Prissie’s POV

Declan Mortimer came with me to choose a bridal gown, but really, he was dating his phone.

I asked, “How about this one?”

He answered lazily, “Looks nice.”

“And this?”

“It’s fine. It suits your skin tone.”

I set the gown down, my fingers brushing over its heavy folds. It looked more suited for a window than a wedding.

And so I didn’t ask again.

It wasn’t until a message popped up on his phone—an emoji of a tearful kitten sent by his secretary—that he suddenly stood up and briskly walked out without hesitation.

Only then did I open my lips to calmly remind him, “Come home early tonight. I have some really good news to tell you.”

——

It was four in the morning when Declan finally came home.

Stumbling and reeking of alcohol, he climbed on top of me, his hands burning hot, his voice dripping with false tenderness.

“Reigne…”

I switched on the bedside lamp.

And in a flash, the affection in his eyes vanished, replaced by a flicker of disgust.

After an awkward pause, he grabbed a pillow and pressed it over my face, seeming resigned as he prepared to kiss me.

But then I said, “I’m on my period.”

His shoulders instantly relaxed. With a sigh of relief, he got up and headed straight for the bathroom.

As soon as he left, his phone buzzed on the nightstand.

It was a message from Reigne Kimberly.

[Dex, thanks for stepping in and shielding me from those awful guys and their drinks tonight. I promise, I won’t take side jobs at the bar anymore. From now on, I will be your one and only secretary forever!]

Ten years ago, when I confessed to him in front of everyone, Declan—fully aware of my alcohol allergy—pointed lazily to a full bottle of whiskey.

“If you can down that in one go,” he said nonchalantly, “I’ll consider accepting you.”

Now, as I gently touched the area where I’d lost half my stomach from that stunt, I reached behind the pillow and pulled out a wedding invitation I had prepared long ago.

I got up, sat on the couch, and waited quietly.

Less than ten minutes later, he stepped out of the shower.

The floral scent clinging to him was instantly familiar—it was the same one from the scented candle Reigne gave me last time.

Before I could even speak, he casually reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a gift box, and tossed it at me like he was throwing scraps to a homeless person.

Inside was a pair of dark, blood-red ruby earrings—clearly expensive.

But just one look and I could tell they were repurposed from the ruby necklace he had gifted Reigne last month.

Seeing me shut the box, Declan sneered and raised a brow.

“What? Not happy unless I put them on you myself?”

“Declan,” I said. “We’ve been childhood friends for fifteen years. You really don’t know I don’t have pierced ears?”

Maybe it was the softness of my tone that caught him off guard, because for once, instead of getting impatient, he tried to coax me while replying to Reigne on his phone.

He clicked his tongue. “What’s the big deal? I’ll take you to get them pierced tomorrow. Simple as that.”

There was a time when just hearing that would’ve made me leap into his arms without hesitation.

Even when he looked stone-cold, even when his ears flushed red with embarrassment, I’d still smother him in kisses until I reached a hundred.

But now, I ignored the arms he instinctively opened and calmly handed him the invitation.

“Congratulations, Declan. The groom’s been changed. You don’t have to marry me anymore.”

“Huh? Congratulations for what?”

He was too busy flirting with Reigne to even register what I’d said.

It wasn’t until I told him to open the invitation and check the groom’s name that his phone rang again.

At this hour, there was no need to guess who it was.

Sure enough, it was Reigne. Her voice was soft and coy through the receiver.

“Dex… I just saw this super scary video… It really, really freaked me out…”

The second he heard her whimper, Declan tossed the invitation aside and rushed downstairs without another word.

Within seconds, I heard the roar of his sports car tearing out of the driveway.

Grabbing my phone, I thought for a second about calling him.

But all I got was a busy tone.

Right. I had almost forgotten.

On the day of our engagement, just so I wouldn’t interrupt him attending a class reunion with Reigne, he had already blocked me.

Prissie’s POV

Snapping out of my thoughts, I carried the trash bag into the study and began sorting through the things that no longer had a place in my life.

