3: 3

I let out a mocking little laugh.

"An accident? A hacker who somehow knew which complex I live in, which building, which floor? What a coincidence."

"Ruby, I made myself perfectly clear last night. You can cover for him with no bottom line, but I'm under no obligation to. Call off the wedding. We're through."

Ruby froze for a moment, then flushed with anger.

"I already told you, Cole had no idea. Nothing even happened to you. Do you really have to blow it up like this?"

"Instead of blaming an innocent person, maybe you should take a hard look at yourself. Maybe you're just so difficult to deal with that you've made an enemy somewhere. Otherwise why would they only forward your photos and not his?"

"The wedding's in five days. The invitations are already out. Cancel now, and even if you have no shame, the Hensons still do!"

Something seemed to occur to her, and she gave a scornful snort.

"Terry, we're both operating in Metro City, and in this circle reputation is everything. Break off the engagement for no reason right before the wedding, and aren't you afraid you'll drag your parents' name through the mud, that no one will ever dare do business with the Hardings again? Take my advice. Quit while you're ahead."

Before I could say a word, Cole called her on video.

"Ruby, babe, we're here, why aren't you down yet? You promised you'd come pick out a suit with me today. Ditch me and Daddy here won't be showing up to your wedding."

Ruby panicked at once. "No, if you're not at the wedding I might as well not have one. Wait right there, I'm coming down."

I watched her head for the door and asked, "Weren't we going to pick out the guest favors together today?"

Ruby paused, then frowned.

"A little thing like that, you can handle it on your own."

"Oh, right. Everyone else's doesn't matter, but Cole is my best guy friend. His favor has to be expensive enough. It has to hit him right in the heart."

"I sent you a picture of that diamond watch he likes. Go buy it today. On the wedding day it'll be a surprise for him. You pay for it. Consider it your apology to him."

She'd been gone only a few minutes.

Then Cole updated his social feed. Look at the face my best girl gives me!

There, in front of the passenger seat that used to be mine and mine alone, was a new decal in fancy script.

Reserved for my man Cole. No losers allowed.

At the same time, Ruby sent over the photo of the watch Cole liked.

I took one look and laughed.

I'd never heard of a bride wanting her groom to prepare a surprise for her best guy friend at their own wedding.

A limited-edition diamond watch worth nearly ten million, and she'd actually said it to my face.

Fine. If she was so set on having this wedding, I'd give her one.

I wanted to see exactly who ended up humiliated.

I opened that familiar profile and sent over the wedding venue and time.

Didn't you say you wanted to marry me?

I'm giving you the chance.

...

That night, my childhood friend Owen Mason called.

He'd booked a private room and rounded up a few of the guys to throw me a bachelor party.

Partway through, one of them came back from the restroom and sat down next to me with a strange look on his face, and said quietly, "Terry, I think I just saw your fiancee Ruby next door."

"Don't know if she's had too much to drink or mistook Cole for you. The two of them looked pretty close. You'd better go take a look."

Owen was sitting close and caught it.

We traded a glance, told the others to keep drinking, and slipped out with an excuse.

We got to the door of the room next door and found it slightly ajar.

And what was going on inside was a lot more than close.

The guy had just been softening it to spare my feelings.

Ruby was sitting on Cole's lap, half undressed, the two of them locked in a kiss neither one wanted to break.

They didn't come apart for a full five minutes, both of them flushed and breathless when they did.

Those girlfriends of theirs shrieked and egged them on.

"Wow, that was a real one. If that killjoy Terry were here, no telling how mad he'd get, hahaha..."

"Please. It was only for Ruby's sake that we bothered being civil to him yesterday. Doesn't he know Cole always comes first with Ruby? Who does he think he is, going after Cole."

"Right? Ever since he showed up we've had to talk in a separate little chat every time. So annoying."

I laughed at myself. So it turned out they'd never accepted me at all.

One of them looked at Ruby. "Ruby, you're really going to give the real wedding ring to Cole and put a fake one on Terry? Aren't you scared he'll be furious if he finds out?"

Cole toyed with the diamond ring on his ring finger and gave a sneering laugh.

"Scared of what? It's been like this every time. That idiot always gets sweet-talked right back into line, doesn't he?"

"My Ruby says all her money is going to Daddy here. Certain morons only deserve a ten-dollar knockoff~"

4: 4

Looking at that wedding ring I'd chosen so carefully, my chest went tight and heavy.

Back then, every time Ruby and I fought over Cole, she'd bring me a gift the next day as a peace offering.

I never imagined even those so-called apologies were fake.

The others were laughing, teasing:

"Ruby, honestly, the two of you are so in love, why not just dump Terry and marry Cole instead?"

Ruby shook her head. "No. The Hardings helped me once, and Terry's been good to me too. I can't have people calling me ungrateful."

