“Everything will be alright, Juliet,” Penny, my best friend, said. She hugged me from the back as we both stared at the grave before us.

Tears formed in my eyes when I recalled my Mom collapsing next to me. I was standing in front of the church, wearing an expensive wedding gown, when my bridesmaid said my groom was nowhere to be found, and the ceremony couldn’t start without him.

Mom had been battling with breast cancer for months and she only had limited time left. Her ultimate wish was to see me get married to Samuel.

“Juliet, I want to see you marry the one you love before I leave this world,” Mom said after her diagnosis.

“Yes, mom. I will marry Samuel. He’s the one I love,” I said, hoping it will make her feel better.

Right after that, I pleaded with Samuel to marry me for my mother’s sake, just to put her mind at ease on her remaining days.

“Please, marry me. You can be with the one you love but I need us to get married,” I cried, kneeling in front of Samuel.

“Why do I have to do that? I don’t love you,” Samuel deadpanned. His cold gaze penetrated through my body.

“My mother is sick and her time left is short. She wishes to see us getting married before she dies. So, please… Just for my mother’s sake,” I continued with my head low.

Samuel agreed, although hesitantly, I was glad he listened to my request.

However, Samuel didn’t attend the wedding, causing my Mom to have a stroke. We tried to bring her to the hospital but she didn’t make it. I called Samuel and asked where he was, only to get told that he had something else important.

“What do you want? I’m busy right now, Juliet. Nora cut her finger while trying to cook something for me,” Samuel said with agitation in his voice.

“Samuel, wait—”

Samuel didn’t answer my call again after he hung up. I was pathetic to think that Samuel wouldn’t break the promise he made when agreeing to marry me.

After Mom died, Penny helped me process and finish the funeral. Everything happened so fast that I couldn’t still believe I lost my only family member. I was grateful to Penny who stayed and comforted me.

“Goodbye, Mom,” I said, holding my Mom’s picture close to my chest.

I went home after.

Samuel was not around when I arrived at the penthouse where we were living. I almost fainted as soon as I stepped inside. My body wouldn’t stop shaking and my tears kept flowing like waterfalls in my eyes.

I wasn’t surprised when he left me at the altar for Nora. She was all he could think of while still dating me. No matter what time of the day it was, he was always at her beck and call.

It was just I couldn’t accept that he had to leave on our wedding day. Perhaps my Mom would still have a few days or weeks left if Samuel married me. But all my hopes were gone as soon as she kicked the bucket when Samuel broke our promise.

I started packing my things after pulling myself together. If I wanted to live a life that my mother wished me to have, I should start by getting rid of the people who hurt me. I was almost done packing when the door to the bedroom opened, revealing Samuel with Nora who was clinging to his arm like a koala.

“Juliet, what are you doing?” Samuel asked, he frowned as he moved his gaze from me and my luggage.

“Why do you care?” I blurted out, even after telling myself not to speak with him again.

Samuel scoffed. “Ah. Is this because the ceremony was canceled? Look, I had to leave to take care of Nora. She was hurt and nobody was there for her so I came,” he explained, although it wasn’t necessary at all.

“Okay. But Samuel, I’m breaking up with you,” I said, looking straight into his eyes.

I couldn’t see anything wrong with Nora, except for the colorful bandaid wrapped around her finger. She looked fine and perfectly clinging to him to be hurt somewhere.

“You’re being childish, Juliet,” Samuel commented, shaking his head in disappointment.

I sneered.

Samuel always thought I was childish. Whenever I asked for a bit of his attention throughout our relationship, he would refer me to someone like a child. He said Nora was only like his sister so I paid no mind even though they were extremely close. I never complained even when people laughed behind me knowing what my boyfriend and his dear sister were doing when I wasn’t around.

He was the disrespectful one and yet he had the guts to call me childish!

“Enough,” I said through gritted teeth. “You can do whatever you want from now on, Samuel. I’m letting you go.”

I walked past them when Samuel suddenly pulled me back to face him.

“Is this because of your Mom? If she’s upset, I can explain to her,” he said.

If his explanation could bring my mother back to life, then yes. But whatever he tried to do now wouldn’t rewind the time before my Mom was gone.

I shrugged off his hand and replied, “There’s no need!”

Samuel was dumbfounded by my response. I used to be gentle and sweet when talking to him. Even if we argued before, I wouldn’t yell in his face.

I pulled my luggage and walked to the door when Samuel tried to stop me again but Nora stopped him.

“Let her be, Samuel. This isn’t your fault! If her mother didn’t pretend to be sick, you wouldn’t agree to marry her, right?” Nora said, stressing the fact that Samuel was only forced to marry me for the sake of my Mom’s health.

Indeed, Nora was right, but she got one thing wrong. My Mom didn’t pretend to be sick. She was sick and now she was gone!

I turned my heels around and without any words coming from my mouth, I slapped Nora on the face, hard.

“What have you done?” Samuel growled at me as he blocked his body to protect Nora.

I ignored Samuel and shot daggers at Nora. If looks could kill, she would have been dead by now. “You better keep your filthy mouth shut!”

Nora retorted, “Was I wrong? Your mother was not sick at all. You planned everything and used her fake illness to convince Samuel to marry you! Otherwise, Samuel wouldn’t even think about bringing you to the altar!”

My heartbeat became erratic. I turned to Samuel and asked, “Do you think the same?”

Samuel said nothing and averted his gaze. He didn’t have to open his mouth for me to get his reply. I already knew the answer the moment he looked away.

Six months ago, my Mom was diagnosed with cancer. The doctor told us she didn’t have enough time left, so she made sure to tell me her last wish… And that would be marrying Samuel, the one I loved.

