Chapter 1

My best friend Mira sent me a photo—it was a new house my boyfriend Thompson had bought in a top-tier luxury complex in the city center.

"I had no idea you guys bought such an expensive place. When are you planning to get married?"

I froze. I had no idea Thompson had bought such an expensive house.

And I had even less idea how he could afford it.

After all, just yesterday we'd finally scraped together enough for a down payment on an old house.

My hands trembled as I opened the joint bank account Thompson and I shared.

The red error message about an incorrect password made my panic worse.

My salary card, our emergency fund card—all showed password errors. I couldn't access any of them.

I had a terrible feeling about this.

I pulled up this morning's chat history with Thompson.

I'd sent him listings for several new developments on the outskirts of Seattle, along with other realtor messages I'd forwarded him this week.

Thompson hadn't responded with his usual enthusiasm to discuss prices and locations.

Instead, he'd replied coolly:

[We'll talk about it when I get back from my business trip]

I told Mira everything—about Thompson buying a house without telling me, and about not being able to access our bank accounts.

The "other person is typing" indicator lingered on the chat screen for a long time.

After a while, Mira finally replied.

[Don't panic yet. Maybe Thompson was planning to surprise you and that's why he kept it secret]

[I asked my friend at the sales office]

[He said Thompson signed for the maximum loan amount, and your name is listed as the mortgage borrower]

I opened the purchase contract photo.

Besides draining all of Thompson's and my savings over the years for the down payment, the remaining loan amount was a twenty-year mortgage for $3.6 million.

Only my name appeared as the borrower.

But why would Thompson decide to buy a house behind my back and use our joint savings?

I downloaded these document photos.

I'd gotten off work early today, and it was also the day Thompson would return home after a week-long business trip.

So I'd gone to the supermarket early to buy groceries, planning to eat together while discussing this weekend's house hunting plans.

I waited at the dinner table, trying to convince myself it might be a misunderstanding.

Maybe Thompson really did want to give me a surprise.

But when Thompson came home and pushed the door open, the first thing he said was:

"Eating at home again? Is saving a few dozen bucks really worth it?"

I didn't respond. I looked at Thompson in front of me and asked instead:

"Is there something you haven't told me?"

Thompson's eyes flickered away for a moment. He impatiently took off his coat.

"What could there be? I'm tired. Let's eat first."

I sat at the table and suddenly remembered the report I'd picked up from the hospital yesterday.

I was pregnant.

Two months ago, the night before his business trip, he'd half-coaxed, half-negotiated with me:

"Once we buy the house, we'll get married. Let's not use protection this time, okay?"

I hadn't expected to get pregnant on the first try.

If he knew about this baby, if he knew I'd already seen that purchase contract...

But why would Thompson decide to buy a house without consulting me?

All of Thompson's and my savings had gone into that down payment—it was basically our entire life savings since we started working.

Plus with my pregnancy, we couldn't even afford to renovate the house Thompson bought, let alone make the mortgage payments.

My thoughts grew increasingly chaotic.

Food that normally tasted good now seemed bland and tasteless.

Several times I tried to bring up this weekend's house hunting plans, but Thompson deliberately avoided the topic.

Finally, Thompson spoke up again in dissatisfaction:

"Can you please stop being so embarrassing?"

"Last time at my company dinner, you insisted on packing up leftovers to bring home. Didn't you find that humiliating?"

I put down my fork, already getting angry.

"Because I wasn't full. If you'd paid any attention to me while we were eating, you wouldn't be asking this."

"And even if I am embarrassing, Thompson, we've been together for seven years."

"Are you only discovering today that I'm an embarrassment?"