1 My wife, Vivian, lost a herd of cattle while she was out grazing them, leaving us with a fifty-thousand-dollar debt. I loved her, so I spent three years pinching every penny, working every odd job I could find, until I finally scraped the money together. But when I arrived, holding the stack of wrinkled, hard-earned bills, ready to pay off Vivian’s boss, I saw her. She was locked in a passionate kiss with Leonard, her childhood friend. The boss, a man named Miller, was standing beside them, practically groveling as he offered Vivian a drink. "Ms. Hawthorne," he said, his voice slick with deference, "your husband will be here any minute with the money. Should I take it?" Vivian, still wrapped in Leonard’s arms, laughed. "Of course, you should. Why wouldn't you?" She stroked Leonard's cheek. "I just bought Leonard that five-million-dollar ranch down in the valley. A little fifty-thousand-dollar top-up will be nice, don't you think?" My world tilted. In a daze, I pulled out my phone and searched for the company that had just purchased the ranch. The legal owner listed was one Vivian Hawthorne. Her corporation was valued at over a billion dollars. I covered my face, hot tears seeping through the cracks of my calloused fingers. A year ago, she told me she'd lost a herd of prime cattle in a freak accident and owed fifty thousand dollars in damages. I’d emptied my savings, sold our family's small plot of land, and worked myself to the bone for three years to pay it back. And now I find out that the company I was paying, the one holding me in debt, was her company all along. Miller was still fawning over her. "You're brilliant, Ms. Hawthorne. Not only do you not have to give Ethan a dime, but you've trained him to be as loyal as a dog." He chuckled. "I heard when you pretended to be lost in that blizzard on the mountain, he crawled for miles up the pass on his knees, praying for you. Hahaha." I squeezed my eyes shut, the pain in my heart sharp and blinding. On her company’s website, there were photos of her and Leonard, laughing as they skied on that very same mountain. She’d told me she was trapped by a sudden blizzard while herding. I’d nearly lost my feet to frostbite searching for her, digging through snow until my hands were raw. When I couldn't find her, I’d made a desperate pilgrimage, crawling up that mountain road on bleeding knees, praying to the old spirits of the plains to bring her back safely. And it was all a lie. A sick, twisted game. Vivian took the drink from Miller, her voice careless. "What else can peasants like him do for me, besides pray to their dirt gods?" How could she mock the faith of my ancestors, the only thing I had left? A fresh wave of pain washed over me, and I stumbled, knocking against the doorframe. Leonard spotted me first. "Well, look who's here, Miller. The money has arrived." By the time I stepped inside, Vivian had already composed her face into a mask of timid helplessness. "Honey, you're here! I was just asking Mr. Miller for my paycheck." I never knew she was such a good actress. Miller leered at her. "I'd rather not pay a broke-ass woman like you. And you," he sneered at me, "did you bring the fifty grand?" I clutched the strap of my satchel, the weight of three years of sacrifice heavy inside it. Vivian saw me hesitate and put a comforting arm around me. "Honey, I know you've worked so hard. We'll make more money. Once we move the herds to the summer pastures, I promise, we'll build a good life together." I stared at the ceiling, fighting back tears. She bought the ranch for Leonard, which meant I had to move my small herd, the one I was raising to pay her debt. We were forced to wander, the sun and wind beating down on us day after day. The animals grew thin, and I couldn't get a good price for them. I’d had to beg, to grovel, to endure countless humiliations just to scrape together that fifty thousand. And now, she wanted to take it all. But the debt was real, and the IOU had my name on it. Swallowing my pride, I handed over the money. Miller counted it, a look of dissatisfaction on his face. "It's been three years. There's thousands in interest, you know. You didn't bring the interest." He grinned maliciously. "But tell you what. My friend Leonard here is feeling generous. Get on your knees and apologize to him, and I'll forget about the interest." I looked at the smug faces around the room, a pack of wolves enjoying their kill. A tear slid down my cheek. Humiliated, I knelt, my forehead hitting the floor with a dull thud. "Hahaha! Look at the poor fool!" Miller roared. "Crawl over there and kiss the sole of Leonard's boot, and I'll give you two hundred bucks!" Vivian crouched down beside me. "Honey, just do it. It's two hundred dollars. We could use that for the move to the summer pastures." I couldn't take it anymore. I scrambled to my feet, ready to flee. But Miller kicked my legs out from under me, sending me sprawling. "Looks like you need to be taught a lesson!" He grabbed the back of my head and shoved my face down, pressing my cheek against the dirt-caked leather of Leonard's boot. The room erupted in laughter. Tears of shame streamed down my face. Back in the simple tent that served as my home, I signed the divorce papers. I had to leave. I looked around at the barren space. For three years, I had lived in this tent because we had no money. I remembered one night, a fierce gale had ripped the tent from its moorings, sending me tumbling across the plains. Meanwhile, Vivian was in her luxurious penthouse apartment, comforting a frightened Leonard. He had pointed out the window and said, "It's so scary when a storm hits a flimsy place." The next day, she transferred three hundred thousand dollars to his account, and he began construction on a new luxury guesthouse. At the time, I’d just marveled at how much money Leonard's family must have. Now I knew the truth. It was my wife who paid for it all. And I, like a fool, had spent my days mucking out stalls for pennies, saving for three months just to buy her a pair of warm gloves. 