On my wedding day, my fiancé bailed. Sabina—his ex—had sent him a diary listing 77 things she'd done for him. Turns out she only dumped him because his family pushed her to. So, he ran back to her.

While I was still reeling, Jacob—my fiancé's best friend—showed up. He got down on one knee, flashed a ring he'd clearly had ready, and said, "Yuna Auclair, I've liked you for a long time. Will you marry me?"

I thought he was my person.

But after the wedding, Jacob turned distant. Hot one second, ice-cold the next.

Then I found a diary in his study. Just like the one Sabina had sent my ex.

Page one hit like a truck:

[Hurt Yuna Auclair seventy-seven times, and I'll break up with Gabriel and be with you.]

Oh—and Gabriel? He was my ex.

After we got married, Jacob said he wanted a homemade lunch for work. So I dragged myself up at five to make it.

By noon? That same lunch showed up on his secretary Linda's feed:

[Thanks for caring, Mr. Haag. My stomach doesn't hurt today!]

I asked him why. He just shrugged. "It's a lunch. Who cares who eats it?"

I was clearly upset, so he dangled some island trip.

But when I showed up at the airport, suitcase in hand, I got this:

[Sorry, Yuna. Something urgent came up. Business trip. I'll make it up to you.]

I went home alone. Noticed that his IP address was still the same as before. Business trip? Nonsense.

Stuff like that? Pretty standard with Jacob.

Take tonight—he stumbled in reeking of drugstore perfume, clinging to Linda like a drunk prom date.

"Sorry, Mrs. Haag. He drank for me," she mumbled, all innocent, eyes on the floor. That fresh hickey on her neck? Yeah, not exactly subtle.

Later, changing his shirt, I spotted a lipstick smudge—Linda's usual shade.

Didn't need a detective badge to get the picture.

After dumping him in bed, I went to his study.

That's when I saw it.

A pink diary.

My stomach dropped.

It looked just like the one Sabina Horne gave Gabriel Klutz, my ex-fiancé, at our wedding. It was titled Forgive Him Seventy-Seven Times.

Gabriel took one look, dumped me on the spot, and bailed. I got stuck dealing with the gossip storm and side-eyes solo.

I opened this one. First line? [Hurt Yuna Auclair seventy-seven times, and I'll break up with Gabriel and be with you.]

Sabina's handwriting.

And every page? A mirror of the crap Jacob had pulled on me lately.

So yeah—he married me just to check off a list of ways to wreck me?

I started shaking. Hard.

I was the joke. The setup. And I never saw it coming.

I grabbed my phone, voice cracking. Called my parents in Norvane.

"Mom, Dad... I'm coming home in three days."

I still couldn't get it. Why her? I met him first. She'd made my life a nightmare.

How could he destroy me like this... for her?

That's when I knew—I had to get out.

***

Next morning, the bed was empty. Jacob was gone.

Someone dropped off a red dress for some party.

Red. Seriously? I'm all about soft tones. Red felt like someone else's skin.

I walked into his study, pulled out the diary.

Another checkmark. Of course.

I opened my laptop and booked a flight—three days, and I'd be leaving Caldora.

Then a pop-up blinked.

Jacob's messages had synced.

[How many of the seventy-seven things have you done? Don't go soft on her, or I'm not coming back to you.]

—Sabina.

Jacob texted back instantly:

[Of course. I'd never fall for some girl who only knows how to act innocent.]

[Don't worry, Sabina. I'm gonna finish all seventy-seven. You have no idea how pumped I am to finally be with you.]

He sounded thrilled.

I snapped the laptop shut. No way I was reading another word of that garbage.

Tried to breathe. Tears still came.

I actually loved him—back then, and stupidly, maybe even now.

***

On the way to the party, my phone buzzed—Linda again.

This time, it was a pic of her all cozy with Jacob, looking way too close.

Then poof—she deleted it, like it was some "oops" moment.

Please. I knew what she was pulling. I didn't bother clapping back.

Jacob wasn't into her. She was just another check on that list. Sabina was the real prize.

The room was packed when I walked in. Eyes cut toward me, then away fast.

"Why is she even here? If Jacob wasn't around, I'd bounce."

"Sabina and Gabriel were goals. She ruined it. Thank God he dumped her."

They weren't even trying to whisper.

Sabina had always been their golden girl. Never mind that I wasn't the reason she and Gabriel split—everyone still took her side.

Jacob strolled in, acting like he was stepping up.

Handed me a glass of juice and leaned in. "You don't do well with alcohol. Better not."

Normally, that would've felt sweet. Now? Just another setup.

Right on cue, Sabina walked in.

Wearing the same red dress.

Someone near me snorted, loud enough to sting.

"Wannabe swan look. Zero shame."

"Total copycat."

A girl near me let out a smug little giggle.

I gripped the hem of my dress, face burning.

Then Jacob, all smiles: "Sabina, your skin's so fair—this color's perfect on you. Honestly, no one wears it better."

Sabina turned with a sugar-sweet smile, eyes daring me to react.

