"I didn't mean anything by it. Please don't misunderstand me the way you did this morning." Sarah instantly switched to her wounded expression. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken out of turn."

"Sarah, you didn't do anything wrong. You don't need to apologize."

Daryl's face darkened, but when his eyes caught the cut on my lip, he softened his tone.

"Josephine, watch how you talk to her. Sarah's sensitive. Stop scaring her."

"Of course. I only meant that I hope Ms. Simmons finds someone as wonderful as you someday." I paused. "As for her career, I wish her every success. At the very least, I hope she doesn't end up like me, losing everything to one accident."

The table went silent.

After my rehabilitation from the crash, the Sanchez Group had first begun planning its expansion into the jewelry industry. I had prepared a detailed proposal, hoping to secure investment.

Daryl blocked every attempt.

I refused to give up. I submitted my work everywhere, only to be turned away every time, for the same reason:

"Mr. Sanchez already had a word with us. Please don't put us in a difficult position, Mrs. Sanchez."

Countless arguments, and every single time, I gave in because I loved him. I chose to sacrifice myself.

Never again.

"Let's leave the past in the past." Daryl cleared his throat. "Sarah, don't take it to heart."

Sarah bit her lip. Every glance she threw my way was laced with jealousy and resentment.

I paid her no mind. After dinner, as I headed upstairs, she caught up to me from behind.

"What a clever move, playing the victim in a few sentences and making Daryl go soft on you."

I had no interest in engaging her. I moved to walk around her, but she blocked my path.

"You don't know this, but the first night I moved in, Daryl and I went at it all night. We tried every position there is. He said I'm far more uninhibited than you."

"We overslept because of it. When he saw you that morning he panicked a little, but then Vincent stepped in and claimed he was Daryl, covering for us right in front of your face. You should have seen your expression. It was hilarious."

She covered her mouth, laughing, her face dripping with contempt.

"Does being the other woman really make you that proud?"

I couldn't help but scoff, holding her gaze without flinching.

"What makes you so sure I didn't recognize exactly who was sitting next to you?"

"You—!"

Sarah choked on her own fury. She stepped forward as if to close the distance, but I clasped my hands behind my back and climbed two steps higher.

"What, going to pull the same trick again? Frame me for pushing you down the stairs? Is that the only move in your playbook?"

"I'll let this go for now, Josephine."

Her scheme exposed, her face twisted with rage.

"But let me tell you something. Daryl only has eyes for me. Tomorrow, I'm going to make sure you see that once and for all."

The overhead light caught the glass of water in my hand, casting a wavering glow, as illusory as the love I'd believed in.

I shook my head with a rueful smile and turned away.

The next morning, I finished getting ready and found an outfit already laid out for me.

"I looked up what to wear for a dress fitting and picked something easy to change in and out of. I also packed everything you might need."

Daryl opened the bag he always prepared for me and showed me each item one by one.

Nothing was missing. He'd even remembered my preferred unscented wet wipes.

My nose stung, and something in my chest softened.

He wasn't the type to notice details. But over the years, his attentiveness toward me had been beyond reproach.

Daryl Sanchez did love me. Didn't he?

"Okay. Let me finish up and I'll be right down."

I took the bag, turned, and smiled at him.

In the courtyard, I was about to open the passenger door when the window rolled down.

"Good morning! I need a gown for my jewelry launch event coming up, so Daryl's bringing me along to the shop. He said you don't really have any friends, so I can help you pick out a wedding dress while I'm at it."

"I get carsick and can't sit in the back, so Daryl offered me the front seat. Don't read too much into it, okay?"

She watched me with amusement, clearly savoring the anticipation of my reaction.

I looked over at Daryl in the driver's seat. He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Josephine, you know how miserable carsickness can be. Sarah gets it worse than you do, so just bear with it this once. It's a short drive."

So he did know. That I got carsick too.

The tenderness that had just begun to sprout in my chest, I strangled it on the spot.

"Since the front seat is taken, it wouldn't be right for me to insist."

I smiled, warm and accommodating, not a trace of disgust or anger showing.

"But I'm also not willing to sit in the back. I'll take a cab."

Daryl blinked, about to say something, but Sarah tugged at his arm with a pout.

"Daryl, Vincent just texted. He wants to meet us for lunch. Let's go!"

Through the window, past Sarah, he gave me one long look, then pulled away.

I hailed a car quickly and arrived at the bridal shop at the same time they did.

Outside the fitting room, Daryl sat on a sofa, flipping through a magazine.

Sarah dragged him over to the rack of wedding gowns, clinging to his arm and pointing at one dress after another.

"Daryl, what do you think? Would I look good in this one?"

Before he could answer, a sales associate hurried over with an eager smile.

"Mrs. Sanchez, with your complexion and figure, you and Mr. Sanchez are a match made in heaven. This silhouette would be perfect on you. Would you like to try it?"

