Chapter 1

At my own engagement party to Lucas, his childhood sweetheart, fresh off the plane, pouted, "Lucas, I want ravioli."

He left me at the altar in my wedding gown and walked out with her.

The room buzzed with whispers. And he didn't even look back.

"Everyone knows Lucas' been in love with Eva for seven years."

"If Maya had any self-respect, she'd step aside."

"Five years together? Means nothing next to the one who got away."

I stood by the banquet hall doors in my white dress, watching the candles burn down, the guests drift away, and the lights go out.

I told myself that if he came back, I would forgive him.

Then, at dawn, I saw his post.

[Still you.]

There she was, Eva, smiling into the camera over a bowl of ravioli.

I locked my phone. My heart went cold.

Then I took a breath, steadied my voice, and made the call.

"Ms. Lane, I'm ready. I'll take the overseas post."

"Awesome! I'll get your travel plans sorted right away," Violet Lane said.

I hung up, stripped off the gown, and stuffed it into a trash can on the curb.

By the time I got home, Lucas still wasn't back.

I went to the study to find my passport. In the bottom drawer, tucked away, was a little velvet box.

I paused for a moment and opened it. A diamond ring.

The setting was carved into a briar rose.

I shut the lid, shoved it back where I found it, grabbed my passport, and walked out.

When I came out of the shower, Lucas was just walking in.

He kicked off his shoes and tossed me a lazy explanation. "Eva just got divorced and moved back. She's been really down, so I stayed with her a while."

"Mm."

I walked past him to the kitchen to get water. Nothing on my face.

On my way back to the bedroom, I glanced out the window. Lucas was in the yard, still in his suit jacket, sleeves rolled up, watering the flowers.

When we first moved in, I told him I wanted a yard full of flowers.

He spent three whole days planting roses for me.

A year later, I stood in silence, staring at the briar roses covering the courtyard walls.

"Weren't these supposed to be roses?" I finally asked.

Lucas frowned. "Maybe I bought the wrong seeds. The briar ones look better, don't you think?"

I breathed in their faint scent and let it go. "Yeah. They're nice too."

Now, I watched his back for a moment. Then I dropped my gaze and went to bed without another word.

The next morning, my alarm went off. Half-asleep, I reached over to nudge Lucas awake, but my hand hit empty sheets.

I got up and walked to the kitchen. Lucas was standing there, scratching his head over a counter full of lopsided, burnt cakes.

When he saw me, he pulled off his oven mitts and tossed them to me. "Maya, you know how to bake. Whip me up some soufflés."

He turned and walked out before I could answer. I called after his back, "If you want soufflés, there's a bakery right down the street."

He spun around, his voice cold. "It's for Eva. She's picky. She hates store-bought stuff. Make them look nice. She'll appreciate that."

My gaze dropped to the island. A complete disaster zone.

I'd made his birthday cake every single year.

The pans, the flour, the cream, the plates. I picked everything out myself, tailored to his tastes.

My birthdays? He either forgot or grabbed whatever trendy cake was closest.

Now I looked at the dozens of failed attempts on the counter. He must have tried again and again.

I pressed my lips together, and then carried my baking pans to the sink one by one.

Halfway through washing them, I heard his voice behind me. It was cold and irritated. "Maya, are you deaf? Where are the soufflés?"

I kept scrubbing, my tone flat. "I don't know how to make soufflés."

"Then look it up on your phone!"

When I didn't move, he lost it. He grabbed my shoulders and spun me around, his cold eyes boring into mine from above. "Maya, so I left the engagement party yesterday. Big deal. It's not like I dumped you. What's your problem?"

His fingers dug into my shoulders. "Lucas. Let go."

He shoved me away. I stumbled backward, my side slamming into the counter. The pain made my eyes sting.

I caught my breath, my voice thick. "You left me there. In front of all our friends and family. How was I supposed to face them?"

Lucas let out a cold laugh, brushing it off. "Maya, in case you've forgotten, you're an orphan. I'll deal with my family. What do you need to explain? Stop using this as an excuse to throw a tantrum. I'm not putting up with this crap."

With that, he grabbed his jacket and slammed the door on his way out.

I stood there frozen. Tears rolled down my face before I even realized it.