Tommy didn't know that in this world, he wasn't the only one with a childhood sweetheart.
I made up an excuse to go out and called Ricky Sterling, the boy who'd grown up with me since childhood.
When he learned that I wanted him to introduce someone so I could remarry, he got angry.
"Did Tommy treat you badly?"
Just that one question was enough to make my eyes turn red.
I briefly explained the situation. On the other end of the line, I heard the sound of someone punching a wall.
"Fine. I'll introduce you to someone reliable."
I finally relaxed. I just needed to wait for the day Tommy and Amy got married and leave. From then on, I would have nothing to do with the Robinson family ever again.
But before that, I still had many things to handle.
Because I was "Tommy's widow," canceling his military registration went especially smoothly, and I collected the compensation payment as well.
I separated the portion meant for my parents-in-law and deposited the rest into my own savings account.
When I got home, I gathered everything that had anything to do with Tommy over the years and stuffed it all under the stove.
By the time Tommy came back with Amy, those things had long since turned to ash.
He didn't notice a thing. Seeing me in the kitchen, he spoke to me out of habit, just like before.
"Sarah, make some rib noodle soup for dinner."
Only after Amy pinched his arm did Tommy snap back to reality. He cleared his throat twice to cover it up.
"Amy, I remember Tommy used to say that Sarah makes the best rib noodles. Let her make some for us to try."
Amy's suspicious gaze swept back and forth between him and me before she snorted coldly.
"It's just rib noodles. Does it matter who makes them? After we get married, I'll learn to cook them for you too."
Tommy hurriedly took her hand. "That won't do. Did I marry you to make you work? There will be people to handle the housework. You just need to take care of yourself and give me a big, chubby son."
Amy was quickly coaxed into smiling, and the two of them went inside together, laughing and talking.
Standing there, I thought about what Tommy had just said, and I couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
My mother-in-law had always been in poor health. He had to make money to support the family. Now Amy had to be "well taken care of" too.
Other than me, who else could possibly do the housework?
So this was his plan all along—turning me into a maid to serve their whole family.
Even knowing his intentions, I said nothing.
After all, I'd be leaving in just two more days.
I acted as if I had no temper at all, letting Tommy and Amy run me ragged with errands.
Even my mother-in-law, who had long been talked over by Tommy's sweet words, couldn't stand it anymore and scolded them a few times. Only then did they restrain themselves a bit.
But Amy had been spoiled since childhood. Even if she listened on the surface, she refused to accept it in her heart.
Whenever she felt uncomfortable, she threw tantrums at Tommy.
Tommy indulged her completely. She said her feet hurt from walking, so he bought her an SUV.
Then came the washer–dryer set, the stainless-steel fridge, and even a brand-new 70-inch TV that not many families in town could afford.
When those stuffs were delivered to the door, the Robinson family became the talk of the entire small town.
Everyone was stunned by the lavish way Tommy was preparing for the wedding.
"Tony, you're really spoiling your fiancée. Those things aren't cheap, are they?"
"Yeah. With these stuffs, you couldn't spend this much even if you were marrying a well-off girl from the city, right?"
Tommy only looked at Amy with doting eyes.
"So what if it costs money? I just want to give Amy the best and make her the happiest bride."
Hearing that, many people felt both envy and jealousy.
Then someone sharp-eyed noticed me standing silently to the side and deliberately stirred trouble.
"With the Robinson family's solid foundation, when Tommy married Sarah back then, he must've spent a lot too, right?"
The smile on Tommy's face froze. He lowered his head and didn't dare look at me.
I knew why he felt guilty, so I sighed softly.
"When Tommy married me, he hadn't spent a single cent on me."
I hadn't meant to expose things so directly. The neighbor trying to stir trouble was momentarily left speechless and could only force an awkward laugh.
"Well… maybe conditions were bad back then."
Even she sounded guilty when she said it.
Both sons of the Robinson family had been in the army. Now that one had "died," the compensation money must have been substantial.
Spending lavishly to marry Amy now was clearly favoritism.
The way people looked at me turned even more sympathetic.
Seeing that Tommy seemed to be lost in thought, Amy's eyes flickered.
"I really didn't think this through. I didn't consider how Sarah might feel. This is my fault. Tony, return those things. I don't want Sarah to feel wronged."
The tiny trace of guilt Tommy had just felt toward me vanished.
"She doesn't have these things because her fate is bad. She's not worth that much. What does that have to do with you? Amy, you're just too kind. Be careful in the future, or some scheming woman will bully you!"
Between the lines, he was already suspecting that I might be jealous of Amy and had deliberately put them in an awkward position.
I didn't bother to argue. I just watched him work hard to move the items into the room he shared with Amy, and sneered to myself.
There was no way the money in Tommy's hands was enough to buy all of that.
But if he added the military compensation money, it would be more than enough.
I'd originally thought he would personally come ask me for it. I never expected that on the eve of the wedding, the one who came to see me instead was my mother-in-law.
She carefully studied my expression and spoke cautiously.
"Sarah, you should've already collected Tommy's compensation money, right? That's a rather large sum… maybe I can help you keep it?"
