2: 2

A wave of nausea rolled through me.

My fiancé, holding another woman in his arms right in front of me, tender as anything.

The way the two of them clung together, if it weren't for the crowd around them, they'd have put on a show right there.

"Get out!"

"Both of you, get out of here!"

My voice shook as I snarled it, finger stabbing toward the door of the prep room.

Ronnie frowned. "Rose, rein in that temper of yours. Once you're my wife, I'm your whole world, and you learn to be a sweet, obedient little woman."

"Otherwise, the spot as Mrs. Harding goes to Chrissy instead."

Something lit up in Christina's eyes.

But it dimmed just as fast.

She leaned against Ronnie's chest and said softly, "If only my last name were Winfield too."

"That can be arranged," Ronnie said.

"Rose, have a word with Uncle Clyde and Aunt Melissa. Ask them to take Chrissy in as their goddaughter."

"Chrissy's devoted to me, and I can't return it, so giving her the role of a little sister is a way of making it right for her."

Hearing that, my first thought was how absurd it all was. Then my hand itched, and I wanted nothing more than to give Ronnie another slap across the face.

"Is your brain caked over with filth? Why on earth would I agree to that?"

"Rose, clearly you didn't take my words to heart. I told you, marry me and you'll be an obedient wife! Now, right now, arrange for Chrissy to be taken in!"

"And if I won't?"

"Then don't count on marrying me!"

I couldn't believe Ronnie was throwing threats at me. We had a childhood arranged marriage, grew up together, the bond between us was hardly ordinary!

Angry and hurt, I said out of spite, "Fine, then I won't!"

"Rose, don't you dare regret this!"

And Ronnie didn't so much as try to coax me. He stripped off his wedding suit, put his arm around Christina, and walked straight out.

The makeup artist, the stylist, and the photographer left in the prep room looked at one another, every face wearing the same "this is bad" expression.

The makeup artist asked carefully, "Miss Winfield, we're running out of time. Shall we do your makeup as planned?"

I came back to myself.

I took a deep breath. "Do the makeup."

Ronnie had left, but I was certain he wouldn't skip the wedding.

We'd grown up together, we knew each other well enough. He was only trying to scare me; he wouldn't leave me with no way to save face. Besides, this marriage tied the Winfield family and the Harding family together. If he called it off, he'd never get past the elders of the Harding family!

After turning it over in my mind for a while, my racing heart settled.

I clenched my fist and swore that if Ronnie didn't apologize properly, tonight there was no way I'd let him through my bedroom door!

Telling me I should treat my husband as my whole world—had some feudal ghost crawled into his head???

I'd show him how I'd deal with him, drain all that water out of his brain.

...

The makeup artist pulled out every trick she had and finished the bridal look ten minutes before the ceremony began.

Looking at the woman in the mirror, wearing only light makeup yet stunning all the same, I curled the corner of my mouth.

Ronnie and I had bickered and squabbled for over twenty years. He'd moved into my heart before I even knew what love was.

Between us there was friendship, there was love.

And someday, there would be family too.

We were the two halves that couldn't be split apart.

"Miss Winfield, would this pair of wedding shoes be all right instead?"

The stylist held up a pair of new shoes, close in color to the custom ones.

I glanced down. Very plain in style, completely out of step with the lavish, bold gown.

But the wedding shoes weren't just too small, they carried Christina's sweat inside them now.

There was no way I'd ever wear them again!

Something knotted in my chest, but in the end I nodded and let the stylist change me into the new shoes.

One last check of my makeup, hair, and gown, and I'd be ready to go out for the ceremony.

I looked toward the door of the prep room. Ronnie, who was supposed to come and walk me out, hadn't come.

I was puzzled, but there was no time to dwell on it. The ceremony was about to start, so I walked out myself.

The moment I stepped into the hall, I froze.

3: 3

"Mom, where are the guests?"

I stared at the empty reception hall, the cold, deserted space, and my mind went blank.

My mother turned slowly, elegant in a dark green silk gown with the full set of emerald jewelry.

The look she gave me was pure disappointment.

"Rose Winfield! I truly regret spoiling you, raising you into such a temperamental little princess!"

"Ronnie made one small mistake, and you slapped him and threw a fit about calling off the wedding! You had no regard at all for the Winfield name or the Harding name!"

"What a wonderful daughter you are. Wonderful!"

She finished and swayed, nearly fainting from anger.

I rushed over to hold her up.

But she shoved me away in disgust. "Go to the Hardings this instant and apologize to Ronnie, or I don't have a daughter."

It hurt to hear, but I wasn't panicked.

My parents had doted on me my whole life. They just didn't know how far Ronnie had gone to make me this angry. Once I explained, everything would be fine.

"Where's Dad?"

I looked around the hall and didn't see my father anywhere, and I asked, confused.

My mother kept her eyes shut, unwilling to look at me.

She urged me weakly, "Go, hurry. Get Ronnie to forgive you, and let the wedding go ahead."

"I am not apologizing! Ronnie is the one in the wrong. If anyone's asking, he should be the one begging me!"

My stubbornness flared, and I refused flatly.

I never expected it to trigger her heart palpitations on the spot.

Her lips went a dark purple, her face gray.

