Chapter 1

The day before the wedding, I bought a new car to fetch the bride.

On the way back, someone staged an accident and rammed himself into the side of it.

I was reported and hauled to the station for questioning. My fiance and my mother blamed me for hitting an old man and refused to bail me out.

After a few days locked up, my lawyer argued my case, and only then did I get out.

But when I got home, I found our adopted daughter wrapped in my fiance's arms, being kissed.

My mother had handed the old man who staged the accident a fat envelope of cash, thanking him for being willing to help her out.

I stood there stunned for a moment, then started to step inside, only for my best friend to come out and stop me.

"Alison Henson, you can't go in there and ruin their engagement party."

I froze cold. Mabel Simmons sighed. "The old man who staged that accident was hired by your mother. The whole point was to keep you tied up so Pat Henson and Stuart Gilbert could get engaged."

"They love each other. You're not allowed to force your way in and break them apart again."

I looked at the best friend I'd once nearly died to save, standing guard against me now like an enemy.

Fine. If that's how it is, I'll give every one of them exactly what they want.

...

1

"Old girl!"

"Next time you've got a nice little job like this, be sure to call me! I'm happy to help you out."

The old man who'd staged the accident tore open the envelope and started counting the cash. My mother only smiled and said nothing.

"By the way, Alison's still your own flesh and blood! How can you scheme against her like this, all for an adopted daughter?"

"If she ever finds out your little secret, watch out. Your whole house will be in an uproar!"

My mother didn't answer him directly, just said a few polite words and left.

She walked over to Stuart and Pat.

"The right hour's almost here. Hurry up and finish the engagement."

"I hear Alison got a lawyer to argue her case and it worked. She's probably on her way back now."

"Move fast. Once the ceremony's done, everything's fine."

Stuart held Pat closer, his voice unhurried.

"Mom, there's no need to panic."

"Pat and I already settled it last night — jumped the gun on you. She gave me her first time. We're as good as husband and wife now."

"That's right, Mom. It's done now. Even if my sister rushes back, what can she do?"

"Stuart won't marry her anymore anyway."

My mother went still for a beat, then smiled again.

"Good, then."

Blocked in the doorway, hearing something this cruel with my own ears, my heart clenched hard.

I reached for the wall to steady myself, but Mabel thought I was about to charge in and shoved me away.

I lost my footing and went down backward.

The crash drew everyone's attention. All of them stopped talking and turned toward the door at once.

The room went silent in an instant. Mabel dropped her voice low.

"Can't you just let them be? Stuart doesn't love you..."

A laugh slipped out of me, but it came out hollow.

"Did he tell you that himself?"

Mabel said nothing. I lifted my hand and showed it to her. "Do you still remember how I pulled you out of that wild boar's jaws back then?"

She wouldn't look, and she wouldn't speak.

I got to my feet, refusing to let myself fall apart in front of them.

"I saved you without a thought for my own life, and you turned around and schemed against me with them."

One was my best friend. One was the man I loved most. And the last was my own mother.

Every one of them revolved around an adopted daughter. I truly didn't understand what Pat had done to make the people closest to me give themselves over to her, heart and soul.