Then, as if something had just come to her, she pinched Cole's cheek fondly.

"Besides, this precious thing of mine is a little money pit. I'm the only one who can put up with him. But I'm afraid the Henson money alone won't be enough to keep him well, so of course I need to bring in more."

"Doing it on my own is a bit slow. The Hardings only have one son, and Terry cares about family. Once we're married, I'll ask him for a baby right away, and he won't have time for the company anymore."

"His father trusts me completely, and his heart's been bad these last few years. I'll think of a way to give the old man a good shock down the line. Once he kicks it, who else would he leave the family fortune to but me, his daughter-in-law?"

"By then, whatever Cole wants, I'll be able to give him."

My fist snapped shut.

One of the reasons I'd chosen Ruby in the first place was that she seemed devoted to family.

When my mother hurt her leg, Ruby carried her to physical therapy every day, tracked down specialists, bought supplements.

My father had a cough, and she brewed honey-lemon cough syrup and delivered it to him herself, every single day.

So it had all been to win my father's trust and swallow my family's fortune?

Owen was so furious he wanted to storm in and wreck the place. I grabbed him and held him back.

Inside, the teasing kept going.

"Fine, fine, you're the great romantic, Miss Henson, sacrificing so much."

"So the wedding won't be real, but you can at least give Cole a wedding night early, right? Don't think we don't know he's crazy about you. Even back when you played house as kids, he'd only have you as his bride."

"Yeah, do it right in the honeymoon suite you're supposed to share with Terry. On that wedding quilt he embroidered himself. After the way he humiliated Cole yesterday, call it payback for Cole!"

Ruby hesitated. "But Terry hasn't even slept in the honeymoon suite yet. And that quilt, he only learned to embroider it because I said I liked it. He spent a whole year on it, all ten fingers pricked raw and bleeding..."

Before she could finish, Cole draped his arms around her neck, all pitiful and wounded.

"Ruby, I really do love you."

"If I hadn't been afraid you'd turn me down, I never would have gone abroad. And once I came back and saw how much you cared about me, I only hated myself for not confessing sooner... I won't force you to be an unfaithful woman. I just want to be your groom for real, once. Please?"

His fingertips brushed lightly across her face as he coaxed her:

"And don't you think it's exciting? Us, in the honeymoon suite you're supposed to share with Terry, on that wedding quilt of his?"

Ruby's eyes darkened, and she kissed him hard.

"All right. Then let's go a little crazy, no regrets."

When I saw the group start herding them out, I quickly yanked Owen around the corner with me.

Only after they were gone did Owen shove my hand off, snapping in irritation:

"Terry, since when did you turn into such a coward? Why wouldn't you let me go in there and tear those two shameless dogs apart?"

After what I'd just witnessed, whatever I'd felt for Ruby was dead.

"They'll get torn apart. Just not yet."

I called my assistant. "I need you to take care of something for me. Right now."

Then I turned to Owen. "You got all of that recorded, didn't you?"

He seemed to catch on, and waved his phone with a smug grin. "Of course. Your boy's sharp."

If Ruby wanted to swallow my family's fortune, then I'd make sure it choked her.

Over the next few days, Ruby spent all her time with Cole and never came home at night.

I didn't argue, didn't make a scene. I let her do as she pleased.

On the wedding day, I stood on the platform holding the bouquet.

According to the plan, once the music started, Ruby was supposed to wait while I walked over to her, step by step.

Instead she came charging at me, Cole trailing behind her with his wounded look.

"Terry, do you really have to keep going after Cole like this?"

"I told you his gift was supposed to be that diamond watch. Why isn't it here?"

Down below, my father's face turned dark at once.

"Ruby, this is your wedding, yours and Terry's. Don't let an outsider hold things up. The little stuff can wait."

But she shot back, sharp and cold:

"Cole is not an outsider! Anything that upsets him is a big deal!"

"Terry, either you go buy that watch right now, or you get down on your knees and apologize to Cole!"

The moment she finished, the doors of the hall were pushed open.

Natalie Gilbert walked in at the front, in an exquisite, dazzling wedding gown.

Behind her came a line of bodyguards, and in the gift box one of them carried sat that pigeon-egg diamond worth tens of millions.

I curved my lips. "What's the rush? It's here, isn't it?"

Only then did Ruby's face soften. "Good, you know your place."

She thought the newcomers were from the jewelry store, and complained:

"Does your store even know how to do a surprise? Showing up dressed like that, are you trying to upstage the client? Careful, or I'll file a complaint!"

She reached out for the necklace, but Natalie caught her wrist in an instant and wrenched it hard behind her.

Ruby crumpled to her knees in pain.

Natalie was smiling, but her eyes were pure ice.

"Miss."

"This is the wedding gift I'm giving my own husband. You reach out and try to snatch it? That's not really appropriate, is it?"