I tore up the hundreds of love letters I had written to Declan.

I smashed the starry sky telescope I gave him when we were kids.

And when I was about to throw away the childhood photo of us that had sat on display for the past ten years, my hand accidentally brushed against the mouse.

The computer screen lit up.

In the very next second, just as Reigne’s smiling face appeared, I was shoved hard.

My head slammed against the glass of the bookshelf behind me. The pain was instant, my face going pale.

Declan, having doubled back, didn’t even look at me. His eyes were on something else entirely. Once he confirmed that the ceramic pig Reigne gave him was completely intact, he shot me a sidelong glance.

“Prissie,” she said coldly, “from now on, you’re not allowed in the study.”

The pain in my skull left me speechless. I simply watched in silence as he opened the safe, took out the heirloom diamond ring, and left with excitement written all over his face.

Not long after, I received a video from one of Declan’s closest friends.

It was filmed at the top floor of Starlight Restaurant.

In front of a circle of close friends, Declan knelt on one knee, holding a bouquet and that diamond ring. He looked up at Reigne.

“Reigne, before I met you,” he said, “I never believed in true love. But from the moment you appeared, my world—dim and colorless for thirty years—was suddenly illuminated. Right here, right now, I humbly beg you… Please give me the chance to protect you for a lifetime.”

Beneath a sky bursting with dazzling fireworks, Reigne tearfully accepted the ring and threw herself into Declan’s arms, smiling through her tears.

I had barely finished watching the video when I received the location to a private club.

That was all I needed to know.

Declan and his so-called friends were at it again—placing bets, laughing at my expense.

They were gambling on how long it would take me to storm into the club and “catch them in the act.”

They were gambling on whether I’d lose it in public—cry, scream, or even threaten suicide.

Over the past ten years, every time Declan bet that I’d cry, he always won.

But this time, I sent back just one sentence.

[Tell Declan, congratulations on finally getting what he wants.]

Then, I put my phone on silent and went back to my room to sleep.

The next morning, when I woke up, I saw two missed calls.

Both were from Declan.

I didn’t call back; I had to rush to the bathroom to throw up.

The pain in the back of my head was getting worse. I had no choice but to drive myself to the hospital.

While waiting in the reception area for my name to be called, I saw Declan and Reigne.

They were standing on either side of a middle-aged woman, supporting her like family—smiling, chatting, looking every bit the happy trio.

“Mom,” Reigne said sweetly, “see how caring President Mortimer is? Even with his busy schedule, he’s been coming with me every day to visit you.”

“Don’t say that, Reigne,” Declan replied with a gentle tone. “If it weren’t for you and Auntie Petula taking such good care of my mom back then, she wouldn’t have held on long enough for me to return to Connecticut. I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

Petula chuckled and was about to say something when her eyes met mine.

Instantly, her gaze dropped in guilt. She let out a fake cough and looked away.

Seeing Petula, the head nurse from back then, I finally understood why Declan fell in love with Reigne.

My throat itched, and I let out a soft, bitter laugh.

Declan, hearing it, turned at once. His brows furrowed as he walked over.

“Prissie,” he snapped, “where the hell were you fooling around last night?”

I pressed my lips into a thin line and replied calmly, “I was home the whole time.”

His expression twisted into something between a sneer and a scowl. “Home, and you still ignored my calls?”

Ever since we got together, I had never missed a single one of his calls.

Probably realizing that, he suddenly reached out and grabbed my jaw with one hand.

“You think I’m a three-year-old you can fool?”

His fingers paused. A strange look flickered in his eyes as he noticed the clammy sweat on my skin.

“Prissie… why are you sweating so much?”

Before I could answer, a soft, tearful voice cried out, “Dex!”

Reigne’s sobbing call immediately drew him back to her side.

At the same time, Petula clutched her chest and let out a pained groan. “Ah… It hurts!”

Prissie’s POV

Declan immediately accompanied Reigne and her mom back to the hospital room.

Not only that—he even called for a full hospital-wide consultation with all the doctors.

Two whole hours passed.

