Chapter 1

The sixth day after my daughter Lily was born, I developed a fever.

But my husband, Derek, had gone to buy diapers, and my mother-in-law, Brenda, was out getting groceries. Neither was back yet.

I waited, enduring, drifting in and out of consciousness until Lily’s cries jolted me awake.

Only then did I realize I’d either been asleep or had passed out.

I quickly tried calling Derek. His phone was off.

I called Brenda. Her phone was off too.

I had married thousands of miles away from my family, and I had no relatives or friends here. My only option was to call an ambulance.

As my fever began to subside, I picked up my phone and saw a message from Derek:

“Mom works her fingers to the bone for us, and you still managed to upset her. She’s too fragile for this, so I’m taking her away to clear her head. You really need to think about your behavior.”

I stared at the message for a long, long time, until a nurse exclaimed in surprise:

“Where’s her family? The IV is backing up with blood, and no one noticed?”

I wiped the dampness from my face and said blandly,

“My apologies. I’m a single mother. My husband’s family? They’re as good as dead to me.”