.
Not:
“Is Lucy okay?”
Not:
“How serious is her cancer?”
Not:
“Why didn’t we know?”
Only:
“How much?”
I looked at them.
