When they brought me into the station, the male officer who came to run the questioning stopped short.
"A pregnant woman?"
The policewoman nodded.
"What'd she do that made it worth arresting her this far along?"
"Stole money."
"How much?"
"Three thousand."
"That's more than enough to open a case. Where's the victim?"
"Her husband."
The male officer's eyes went wide. He looked over at me.
My eyes were red. I lowered my head.
"Fine. Bring her in."
They cuffed me to the chair in the interrogation room. But the male officer didn't start questioning me. He pulled out his phone instead.
"What's your husband's number? Let me see if I can get him to drop the case."
I froze.
The policewoman was looking at me too. "Right. Honestly, marital property, husband and wife, there's usually a lot of room to work something out."
I clenched my fists. "There's nothing to work out.
"He already made me sign a prenuptial property agreement."
The policewoman stared at me, startled.
I pressed my lips together, ashamed. "The day after my father-in-law died, he stopped handing over his salary.
"And he had me sign an agreement. From then on, his money was his."
"That's..." The male officer didn't seem to know what to say.
The call had already connected. Jeffrey's voice came through.
"Mr. Mason, your wife isn't in any condition for this right now. Could you come pick her up first? You can file the case later if you want."
"No."
On the other end, Jeffrey's voice was flat and merciless. "Handle it however it's supposed to be handled. Don't go easy just because she's my wife.
"Officer, I won't write a single word of a statement of forgiveness."
"But—hello?"
The line went to a dial tone.
The male officer stared at the dead phone, stunned.
"It's all right. We'll keep working on him for you."
"Don't bother."
I shook my head and forced out a pale smile. "Just do it by the book."
"But you—"
"It's fine."
I held myself up through the exhaustion. "I'm still a month from my due date."
The two officers exchanged a look and sighed. "If that's how it is... ma'am, are you okay?"
The policewoman suddenly stood up.
I curled in on myself.
The next second, I dropped hard off the chair.
When I woke again, I was in the hospital.
Jeffrey had come with someone else. My mother-in-law.
She looked at me and wiped at her eyes without thinking. "Augie, don't be scared. I already made that rotten boy drop the case. It's over now."
I looked over at Jeffrey, a little surprised.
He stood off to the side, saying nothing, his expression cold.
Margery Mason had rushed here for my sake, and she had to head straight back.
At the airport entrance, I sat in the car. I could hear her scolding him outside.
"Back when your father was sick, she did everything she could! You think things were really so good for you two then?
"Augie has never once let this family down!
"When my asthma got bad, she was the one who borrowed money to buy my medicine!"
Curious, I leaned closer to the car window.
I heard Jeffrey's cold laugh. "Mom, back then I handed every paycheck to her to hold.
"The money she used to buy your medicine.
"Was mine."
My fingers dug into the edge of the open window.
I watched my mother-in-law stand there, unable to get out a single word against him. She turned away in silence.
The driver's door opened. Jeffrey got in. "We can go home now."
I held my belly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Back home, the housekeeper already had dinner ready.
Jeffrey hung his coat on the rack. "Eat."
"Okay."
"The doctor says you're malnourished. Every meal from now on has to have protein.
"Mom had me order the ingredients online for you. To eat before you deliver."
I went still for a moment. "Th... thank you."
The dishes on the table were all light and nourishing. Well suited for a pregnant woman.
I was just about to sit down when a hand caught hold of me.
"So. How are you going to pay for it?"
