Grandmother tried gentle persuasion, warning me that in this world, only money never changes. Promises, no matter how sincere, fade with time—dissolving into nothing but empty bubbles.
I ignored them all and eloped with Dominic anyway.
Grandmother's blood pressure spiked so severely she nearly died.
Yet I was too afraid to visit her—terrified they'd lock me away and keep me from seeing Dominic.
I laughed bitterly and slapped myself hard across the face.
I sat motionless by the bed for an entire day and night before Dominic finally came home at five in the afternoon.
He carried a pot of steaming chicken soup, nuzzling his face against my neck.
"Had to pull an all-nighter at the construction site. It was so sudden I didn't get a chance to explain. My darling wife won't hold it against me, will she?"
I shook my head calmly, pulling away from his touch.
The cloying sweetness of perfume clinging to him made my stomach turn.
Satisfied that I wasn't angry, Dominic let out a long breath of relief.
He poured a bowl of the fragrant soup, blowing on it to cool it down before lifting it to my lips.