2 The next day, I saw those gloves on the paws of Leonard's Tibetan Mastiff. All those years of love, all that sacrifice—it was all a lie. I finished packing my few belongings. Vivian finally showed up, looking unconcerned when she saw my bags. She probably thought I was just preparing for the move to the summer pastures. She held out a piece of fried chicken. "Honey, I brought this for you." Any other time, I would have hugged her, overcome with gratitude, and insisted she take half. Now, I just felt a profound, aching confusion. Why? Why had she treated me like this for so long? I remembered the calf I was raising to sell for her debt. It had gotten frostbite, and I'd stayed up all night, holding it against my own body to keep it warm, nursing it back to health. The next day, Vivian slaughtered it and made beef jerky for Leonard. I remembered walking ten miles every day to haul water for extra cash, my feet covered in bloody blisters. That same week, Vivian paid to have the entire dirt road to Leonard's family property paved with asphalt because he'd tripped and scraped his knee. I used to think her devotion to him was just a local custom, something to do with them being childhood friends. Now, looking at her face, her mask of feigned love, I finally asked the question I'd been too afraid to ask for years. "After the bonfire festival that year... why did you get so angry with me?" Everything changed that night. Now that I was leaving, I needed to know why. Vivian's face tightened, a vein throbbing in her temple. "Shut up!" she screamed. She grabbed a mug of coffee from the small table and hurled it at me. It shattered against my forehead. Blood trickled down my face. Vivian froze, a flicker of shock in her eyes. "Why didn't you dodge...?" she whispered. Before she could say more, her phone buzzed. A message from Leonard. Just like every other time, she turned and left without another word, abandoning me for him. I wiped the blood from my eyes and silently loaded my handmade crafts onto my bicycle. I used to have a white horse named Snowdrift, a gift from my mother. I’d sold him to help pay Vivian's debt. Now, to make ends meet, I had to pedal to the market. The bus would be here in three days. That’s when I would leave for good. Today, I just needed to clear out my remaining stock. I had just laid out my blanket when I saw them. Vivian was leading a horse, with Leonard riding proudly on its back. "Vivi, thank you for the horse!" Leonard chirped. "Another fine addition to the ranch you gave me." I looked closer. My breath caught in my throat. The horse he was riding was Snowdrift. She had bought back the horse my mother gave me, only to give it to Leonard. Vivian smiled, ruffling Leonard's hair. "Anything for you, Leonard. You know I'd buy you the world." Then she saw me, and her smile vanished. "What are you doing here?" A bitter wave of nausea washed over me. What was I doing here? I was here, breaking my back for three years, earning money for her fake debt, and she didn't even know. Leonard noticed my stall. "Oh, Vivi," he said with a smirk, "I forgot to tip the stable boy for saddling up my new horse." He gestured to the small pile of cash in my collection tin. "That looks like just enough." Vivian snatched the money from my stall. When I tried to stop her, she shoved me to the ground. "If it weren't for Leonard, Miller would have charged you interest. What's the big deal if I take a little of your money?" She turned and started handing my earnings out to the other vendors as "tips" from Leonard. He stood over me, his expression triumphant. I only had eyes for Snowdrift. His intelligent, dark eyes were fixed on me, full of a sad recognition. "Recognize him? He's mine now," Leonard gloated. "If you hadn't seduced Vivian in college, she would be mine right now!" He snatched a sharp leather-working awl from my stall and, without warning, plunged it into Snowdrift's flank. The horse screamed in pain and bolted, with Leonard clinging to the reins. "Snowdrift!" I cried out in horror. Vivian rushed over, her face a mask of terror. "Leonard!" "Vivi, help me!" Leonard shrieked as the horse bucked wildly. Vivian grabbed the antique hunting bow I kept at my stall for decoration and aimed it at Snowdrift. I threw myself at her, wrapping my arms around her. "No! Please! I can whistle for him! He'll stop if he hears me!" She hesitated. I put my fingers to my lips and let out the familiar, sharp whistle. Snowdrift's ears perked, and he began to slow. But Leonard wasn't finished. He secretly jabbed the horse again with the awl. Snowdrift went berserk. Ignoring my pleas, Vivian ripped herself free, drew the bowstring taut, and let the arrow fly. It struck Snowdrift in the neck. He collapsed with a sickening thud. "No!" I screamed, scrambling to his side. "Snowdrift!" His head rested gently in my arms, and then he was still. As I sobbed, my body shaking with grief, Leonard ran to Vivian's arms. "He tried to kill me!" he wailed, pointing a trembling finger at me. "I was just letting Vivi lead the horse, and he stabbed him with that tool! He wanted me to get thrown!" Vivian held Leonard protectively, her eyes blazing with fury. She kicked over my bicycle, scattering my crafts in the dust. "I'm out here trying to make a little extra money for us, and you pull a stunt like this out of jealousy? You're pathetic!"
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