Chapter 1
The moment we came home from our wedding, my new husband threw a filthy cleaning rag into my face and told me I could start doing everything his mother had done for him. When I refused, my mother-in-law’s smile disappeared.
I stood in the entryway still wearing my wedding dress.
The dirty rag slid from my shoulder onto the floor.
I stared at my husband, Jonathan.
“What did you just say?”
He loosened his tie like nothing unusual had happened.
“Mom has taken care of this house for years.”
My mother-in-law, Evelyn, stood behind him smiling.
Jonathan pointed toward the kitchen.
“Cooking, laundry, cleaning, ironing—you handle all of it now.”
I actually thought he was joking.
“We got married three hours ago.”
Evelyn laughed softly.
“And now you’re finally a wife.”
I looked at Jonathan.
“You never mentioned that marrying you meant becoming your mother’s replacement.”
His expression hardened.
“Don’t start embarrassing me on our first night.”
Evelyn picked up the rag and shoved it back toward me.
“The bathrooms need cleaning before you go to bed.”
I pushed her hand away.
“No.”
Her smile vanished.
“What did you say?”
“I said no.”
Jonathan grabbed my wrist.
“Apologize to my mother.”
I pulled free.
“I’m your wife, not your servant.”
Evelyn slapped me across the face.
The sound echoed through the hallway.
Jonathan didn’t move.
He just looked at me and said, “You shouldn’t have spoken to her like that.”
My cheek burned, but the way he defended her hurt worse.
Then Evelyn smiled again.
“Better learn quickly, sweetheart, because everything in this house belongs to my son.”
I slowly reached into my purse.
Jonathan laughed.
“What are you going to do, call your father?”
“No.”
I pulled out a folded document my attorney had given me before the ceremony.
Evelyn’s eyes dropped to the name printed across the top.
Her face went pale.
May you like
Because the deed to the house she had just claimed belonged to Jonathan had my name on it.
And that wasn’t the only document inside the envelope.
