Chapter 1

Three days before the wedding, a stalker grabbed me by the hair and dragged me into a back alley.

He tore my clothes and slapped me across the face more than a dozen times.

When I had no hope left, my hand closed around a brick and I knocked him out, then used the last of my strength to call my fiancé, Darren Simmons.

"Darren, a stalker dragged me into an alley. Please, come save me!"

Darren's voice was calm.

"I'm taking Carrie Henson home. Her brother's out of prison, and she's the one he hates most. I have to keep her safe."

The footsteps behind me were getting closer.

"But the one following me is her brother!"

Anger crept into Darren's voice.

"Carrie put family aside for you and sent her own brother to prison. Now she can't even go home."

"You were the one he stripped and humiliated back then. You got so depressed you couldn't leave the house. You of all people should know how scared she is."

"Olivia Cox, stop using something like this to lie to me and fight for attention!"

He hung up.

The man behind me was breathing harder, on the edge of coming to, so I hit him with the brick again and fled home in a panic.

A text from Carrie came through right then.

"Olivia, Darren says three days of protecting me isn't enough. He's already postponed your wedding."

In the mirror, my whole face was smeared with blood.

Once, Darren had his arm broken saving me, and even then he insisted on walking me home for five years.

Now he had left me in that back alley.

...

I went to the hospital that same night, and the doctor preserved my clothes as evidence.

After examining my injuries and collecting the evidence, the doctor urged me to call the police right away.

"Miss Cox, it's only been two hours since it happened. Reporting it now is the most effective thing you can do."

I had just taken out my phone when the door to the room was shoved open.

Darren saw my swollen, bruised face and walked to my side, shaking.

"Olivia..."

He reached for the corner of my mouth, and I turned my face away.

"I'm sorry, Olivia. I shouldn't have assumed you were just jealous of Carrie."

"If I'd gone to you sooner, none of this would have happened."

He picked up a cotton swab from the table and gently dabbed at the corner of my mouth.

"Don't be scared. I'm here. I'll stay with you."

"I bought a new emergency alarm. Whenever you need me, I'll be there in an instant."

Over these five years, I had gone through countless therapy sessions.

Every time my emotions collapsed and the thought of ending it crept in, it was Darren who held me and said,

"Don't be scared. I'm here."

But the next instant, Darren's phone rang.

"Darren, my mom just hit me."

"My brother got hurt, and Mom and Dad say I'm the one who ruins everyone..."

The moment Darren heard her crying, he fumbled, and the iodine nearly shattered on the floor.

"Carrie, don't be scared, I'm here. I'll come right now."

The same promise, one he had already given to someone else.

Darren stood to leave, and I caught the cuff of his sleeve.

"You just promised me. You said you'd stay with me at the hospital."

"Darren, my injuries aren't even..."

He yanked his hand free, cutting me off.

"You're safe here. Nothing else is going to happen to you."

"Carrie has no one protecting her. I have to go save her!"

"Give me an hour. Once I've got Carrie, I'll come see you."

I handled everything alone, and just as I was about to call the police,

Darren pushed the door open with Carrie and knelt in front of me.

"Olivia, I'm begging you, don't call the police."

"I know you blame me for taking your emergency alarm, and for taking Darren from you."

She pressed the alarm back into my hand and clutched the hem of my clothes.

"As long as you don't report it, I'll quit right away and disappear from both your lives."

"Five years ago I testified for you, and my parents beat me and cursed me and hated me for five years."

"It's only since my brother got out that they've started to warm to me again."

Before I could even take the alarm, Darren snatched it away and pressed it back into her hand.

"Who said you could quit? Olivia already owes you as it is."

Darren turned to face me and spoke in a low voice.

"Olivia, Carrie has had no home for five years, all because she saved you."

"Her brother just got out of prison. It's normal for him to hold a grudge against you."

"Yes, he hit you last night, but you smashed his head open, five stitches. Let's just call it even."

Hearing him say that, I stared at him, stunned.

"So he attacked me again just because I sent him to prison, because I owe him?"

Darren's face soured, and his brow furrowed.

"Then what do you want? You've already wrecked Carrie's family for five years."

"She's suffered all of this for you. Would it kill you to give a little?"

Carrie's eyes reddened.

"Darren, you've done more than enough for me. Please, don't fight with Olivia over me anymore."

"If she wants to call the police, let her. Even if I go home and my parents beat me to death, I deserve it."

Carrie turned to leave, and Darren pulled her into his arms.

"None of this is your fault. I'll protect you."

Darren reached to grab my injury report.

"Just let this go. Don't call the police. I'll make it up to you properly."

It was the same hospital.

Five years ago, Darren's whole arm had been broken.

I looked at his wound and couldn't stop crying, and Darren comforted me instead.

"Olivia, anyone who hurts you, I won't let a single one go."

"From this day on, I won't let you suffer even the smallest wrong."

Watching the way he guarded Carrie with everything he had, something in me went bitter.

But I pushed his hand away and made the call.

"Officer, I've been stalked and attacked in retaliation. I want you to get me justice."

Darren's face went terrifyingly dark.

"Olivia, you won't stop until you've gotten Carrie killed!"

"I forgot to tell you. Our wedding is postponed for now. I'll be protecting her during this time!"

He left with his arm around Carrie and didn't look back at me once.

I slipped the engagement ring off my finger. That long-overdue wedding, I wouldn't be waiting for it anymore.