Chapter 1
I was bussing tables at a local diner the day Cole announced his marriage.
The chatter around the dining room grew louder by the minute.
Phrases like "pop icon," "peak of his career," and "the internet broke" buzzed in my ears.
After dropping off my last tray, I hid in the back kitchen. My fingers trembled as I opened the app and navigated to Cole's page out of sheer muscle memory.
It took forever to load. When it finally did, the top trending post stared back at me. It went up fifteen minutes ago.
The caption was short and sweet. [Finally married my girl.]
It was accompanied by a picture of two matching wedding bands.
Even though it had just gone live, the comment section was already flooded with congratulations from A-list celebrities.
Cole liked the messages from his famous friends before leaving a pinned reply.
[Thank you all for the love. I'm incredibly lucky to marry the girl who saved my life ten years ago. We're going to be very happy.]
But he had no idea. When he was diagnosed with stomach cancer back then, I was the one who gave everything to save him.
*****
The fans in the comments were surprisingly supportive. I figured Cole's PR team had already worked their magic to scrub the negativity.
Since the diner was slow, my boss let me clock out early.
I wasn't ready to head back to my cramped studio apartment. I just wandered the streets aimlessly.
Somehow, my feet carried me to the exact bar where Cole used to play acoustic sets.
The place was packed, but the guy singing his heart out on stage was a complete stranger.
"Hey gorgeous, are you here alone?" a sharply dressed guy called out to me.
I froze when I turned to look at him. His face actually looked a little like a younger Cole.
I quickly snapped out of it.
It was just a coincidence. There was no way the real Cole would ever set foot in a dive bar like this again.
Just as I opened my mouth to politely turn the guy down, a chillingly familiar voice rang out beside me, "You haven't changed a bit, Sydney. You still can't survive without a man."
My heart skipped a beat. I whipped around, and there he was.
Cole stood right in front of me. His new wife, Gemma, was right by his side.
Cole was always popular. I heard his buddies threw a massive celebration for the newlyweds the moment the news broke.
Cole never could say no to his friends.
Call it cruel fate. They chose his old stomping grounds for the afterparty on the exact same night I walked through those doors.
Gemma had her arm linked tightly through his. Cole's hand rested gently over hers. They looked like the perfect couple.
I didn't want any more drama, so I spun on my heel to leave. But he dropped Gemma's hand and stepped right into my path.
"Shouldn't you ask if this guy is a millionaire first, Sydney?" Cole taunted. "I remember you only go for the successful types. You kicked me to the curb just to bag a rich guy."
Cole took a step closer. I glanced away and caught Gemma's expression.
She was glaring at me with pure venom.
I took a deep breath, stood my ground, and looked dead into Cole's eyes. "Well then, Mr. Carter. Are you a millionaire now? If you are, I'd obviously put you right at the top of my list."
He choked on his words. He clearly didn't expect me to be so shameless.
"Cole, she's just joking." Gemma quickly put her signature sweet smile back on and stepped forward to tug his arm. "The guys are waiting for us over there. It's rude to keep them waiting. Let's just go."
"My Gem is always so considerate." Cole's lips curved into a soft smile as he gently patted Gemma's head.
Watching their little display of affection sent a bitter pang straight through my chest.
Cole and I met over a decade ago. Back then, he was just a nameless indie artist.
My parents died in a car crash when I was only three. Their will dictated that I would be the sole heir to the family estate.
But I couldn't touch the trust fund until I turned eighteen.
My aunt only took me in to get her hands on my parents' money. Growing up under her roof, I was treated like a burden and had zero freedom.
So when I turned eighteen and saw Cole singing his heart out at a local bar, I was instantly hooked.
We fell hard and fast. Desperate to escape my aunt's suffocating grip, I convinced him to run away with me.
Life on our own was liberating, but we were dead broke.
The tips Cole made from his gigs were nowhere near enough to support us in the city.
I had to hustle and work odd jobs just to keep us afloat.
Back then, he used to stroke my hair exactly like that and make promises.
"Don't worry, Sydney. I'm going to make it big one day," he would tell me. "The second I hit the top of the charts, I'm going to give you the most beautiful wedding in the world."
He kept his promise. He actually became the youngest artist in the country to reach superstar status.
But the woman standing beside him wasn't me anymore.