Chapter 3

"I've already explained everything, and I promised we'd get our marriage license in a couple of days. What else do you want?" Mick snapped.

The angrier he got, the calmer I felt.

I gave him a nonchalant smile. "If that's the case, then there's really no reason to keep these photos, right?

"Once we get our marriage license, we can go traveling and take lots of wedding photos, can't we?"

Mick seemed caught off guard by how quickly my attitude had changed.

He paused, mulling over what I'd just said.

"Travel..." he murmured.

Then, as if something had just clicked, he nodded.

"That works out perfectly. Laurel was saying she wanted to travel too, so we can all go together," he said.

His words felt like another knife twisting in my already battered heart.

No matter what I said, Laurel was always his first thought.

Even for something as intimate as a honeymoon or wedding photoshoot, he still wanted to drag Laurel along.

That was Mick for you.

I berated myself for being such a fool.

I knew he'd always be like this, and yet I still clung to some stupid fantasy.

I was hopelessly stupid.

Late that night, I got a call from Garrick.

"I'm at an auction right now, planning to buy our wedding rings. When the time comes, I'll slip them onto the finger of my darling myself," he said.

His voice lost some of its usual maturity, taking on a playful edge.

I said yes without a second thought.

There was a brief silence on the line, and Garrick sounded a bit annoyed. "Don't you have anything else to say to me?"

I took a moment to think, then sighed. "Let's talk when you're back."

"Alright," he replied.

After a pause, Garrick continued, "You know what getting married really means, don't you?"

I knew what he was worried about.

After all, I used to love Mick so much it hurt.

He still wasn't sure about me.

"I get it," I said.

"Now that I've chosen you, my heart's set. I won't have any second thoughts."

"Great, looking forward to seeing you," Garrick replied.

His mood instantly brightened, and he hung up with a cheerful laugh.

After getting ready for bed, I spotted a new email in my phone's inbox.

It was an invite to a music networking event.

The official invitation was set to arrive tomorrow.

For once, I actually felt a spark of excitement.

I've always had a passion for music, but I reluctantly gave it up to help Mick and ended up joining his company.

Now that this opportunity was finally here, I was determined not to let it slip through my fingers again.

I was so hyped I barely slept a wink that night.

But the next morning, after the doorbell rang, I opened the door and saw Laurel's insufferable smile right away.

"Congrats, Whitney! Who would've thought you'd get a shot like this—noticed by a world-famous music group. Wish I had your luck," she said, her voice oozing with fake sweetness.

Luck?

I wasn't about to waste my breath on her and just stuck out my hand.

"Hand over the invitation," I said.

But to my surprise, Laurel just shook her head, wearing that annoyingly smug smile.

"Whitney, what makes you so lucky?" she scoffed.

"I graduated from a music academy too. How am I any worse than you?

"Let me give you some advice—if you hand over your invitation to me, I'll say nice things about you to Mick."

I almost laughed at how absurd it was.

At the same time, a wave of bitter sorrow swept over me.

How pathetic! He was my fiancé, and I needed someone else to speak up for me—just so I could look good to him.

"Do you even know what kind of crap you're spewing?" I shot back, my voice icy.

I fixed her with a cold stare.

"An event like this? You're just not qualified, period. Saying something so dumb—don't you think it's hilarious?" I scoffed.

I reached out to grab the invitation, but she wouldn't let go, her face full of wounded pride and resentment.

"Whitney! We're colleagues, aren't we? Do you really have to humiliate me like this?" she protested.

"It's just an invitation. Why are you being so stingy?

"If you're really that good, you could make it without an invitation, couldn't you?"

Her shameless words honestly blew my mind in the worst way.

I lost all patience and stepped right up to her.

"Cut the crap," I snapped. "Give it to me!"

But just then, I saw Mick's car slowly pull up outside.

Right at that moment, Laurel let out a shriek and went crashing to the floor.

"Laurel!" Mick yelled.

He hurried over, looking worried sick, and gently helped Laurel up, asking, clearly anxious, "Are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine, Mick," Laurel said, sitting on the floor with a pouty, aggrieved expression.

"I just wanted to bring Whitney the invitation. I was hoping we could talk about maybe letting me have the opportunity instead. I totally get why she's upset..." she said, sounding all innocent.

Her wishy-washy words instantly made me look like the villain.