Chapter 1
The night before my wedding, my fiancé, Liam Vance, ends his twenty-four-hour vanishing act with a single text message.
[Sorry. Olivia's dad passed. Have to be there for her.]
I stared at the screen, the words blurring as a cold fury began to eclipse the panic. My fingers typed back: [Seven days until the wedding. Don't forget.]
Before the checkmark even turns blue, I am on Instagram. And that's when my world collapses. Liam wraps his arm possessively around Olivia Miller, his supposedly grief-stricken childhood friend, who is posing in a custom-made wedding gown, complete with a veil that cascades to the floor.
This is a blatant declaration of war on my last nerve.
I double-tap the picture to let him know I see everything. My phone rings instantly.
"Her father just died!" Liam whisper-yells, skipping a hello entirely. "This was his dying wish, to see her in a wedding dress! For God's sake, can you stop being so dramatic for one second?"
The line goes dead before he can say another word. I hang up. I grab the heavy fabric shears from my sewing kit and cut the midnight-blue tuxedo Liam is supposed to wear as he watches me walk down the aisle.
Then, I pick up my phone and call my sister.
"Hey," I say. "Change of plans. The wedding's still on tomorrow. The groom, however, is no longer on the guest list. You know anyone hot who's free tomorrow?"
*****
My sister, Lisa Zarate, was stunned into silence for a long moment.
"Five years ago, didn't you swear you'd marry no one but him? Now Dad's seriously ill and holding on just to see you settled. What kind of drama are you stirring up now?" she finally asked.
I replied, "It's not me. It's Liam.
"He's about to marry someone else. Are you seriously asking me to wait around for him?"
She went silent again.
When she spoke, her voice had softened.
"You were dead set on him, even when the whole family was against it. We always knew he was trouble. Turns out we were right. He's a cold-blooded snake.
"Honestly, swapping grooms isn't out of the question. Remember Eric Todd?"
I paused, blinking back tears. "Yeah."
Eric was a student I had sponsored years ago when he was struggling. He later landed a full scholarship to a prestigious university abroad, and upon returning, he started working at our family business.
My father, Max Zarate, had always thought highly of him, dropping not-so-subtle hints about us getting together.
But back then, I was totally head over heels for Liam, so I shot the idea down immediately.
When Liam found out, he pulled a stunt straight out of a romance novel, kneeling outside my house all day in the pouring rain to beg Max for his blessing.
He vowed to love me forever, to make me the happiest woman alive. And I, like a fool, fell for it.
But before we could even make it to the altar, his promises had already rotted away.
"Yeah, I remember. I'll leave the logistics to you. You've got great taste," I said.
With a sigh, I hung up, feeling totally drained.
Before I could even process the shift in my reality, the front door slammed open.
"Nina Zarate! What are you scheming with your sister now?" Liam burst in, yelling. "Let me make this clear. My marriage to Olivia is just a formality. It's her father's dying wish. I can't let the old man pass away with regrets!"
He softened his tone, attempting to sound reasonable. "Relax. As soon as I marry her and fulfill the wish, I'll divorce her and throw you the wedding of your dreams. I promise!"
I stared at the man I once loved with everything I had. The only thing I felt was how completely absurd this all was.
Liam and I had been together for five years. From year one, I was ready to marry him.
But he always had an excuse.
"Nina, I'm working on a new project with my advisor. I don't have time for personal stuff."
"I just started this job. I need to prove myself before people say I only got in because of you."
"You're still young. Let's not rush into being tied down. Just wait a bit longer."
He always had a reason, and I never had a rebuttal.
Lisa warned me over and over, "If he really loved you, he wouldn't make you wait like this. Cut your losses."
But I kept making excuses for him. Looking back now, I was just lying to myself.
Olivia's dad died, and suddenly Liam was moving mountains to fulfill a wish?
But what about my dad? He had been bedridden for years, holding on just to see his daughter get married.
The thought sent a chill through my body. The pain in my chest was sharp enough to freeze my tears.
I spent five years trying to warm a heart made of stone. Liam never cared about my feelings.
My voice came out flat. "Liam, do you think marriage is some kind of game? And honestly, I don't want someone else's leftovers."
I looked at him with a cold smile.
His face twisted. "Who are you calling leftovers?"
The words struck a nerve. His voice rose, his brows furrowing in anger.
"It's just a ceremony! It's not like I'm spending my life with her. Why are you being so petty? You must be bored at home, inventing problems because of your jealousy!
"Here are your passport and birth certificate," I said, handing him the stack of documents. "You're free to do whatever you want. I'm done."
We were supposed to get our marriage license tomorrow. That was off the table now.
He paused, looking a bit lost, but took the documents on reflex.
"Nina, I'm just doing what Olivia needs. Can't you just be the bigger person?"
He kept mumbling excuses, clearly feeling guilty.
Be the bigger person? This man had completely lost his mind.
"You've made something sacred sound cheap and disposable. Sorry, I can't be 'the bigger person.' Find someone else who can. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do."
I turned to leave, intent on meeting Lisa to discuss my new groom.
As I reached for the door, Liam reached out to grab my arm.