Chapter 1
Eight years ago, when Drake Norton was just a teenage boy, he swung a baseball bat at the three guys who attacked me until they had to be sent to the hospital.
Blood ran down his forehead, stinging his eyes so bad he could barely see.
But he still grinned at me like a cocky idiot and whispered, "Doesn't hurt."
People whispered behind my back.
"She's ruined."
"No man will ever want her now."
Drake covered my ears and said softly, "You're not ruined. You're the cleanest person to me."
Because of me, he got kicked out of school and almost got thrown in juvie.
He cut ties with his family just so we could be together, eking things out in a tiny rental.
For eight years we toughed things out until he finally became CEO, a big man in the industry.
But on the night before our wedding? The girl he sponsored for university posted a selfie in our marital home.
She was wearing my custom wedding dress, a man's arm wrapped around her waist. She even had my wedding ring on her finger.
Her caption wrote: [Drake said only a pure girl like me is worthy of a white wedding gown.]
I had the lawyer change the prenup to a breakup agreement, then forwarded it to Drake. I typed: [Sign it. You're the dirty one.]
*****
After that message, I received no reply for ages.
I turned and walked back into the bridal shop.
The wedding dresses I'd ordered were all insanely expensive.
The second I decided to break things off with Drake, I showed up here to cancel everything and deal with the deposit.
But the next second, I heard a familiar voice.
"Drake, this dress is absolutely gorgeous. Can I really have it?" Lynn Renfrew cooed.
"Anything you want, it's yours," Drake said softly.
When I turned around, I was hit with the sight of Drake in a suit and Lynn in an extravagant wedding dress.
They looked picture-perfect together, like newlyweds straight out of a glossy magazine.
I just stood there, frozen in place, feeling like I'd been struck by lightning.
My phone was still glowing, showing Drake's "working late" message.
I never thought Drake would resort to such a pathetic lie just to fool me.
Drake was completely entranced by Lynn, his signature roguish grin lighting up as he took in her decked-out bridal look.
His eyes brimmed with pride and pure admiration.
He used to look at me like that once—back when I was eighteen.
Lynn beamed, her eyes bright and sweet, buzzing around Drake with all her bubbly energy.
She was pure, young, and bursting with vitality—so radiant she was like a lily just coming into bloom.
The instant she saw me, she shrank back, instinctively hiding herself behind Drake.
Drake didn't even notice me at first—it took him a moment to realize I was there.
For a split second, his face showed a flash of panic, but he forced himself to look calm and greeted me with a polite smile.
"Gail? What are you doing here?" he said, surprised. "Lynn saw your wedding dress and liked it, so I brought her over to take a look."
"You know her background..." he said, trailing off awkwardly.
I knew the deal—Lynn came from nothing, lost her parents, never gave up, but was still stuck deep in life's mess.
That was why Drake just couldn't help himself—always jumping in to help her, looking out for her, feeling sorry, maybe caring way too much.
And then, he went and crossed the line, acting like it was perfectly justified.
Lynn heard him and shot me a look from behind Drake, acting all smug and dismissive.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm, and said softly, "So this is what you call working late?"
Drake looked irritated. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you."
This? What was I supposed to be? Angry? Losing it? Maybe make a scene?
The bridal shop staff kept sneaking glances our way, whispering and gossiping among themselves.
"Gail, can we talk about this when we get home?" Drake said.
On the table sat my half-finished cup of coffee—so bitter I could barely choke it down.
My temper flared hotter by the second.
Before I even thought about it, I snatched up the cup and flung the coffee at Drake, splattering his meticulously styled hair with dark brown streaks.
Lynn, standing right next to him, got hit as well—her expensive wedding dress now blotched with coffee.
She cried out in shock, and Drake, all flustered, immediately reached out and gently touched her face.
"Did it burn you?" he asked, sounding anxious.
I let out a bitter laugh. "Is this how you pamper every university girl you sponsor, Mr. Norton?"
He shot me a furious glare.
He snapped, "Gail, that's enough! When did you turn into someone who always has to stir up drama?
"Don't project your own filth onto everything else just because you can't stand looking at yourself in the mirror."
His words crushed me—like someone's fist suddenly clenched around my heart, so tight I couldn't breathe.
Drake realized what he said and a flush of panic crossed his face. He reached out, wanting to comfort me. "Gail, that's not what I meant."
I pulled away, cool and steady, and just told him to check his messages. Then, I left.
Seeing it with my own eyes hurt way more than anything I'd ever seen on a screen.
Right then, it was painfully clear—the man I'd loved for eight years, the one who'd always sworn to keep me safe, had betrayed me.