I was hesitant at first, knowing that Samuel may refuse. But for my mother’s sake, I begged him to say when I proposed to him for marriage. I was desperate, but there was nothing I wouldn’t do to make my Mom happy on her last days.

However, Samuel thought that my mother was just pretending to force the wedding between us. Perhaps he always looked down on me since that day. I couldn’t blame him though.

Samuel was born with a silver spoon and was the heir of the Wilson Group. I fell in love with him the very first time we met. I loved him so much that I swallowed my pride as a woman and shamelessly pursued him for years.

Samuel liked obedient women, so I learned to be submissive and obeyed everything he wanted without complaining. I could die for him if he wanted and I thought doing everything he asked would make him love me.

I was wrong.

When Samuel met Nora, he changed. He became a gentleman that I could barely recognize. While I did everything he wanted, Nora could ask him anything. He spoiled her like a child even without her asking. They held hands and cuddled… Things I wasn’t allowed to do with him.

Nora could do all the things I wish I could with Samuel. She was his queen and I was just an extra to their story.

I was a fool and even tried to copy what Nora did but Samuel treated me coldly with disgust written on his face.

“Juliet, stop being childish,” he told me back then.

“Why?” I stuttered.

“You’re embarrassing me in front of people. Stop acting like we’re lovers. I don’t even love you,” he said, coldly.

Reality hit me hard that time and after that one embarrassment, I dared not do it again.

Samuel never held my hand while on a date with me. When we were outside, it was I who always took the initiative to start a conversation. Most of the time, I found myself walking behind him. Sometimes, he made it so obvious to me that only Nora could walk by his side.

I was only Samuel’s girlfriend in the name. The one he really wanted to date was Nora.

It was ironic that even in public, it was Samuel and Nora who were dating. After all, he introduced her to everyone as someone special in his heart.

If it weren’t for my mother’s last request, I wouldn’t think of asking Samuel to marry me. There wouldn’t be a ridiculous wedding then.

A sad smile crept into my face as I faced Samuel. He was the man I loved dearly for years and the same man who hurt me. I wondered what I saw in him in the first place.

My train of thought was disrupted when Nora groaned. “Samuel, come and check if my face is red. I feel like it’s swollen too. How could she be so evil? My face hurts a lot!”

The look on Samuel’s face softened as he checked Nora’s cheek.

I went all out with that slap I could see the palm mark left on Nora’s face. Well, she deserved it for dragging my Mom into this conversation.

Samuel turned to me with a dark expression on his face. “Apologize, Juliet!”

“And if I don’t want to?”

I raised an eyebrow and stared at Samuel’s angry face. He pressed his lips together in frustration.

“Don’t make me angry, Juliet,” he said.

If I were to be honest, I used to be afraid of Samuel. Whenever he changed his expression, I would subconsciously apologize and obey him without any question. He wouldn’t need to order me to do things. I complained before he could complain. That was because I loved him too much, but that was all in the past.

I wouldn’t give a shit about him anymore.

After hearing Samuel’s demand for an apology, Nora seemed dissatisfied. “I don’t want her sorry, Samuel. I want to pay her back for what she exactly did to me.”

Samuel was hesitant to give what Nora wanted. He glanced at me and gave me a meaningful look, trying to make me apologize and all would be over.

“Don’t blame me on this, Juliet. I already told you to apologize,” he said before heaving a sigh.

But I didn’t want to. Nora deserved that slap and I wouldn’t be sorry for it.

My stubbornness provoked Samuel. He gave in to Nora’s request and signaled his bodyguards to come.

In the next second, I found myself on the floor with Samuel’s bodyguards pinning me down. My strength left my body after that hard slap I gave Nora. I couldn’t even struggle from their grasp, not that I wanted to.

Nora walked toward me with a viscous grin. She raised her hand and slapped me several times until my lips bled.

I tasted the blood flowing out of the corners of my mouth as I sat down in discomfort, saying nothing.

Samuel looked at me and said, “You owe this to Nora. Apologize to her now and I will pretend this never happened!”

A mocking laugh came out of my mouth. “You wish!”

Samuel frowned and continued, “As long as you’re obedient, I will give you everything you want, Juliet… Including marriage. Have you thought it through?”

Liar!

He didn’t want to give me what I wanted. He only wanted to please Nora and kept coming back to her.

Whatever he wanted to offer me, I didn’t want them anymore. Was he thinking I was still desperate to have him?

I endured the pain from my swollen face and coldly replied, “Samuel, I already broke up with you, and I no longer wanted to marry you.”

Samuel didn’t believe me probably because I used to be the one chasing after him, and forced him to marry me.

He smirked and looked at me in disbelief. “What? Weren’t you so desperate to marry me, to fulfill your mother’s dying wish?” Samuel sneered.

Contempt was audible in his voice, I expected that though. But before I could say anything, Nora butted in again.

“See, Samuel? I already told you she was lying. If her mother was dying, she wouldn’t be showing such an attitude towards you. Don’t be fooled by her!” Nora exclaimed.

I pursed my lips for a moment until I could no longer hold back. “Shut up! You have no right to talk about my mother.”

My rebellious act against Samuel infuriated him. “You disappoint me, Juliet. I hope you won’t regret this.”

Samuel snickered and called his assistant. To make sure everyone in the room could hear their conversation, he turned on the speaker.

“James, tell Perfect Wedding to cancel all preparations,” he ordered his assistant. “And contact the hospital to cancel Mrs. Brown’s surgery.”

Samuel watched my reaction after giving the orders to his assistant. He thought he could threaten me with these so he made sure to keep our eye contact as he spoke.

I remained quiet and void of emotion as I looked at him.

A few moments later, there was a hesitation in James’s voice. “Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Brown passed away this morning. She was declared dead on arrival after collapsing in front of the church before the wedding ceremony started!”