9

9

My father-in-law threw a cheque for 120 million dollars on the table right in front of me. ‘You have no place in my son’s world,’ he said sharply. ‘This money will be enough for a girl like you to live comfortably for the rest of your life.’ I stared at the staggering string of zeros, my hand reflexively resting on my stomach, where a barely noticeable bump was just beginning to show. No arguments. No tears. I signed the papers, took the money… and disappeared from their lives like a raindrop in the ocean, leaving no trace.