Chapter 1 · His Two Lost Hours

James Hudson only had twenty-two hours in a day.

Ever since we started dating, he had made it clear that two hours of his day didn't belong to him.

Whenever we went out, a single phone call could make him leave without hesitation.

He said, "Sorry. I'm using the two hours that aren't mine right now. Keep track of the time. However long I'm gone, deduct it from those hours."

Even during our wedding photoshoot, he disappeared halfway through for no reason.

I forced myself to wait through those two endless hours.

But James only said, "Sorry, I went over today. I'll borrow some time from tomorrow's two hours to make up for it."

For three years, James kept borrowing from tomorrow to repay today. By the end, he owed a total of 586 hours.

Later, at the engagement party where both families were discussing our wedding date, James left once again.

Seeing my disappointment, his mother finally told me the truth. "James' secretary once got injured because of him.

"She was unconscious and fighting for her life for two hours. So he gave those two hours of his life to her as repayment."

I suddenly laughed.

Two hours were never enough. So why not give her his whole lifetime?

*****

I was the last one to leave the Hudson Estate.

After hearing Eliana's explanation, my parents' faces went dark. They didn't say a word, just took my hand and started to leave with me.

James's parents had always been good to me, so I held back my pain.

I still managed to say a quick goodbye.

But after a few steps, I overheard their deliberately hushed conversation.

"Why did you have to bring that up? Wasn't things messy enough already?" Eliana's voice trembled with pain.

She sounded so hurt. "Honestly, I'd rather this engagement just fall apart.

"Tommy, I regret it. If I hadn't stopped James from being with that woman all those years ago, he wouldn't be living like this now, like a ghost of himself.

"Even on his wedding day, he doesn't have a single smile on his face."

My knees buckled and I pressed my lips together, trying hard not to let anything show.

It wasn't all in my head after all.

James didn't care about the wedding I'd been looking forward to.

So why did he even want to marry me?

The woman he can't get out of his mind, the one who always has the power to pull him away.

The woman who claimed two hours of his life every day.

Now that she was right there by his side, why did he still want to marry me?

With tears streaming down my face, I walked toward the door like a zombie.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a message from James.

James texted: [Sorry, something came up. I'll come by and apologize to your parents in person when I get the chance.

[Claire, I know today was a big day and I upset you. Just dock three times the usual from my two hours.]

Tears slid down my cheeks again, but I didn't bother to wipe them away.

I used to think that once we got married, things would finally get better.

A married man would know where to draw the line.

Whoever she was, if she could make him leave at any moment, he couldn't keep pretending he didn't care.

But I was wrong.

Those two hours were never really his to begin with.

It wasn't just two hours a day, or two hours a year, or even two hours a day for three years.

It was two hours a day, every day, for a lifetime.

I'd have to endure it for a lifetime, watch it happen for a lifetime, and bet my whole life on it, all just to pay the price for the wedding I'd been dreaming of.

I didn't reply to James's message like I always did before.

It wasn't about letting him know I was upset.

It was that I didn't see the point anymore.

Because after all those times, I knew it didn't matter what I said or how I said it.

He was never coming back.

My parents' car was still waiting for me at the door, even though they were furious.

But they never complained about James, because they knew how crazy I was about him.

I leaned back in my seat and opened the notes app on my phone.

Whenever James disappeared, the first thing I'd do was open this.

Then I'd pull up the calculator.

And I'd mess with the numbers, adjusting the 586 hours he still owed me.

Today, James was so generous, for once; he actually let me dock three times as much from his hours.

Chapter 1

James Hudson only had twenty-two hours in a day.

Ever since we started dating, he had made it clear that two hours of his day didn't belong to him.

Whenever we went out, a single phone call could make him leave without hesitation.

He said, "Sorry. I'm using the two hours that aren't mine right now. Keep track of the time. However long I'm gone, deduct it from those hours."

Even during our wedding photoshoot, he disappeared halfway through for no reason.

I forced myself to wait through those two endless hours.

But James only said, "Sorry, I went over today. I'll borrow some time from tomorrow's two hours to make up for it."

For three years, James kept borrowing from tomorrow to repay today. By the end, he owed a total of 586 hours.

Later, at the engagement party where both families were discussing our wedding date, James left once again.

Seeing my disappointment, his mother finally told me the truth. "James' secretary once got injured because of him.

"She was unconscious and fighting for her life for two hours. So he gave those two hours of his life to her as repayment."

I suddenly laughed.

Two hours were never enough. So why not give her his whole lifetime?

*****

I was the last one to leave the Hudson Estate.

After hearing Eliana's explanation, my parents' faces went dark. They didn't say a word, just took my hand and started to leave with me.

James's parents had always been good to me, so I held back my pain.

I still managed to say a quick goodbye.

But after a few steps, I overheard their deliberately hushed conversation.

"Why did you have to bring that up? Wasn't things messy enough already?" Eliana's voice trembled with pain.

She sounded so hurt. "Honestly, I'd rather this engagement just fall apart.

"Tommy, I regret it. If I hadn't stopped James from being with that woman all those years ago, he wouldn't be living like this now, like a ghost of himself.

"Even on his wedding day, he doesn't have a single smile on his face."

My knees buckled and I pressed my lips together, trying hard not to let anything show.

It wasn't all in my head after all.

James didn't care about the wedding I'd been looking forward to.

So why did he even want to marry me?

The woman he can't get out of his mind, the one who always has the power to pull him away.

The woman who claimed two hours of his life every day.

Now that she was right there by his side, why did he still want to marry me?

With tears streaming down my face, I walked toward the door like a zombie.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a message from James.

James texted: [Sorry, something came up. I'll come by and apologize to your parents in person when I get the chance.

[Claire, I know today was a big day and I upset you. Just dock three times the usual from my two hours.]

Tears slid down my cheeks again, but I didn't bother to wipe them away.

I used to think that once we got married, things would finally get better.

A married man would know where to draw the line.

Whoever she was, if she could make him leave at any moment, he couldn't keep pretending he didn't care.

But I was wrong.

Those two hours were never really his to begin with.

It wasn't just two hours a day, or two hours a year, or even two hours a day for three years.

It was two hours a day, every day, for a lifetime.

I'd have to endure it for a lifetime, watch it happen for a lifetime, and bet my whole life on it, all just to pay the price for the wedding I'd been dreaming of.

I didn't reply to James's message like I always did before.

It wasn't about letting him know I was upset.

It was that I didn't see the point anymore.

Because after all those times, I knew it didn't matter what I said or how I said it.

He was never coming back.

My parents' car was still waiting for me at the door, even though they were furious.

But they never complained about James, because they knew how crazy I was about him.

I leaned back in my seat and opened the notes app on my phone.

Whenever James disappeared, the first thing I'd do was open this.

Then I'd pull up the calculator.

And I'd mess with the numbers, adjusting the 586 hours he still owed me.

Today, James was so generous, for once; he actually let me dock three times as much from his hours.