Chapter 1

On the day of the wedding, a filthy vagrant burst in to stop it.

He grabbed a fistful of my gown and screamed for everyone to hear:

"You slept with me for three years, and now you think you can just walk off and marry into money? Dream on!"

"Kayla Sullivan is a used-up slut who takes what she wants and throws men away. Whoever marries her is cursed for eight lifetimes!"

My strapless gown tore, and I nearly spilled out of it.

In the space of a few minutes, my scandal was all over the trending lists.

After the vagrant was hauled away, John Donaldson's female friend looked at me with a smile.

"It was just a joke, Kayla. You don't mind, do you?"

"A vagrant crashing the wedding of a wealthy man's young bride. Doesn't the contrast make it kind of funny?"

John slid an arm around my shoulders and coaxed me softly.

"Lois Morton just likes to joke around. There's no malice in it. Don't hold it against her."

Two weeks ago, Lois lured me out to the suburbs late at night and I was nearly assaulted, and John said she meant no harm.

Six months ago, Lois spiked my cup with industrial alcohol and sent me into the ICU with acute anaphylaxis, and John said she was only trying to liven things up.

Every time, for John's sake, I bit down and swallowed it, no matter how much it cut into me.

And now, with a filthy lie being spread about me, John was still asking me to be gracious.

"This joke did go a little far. I've already warned her."

"Kayla, I promise, nothing like this will ever happen again."

I said nothing. I reached up and took off my veil.

Their wedding-crashing stunt was a joke.

But my leaving was real.

...

Catching the movement, John's expression stiffened for a moment.

He settled the veil back over me, his lowered voice full of soothing.

"When we're home I'll make Lois apologize to you. Let's just get through the ceremony first. Everyone's watching."

My eyes slowly reddened, and my voice shook as I demanded:

"She smeared me as a slut in front of everyone, and one apology afterward is supposed to make it all go away?"

In that moment of chaos earlier, I'd glanced at my phone.

Nine of the ten trending topics were people calling me a public bus trying to claw my way into money, and the last one said John and Lois were the better match.

Lois stood to the side and spoke up with exaggerated flair:

"So nothing will satisfy you unless I kneel and apologize? Fine, fine, fine. For my friend, I'll sacrifice myself just this once."

She made a show of starting to kneel to me, and John caught her at once, his voice helpless.

"My parents treat you better than they treat their own son. If you kneel, they'll skin me alive."

Meeting my reddened eyes, John's expression turned irritated.

"You know how Lois is. She cares about face more than anything. If I set the record straight now, isn't that a slap in her face?"

"You're the young Mrs. Donaldson. Who would dare talk about you? Be good. Let's keep the ceremony going."

Without waiting for an answer, he pushed the ring onto my finger.

The next instant, a searing pain exploded from my fingertip and spread through my whole body.

Seeing the blood between my fingers, Lois clapped a hand over her mouth in a panic.

"Oh no, oh no, I put the super glue on the wrong ring!"

"I was going to have John wear it. A ring he couldn't take off, to remind him he's a married man and to stop fooling around with me every day."

"John, are you even a man? You actually let your own wife suffer in your place!"

The glue set fast, and when the ring was wrenched off it took a chunk of skin and flesh with it.

John's face finally changed, and he grabbed my wrist to pull me toward the door.

"Kayla, I'm taking you to the hospital."

I fought through the pain and shook his hand off.

"No hospital. And no wedding either."

Doreen Donaldson let out a cold laugh.

"A little scratch and she's already putting on airs? People from nothing really can't rise to the occasion."

Seven years ago, Doreen had also thrown a sky-high check at me, forcing me to break up with John.

"Plenty of people want to marry up. But ambition too big is just stupidity."

Faced with that humiliation, John had torn the check to shreds with his own hands and sworn there would never be anyone but me in this life.

And now, John looked at me, his tone cooling.

"Kayla, don't say things in anger."

He drew me into the lounge and gently dressed the wound.

Lois came over, and suddenly her arm hooked around John's neck, pulling him hard against her chest.

She teased:

"Where's this other face been hiding? When you were giving me that oil massage, you weren't half this gentle."

"I cried and begged you to stop and you wouldn't. Good thing we're not a couple, or you'd have worn me out till I couldn't get out of bed!"

John laughed and pushed her off.

"How could you ever compare to my wife?"

Once the wound was dressed, John handed me the backup gown.

"I'll wait for you outside."

He stood, and set the diamond ring on the table.

"It doesn't matter that the gown was ruined. My Kayla will be the most beautiful bride there is."

On our first anniversary, we'd gone to a little handmade shop together and made matching couple rings.

The silver band was cheap, but I'd treasured it for a long time.

And now I looked at the giant diamond on the table.

I reached out and swept it into the trash can beside me.

John or the ring.

I didn't want either of them anymore.