Chapter 4

When Hubert came at me with that tube of lubricant, the smell that lifted off it was exactly the same as the smell that had lingered on Linda's body.

For a moment my mind went blank, and I couldn't react.

In my head, the Linda who had once had eyes and a heart only for me went reeling backward through my memories, until there was nothing left to remember at all.

Everyone in the room wore that same strange look. Some were holding back laughter, some pitied me.

The second the lubricant touched my finger, Linda wrenched the ring off with all her strength.

It scraped my knuckle raw, but I didn't make a sound.

The wave of nausea that hit me was the only thing that reached my nerves. I left every jeer behind and rushed into the bathroom.

I scrubbed my hands until they went red, then ran the water and washed them again.

Only then did I go still enough to look at the man in the mirror, his eyes red.

"It's fine. After tomorrow, she and I will be complete strangers."

"Stannie, are you okay?"

By the time Linda walked in, I had my face back in order.

"I'm fine."

"But something's come up. I have to go."

With that, not caring what she said to me, I had only one goal. Get out of this sickening place, fast.

Back home, I got a call from a friend.

"Stan, there's something I have to tell you."

"Your fiancée just went and booked a hotel room with your buddy."

My hand tightened around the phone. Everyone we knew probably already knew Linda had cuckolded me before the wedding.

I reached up, took down our wedding photo, and dropped it in the trash.

Everywhere I looked, this house held too many memories of her and me.

I'd thought I could grow old with her. Turns out we didn't even make it into the third year before it was over.

"Hey, Stan, you still there?"

The line was still open. I let out a breath.

"You don't have to ask me anything. Just come drive the wedding car for me tomorrow."

"What? You still want to marry her?"

"I'm the one getting married. But who the bride is, you'll find out when the time comes."

Linda wanted to play games, didn't she?

Have the driver take the wedding car far away on purpose, so I couldn't make it to the ceremony on time to marry her?

Fine. I'd give her exactly what she wanted. I'd stay far, far away from her.

I put the phone down and went to shower. When I came out, a video call from Linda was waiting.

On the screen her hair was a mess, her face nothing but exhaustion.

She'd clearly been doing something before this.

"Stannie, when you left tonight, you seemed unhappy."

Impressive that she could still spare a thought for my mood, when her own hunger ran so much stronger than anything she felt for me.

However much she cared about my feelings, she still had to get Hubert into bed first.

All that supposed devotion. Every bit of it fake.

"I'm not unhappy. I'm just thinking about tomorrow's schedule and the details, because something suddenly changed."

"Changed?"

"Mm. I want to give the woman I love most a grander wedding."

Linda's face broke into a smug little smile. Then a big hand suddenly stretched into frame, right where I couldn't miss it.

Linda noticed the danger too. She quickly told me to get some rest and hung up in a hurry.

This time, I actually felt light. Not the smallest ripple in me.

The next morning, the wedding began.

My family had all rushed off to the venue to help set things up. Linda video-called me while she was busy with her makeup.

She poured out a whole stream of sweet nothings. I didn't take in a single word.

When it was time to set out to fetch the bride, I got to the wedding car and only then realized.

Apart from the driver, who was my friend, every other person there was Linda's.

"Come on, let's go, brother-in-law!"

"Linda couldn't wait to see you, so she sent us to pick you up!"

Poor thing, working so hard. Afraid I'd reach the venue on time, she'd sent her dear girlfriends.

I gave a small smile, got into the car, and kept my eyes shut the whole way.

Every one of them watched me with a curled lip and contempt. Only one shook her head, pity on her face.

Once the wedding car set off, we ran into heavy traffic on the road.

We had no choice but to keep changing our route, heading the whole way in the opposite direction from the venue.

Jasper Fox, behind the wheel, looked thoroughly annoyed. Until the car pulled up outside a luxury hotel so lavish and dreamlike that everyone envied it.

"Stop!"

No one understood.

I pushed the door open and stepped out. "Anyone who's interested, come in and have a couple of drinks. No cash gift needed."

"If you don't feel like drinking, go back and tell Linda that today I'm marrying Eleanor Simmons."

The words had barely left my mouth when Eleanor Simmons walked out in a wedding gown worth a small fortune.

"Stan, you're here!"

Linda's girlfriends panicked. "Holy crap! Call Linda, quick, her man's been stolen, hurry—!!!!"