Chapter 1

The night before my engagement, my boyfriend Edward Fisher eloped to the city hall with his female best friend Vivian Sutton. They'd gotten married right before partying at a nightclub.

Edward brushed off the scandal with a casual shrug, his tone indifferent.

"It's just a prank. We'll get divorced tomorrow. Everyone knows Vivian and I are just platonic buddies."

Vivian, however, shot me a provocative glance as she spoke up, "Once husband and wife, the bond is sealed. Are you all just here to watch the fun, or are you going to get us a wedding gift?"

Laughter erupted around the table.

One man raised his glass, grinning playfully. "Sure thing. I've got a project in Westfield—let's make that your gift. But we've got rules here: you have to win it by rolling the dice."

I said nothing more, simply pulling out a chair and settling down at the table.

Meeting Edward's furrowed brows, I smiled faintly, "Didn't you say we're rolling dice for a wedding gift? I'll join in, too," I said calmly.

*****

As I settled in, the table went quiet for a moment.

Edward tried to wrap his arm around my waist.

"Come on, Natalie, quit fooling around. We're just having some drinks and goofing off. Go home and get some rest," he said.

I quietly leaned back, slipping out of his arms without a word.

Unfazed, I shot a calm look in Vivian's direction.

"Hands off. Vivian's the one you married tonight," I said, my tone cool.

Edward's face darkened, his tone growing impatient.

"How many times do I have to say it? Vivian and I are just friends. Even if something did happen between us, what's it got to do with you?" he snapped.

I didn't bother to answer because I'd heard that line way too many times.

Edward had forgotten our dates more times than I could count because of her.

He'd left me standing alone on the side of the road.

He'd gotten drunk and taken a cab out in the middle of the night just to pick Vivian up.

Now they had even gone and gotten married, just for kicks.

But in the end, there was always the same excuse. "We're just friends."

An awkward tension settled over the group.

Noticing it, Vivian slid over and perched herself on Edward's lap.

"Enough, just drop it," she said, shutting him down.

Then she turned to me with a cheeky grin.

"Natalie, seriously, there's nothing going on between me and Edward. We just got a little carried away with the drinks tonight, that's all. We'll get the marriage annulled tomorrow. If it bothers you, I'll say sorry," she teased.

With that, she lowered her head, picked up the bottle from the table, and took a long drink.

Edward's expression soured instantly. He tried to grab the bottle from her, snapping at her.

"Seriously, what are you doing? That's way too much," he barked.

Then he shot me a look that could kill.

"Don't take it too far, Natalie Shaw," he said, his voice cold.

I just gave a wry laugh at myself.

"No worries, I'm not the type who can't take a joke. Not like I've got anything else going on tonight. Isn't that what you guys always say? That I'm the odd one out?" I said.

Everyone at the table froze for a moment, then tried to lighten the mood.

"That's great, Natalie! We've been wanting you to join us forever, but Edward's always hogging you," someone joked.

It was Michael Brooks, Edward's old friend, who gave Edward a meaningful look.

"Edward, go on, take care of Natalie," he urged.

But Edward just scoffed and slouched back into the couch.

He pulled Vivian onto his lap again, his arm possessively around her waist.

"Don't look at me. Tonight, she's my wife," he said with a mocking smirk.

Everyone else at the table saw I was just keeping my cool with a faint smile, not reacting at all, and finally started to hype things up.

"Alright, alright, happy wedding night! So, how's this game supposed to go again?" someone called out.

Vivian was totally in her element, working the crowd like a pro.

She laughed and explained, "You know the drill—dice game as always. But since our good girl Natalie's here and probably isn't used to our wild rules, let's make it simple and just go with the highest roll.

"Loser drinks, of course. But since it's my wedding night with Edward, let's make things a little more interesting."

"No way! Everyone knows you and Edward are total dice legends in our crew. Now you two are teamed up, we're toast!" someone groaned.

Edward had his arm around Vivian's waist, never once looking my way.

"Then just give up," he said, sounding totally smug.

Michael bristled. He pulled off his Patek Philippe watch and slapped it on the table. "Fine. I'll start the pot. Got this last week."

The music in the bar was pumping, the vibe was electric.

Everyone started pulling off their jewelry and watches, throwing them into the pile.

Yara Moore, another girl, chucked her Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet in.

Without a word, Edward undid his custom Hermès cufflinks and set them beside the growing heap.

My breath caught. Those were the ones I had given him. A memento.