Chapter 1
Just three days before our wedding, my fiancé, Victor Gray, sold the home we'd spent three years preparing for our marriage.
His friends were in an uproar.
"Dude, are you crazy? You sold the house just because Melissa wanted that rare bag? Does Cheryl know what you did? Where's she supposed to live after the wedding?" one of them shouted.
"Seriously, Cheryl oversaw every detail of that place, inside and out. She poured her heart into it," another chimed in.
Victor knocked back his drink, looking totally indifferent.
He said, "She loves me so much. She literally took a knife for me back then and almost died. Why would she care about a house?
"Besides, she always says wherever I am is home, right? Guess we'll see if she really meant it."
Standing outside the private room with the hangover soup in my hands, I didn't say a word. I just turned around and walked away.
On the day of the wedding, Victor's calls came in one after another, relentless like a ticking time bomb.
Victor yelled, "Cheryl, where the hell are you? The whole family's waiting for you!"
I stared out the window at the familiar streets.
"I've already got the marriage license. I'm home," I replied.
*****
I poured three years of my life into that house, from the very first idea for the decor.
But Melissa just had to say she wanted the bag, and Victor sold the house in a heartbeat to buy her that bag.
I stood outside the door, and my hands were shaking so hard that I could barely keep them steady. Even breathing hurt, like every inhale was slicing through me.
Victor's friend, Ryan Brooks, couldn't hold back anymore.
He said, "Man, you should've at least given Cheryl a heads up. Selling a house isn't something you just do on a whim. When she comes back and finds out her home's gone, she'll go ballistic on you."
Victor waved his hand impatiently.
"Can you guys give it a rest? All you ever do is talk about Cheryl. Like I'd ever do her wrong. Worst case, we'll just rent somewhere else," he said.
"But this was supposed to be the place you two started your life together. That's your first home as a married couple. It's not the same. Doing this to her is pretty harsh, man," Ryan said.
Victor was starting to get frustrated.
He said, "If she finds out, she'll just end up crying and bombarding me with questions. I don't have the patience to comfort her every time she gets emotional.
"She loves me deep down, so no way she'd leave me over something like this. Don't forget, that scar she has? She got it for me. Selling a house is no big deal."
Someone nearby started nudging Victor and shooting him knowing looks.
"I get you, Victor. This is all for Melissa, right? With a beauty like her around, who wouldn't get a little crazy?" one of them teased.
"We all used to bet you'd end up with Melissa. You two are a perfect match," another chimed in.
Victor's face darkened.
"Shut up, all of you. Not a word to Cheryl, you hear me? If she finds out and starts making a scene, you guys are dead," Victor snapped.
The guys just cracked up even more.
"Alright, alright, our lips are sealed. Victor, you're a legend. You've got Cheryl eating out of your hand," one of them joked.
Just then, Victor's phone rang. The caller ID was "Melissa".
The room went quiet, everyone shooting each other knowing looks.
"Your sweetheart is calling, Victor," someone teased.
Victor didn't argue. He just flashed a little smile, his voice instantly dropping to a much softer, almost tender tone.
On the other end, Melissa's voice came through, playful and sweet.
"Victor, did you really buy me Starry Night? I heard it shot up to one million at the auction!" she said.
"Already paid. You'll get it next week," Victor replied.
"Well, isn't that a bit extravagant?" Melissa asked.
"One million is nothing. As long as you're happy, it's worth it," Victor replied.
Melissa breathed out a contented sigh.
"You're the best! Once I get the bag, you'll be the very first to see me showing it off," she giggled.
Victor grinned, his eyes squinting with delight.
"Can't wait to see that," he replied.
As soon as he hung up, his friends crowded around him.
"One million for a bag? Victor, what, is Melissa moving in with just that bag now? Does Cheryl even know what's going on?" one of them said.
Victor casually grabbed a bottle of wine.
"Cheryl and I have been together for ages. She's not picky about this stuff. But Melissa's soft and gentle, you know? She needs a little extra security," he said.
Standing outside the door, I couldn't feel anything but cold inside.
I hunted down every piece of furniture in our newlywed home from discount stores all over the city.
Once, I found a sofa I really liked, and it was tagged at $6,000. Victor's face dropped right away.
"$6,000 for a sofa? You think money just falls from the sky? What's wrong with sitting on the floor?" he snapped.
In the end, he picked out a cheaper one, still looking annoyed as he paid. The bill came to $600.
Turned out, it wasn't that Victor was frugal. He just saved all his generosity for someone else. It never had anything to do with me.
On the way home, I rolled the window all the way down. The wind whipped against my face, sharp and biting.
It had been three years.
Three years, and I was just a fool the whole time.
Back when I said I wanted to be the one to design our place, he picked me up and twirled me around, saying, "That's great."
In that moment, I honestly thought I was the center of his universe.