Chapter 10

Adeline Carter's POV:

I finished dinner, told Brock I was tired, and went to lie down in the bedroom.

A few minutes later, Brock walked in, his footsteps light.

He whispered my name, checking to see if I was asleep. I held my breath, eyes closed.

He leaned over me, his breathing heavy, suppressing a yawn. "I'm tired too," he muttered.

He whispered in my ear: "Addie, even if you're with someone else, I'll still love you."

"You won't remember a thing. You'll think it was me."

"As long as we can make money, as long as we're okay, as long as no one knows, that's enough. The world laughs at the poor, not the fallen."

"We shouldn't feel ashamed, Addie. We've worked so hard; we shouldn't feel ashamed."

"I've been honest and upright my whole life, and what did it get me? Nothing! I'm bullied at work, crushed by the mortgage. I can't even quit."

He sobbed. "I'm sorry, Addie. I'm so, so sorry. But this is for our future. This is for us."

Then, his breathing became deep and rhythmic.

He was out.

I snapped my eyes open and looked at his peaceful face. A storm of emotions swirled inside me.

I remembered his kindness, his small sacrifices. When we were at our poorest, he'd give me the meat from the buns, saying he preferred the bread. He had always been so good to me.

As I was trying to sort through my thoughts, the doorbell rang.

My heart plummeted.