It feels like self-respect.

And in ordinary life, among decent people, it often is.

But when you are dealing with someone who intends you harm, that instinct is a trap, and the wiser move is the opposite: to let them keep believing you are less than you are, because an enemy’s underestimation is the single most valuable asset you can possess.

Preston thought I was a quiet, dependent, unremarkable wife.

Preston thought my brothers were crude criminals he could sneer at.