Chapter 1

Even after I got pregnant, my husband still only gave me eight dollars a day for living.

His secretary—the gorgeous one with the perfect figure—turned down my request for extra money.

"You're three months along and you've already put on five pounds.

"Our business partners mocked Mr. Preston for marrying such a pig. From now on, every meal will be nothing but boiled vegetables."

I was starving.

So I took thirty dollars from my husband Adrian's wallet and bought myself two pieces of bread.

And the moment I turned around, I was dragged to the police station and thrown into a holding cell.

Adrian looked at me coldly, at the handcuffs on my wrists.

"Everything I give you every day still isn't enough to fill you up, and now you'll stop at nothing?"

That was when I finally broke.

"Thirty dollars for food and you call the police to have me arrested! Who's the one stopping at nothing!"

He frowned.

"Thirty? What are you talking about? The receipt clearly says thirty million dollars!"

Before I could even make sense of that, his secretary sent over a bill from a luxury boutique.

[Mr. Preston, your wife stole the money and still wasn't satisfied. She came to me asking for more, and the first number she mentioned was five million.]

……

Adrian's brows drew together.

I couldn't see what was on his phone.

I only knew that the moment he read the message, something flickered across his face before he looked at me.

"You'd actually steal just to buy something like this?"

"You refuse to give me enough money to eat, and now you expect me to starve just to protect your precious sense of morality?"

"You're really that greedy?"

My hands curled into fists. My vision blurred as anger burned through me.

I ate two pieces of bread, and that made me greedy?

His fingers moved across the screen a few times.

A beat later, I heard the chime of a successful transfer.

He stood up.

"I'll settle this for you this time, but you need to know where to draw the line. I can't keep cleaning up after you."

"Well, then, thank you so much, Mr. Preston."

My voice dripped with sarcasm.

Seeing my lack of gratitude, he frowned.

And frowned.

"I won't be dropping the charges. Do whatever you need to do."

With that, he pushed the door open and strode out.

From the moment I was taken into custody, he never once came to see me.

The only person who showed up was his lawyer.

I didn't bother defending myself.

It wasn't much money, but it was still considered theft.

I spent three days in the holding cell.

Somehow, those three days became the time when I ate the most I'd had in a long while.

My cellmate watched me wolf down even plain white rice.

After watching me for a long time, my cellmate finally asked.

"Have you really never had a good meal before?"

My cheeks were stuffed with rice.

Never had a good meal? How could that be true?

Back when we first started dating, Adrian had actually gone and learned to cook.

Italian, French, Mexican, or anything else I was craving—he'd always make time to cook it for me.

Whenever we went out, he took me to the best restaurants and let me try dishes from all over the world.

My eyes burned, and I quickly wiped away the tears threatening to fall.

How could I have ever imagined that Adrian would one day despise me for gaining weight during pregnancy?

That he would one day drive her to the point where even plain rice in a holding cell felt like a feast.

Three days later, the police gave me a physical exam.

Once they confirmed I was fine, they let me go.

The moment I got home, Adrian's secretary, Vanessa Croft, called.

"Mrs. Preston, the report the hospital sent over shows you gained three pounds in three days in detention.

"You can gain weight even on jail food? Are you a pig or something?"

Before I could even defend myself, a notification popped up on my phone. My daily allowance had been changed.

"Starting today, your allowance will be cut in half until you lose those three pounds."

The measly amount of money landed in my account.

Four dollars.