Chapter 1

I played the model girlfriend to Ian James for five years.

On our wedding day, the one who got away came back.

One phone call, and he ran out on the wedding to go pick her up.

All he left me was three words:

"We'll finish later!"

Later?

I wasn't waiting for later. Right there, in front of everyone, I dragged his older brother up onto the platform.

"Otto James, your brother just walked out on his own wedding. As his brother, shouldn't you make it up to me?"

Later, the ceremony reached the exchange of rings.

Ian kicked open the doors and walked in with a girl in a floral white dress at his side.

In the beat while everyone stood frozen, I slid the wedding band onto my ring finger.

Then, right in front of Ian, I grabbed his brother's tie and kissed him.

1.

"Ian, I'm back. Could you... come and pick me up?"

Delia Henson's call came through just as my father was taking my hand to give it over to Ian.

The microphone carried her voice through the whole room.

The entire banquet hall went silent, like someone had hit pause. Dead quiet.

Ian didn't even notice. His face lit up with pure joy.

"Cora Quinlan, something's come up. We'll finish later!"

He threw the words back at me and was already striding toward the doors.

Christina slammed her hand on the table behind him, furious, shouting his full name.

He just waved a hand over his shoulder, not looking back.

Somebody let out a low whistle, thick with mockery.

"Weren't they the model couple? The groom takes a call from another woman and just skips his own wedding? Model couple, my foot. He's probably been cheating the whole time."

A few people laughed along.

They didn't know that the so-called model couple had only ever been built on how much I gave in.

Ian liked his fun, and he liked his image, so I never held him back.

He had the temperament of a child, so I played the patient older-sister role as best I could, coaxing him, spoiling him.

Five years together, and we never once bickered. Of course we looked like the model couple to everyone else.

"Stop laughing. Maybe young Mr. James just went to pick up a friend. He did say they'd finish later, didn't he?"

It sounded like someone stepping in to smooth things over. It was pure mockery.

Everyone in that room knew perfectly well. What was a simple airport pickup?

Send a friend, call an assistant. Anybody could do it. Why would he run off in the middle of his own wedding to do it himself?

The fact that he left could only mean one thing. He didn't care about me at all.

So whether or not Ian came back, I was destined to be the joke on everyone's lips.

"See, this is why a woman can't be too strong. Too strong, and nobody takes you seriously. They dump you on a whim, and who cares what the occasion is?"

"Tsk, tsk, poor Miss Quinlan. Abandoned in front of this many people. Who's going to want her after this?"

Bang.

Someone's chair went over and hit the floor with a crash.

The chatter stopped for a second.

Gavin Barnes, a lollipop in his mouth and both hands stuffed in his pockets, jumped up onto the platform.

"Cora, Ian doesn't want to marry you, so I will. Want to give it a shot with me?"

The moment he finished, the room burst into laughter again.

"Gavin's ruthless. Who humiliates someone like that?"

"Kicking her while she's down."

"Shut up!"

Gavin snapped, brows drawn tight.

Nobody understood why he was angry.

But he had given me a good idea.

I turned my head slightly, my gaze sliding past Gavin to land on the man in the corner, frowning into his phone.

"Otto James, your brother just walked out on his own wedding."

"As his older brother, shouldn't you make up for what I've lost?"

He lowered the phone and darkened the screen.

"How do I make up for it?"

"You. Marry me!"