"Guess Yuna and I have the same taste."

At the party, everyone was buzzing about Sabina and Gabriel getting back together.

"Wild, right? Yuna was left at the altar, then locked down with someone new. Girl was probably juggling both."

Panic hit.

Yeah, I'd had feelings for Jacob while I was with Gabriel—but our whole thing was arranged by our families. Gabriel had just been dumped, I was numb. We settled.

But in my heart? It was always Jacob.

I snuck a glance at him, worried he'd catch something in my face. But he wasn't even looking at me—his eyes were glued to Sabina, cuddled up with Gabriel. Frown locked in place.

Then someone threw a spotlight on me.

"Yuna, didn't you do ballet in college? Show us something!"

"Yeah! Do the Dance of the Little Swans. Perfect for a duck pretending to be a swan."

Laughter exploded.

I tried to brush it off, but two girls yanked me to my feet.

Before I could shove them off, Jacob pulled me into his arms. His voice cut clean through the noise.

"Quit messing with her. She's my wife. She only dances for me."

"Buzzkill," one of them muttered, rolling her eyes as they slinked back to Sabina.

Didn't expect that.

I looked over—Sabina was glaring daggers.

Later, I slipped away to pay the bill.

When I came back, the room was half-empty.

I grabbed my bag, but paused near the restroom.

Voices.

"What was that? Saying she only dances for you?" Sabina snapped.

"What, jealous?" Jacob's voice was cold. "I did it on purpose. You spent the whole night clinging to Gabriel like I wasn't even there. Thought you were over him? So why haven't you ended it?"

A shuffle. Clothes maybe.

"I'll dump him once you finish the task. But don't watch her dance again," Sabina said, breathy and sharp.

Jacob laughed low. "Please. I'm not into that flat body. So what if she dances? That scar on her leg grosses me out. Drop it. Let's just enjoy ourselves."

I stood frozen outside the bathroom, listening. The sounds. The closeness.

My heart just... dropped.

My hand brushed the scar on my thigh—the one from college, when I jumped in front of a car to save him.

Never thought he'd grow to hate it.

***

Jacob didn't get home until late.

I lay there, staring at the ceiling, wide awake.

He didn't come straight to bed. Hit the study first.

Minutes passed. Then he slipped in beside me, pulled me into his arms.

Kissed my forehead like nothing had happened.

Only then did I shut my eyes.

A single tear slipped down.

***

I was on the phone with my parents when Sabina waltzed into the house.

"Jacob dropped me off last night. Think I left something here," she said, way too casual. "Figured I'd see how you two are doing."

She grabbed a couple's keychain off the table and smirked.

"Don't tell me you actually thought he married you for love."

Her words hit like a slap.

"Gabriel loved ME. That's why he dumped YOU. Jacob loves ME too—that's why he used you to get to ME. Stop lying to yourself."

She leaned in, voice dripping poison.

"You play innocent, but who knows how many guys you've hooked up with behind the scenes. No one's ever gonna REALLY want someone like you."

Same venom. Same Sabina.

Suddenly I was back in high school, drowning in rumors she started—dirty whispers, ruined friendships.

The girl in front of me blurred into that uniformed bully from my past.

I snapped. Shoved her—hard.

She hit the floor.

Right then, Jacob walked in.

He rushed over, cradling Sabina like she was made of glass, shielding her with his arms.

Tears welled up as she gave him the saddest look ever.

"Jacob, it's my fault. I just came to grab my stuff. I didn't think Yuna would push me. My head really hurts..."

Jacob snapped.

"Why are you so petty? Sabina's not a stranger. How could you be so cruel? No wonder she said you bullied her in high school. And she still saw you as a friend! I'm taking her to the hospital. You stay here and think about what you've done."

Then he left. Just like that. Carrying her out. Didn't even look back.

I sank to the floor.

A bitter laugh slipped out.

How deep did his loyalty run?

Whatever Sabina said, he bought it—no questions asked.

My phone buzzed—voice messages from Sabina.

Clips of her talking to Jacob.

"Jacob, you're so sweet. Gabriel's out of town. I thought you wouldn't come either. Aren't you worried Yuna will be mad?"

"What's there to worry about? I'm supposed to hurt her, right? That makes sixty now. Just seventeen more and I can divorce her. I can't wait."

His voice? Chill. Like it was nothing.

And he didn't come home that night.

***

Eight hours till my flight.

I looked around the house one last time.

Jacob had transferred in senior year. We were seatmates.

He was smart, always helping me with homework.

I had a quiet crush—never said a word, just followed him home like some silent shadow.

One day, he got jumped—beat up bad.

I hauled him to the hospital by myself.

A week later, he came back... and asked to switch seats.

Next to Sabina.

That's when everything twisted.

I packed up what was mine.

Walked out without looking back.

After crashing at Sabina's, Jacob went back to work.

That evening, a package landed on his desk.

He opened it—and froze.

Inside: a pink diary.

And a signed divorce agreement.