I had been waiting forever for a doctor to see me. Dizzy and vomiting, I eventually passed out and went into shock—only getting minimal treatment after a passing nurse happened to find me and rushed me to the emergency room.

When I dragged myself home in exhaustion, Declan was blow-drying Reigne’s hair.

They had just finished bathing. Both of them were dressed in the couple’s pajamas I had bought.

The neckline of the pajamas dipped low—too low to hide the trail of kiss marks scattered across Reigne’s skin.

“Prissie,” Reigne said in a syrupy voice, clutching her towel with a look of pretend innocence. “Please don’t misunderstand. Dex and I didn’t do anything shameful in the room…”

She trembled slightly, as if afraid of being misunderstood.

And Declan, catching that movement, shot me a look full of displeasure.

“Don’t you have any manners? Didn’t your parents teach you to knock before entering a room?” he snapped.

“Sorry,” I replied evenly. “They died young. Didn’t get the chance to teach me that.”

At my words, he actually went quiet for once.

I walked to the closet and pulled out a change of clothes. With a neutral tone, I offered, “I’ll stay in the guest room.”

He froze for a second, only to sneer with barely hidden disdain.

“Oh, come on, Prissie, stop pretending to be so high and mighty. Don’t make a scene. I just brought Reigne home for a meal. Nobody’s fighting you for that crappy bed of yours.”

Still running a low fever, I didn’t even bother to argue. I simply turned and went to the guest room, took my meds, and lay down to rest.

Reigne didn’t leave that night.

The next morning, the moment I stepped out of the room, I overheard the maids talking to each other in a hushed voice.

“I’ve worked in the Mortimers for years, but this is the first time I’ve seen Sir Declan treat a woman with this much care. Ma’am Reigne just casually mentioned she’d never been on a carousel, and he had the entire amusement park moved into the backyard. He actually had fun with her all night…”

“Right, and that’s not all. I just saw him in the kitchen making her breakfast himself, and he even tested the milk with his lips before he gave it to her!”

Through the floor-to-ceiling window, I saw the flower garden I had spent years cultivating—my rarest, most beloved blooms—all completely destroyed.

Calmly, I picked up the phone and called finance.

“Sell the St. Mary’s Cathedral property in the west suburbs,” I said.

I had just hung up when a voice barked from behind me.

“Prissie! You’re selling the engagement gift I gave you? Why?!”

Declan stood at the end of the hallway, for some reason looking furious.

“Didn’t you insist on getting married there? Kicking up a fuss about it like it was the end of the world?”

“Well, I changed my mind,” I replied flatly.

Declan’s POV

‘Changed her fucking mind?’ I scoffed inwardly. ‘The damn wedding’s only ten days out!’

‘Switching venues now? Impossible… unless… unless she’s not planning on marrying me anymore?’ The suspicion crept in before I could stop it.

But the idea was so ridiculous, I actually laughed.

I was just about to ask what fairytale castle she thought she could magically switch to.

But then, out of nowhere, Reigne showed up barefoot.

She wrapped herself around my arm, same as always, then rose on her toes and brushed a kiss against my cheek.

Prissie’s POV

“Oh! Prissie! You’re awake already…”

Reigne acted as if she hadn’t seen me before kissing him, then bashfully ducked behind Declan’s shoulder like some innocent little girl.

“Um, Prissie,” she chirped sweetly, “Dex made so much delicious food this morning. I ate so much my tummy hurts, and I still couldn’t finish it all. Could you help me out and eat some too?”

Declan chuckled indulgently and pinched her nose.

“Silly girl. Don’t eat like that again. Take some digestive tablets—here, I’ll rub your tummy for you.”

I was starving, so I didn’t reject her offer.

But I had barely taken a few bites when she started giggling coquettishly.

“Dex, you’re so naughty! You promised to just rub my tummy… Hey! Bad hands! That part is off-limits, okay?”

Across the table, Declan leaned in to nibble playfully at her ear as he smiled and murmured an apology.

I caught him sneaking a glance in my direction—obviously deliberate, though he acted like it was unintentional.