Chapter 2

The drive to Mark's parents' suburban house was tense.

Mark kept patting my hand, saying, "It'll be okay, honey," but his eyes darted around, already calculating.

I played the part of the distraught, terrified wife.

Brenda, my mother-in-law, opened the door, her smile tight when she saw my distressed face.

Tom, my father-in-law, stood behind her, his expression unreadable.

"Sarah, dear, what's wrong?" Brenda asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

We sat in their overly ornate living room.

I recounted the "disaster" at Innovatech, the potential bankruptcy, the legal threats.

Brenda's eyes, usually so sharp for a designer handbag or a piece of gossip, glazed over at the business talk but sharpened at the mention of "legal liabilities."

"Well," she said, exchanging a look with Tom. "That's... unfortunate. Business is so risky, isn't it? Especially for a woman, and pregnant too."

Subtle blame, check.

Tom cleared his throat. "We don't have that kind of money to bail out a company, Sarah. Our funds are tied up."

Refusal to help, check.

Kevin, Mark's younger brother, slouched in an armchair, pretending to look sympathetic.

"Wow, sis, that's tough. Wish I could help, but you know, I'm broke," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

He was the reason the loan sharks were coming, the black hole of their finances.

Brenda sighed dramatically. "You know, Sarah, some people just have bad luck. Maybe you're a bit of a... jinx. Ever since you married Mark, it seems there's been one thing after another."

She gestured vaguely to the car accident that killed my parents years ago, an accident they'd always subtly implied was somehow my fault for being in the car, even though I was a passenger.

I bit back the anger. "The legal issues... they said because I'm the CEO, the liabilities could extend. It might even affect Mark's career at the law firm if things get messy publicly."

That got their attention.

Tom leaned forward. "Affect Mark's career? How so?"

"If I'm facing lawsuits, bankruptcy... it could reflect badly on him, on the family name."

Brenda's eyes narrowed. She leaned towards Mark, whispering, but loud enough for me to hear.

"Mark, if she goes to jail, her debts could fall on you. And that baby... it's a girl, isn't it? What good is a girl? She can't carry on the Carter name. She's worthless to us."

My blood ran cold, even though I expected it. The exact words from my past life.

Mark looked conflicted, then his face hardened.

He turned to me. "Sarah, maybe... maybe Mom has a point. This is a lot. We need to think about... options."

Tom nodded slowly. "Perhaps a separation... a divorce... might be best to protect Mark's future."

There it was. The escape hatch they wanted.

Brenda seized on it. "Yes! A quick divorce. Before this scandal breaks. And Mark, we should find out about the baby for sure. My friend, Susan, she's an ultrasound tech. She can do it discreetly. If it's a boy... well, maybe we could reconsider helping. A boy would be an heir."

Mark looked at me, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Yeah, Sarah. Let's find out the gender. It might... change things."

The bait was set. And they took it, hook, line, and sinker.