Chapter 1

My best friend, Olivia Lane, had never dated anyone because, as it turned out, she was waiting for my fiancé.

She wanted to go on a trip and came to borrow my fiancé, Emerson Goodman, to protect her, claiming that traveling alone wasn't safe.

She said it would be three days, but ended up being gone for twelve whole days.

The day they returned, they stood in front of me with expressions that were a mix of guilt and anticipation, probably expecting me to burst into tears.

Olivia placed her hand on my shoulder, "Violet, I brought your fiancé back without a scratch."

I, Violet Moore, let out a cold laugh, placing the carefully chosen engagement ring in my palm. "Sorry, I don't take back garbage," I said coldly.

*****

Olivia found me while I was trying on my wedding dress, a pure white gown that hugged my curves and flared out at the knees. The train was covered in delicate handmade lace and tiny diamonds that sparkled under the lights.

Emerson stood beside me, and the look in his eyes, pure admiration, was almost overwhelming.

"Violet, you look absolutely stunning in this," Emerson said. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, feeling genuinely happy. This must be the happiest moment for any girl.

That was when Olivia burst in, practically kicking the door open, her face a mix of urgency and total confidence, like she belonged there. "Violet, this is an emergency," she said.

I turned around, puzzled. Olivia and I had been joined at the hip since college, and she was my one and only bridesmaid.

Emerson looked over and greeted her with a smile. "Olivia, what happened?"

Olivia's eyes lingered on Emerson for seconds before she turned to me and grabbed my hand. "Violet, I need your help. I signed up for a tour to Jelasburg, but my mom's freaking out about me going alone and absolutely won't let me leave."

I nodded. "Your mom is worried about you. The altitude in Jelasburg is really high, and it's honestly not safe to go alone."

Olivia pouted, looking all pitiful. "I know, that's why I'm here asking for your help." As she spoke, her eyes locked onto Emerson again, full of an obvious possessiveness she didn't try to hide.

My heart sank a little. Olivia had never dated anyone. She always said she hadn't met a guy better than Emerson. I always thought it was girl talk between us.

"So?" I asked softly.

"Can I borrow Emerson for three days? I need him to come with me and watch my back," Olivia declared, not taking no for an answer.

The whole bridal shop fell silent. The staff girl looked weirded out, and Emerson was frozen in place.

Staring at Olivia's face, I suddenly felt ridiculous standing there in this fancy wedding dress.

Emerson snapped out of it and gave an awkward laugh. "Olivia, seriously? Violet and I are about to get married. I mean, how could I—"

"Only three days," Olivia cut him off, her voice firm and unyielding. "I've already got my tickets, and I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. Emerson, you're not really going to let me go alone, are you? After all these years of friendship."

She turned to me, shaking my arm, her tone suddenly soft and pleading. "Violet, come on. Let him have a little pre-wedding break, three days, I promise I'll return him in perfect condition.

"Besides, I want to know what it's like to have a guy like Emerson protecting me, once before you two get married. You know I've always hoped you'd let me have him."

She said it softly, almost like a joke. But I could tell she meant every word.

I looked at Emerson. His brows were all scrunched up, clearly torn, but he didn't say no right away. He was hesitating for me to say no to him, like every other time Olivia crossed a line.

He always played the nice guy and left me to deal with the hard part.

In the mirror, I stood there in my white wedding dress, looking like some flawless mannequin, pretty on the outside, but completely hollow inside.

All at once, I felt exhausted. I forced a little smile, my voice soft. "Yeah, fine."

Emerson and Olivia both froze, looking at me in total shock.

I reached out and gently straightened Emerson's messy tie. "It's really not safe for Olivia to go alone. Emerson, go with her, okay? Do it for me."

Olivia's eyes instantly sparkled, and she threw her arms around me. "Violet, I knew you loved me best."

Emerson looked conflicted, his eyes searching my face for any hint of hesitation or displeasure. But I showed none. My expression stayed calm, softened with a gentle smile.

He thought about saying something, but held back and nodded. "Alright then. Violet, don't worry, I'll be back in three days."

I smiled and said, "Okay."

Olivia grabbed Emerson and started excitedly planning their trip. I stood alone in front of the huge full-length mirror, staring at my reflection. I looked beautiful. But honestly, it was almost pathetic.

I took out my phone and took a photo of myself in the mirror. Then I went back to the dressing room, changed out of the wedding dress, and slipped back into my regular clothes.

When I came out, they were already gone. The shop assistant glanced at me cautiously. "Miss Moore, would you like us to hold this wedding dress for you?"

I shook my head. "No, thank you."

