Chapter 3
Three years ago, Julius Bernard was in a car accident that left him in a vegetative state.
If it weren't for my grandpa and Julius's grandpa being old army buddies, I'd never have been able to get in with a wealthy family like this, even though he had been in a vegetative state.
On the drive to the Bernards' residence, my mom wouldn't stop nagging me. "Don't talk too much when we get there. Keep that temper of yours in check. Do whatever they tell you, understand?"
My little brother got himself a girlfriend.
To buy him a wedding house, my mom was ready to trade me away. Somehow, she got the Bernards to remember that old engagement they made before we were even born.
Either way, I was going to marry Julius.
I had always said no before.
Curtis was the reason I wanted to pursue real love.
But I gave up.
I stared at my reflection in the glass.
I forced a well-behaved smile.
None of that mattered anymore. I had things I wanted too.
Malia Bernard was genuinely satisfied with me.
She had a soft, elegant air about her, a stark contrast to Curtis's sharp, intense features. I had seen photos of Julius before. He had the same gentle warmth about him that she did.
When she heard I danced with a professional troupe, she fussed over me, telling me her goddaughter danced with the same troupe.
Out of nowhere, a girl wearing a flowing dress came down the stairs. It was Malia's goddaughter, June.
"What are you doing here? Are you here for...?" June said, her eyes burning with jealousy.
But then, something seemed to cross her mind, and she clamped her mouth shut.
Malia raised an eyebrow, curious. "Do you two know each other?"
I replied with a smile, "Sure, we do.
"Didn't you just ask me who snatched my lead dancer spot? That's her."
My mom pinched me hard.
"Come on, how can you say she snatched it? We're all family here," my mom said.
"Family?" June glared at me warily, her eyes flicking to my stomach. "Are you pregnant?"
"What nonsense. She's just spoiled," Malia said, shaking her head.
Malia pointed at me and said, "June, she'll marry Julius."
"What?" June said.
Upstairs, a door creaked open. I guessed it was Curtis getting up.
I heard his lazy, husky laugh drifting closer with every step.
"Who's here? Why's it so lively so early?" Curtis said.
I couldn't wait to see him walk in.
I wanted to catch that flicker of panic in his eyes.
Or maybe he wouldn't panic at all. Maybe he'd laugh at me.
But June wasn't about to let me get what I wanted.
She rushed upstairs, dragging Curtis into the hallway, the wall blocking his view.
But I could still see them locked in a kiss.
June had her arms wrapped around his head.
He grabbed her by the waist.
He stopped being passive and made his move.
I thought I'd be able to hold myself together.
I had thought I'd be stronger than this. But tears still burned in my eyes.
I fought hard to keep them from falling.
Malia gently held my hand and asked what I'd like for a wedding present.
I nodded calmly, looking away. "Mrs. Bernard, all I want is to dance."
Upstairs, Curtis froze. He thought he had recognized that voice.
He pushed June aside, trying to see who it was, but all he caught was the flutter of a green dress as it vanished around the corner.
Curtis wondered, 'Could it really be her?
'No way. She wouldn't come here.'
He brushed the thought off quickly, then pulled out his phone. He realized the woman who had always been so sweet had not texted or called him once.
He couldn't name the feeling that washed over him. He locked his phone with a sharp flick of his finger, a twist of unease settling in his chest.
"That's Julius's fiancée," June said.
"Huh?" Curtis replied.
He wasn't really listening.
He was debating whether to text me first.
Curtis thought, 'Can't let her think I'll always give in.
'If I cave this time, who knows what she'll expect from me next?'
But I always caved first after our fights before, and besides, I had never once said the word "breakup."
"Fiancée," June said.
She snatched his phone, her gaze melancholy. "Curtis, Julius is getting married."
Curtis never forgot.
June had always had a crush on Julius, ever since they were kids.
If that accident hadn't happened...
Curtis tossed his phone aside, putting me out of his mind.
He decided he'd deal with it later.
He figured that I'd never actually have the heart to leave him anyway.
A wicked grin spread across his lips.
He pressed his fingertip against June's lips.
"So what?" Curtis replied.
He kissed her fiercely once more.
"Don't forget. You're mine now," he growled.
*****
Malia was reliable, and she worked fast.
Three days later, she arranged for me to transfer to a dance troupe in a mid-sized city. It wasn't as prestigious as the one in Pinehurst City, but I'd finally be the lead dancer.
Plus, I had full control over every dancer and every resource in the troupe.
The day I got my transfer letter, I also got my marriage license.
Through a strange twist of fate, I had become Mrs. Bernard after all.
The day I left, I didn't tell Curtis.
And he didn't reach out to me either.
When I arrived, the girls in the troupe didn't respect me at all.
My supervisors piled pressure on me, demanding I secure sponsorships and advertising deals for the troupe.
I knew Malia wouldn't always be there to bail me out.
She had dropped me here to see what I was really capable of.
I spent my days dancing and my nights socializing and networking.
I was run off my feet, and I didn't have a single spare thought for Curtis.
Until one of Curtis's close friends called me.
The guy who had knocked my cake on the floor.
"Kaylee, where are you? Curtis got wasted and ended up in the hospital after a fight," he said.
I heard Curtis yelling in the background. "Who told you to call her?"
"Come on, Curtis, stop pretending. You've been wasted all night, calling out for her. It hurts us to see you like this, man," his buddy said.
I had no idea whose ploy this was.
I was so busy I couldn't be bothered with them.
Without a second thought, I hung up.