She cradled the twin girls like prized trophies, her eyes gleaming with smugness as she looked down at me. That woman always had a sharp tongue that could turn black into white.
They'd warned me back in the village: 'Once a man has money, he changes. Go to the city while you can, they'd say. Stick by Jasper's side, don't let another woman enjoy the shade of the tree you planted.'
However, my mother-in-law, Joanne Coleman, had been paralyzed for eight years, and she desired the peace and quiet of the mountains.
And what about me? I was convinced that childhood sweethearts could last, that love could survive any storm. I genuinely thought Jasper would remain faithful.
Not in a million years did I think he'd cheat—let alone with Bianca King, the girl who grew up in the same village as us.
After high school, she had run off to the city and started selling herself.
Before that, she and I were inseparable, best friends who shared everything. I still remember her trying to talk me into her 'plan.'