Today he hadn't cared about me at all.

And I was the one who was sicker.

If Sarah mattered more to him, then fine. I wouldn't fight for the spot.

While Samuel was busy nursing Sarah, I downed a packet of cold medicine and went out to sign the investment agreement with Duane.

Once the arrow leaves the bow, there's no calling it back.

"You're sure you don't want the wedding house? You'd rather put the money into business with me?"

Duane held out a pen and asked me seriously.

"Yes."

I gave a small nod. "He has what he's chasing. I have what I'm choosing."

Signed.

Thumbprint pressed.

All in one clean motion.

I trusted Duane. We'd been classmates for as long as I could remember.

More than that, he was the investment prodigy even our professors had praised.

Back in college he'd built a campus food-delivery platform and opened two little shops, and made his first pot of money off it.

The truth was, he'd tried to bring me in as a partner more than once.

But I always turned him down, because I wanted to keep money in reserve to support Samuel.

Once the agreement was signed, Duane said to me, "I'll drive you to the clinic."

"You've been the same since you were a kid. Catch a cold or a fever, and you need an IV, or you'll run hot for a week."

Samuel knew all of that too.

He'd just forgotten.

He'd also forgotten why I dragged myself to work sick every time. I was trying to put a little more away, in case his company ever went under.

So we wouldn't end up out on the street.

That afternoon, Duane took me to look at a few places.

I liked one of them, and Duane paid and signed the lease on the spot, calling it staff housing.

At the same time he handed me another agreement. He wanted me to be VP of the company.

I didn't hesitate. I said yes.

Early evening.

I'd just reached my front door when my dad called out of nowhere.

"Sweetheart."

"Your mom and I got a flight cancellation notice. Is this one of those scam texts?"

Last week Samuel and I had settled on a resale house and planned to buy it this week, exactly so I could bring my parents over to stay for a while.

I walked them through sending me a screenshot.

It really was the airline's number.

Just to be sure I hadn't gotten it wrong, I called the airline myself. The answer was the same: the tickets had been canceled.

I walked in the door frowning, and Sarah came rushing over.

"Beth."

"Sam just booked flights for my mom and dad. They'll be here tomorrow night, so why don't you reserve a restaurant and we can all have dinner together."

The word flights snagged on every raw nerve I had.

I turned toward Samuel, who was slicing fruit in the kitchen. "So that's your reason for canceling my parents' tickets?"

"Don't blow it up like that."

Samuel sighed and came out carrying the fruit plate. "It's not easy for Sarah's parents to make the trip, so I wanted them to be able to stay a while."

"As for your parents, they've lived in the country their whole lives. They'd never be comfortable in the city. They can just come on the wedding day."

"And you know how things are with my company. Sarah's family is closer, so the flights save a few hundred. It's the smart call!"

Watching him wear that look, like he'd thought it all through so carefully, my chest went tight, and I hated that I'd ever fallen for someone this worthless.

My parents were open-minded people. They knew starting a company was hard for Samuel, so they agreed to ask for no bride price. Instead they handed over a hundred thousand to help with the down payment.

How much produce, how much wheat did they have to grow to save a hundred thousand?

They just wanted to come see their daughter and son-in-law.

It's not easy for Sarah's parents to make the trip.

And it was easy for mine?

Samuel knew all of it, and he still put Sarah's parents first.

So this was what it meant to love the man and everything around him too.

“Huh? Didn't I send you out for groceries? Why are your hands empty?”

Samuel tacked that on too.

It cut even deeper.

My mouth fell half open, and for a moment I couldn't get a word out.

“Beth, have a slice of lemon.”

Sarah seized the chance, grabbed a lemon slice, and pushed it into my mouth.

It was so sour it brought tears straight to my eyes.

I went and splashed water on my face, then took out my phone and texted my parents: 【Mom, Dad, I'm not marrying Samuel.】

【One day I'll buy a big house and bring you two to live with me for good.】

Dad called right away.

“Sweetheart.”

“Don't do anything rash! Maybe Sam has his reasons. It's fine if your mother and I don't move to the city. As long as we can be at your wedding, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters.”

Mom chimed in beside him: “That's right. We'd only be in the way there anyway.”

Hearing them swallow the slight and still make excuses for Samuel, wanting nothing but for me to have a happy marriage.

Then looking at Samuel and Sarah laughing and messing around right in front of me.

It broke my heart. I turned and walked out the front door, and said, “Mom, Dad.”

“I'm not being rash, and I'm not joking.”

“This marriage would never make me happy.”

Everyone knew I loved Samuel. Loved him past all reason.

But now I had no love left to give.

After a silence, they answered: “Sweetheart, you've been hurt, haven't you? If you don't want to marry him, then don't. Whatever you decide, we're behind you.”

I told them not to worry, hung up, and turned to go pack my clothes in the bedroom.

Only then did it hit me. My clothes were the same few outfits I wore on rotation, and for makeup I had one lipstick worn down to the bottom and a tube of sunscreen.

Not even half a suitcase to fill.

Samuel's side of the closet, by contrast, was packed with designer suits and shirts in every style.

All of it for his image.

I carried my bag out of the bedroom.

Samuel froze, then frowned. “Where are you going?”

“I've got a business trip for a few days.”

I answered.

The next second his frown smoothed out and he let out a breath. “I thought you were about to throw a childish fit and run away from home.”

He turned, pulled a few bottles of mango yogurt from the fridge, and pushed them at me. “You love yogurt. Take these for the road.”

I did love yogurt.

But never mango. I'm allergic to mango.

Mango was the one Sarah wanted for everything.

“Aw, what a shame. Guess I don't get to mooch a meal off Beth.”

Sarah spread her hands, then stuck out her tongue. “But don't worry, I'll take good care of Sam.”

I only smiled, said nothing, turned and left. On my way out I dropped the yogurt in the trash can downstairs.

Ten minutes later.

Samuel called out of nowhere.

“Beth, swing by the new place first and change the door code to my birthday.”

“Sarah's parents want to stay a while longer, so I'm going to have them move into the new house.”

“Since you're away on this trip, feel free to take a few extra days out there. No rush to come back, so Sarah's folks don't feel cramped or awkward.”

He was getting more and more thoughtful and attentive.

Just not toward me.

Then Sarah's coaxing voice drifted through: “Sam, give me a hug!”

I said nothing, let out a cold laugh, hung up, and blocked and deleted him on the spot.

Whoever wants to play the fool for him, let them.

This girl is focusing on her career now.

The next evening.

Samuel brought Sarah's whole family to the front of the new place and, grinning ear to ear, keyed in the code.

【Wrong password!】