Chapter 3

Yesterday, after I went back alone,

I sent every couple's thing back to Darren by courier—the engagement diamond, the anniversary gifts, all of it.

That night he called twenty-seven times. I never picked up once.

The next day, Darren found where I was staying.

He set the ointment on my table and softened his voice.

"Olivia, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have handled it my way."

"And I never should have laid all that ugly stuff out in front of them. I was just too anxious, that's all."

He changed my bandages while he spoke, patient about it.

"Protecting Carrie was only ever about responsibility."

He picked up the ring and tried to slide it back onto my finger.

"Olivia, you're the one I want to marry. The wedding is just a formality. A few days late doesn't matter."

Because of what had happened to me and because of my illness, Darren's mother had always been against us.

But he never abandoned me over it. He took me from city to city for treatment.

A few months ago, when I started getting better, Darren held me and cried from sheer relief.

"Olivia, you're finally well. On your birthday, we'll get married right away."

This time, though, he let go of my hand himself.

The ring was only halfway on when his phone rang.

Carrie was crying so hard she could barely breathe.

"Darren, my parents say it's all my fault my brother got arrested."

"They want to sell me off to some old bachelor in the village and use the bride price to save him."

On the other end, I could hear shouting and blows.

Darren shot to his feet. The ring dropped to the floor.

"Carrie, wait for me. I'm coming right now."

He didn't have time to explain. He was gone before I could say anything.

An hour later, Darren called on video.

Carrie was curled against him, sobbing.

Darren sighed.

"Olivia, Carrie's parents are forcing her to marry back into the mountain village."

"Unless she can find someone willing to marry her by tomorrow, her parents won't let it go."

Darren bit down hard on his lip, and Carrie added,

"Olivia, you haven't had time to cancel your wedding venue yet."

"Tomorrow—could you lend me the venue and Darren, just for one day?"

I clenched my fists and forced down everything churning inside me.

"I'm not lending the venue. That's my money."

"As for Darren, do whatever you want. I can break up with him."

When he heard that, Darren's voice dropped low.

"Olivia, don't start being unreasonable again. Carrie and I are only getting married for show."

"Carrie got beaten and screamed at by her parents for five years because of you. You can't even help her for one day?"

I hung up on him.

A few minutes later, my friends and Darren's got the invitation.

Tomorrow's wedding was on as planned—only the bride had been swapped to Carrie.

In our shared group chat, Carrie posted a video of herself in a wedding dress.

"I saved Olivia out of the goodness of my heart, and I got beaten and screamed at by my parents for five years for it—almost sold off into the deep mountains."

"My brother's out of prison and he's done nothing wrong anymore, and she still schemed to get back at him…"

Darren spoke up to back her, too.

"I'm marrying Carrie because I finally saw the real Olivia Cox."

"I honestly can't stand a woman who uses her illness to bully the person who saved her life!"

The group messages kept getting forwarded, until it blew up online.

Someone dug up my address and prayed I'd get stalked every single day.

Darren just sent me one line.

"Olivia, I only did this because I had no choice."

"Once this blows over and Carrie's out of trouble, I'll still marry you."

I didn't reply. I just gathered all of it.

Every last piece of it, I would post at the wedding tomorrow—right on time.