Part 1Winter's Last Promise

In the third year of my marriage to Carter Sterling, he set up a young, pretty college girl in an apartment downtown.

Her name was Chloe Jenkins. She had a sweet, innocent look—exactly Carter’s type.

Carter had been keeping her around for over six months.

Other than me, she was the woman who had stayed by his side the longest.

My friends warned me to be careful. They all said that this time, Carter might actually be falling in love.

The first time I met Chloe was on my birthday.

My nose had been bleeding since the morning. I went to the hospital for a checkup, and the doctor told me I would probably only live until next spring.

I nodded gently and whispered, "That's okay."

I wasn't afraid of dying, but I was a little afraid of the pain.

I heard there was a very expensive experimental painkiller that could make my remaining days a bit more comfortable.

The money in my bank account wasn't enough, so I went to Carter’s company to find him.

It just so happened that Chloe was there, too. She had just graduated and was working as Carter’s personal secretary.

Carter was in a meeting, so I sat in the waiting area.

Chloe kept staring at me, whispering to her colleagues nearby: "Is that the boss's wife? She's so ugly. She looks dried up, like she's about to drop dead."

"Everyone says I look like her. How do I look like her? I'm way prettier."

The polished glass wall reflected my image. I wore no makeup and was swallowed up by a bulky, unflattering winter coat.

It was true. I wasn't pretty, and I was about to drop dead.

A colleague pulled Chloe's sleeve and whispered back, "She just isn't dressed up. If she put on makeup, ten of you combined couldn't compare to her."

"Also, don't let the boss's favoritism get to your head. Don't provoke her."

"You don't know how much the boss loves her. If you upset her, he will literally end you."