Chapter 1: The Call That Changed Everything

A year after our wedding, I stood in our cramped apartment kitchen, toast in hand, when the call came—the house was ready. I nearly dropped my breakfast. Excitement and disbelief fizzed in my chest as I stared at Marcus, heart pounding. This was it—the beginning we’d dreamed about since saying ‘I do.’

For the past year, we’d been squeezed into a third-floor walkup just outside Indianapolis. The old, humming GE fridge rattled in the corner, faded linoleum curled at the edges, and every night the neighbor’s TV bled reruns of Law & Order through our paper-thin walls. Our landlord, Mrs. Whittaker, ruled the hall with an iron fist—no pets, no painting, no guests after nine. Still, the commute was short and the streetlights made the neighborhood feel safe.

Marcus is practical to a fault. He always said the new place was too far from work, that moving would make his life a hassle. He’d grumble about I-465 traffic, how every extra mile meant fifteen more minutes of lost sleep. Some nights he’d walk in, loosen his tie, and sigh, “If we move out there, I’ll be lucky to catch a glimpse of our place before I’m out cold.”

But then, out of nowhere, he changed his mind. He came home, keys jangling, eyes bright and restless. He tossed his bag on the couch and grinned like he’d just won the lottery. It was so sudden it gave me whiplash.

He told me, “This is our first home together. Of course we should cherish it.”

There was a sincerity in his voice I hadn’t heard since our wedding vows. It swept me right up in the moment, and I let myself believe in the dream again.

My phone was full of design ideas. I’d even started a spreadsheet, tracking every expense. It felt like building a future, brick by brick. I spent hours scrolling Pinterest for farmhouse sinks and paint swatches with dessert names, sketching out a coffee nook by the window. But then, as I went to message Marcus a photo, his phone buzzed with a chat preview—and I couldn’t help but peek.

He’d written: “If you finish this big project for me, will you be able to get promoted?”

My hands went clammy. For a second, I thought about putting the phone down, pretending I hadn’t seen anything. But the words pulled me in. It felt like I’d stumbled into a cold room, the coffee in my mouth suddenly bitter.