Prologue

“I don’t want joint custody anymore.”

Richard Lim stared at his ex-wife through bloodshot eyes as she stood in the doorway of his penthouse. He’d just fallen asleep after a long night and then morning of emergency surgery in the ER and was in deep sleep before Alexandra dropped off their daughter, Abigail, unannounced. It was her weekend to have Abigail. He looked over his shoulder to make sure their daughter wasn’t within earshot. “What are you talking about?”

Alexandra’s chin wobbled, and her eyes filled with tears. “I’m on the verge of a breakdown. I can’t do this single parent thing anymore. I think she’d be better off with you. Just you.”

He scraped his hand across his jaw, stubble pricking his palm. “You’re not a single parent. She goes back and forth. We have a nanny. You have a housekeeper. You have a cook. You have staff…