Chapter 4

04

As the car pulled away, Ezra, always so composed, actually ran a few steps after it.

His face was as dark as I'd ever seen it, and he was saying something.

But the car was too well insulated, and I heard none of it.

The whole way home, Harrison wanted to pop a bottle to celebrate, put on that cheerful kids' song we'd loved when we were little, and threw in a ridiculous dance.

Thanks to all his clowning, I didn't even feel that sad.

Not until the car turned in through the gate I knew so well, and I saw my parents sitting in the courtyard, smiling as they came toward me.

Only then did my eyes finally blur over.

When they heard Ezra and I had broken up, the two of them were surprised, but they took it in stride.

They'd both weathered plenty in their lives, and they knew I wouldn't let myself get stuck in it.

I just needed a little time, that was all.

While my mother and I were talking, Harrison mysteriously dragged my father off to the study for a word.

On his way out, he even winked at me.

I thought it was a little odd, but I didn't dwell on it.

That night, I went to bed early.

Knowing Ezra as I did, he wouldn't reach out anytime soon.

But the moment my phone rang, my heart still skipped a beat despite myself.

Only after I saw it was a friend back home did I open it.

"Davina, is this person you?"

Then she sent a screenshot of a social media post.

I opened it and looked, and couldn't help thinking what a small world it was. The person who'd posted it turned out to be Kathleen.

Of the nine-photo grid, three were selfies of her, three were flirty shots of her and Ezra.

The remaining three were all of my back.

From that long, rambling wall of text, I caught the gist.

"...Do gold-diggers really put on this much of an act these days? Carrying a knockoff bag, playing the heiress, hating on other women, stringing along a rich boy while she's already got a boyfriend. What a piece of work..."

"I just feel for my buddy, three years wasted before he finally saw through her. Still, if me taking a slap is what it took to snap him out of it, I'd call it worth it."

People really do laugh when they're pushed past speechless.

I stared at the screen for a long while, then finally typed.

"That's me. She's a female friend of my ex-boyfriend's. How do you know her?"

Right away, a string of messages came firing back.

It turned out Kathleen used to be a clerk at a luxury boutique.

She'd been let go after she slandered some rich boy's girlfriend as an escort, and when he found out and confronted her to her face, she got fired over it.

The whole thing had blown up in those circles at the time, and I'd caught wind of it.

I never imagined the star of the story was right here beside me.

My friend said she'd get even for me, though honestly I wasn't all that angry.

But then I thought about it, and since the woman had come hopping right up to my doorstep, there was no need to hold anyone back.

What caught me off guard was that the next afternoon, Ezra got in touch.

First he sent over a report about Kathleen's firing, then he fired off several screenshots of customer complaint reviews.

Then came the interrogation, dumped straight on my head.

"Was this your doing?"

"Just because Kathleen's my buddy, you go after her, you take revenge, you wreck someone's whole life. What do you even get out of that..."

A forty-five-second voice message. That was as far as I listened before I hit stop.

Then I typed, and sent.

"Did she delete the things she said about me in that post?"

The other end went quiet, only the "typing..." at the top blinking without pause.

I let out a scoff and dragged him into the blocked list.

Before bed, my parents called me into the study.

The moment I stepped in, I saw the betrothal proposals piled up like a little mountain on the desk.

I reached straight for the one on top and flipped it open.

Harrison's handsome face jumped out at me from the page.

Seeing me freeze, my father leaned his head over and suddenly broke into a laugh.

"That boy's got nerve. That day he came at me with the Simmons family's assets and this proposal and worked on me for a good half hour."

"His father even called today to apologize, said no matter what reckless thing Harrison had gone and done, I should cut him some slack."

My mother laughed too, a hand over her mouth.

"A marriage alliance is icing on the cake, but our Davina doesn't need to settle for anything."

"Your dad and I called you in just to talk it over. If none of them interest you, we'll find an occasion to turn them all down, and save the families who haven't sent proposals yet from getting their hopes up."

I ran my fingers over the antique gilt pattern on the proposal, then spoke up.

"Turn the rest down. Keep Harrison's."

-

The moment word got out that the Masons and the Simmonses were engaged, it practically set the whole circle ablaze.

That very day, Harrison not only set off fireworks all night down at the beach, he bought out every bar in Chicago and invited everyone to celebrate.

From that day on, he came grinning ear to ear to the Mason house every single day.

But apart from settling the wedding details, I hardly had the time to bother with him.

Attending banquets, running the company.

My life was busy and full.

One day, right after a TV station interview, on the way home my phone got a call from an unknown number.

I'd met plenty of new players in the industry these past few days, so after a moment's thought, I answered.

The aged voice that came through froze me on the spot.

"Hello? Is that my precious granddaughter-in-law? It's Grandma, dear. When are you coming to see me—"

It wasn't until a slightly awkward man's voice came on the line that it came back to me.

Ezra had a grandmother with Alzheimer's, and to keep her happy, he'd once mentioned me to her.

She simply assumed we were already married.

I just didn't know how she'd gotten my number.

After some rustling, Ezra's voice came through, especially clear in the quiet.

"It's been so many days out of contact. Have you calmed down?"

I didn't answer. There was only the faint hum of static in the air.

He let out a heavy sigh, like a man who'd given up the fight.

"My grandmother's gravely ill. The doctor says she has only a few days left. She wants to see you."

"This weekend, let me take you to buy a few outfits first, then bring you home to see her, all right?"

By the end, he was almost coaxing.

I knew this was a rare concession for him.

But my eyes settled on the understated, luxurious invitation by my hand, and I suddenly smiled.

"Sorry, I'm getting married that day. I don't have time."