Everyone in their circle knew that Paddy Floyd, golden heir to Riverside City's most powerful conglomerate, had married a penny-pincher.
She cross-checked every receipt at the grocery store. She hoarded coupons for days just to save a few cents on a discount. While other women chatted about Botox and fillers, she was comparing egg prices. She even tracked every last fifty-cent difference in her monthly ledger.
And yet, Paddy Floyd was absolutely smitten. He'd turned down Lola Sullivan, his childhood sweetheart, for her. He'd given up his inheritance rights just to move out and live a modest life by her side.
Everyone had bet he wouldn't last. But Paddy held on for two years, and if anything, his relationship with Joanna Winfield only grew more solid.
Until the day of Joanna's twenty-seventh birthday, when she found out she was pregnant.
She clutched the prenatal report so tightly her hands trembled.
But the pregnancy wasn't her only secret.
After today, she would inherit a billion-dollar fortune. They'd never have to scrape by again.
She wanted Paddy to be the first to know.
She hurried to the study door and was about to knock when voices drifted through from inside.
"Bro, Joanna's a total tightwad, but I gotta say—she's surprisingly passionate in bed." That was Percival Floyd, Paddy's twin brother.
"Anyway, Lola was drugged that night, and you personally took care of it. Don't you think you owe her something?"
Paddy's voice was flat. "I'm going to marry her."
Percival paused. "Then what about Joanna?"
"Mrs. Sullivan and Mom came to see me a while back. After I broke off the engagement, Lola refused to even consider marrying anyone else. She tried to kill herself—multiple times. Nearly died."
"They asked me to play husband to Lola for a while. Give her a child, something to hold onto. The Floyd family has already quietly annulled my marriage to Joanna."
Paddy paused. "Once this is done, I'll remarry Joanna."
Percival laughed. "No wonder that night when she and Lola both got drugged, you pushed Joanna to me. She thought I was you the whole time..."
"But honestly, bro—any regrets? You and Joanna have been everyone's favorite punchline for two years now. People laugh behind your back about marrying some broke nobody."
Paddy said nothing. But his silence told Percival everything he needed to know.
It told Joanna everything, too.
A cold draft crept beneath her collar, turning her body rigid.
That night had been Lola's birthday party. Paddy had brought her along to celebrate.
Someone had slipped something into her drink. Disoriented, she'd gone looking for Paddy, only to see him with his arm around Lola, walking into the next room without a backward glance.
The moment the door closed, someone grabbed her from behind.
Through the haze, she'd seen a face identical to Paddy's.
She'd assumed the man with Lola had been Percival.
The man had leaned close to her ear and smiled. "Let's go back to the room."
All she remembered was that he smelled like Paddy, but his hands were far rougher.
It had been Percival all along.
She shoved the report into her pocket and turned back toward the bedroom.
Her back hit the door. Joanna slid to the floor, closed her eyes, and finally let the tears fall.
She was the sole granddaughter of the wealthiest man in the capital. After her parents died in an accident, her ailing grandfather had left her a billion-dollar inheritance and controlling shares in his empire—but she couldn't claim any of it until she turned twenty-seven.
For ten years, she had to survive on her own. No connections, no safety nets. Only by proving she could stand on her own two feet would she prove she was worthy of guarding the family legacy.
From that day on, she counted every single penny.
The cheapest dishes in the cafeteria. Clothes worn until they frayed. She never went to a single social gathering. Everyone laughed at her for being too low-class to show her face in polite company.
Then, three years ago, she'd pulled Paddy from a car wreck.
Without blinking, the woman who agonized over every dollar paid his entire medical bill.
Money saved up penny by penny could save a life. That was worth it.
Paddy woke up with no memory of who he was. She was the one who brought him home.
He rode the bus with her, crouched beside her scanning clearance racks, redeemed loyalty points for toilet paper. And whenever someone mocked her, Paddy stepped in without hesitation.
"Joanna's wonderful. This kind of life is real. At least I love it!"
Later, he discovered that every cent she'd saved went to an orphanage on the outskirts of the city.
The director had been her high school teacher—the only person who'd helped her handle funeral arrangements after her parents and grandfather passed, without asking for a single thing in return.
The orphanage had been on the verge of shutting down. She'd poured in every dollar she had, and lived even more frugally after that.
Once Paddy found out, he went with her to the orphanage every day.
Watching his silhouette beside her, she'd thought that maybe having someone in her lonely life wasn't so bad after all.
Then his memory came back. To marry her, he broke off his engagement to Lola. He endured ten days of corporal punishment from his family. He gave up his inheritance—all to live an ordinary life with her.
At their wedding, he held her hand. "From now on, you live however you want. I'll always be right here."
She'd believed that someone in this world truly didn't mind that she was poor, didn't care that she wasn't polished enough for high society—that someone would actually give up a life of luxury just to be with her.
She'd even planned it: the moment her twenty-seventh birthday passed, she'd tell him they never had to pinch pennies again. That they could do so much together.
But two years had gone by. The novelty had worn off. He still wanted to go back to being the untouchable young heir of the Floyd family. And in his eyes, she was still the girl who wasn't good enough to stand beside him.
Joanna wiped her tears. A new message from her lawyer lit up the screen.
"Ms. Winfield, the shares and billion-dollar assets still require processing. Funds will clear in five days."
Five days.
More than enough time to settle things with Paddy.
She had just put her phone away when the door swung open. Paddy stood in the doorway, brow furrowed, holding up her ledger book.
His scrutinizing gaze dropped to her lower abdomen. "You went to the OB-GYN today?"
