1. Disaster in the middle of Valentine's Day

Reese POV

Today was Valentine's Day, and as usual, I was preparing something special for my husband. Four long years of marriage had passed, and our son, Sammy, was the fruit of our love. At least that's what I liked to think, since with each passing year, Elliot Goodwin's love for me only seemed to grow colder.

I married him on a day like this; it snowed all night, as if God were blessing our union. Elliot Goodwin and I loved each other more than anything; he was the man of my life; for him, I left my old life in New York and accepted to go with him to another city, expecting to live wild love adventures by his side, expecting that I would finally be happy with him.

But everything crumbled when his family looked down on me with disdain and disapproved of me. "What is this, Elliot?" Florence, my mother-in-law, asked haughtily as she looked at me as if I were dust.

"This is Reese Hudson, Mom," Elliot said, introducing me to his family. "Actually, she's Reese Goodwin now. She's my wife." He gave me such a beautiful smile that it warmed my heart.

"What kind of story is this? You already have a fiancée, Elliot. She's from high society like us, not some poor girl you found along the way," she scolded her son, utterly displeased.

"But she's the one I chose to live with for the rest of my days, Mom," Elliot responded while holding my hands and looking at me with tender, heartfelt eyes. "Whether you accept her or not, I love her and always will."

That's what he said that day, but I really wish he had kept his word, because over time, the love he claimed to feel for me was cooling and cooling. Lately, he barely looked at me, rarely stayed home, and seldom touched me; I always felt like I was raising our son alone because he was never present. There was a sadness inside me, and sometimes I felt like I was fighting against something inevitable...

But today I was determined to turn things around; Valentine's Day was special for Elliot Goodwin and me, after all, it was on this day that we both said yes and put the rings on our ring fingers to confirm our love. So, I still had hope that, upon seeing the special night I had prepared for him, he would remember the good feeling from when we got married and remember that he loved me. At that moment, I was caressing the heavy ring on my ring finger with a silly smile on my lips while thinking about my husband, completely lost in thought.

"Mommy, the dulce de leche is bubbling!" my baby Sammy warned me, pointing to the pot that was boiling over.

"Oh, yes!" I gave a little jump, returning to the reality of the situation, and quickly stirred the sweet to keep it from burning at the bottom of the pot. "Thank you, sweetie. You saved Mommy," I said to the boy, kissing the top of his blond head, and the child giggled.

"We're making it for Daddy, so everything has to be delicious. If he likes it, he'll play baseball with me in the garden, right?" He asked, his clear eyes shining with hope.

Something inside me broke with those words from my little one; he was so young yet already suffering so much. Elliot Goodwin didn't give him the attention he deserved, which is why he was craving his father's attention. I caressed his curly hair with a smile. "Of course, my sweet. Daddy will love playing with you," I said sweetly to him, and he smiled and returned his attention to the pot.

We were making crunchy apples, the so-called love apples that fit so well with the day. So, when it was ready, along with other sweets and with the help of the mansion's staff where we lived, we set everything up nicely in the room. Elliot Goodwin was the eldest son of a prestigious bourgeois family in London; their house was literally a castle a bit away from the city center, a huge place with a beautiful, well-kept garden. This place truly deserved a happy family, but the Goodwins hated me and never really accepted me, and perhaps my husband too...

"Madam, Mr. Goodwin has arrived!" Marie, my child's nanny, announced excitedly as she entered the room. "I just saw his car entering the property. He's here!"

"Really? Oh, my God..!" I even got nervous. We had already finished setting up our love corner; I had taken a bath and put on a beautiful red dress that was perfect for the theme, and not only that, Elliot loved red. He always said I was irresistible in red... I hoped that by the end of the night, he would take my dress off me like someone excited to open a gift box.

Sammy was jumping with happiness around the room, eager to finally surprise his dad. I gave a little giggle and finished applying my gloss and fixing my wavy brunette hair in front of the mirror. "Alright, my baby. Let's go downstairs and greet Daddy. I bet he's hungry for the food we prepared especially for him," I said with a gentle smile, taking his hand, and then we went down the stairs to the dining hall.

However, what I saw next made my stomach turn.

Elliot Goodwin was greeting his mother upon returning home as he always did, and today my mother-in-law had an animated smile on her face, a smile that had never been directed at me, but today it was directed at the beautiful blonde woman my husband was hugging.

"Jennifer Durham. It's so good to see you, my dear. And you look as stunning as ever," said my mother-in-law while kissing the blonde woman's cheeks.

"Thank you for such a warm welcome, Florence. You're like a mother to me," said the woman with smiles.

I approached cautiously, although my heart was beating so hard in my chest; I didn't understand why my husband still had an arm around this woman's waist.

"I'm glad you're home, my husband," I said smiling gently. "And I see you've brought a... friend?" I speculated on purpose, giving him a chance to explain what on earth he was doing.

But my mother-in-law laughed nasally as if mocking me. "Friend? This is Jennifer Durham, Elliot's fiancée even before you two got married, which was the biggest mistake my son ever made!" Her words were harsh, directed at me.

I involuntarily squeezed the hand of my son that I was holding; Sammy was there by my side, still too young to grasp this whole disgrace forming.

"Jennifer is back in London," my husband told us. "I thought I'd bring her here today and share the news with the whole family." He was smiling especially at her, a kind of smile I hadn't seen in years. It was a pity that smile wasn't directed at me...

"Husband, can we talk alone?" I asked him, feeling so uncomfortable. I mean, he had brought this woman here and was acting like they were intimate, right in front of me. And what news was he talking about?

But Elliot looked at me with disdain while his mother snickered mockingly at my request. "Why should I go talk to you alone?" he asked.

"Dear, I just want to understand why she's here..." I said, feeling so small.

"She's my guest, I've already said," he retorted, completely impatient. "I hope you don't bother me since I don't owe you any explanations. Or have you forgotten you killed my father?"