I quickly called the driver to rush her to the hospital.

I kept watch outside the emergency room the whole night, and only at daybreak was she out of danger and moved to the ICU.

Through the glass I saw her on a ventilator, unconscious, and the pain twisted in me like a blade.

I blamed myself. If I hadn't talked back, she wouldn't have collapsed.

Tears gathered in my eyes without my noticing.

Just as they were about to fall, I heard Ronnie's voice. "Rosie."

I turned and saw him holding a fruit basket, his expression a little awkward. "I heard Mrs. Winfield was ill. I came to check on her."

Ronnie was the boy I'd grown up with, my partner, my lover. Seeing him, I instinctively wanted to lean on someone, and I opened my arms. "Ronnie..."

Christina's head poked out from behind him. "Rose, I came too. You don't mind, do you?"

The sight of her brought it all back, how Ronnie had spoken so harshly to defend her, how he'd shielded her and fought with me.

My voice was hoarse as I snapped, "Get out!"

"Neither my mother nor I want to see you."

Christina pouted, wounded. "Fine, then. Just give me the heirloom token the Hardings gave you, the one that marks their daughter-in-law, and I'll leave right away."

I wondered if too many sleepless hours had dulled my brain. "You want what?"

Christina shrank behind Ronnie, frightened, fingers clutching at his clothes.

He patted her hand to soothe her. "Don't be scared. I'm here."

Then he looked at me. "Rosie, the graduation gift my mother gave you represents your standing as the Harding daughter-in-law. Now that you've broken off the engagement and won't marry me, I'm asking you to give it back."

"I've decided to marry Christina. It should go to its rightful owner."

My eyes went wide. "Ronnie, do you even hear yourself?"

"Our marriage was arranged by the elders of both families!"

"It's not something you or I can just call off!"

A flicker of impatience crossed his handsome face. "I know. But weren't you the one threatening to die rather than marry me? The guests left yesterday. The wedding was canceled."

"Your father handed over a Winfield plot of land worth a billion dollars to make amends, and the Hardings agreed to let it go. Give the token back, and we're even."

"What did you say?"

The barrage of news left me dizzy and unsteady, and I had to catch myself against the wall.

Then I heard Christina say brightly, "Ronnie, is Rose pretending to forget yesterday on purpose, so she can keep clinging to you and marry you anyway?"

"How does she have so much nerve!"

That marveling tone, as if I were some rare specimen.

I was so angry I wanted to tear her mouth off.

But as my hand came up, Ronnie caught it.

He stripped the clear jade bracelet straight off my wrist and warned me coldly.

"Rose, don't hold on to what was never yours!"

He flung my arm away hard.

I lost my footing and my forehead struck the stainless steel bench in the corridor, the lifted edge of the metal cutting the skin open.

I groaned in pain, and through my blurring vision I saw Ronnie hold the bracelet up high to tease Christina, refusing to give it to her until she kissed him.

The two of them flirting back and forth, sweet and lively as could be.

4: 4

Mom lasted three days in the hospital before she refused to stay any longer and insisted on going home.

I coaxed her patiently, over and over, and finally she said, "It's three thousand a day in here. The Winfields aren't what we used to be. We have to economize."

"You may have a thousand faults, but you're still my own flesh and blood. Your father and I have to plan for your future."

"You can't marry Ronnie Harding now, so we'll have to look lower."

"We need to set aside a nest egg for you, so you won't be pushed around."

Hearing her think of me in every single word, the tears I'd held back for so long spilled over.

"Mom, don't worry. None of this was my fault, and I'll make everyone see that!"

She sighed and shook her head. "Rose, why won't you own up to what you've done? Carrying on like this…"

I bit down on the soft inside of my cheek.

My fury at Ronnie and Christina burned to the very top.

The two of them were in love and wanted to marry. Fine. But why trample me to do it? Why trample the Winfields?

What had I ever done to them?

I was going to make them pay.

I brought Mom back home to the Winfields and started gathering evidence, but either the two of them really were as clean as they claimed or they'd hidden it too well, because I couldn't find a shred of proof that anything was going on between them.

Then I thought of the argument in the bridal prep room. I went to pull the security footage, only to be told the equipment had malfunctioned. That day's recording hadn't been saved.

My teeth itched with the hate of it, but there was nothing I could do.

And just when I was at a complete loss, Christina showed up at my door, asking to borrow my wedding gown.

"Rose, you can't marry him anyway. And your wedding shoes are already my size, so why not give me the matching gown too, and let me and Ronnie have our happiness?"

"Fine."

Christina's whole face went slack with surprise. Clearly she hadn't expected me to agree.

I ran my fingers over the delicate embroidery on the gown and laid out my condition. "The Hardings stop their attacks on Winfield business."

"Fine. I'll do my best to talk Uncle Colin into it."

Christina smiled, sweet and radiant, and gathered up my gown to leave.

At the door she turned back. "Rose, the wedding reception is tomorrow. Will you come?"

"We'd both really love to have your blessing."

I dug my nails into my palm to keep the anger down.

I was about to refuse when my phone buzzed with a message. I looked down, read it, and the corner of my mouth lifted. I told Christina, and I meant every word, "Sure."

"I'll make sure your wedding is one you'll never forget."