Chapter 1

During the ring exchange, Matthew Floyd's childhood friend Roberta Fox suddenly jumped up onto the stage and winked at me.

"The bride is a fickle woman fated for a second marriage. As a fortune-teller, I'm going to break the curse for them."

A wave of jeers rolled through the guest tables.

Without a moment's hesitation, Matthew pushed me aside and slid the wedding ring I'd paid three hundred thousand for onto Roberta's finger.

I stood there, frozen, humiliated.

Then Matthew turned back and cupped my face in his hands.

"Of course I believe you wouldn't cheat on me, not after five years together."

"But when it comes to fate, better safe than sorry. Letting Roberta hold the ring is for your own good."

At the toast to the in-laws, Roberta laughed again and called for a stop.

"Serve the tea, sure, but skip the new titles. After the wedding, you'll still call them uncle and aunt."

Matthew looked at her and nodded, approving.

"Roberta says this can break your second-marriage curse too."

I closed my eyes, past the point of enduring.

Ever since Roberta took up fortune-telling, everything was whatever Roberta said.

She said my water fate clashed with his fire fate, so he obediently shared a bed with me only once a month.

She said her earth fate was the best match for Matthew, so he invited her to move into our marital home and live with us.

She said my mother carried a lone-star curse, so he quietly hinted that my mother shouldn't attend the wedding.

Seeing me stand there without moving, Matthew shoved my shoulder, displeased.

"Baby, be reasonable. Don't hold up the ceremony."

"Roberta and I have been friends for twenty years. You can't go wrong listening to her."

I suddenly laughed and set the tea back on the tray.

I'd held it in this long, and I was truly done holding it in.

Fine. If that was how they wanted it, I'd play along with their show and make the second-marriage prophecy come true.

...

I brushed off my skirt and stood up.

Matthew's face went cold.

Roberta clapped a dramatic hand over her mouth.

"Come on, honey! Even a bad temper needs the right time and place. Matthew always gives in to you, and that should be enough."

"Acting like this now, aren't you trying to ruin the wedding?"

I gripped the hem of my wedding gown and let out a scoff.

"Announcing to everyone that I'm fated for a second marriage, wearing my wedding ring, refusing to let me take the new titles."

"Isn't it you who's ruining this wedding?"

Phyllis Floyd shot to her feet and planted herself in front of Roberta.

"Roberta's just trying to help you, and now that's a crime? Raised by a widow, no wonder you don't know how to behave in public!"

The color drained from my face in an instant.

Leon Floyd was still in his chair, but his brow had already furrowed.

"On your wedding day, Faith Swanson, carrying on like this really is out of line."

The groomsmen joined in, egging it on.

"A woman fated for a second marriage really is fierce. Matthew, you think you can handle her?"

I looked at Matthew with the last of my hope.

He hesitated for a second, then still lifted the tea and held it out to me.

Not to speak up for me. To press me into backing down.

"Serve the tea. Don't leave everyone with nowhere to go."

I was the one called fated for a second marriage. I was the one humiliated. And I was still the one being blamed.

The last string in my heart snapped clean through.

The room hung in a standoff.

Then Roberta laughed, looped an arm around Matthew's neck, and took the cup of tea.

"Since our girl here is throwing a tantrum and won't cooperate, then as his friend I'll serve this tea for you."

"When it counts, it's your friend you can rely on, right!"

Cheers went up in the crowd, and the groomsmen kept egging her on.

"Tea's been served, so now you've got to call them Mom and Dad."

Roberta wasn't the least bit shy. She pulled Matthew down to kneel beside her.

"Matthew and I ran around bare-butt as kids, so today I'll take the liberty and call you Mom and Dad."

Leon and Phyllis both laughed and agreed at once.

Phyllis threw me a sideways glance, took the tea, and sipped it.

"Roberta's the one who knows how to behave. From now on, call me Mom."

She patted Roberta's hand and handed her the red envelope for the new title.

I stared at Matthew.

Just one bit of pushback. Just one word for me.

But there was nothing.

My heart went cold all the way through, and I turned to leave.

Matthew grabbed my arm, hard.

"There's a limit to how spoiled you can be!"

"Can't you see everyone's cleaning up your mess?"

Roberta slapped his hand off my arm and laughed to smooth it over.

"What did I teach you? Don't be so harsh with a girl!"

"Sure, our girl's fierce and dramatic and fated for a second marriage, but I can still patch it all up for you two."

Matthew's tight face eased a little.

He caught her hand and gripped it firmly.

"You really do know how to handle things!"

"See now what a good friend is worth!"

With her other hand, the one wearing the ring, Roberta patted his cheek.

"Honestly, this ring suits me pretty well. I've got good taste."

My nails dug into my palm, and a sharp sting shot through my fingertips.

No wonder Matthew, who never knew the first thing about women's jewelry, had suddenly picked out this exact ring style six months ago and called it beautiful.

And how funny, I'd felt sweet inside, thinking it meant he cared about the wedding, cared about me.

So I'd gritted my teeth and poured coffee down my throat, staying up night after night finishing illustrations until dawn.

When I'd finally saved enough for the diamond ring, I bought it and handed it to him, thrilled, waiting for him to slide it onto my finger on our wedding day.

But it turned out the ring's design was another woman's taste, and in the end it went onto another woman's hand too.

I was the one who worked to buy the ring, and I was the fool who did it.

I lifted my chin and refused to let the tears fall.

"Matthew, I'm not marrying you."