Sarah pressed her lips together in a coy smile. Daryl didn't correct anyone. He simply had the dress taken down.

She was about to step into the fitting room when she suddenly gasped, covering her mouth.

"Oh! Josephine, I'm so sorry. You're the bride. You should try on dresses first."

"Daryl, honestly, I got so carried away that I forgot, and you didn't stop me or pay your own bride any attention!"

She swatted his chest with playful indignation. The staff exchanged awkward glances.

Only then did Daryl turn to look at me.

"Have you found one you like?"

I picked a simple, understated gown. Sarah snatched it from my hands and looked it over.

"I'm not trying to insult your taste, but this design is completely outdated. It won't hold up to the occasion at all. You'd embarrass Daryl."

She turned and lifted her chin toward him. "Don't you agree?"

"Absolutely." Daryl nodded, indulgent as ever. "Josephine, you don't have Sarah's eye. She can spot the right fit in an instant."

"Sarah, go ahead and try on the wedding dress. If you like it, I'll buy it for you."

I sat on the sofa, watching the two of them act like they were the ones getting married, and let out a bitter laugh.

Only after Sarah pulled the fitting room curtain shut did Daryl finally spare me a glance.

"Josephine, go look around on your own. I've been staring at dresses so long my eyes are glazing over. I need a break."

A message arrived on my phone just then, and I used it as an excuse to slip behind the fitting rooms.

It was about the car accident from years ago.

The scant remaining evidence all pointed to both Daryl and Sarah.

Hatred flooded through me, so thick I could barely see straight.

From the fitting room ahead came the muffled sounds of a man's labored breathing and a woman's soft moan.

I buried my emotions and walked back to the sofa.

Vincent was sitting there.

"Josephine, found anything you like?" He slipped into his impersonation of Daryl without missing a beat. "Vincent just texted asking me to pick something up for him. Sarah's still trying on dresses, so I need to stay. If you're done, could you run over for me?"

"Is this fun for you?"

I met his slightly furrowed brow with an icy stare.

"Does lying to me like this amuse you?"

Vincent opened his mouth, momentarily unsure what exactly I was referring to.

A laugh started low in my throat, then grew and grew until it shook my whole body. Tears streamed down my face.

"Sarah makes a lovely bride. Congratulations to you all!"

I screamed the words and stormed out of the bridal shop.

The grief of my parents' murder, the fury of years of deception. I couldn't think about anything else. I just wanted to grab my bags and leave.

"Josephine! What are you throwing a fit about now?"

I had barely gotten into a car when a hand seized my wrist.

Daryl had caught up somehow, his face contorted with the irritation of a man whose good time had been interrupted.

"Don't forget how hard you begged for this wedding. If you want to humiliate yourself, fine, but don't drag the Sanchez name down with you!"

"Think about your late parents' reputation, at least."

Sarah linked her arm through mine, feigning concern.

I looked from one face to the next. All I saw was hypocrisy and absurdity.

As I struggled to break free, a car came hurtling toward us, out of control. Sarah froze in its path.

Daryl reacted instantly, grabbing her and pulling her aside, but an ornament on Sarah's outfit had snagged on my clothes, locking us together.

I twisted frantically to dodge. I was almost clear when Daryl shoved me away with all his strength.

Sarah and Daryl tumbled to safety. I was hit full-on and sent flying.

When I opened my eyes again, the smell of antiseptic filled my nose.

"How are you feeling?"

The familiar voice made my eyes snap wide open.

I never expected to see Brandon Delgado again in this lifetime.

"Don't be alarmed. Your divorce case was assigned to my firm. The original attorney had an accident, so all his cases were transferred to me."

The pain wracking my body left no room to process this. My hand drifted instinctively to my stomach.

"Your baby... didn't make it." Brandon's voice was strained, reluctant. "Josephine, I used to hate you so much. I told myself that if your life fell apart, I'd be glad. But now, why does it hurt like this?"

Two lines of tears slid into the pillow. The fluorescent light above me no longer seemed harsh.

I had dreamed so many times of having a child with Daryl, of becoming a happy family of three. But that was only ever my dream.

This poor child didn't even get a proper farewell.

Outside the room, the nurses' admiring chatter drifted in.

"Mr. Sanchez truly loves his wife. He threw himself in front of a car for her, and even a scrape on her skin sends him into a panic."

"Absolutely. I heard they're so in love, and there's some woman named Manning who keeps trying to come between them."

"Keep your voice down. The one in there might actually be the other woman. She was causing a scene at the bridal shop."

A hollow smile crossed my lips. I looked up at Brandon, his dark, steady eyes.

"Brandon, just this once, take me out of here. As my attorney."

"Okay."

The day I left, I arranged a package for Daryl, timed to arrive on his wedding day. Then I destroyed my SIM card.

It was time to settle every debt with the Sanchez family.