Although I was suffering from labor pains, my mother-in-law and my husband’s entire family closed the door and went on a trip… when they returned the next day and didn’t find me, they were distraught to see a sign that said: “house sold”.

“Mr. Henderson, remember that villa in Oak Ridge?” I asked, my voice devoid of any tremor. “What is the best offer we have on the table right now?”

“Valerie, I have a buyer from London offering two point nine million in cash,” he replied, sounding surprised by the late call. “But if we wait a week, we might get more.”

“Close the deal tomorrow morning,” I instructed firmly. “Tell them if they bring the paperwork to St. Jude’s, room 405, I will sign it immediately.”

I hung up and looked at my sleeping son, knowing I was about to dismantle the only world Dominic’s family knew. That villa belonged to me alone, purchased with my inheritance and business profits long before I ever met Dominic at a corporate gala.

I had been blinded by his charm and his promises of a happy family, even when his mother Gertrude asked about my net worth during our first meeting. I had even let Dominic tell people the house was his just to soothe his fragile ego, but I had kept the deed in my name.