Stepping out of the bridal shop, the sunlight was blinding. I pulled out my phone and set the wedding dress photo I'd taken as my wallpaper.

Then, I changed my lock screen wallpaper, the one with Emerson and me, to the system default photo of a landscape. I did it slowly, steadily, like deleting a file I'd never need again.

*****

We agreed on three days. Three days passed, but Emerson didn't come back. I tried calling him. His phone was off. I called Olivia, too, but hers was off as well. Honestly, I wasn't surprised.

On the fourth morning, I got a call from Emerson's mom, Helen Goodman. The moment I answered, she went off on me. "Violet, what is wrong with you?

"How could you let Emerson run off with Olivia to some place like that? Aren't you supposed to keep your fiancé under control? Seriously, you're way too laid-back."

I held the phone away from my ear, waiting for her to finish her rant. Then I replied calmly, "Helen, is there something you need?"

Helen sounded thrown by how chill I was. "I can't reach Emerson. His phone's off. I want to know where they went."

I answered, cool as ever, "Jelasburg."

Helen was so furious she could barely speak. "I'm asking for a real address. Are you letting them do whatever they want?"

"Helen, Emerson decided to go on his own. I didn't push him. Besides, haven't you always liked Olivia?

"You always said she's more mature, better at handling things, and way more suited to be Emerson's wife than me. Now they're off together, shouldn't you be happy?"

Helen went silent for a bit. Then, with a suspicious tone, she said, "Violet, what's with the attitude today?"

I chuckled. "No attitude, stating facts. If you're worried, you can try reaching out to them yourself. I have stuff to do, so I'm hanging up." Without waiting for her reply, I ended the call.

Finally, some peace and quiet. I set my phone down and went back to my breakfast, a croissant, a fried egg, and a cup of black coffee.

These days, my appetite was off the charts. No more endless arguments, no more babying a grown man. The air felt so much fresher.

I didn't stop working on the wedding. The venue, the planner, and the officiant, I called each one, calmly going over every detail. But whenever something required the groom's presence, I'd smile and say, "He's away on business. I'll take care of it."

On the fifth day, Olivia updated her social feed. She posted a photo of Emerson from the side, standing by the lake in Jelasburg, wearing the jacket I'd bought him.

His expression was soft as he gazed at someone off-camera. Obviously, Olivia was behind the camera.

The caption read: [With you, the view is complete.]

Our mutual friends flooded the comments.

[Wait, what's happening?

[Olivia, are you seeing someone? Is that your boyfriend?]

[Violet, is that Emerson? Did you three go together?]

Olivia didn't reply to any of them. But her silence was answer enough.

Helen called again, her voice tight with barely contained anger. "Violet, did you see Olivia's post? Is this acceptable? You need to get Emerson back right now."

I was at a law firm. Across from me sat a sharp-looking female lawyer, Mandy Williams. I put the call on speaker and set my phone on the table. Mandy listened, her face unreadable.

I said into the phone, "Helen, I can't reach him."

"You don't want to reach him. You're doing this on purpose." Helen's voice turned sharp.

"The 150 thousand we gave you and the house with your name on it, those all come with conditions. If you mess up this marriage, you won't get a single penny."

I looked at Mandy and said calmly, "Helen, about what you're saying, I suggest we talk face-to-face. Or you can discuss it with my lawyer." With that, I hung up again.

Mandy looked up and smiled. "Miss Moore, it seems you've made up your mind."

I nodded and slid a thick stack of documents across the table. "Ms. Williams, these are all the records of what I've spent on Emerson and his family over the past three years, including the 10 thousand loan I paid off after his business failed.

"And about the house, even though it's in my name, my parents covered most of the down payment and renovations. I have all the transfer records here. My only demand is that he walks away with nothing."

Mandy's eyes lit up. "Miss Moore, you're more prepared than I expected."

I smiled. From the moment I let Emerson go with Olivia, this war was already underway. And I never went into battle unprepared.

Eleven days passed, and they still hadn't come back. On social media, their photos were getting more and more intimate, holding hands, hugging, and one where Olivia was nestled in Emerson's arms, her face lit up with a radiant smile.

I was numb to it all. I calmly took screenshots, saved them, and organized them into folders, one by one.

On the afternoon of the twelfth day, Emerson finally called. His voice was tired and sounded a bit guilty. "Violet, we're back. We're at the airport."

I said, "Mm."

"Are you home? We'll be there soon. I'll explain."

"Alright. I'm home, waiting for you."

After I hung up, I stared out the window. The sky was bright blue. Time to wrap this up. This whole drama was finally coming to an end.