Chapter 2 · The Groom Is Optional

Chapter 2

"Nina, what is that supposed to mean...

"Ouch! That hurts!"

I swung the door open to escape, only to crash into a woman who had clearly been eavesdropping just outside.

It was Olivia Miller, Liam's precious childhood friend.

"Oh, Nina," she whimpered. "If you're mad at me, you can just yell at me. You didn't have to push me so hard!"

She clutched her ankle, tears welling up in her eyes, looking like a tragic heroine on a soap opera.

Liam's expression darkened instantly. He strode over and swept her into his arms.

"Olivia, are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

His voice was dripping with concern. He glared back at me. "Seriously, Nina? That was cruel. If you're mad, take it out on me. Why hurt an innocent girl?"

Watching these two put on their pathetic show, I felt bile rise in my throat.

I tried to step over Olivia, but she suddenly writhed out of Liam's arms and dropped to her knees in front of me.

"Nina, my father is dead! I'm an orphan!" she sobbed. "Are you really going to push me to the edge? I just want one day. One wedding. I'm only borrowing him!"

Her voice rose with hysteria. "If you really want me dead, just do it! Kill me now! I have nothing left to live for anyway!"

I stared at her, speechless.

Before I could react, Liam scooped her up again, looking at me with pure disgust.

"How did I never see what a poisonous bitch you are?" he spat. "You have your money and your perfect family to fall back on. Olivia has nothing!"

He took a menacing step closer. "If you ever touch her again, I will make you regret the day you were born."

With that, he stormed away, clutching his girl in distress as if I were a fire-breathing dragon.

As he left, I saw he was still gripping the folder with his documents.

And I saw Olivia, over his shoulder, shoot me a smug smirk.

This was the man I had loved for five years?

I was shaking with a rage so deep that it felt like my chest was collapsing.

In Olivia's world, I was always the villain.

Before heading to meet Lisa, I suddenly remembered the custom wedding rings. I had commissioned a famous designer, paying six figures for the set, because I spent five years dreaming about this moment.

I paid for everything myself. There was no way in hell Liam was getting his hands on them.

I drove to the jeweler, but the assistant looked at me blankly.

"What? Your fiancé picked them up yesterday. He even asked us to resize the bride's ring because it was too loose."

Those rings cost around 400 thousand dollars.

My blood ran cold. The assistant, sensing the tension, immediately dialed Liam.

As soon as she connected, a syrupy female voice answered.

"Hello? Liam's in the shower right now." It was Olivia.

"Oh, you're calling about the rings?" she cooed, not waiting for an answer. "They're absolutely perfect. Liam has such exquisite taste. They fit perfectly. I'm completely obsessed."

My face turned icy. The terrified assistant stammered, asking them to please return the rings immediately.

Before she could finish, Liam's angry voice boomed through the speaker.

"Is Nina there making a scene again? I know she's listening. Olivia and I are getting married, but we don't have time to order new rings. Can't I just borrow them?"

First the groom, now the rings. Borrow?

I nearly laughed out loud. How utterly shameless must a person be to utter such nonsense?

I took a deep breath and looked at the receipt in my hand.

"Four hundred thousand dollars," I said, my voice cutting through the air. "Transfer the money to my account, and the rings are yours."

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?!" Liam yelled. "What kind of rings cost 400 thousand dollars?"

Olivia interrupted in the background, her voice dripping with desire.

"Liam, these rings are so beautiful. I love them so much."

Her words stopped him cold.

After a tense silence, his voice returned, heavy and defeated.

"Fine. I'll buy them. The money will be in your account shortly. But after this, you have no right to ever ask about these rings again."

He hung up. Ten minutes later, my phone pinged: a deposit of 400,000 dollars.

I stared at the balance with a bitter feeling in my gut.

Liam was notoriously frugal, bordering on cheap.

For my birthday last year, he bought me a twenty-thousand-dollar handbag I had wanted for ages.

He then complained about the cost for a solid month. But for Olivia, he dropped 400 thousand dollars without a second thought.

The verdict was clear: he didn't love me.

Just as I was leaving, the hidden surveillance app on my phone pinged.

After discovering Liam's affair, I secretly installed a camera in our bedroom.

It was set to alert me to any movement.

I was a notorious clean freak, so I could never sleep in a bed someone else had used.

I opened the live feed.

Olivia, wearing my silk pajamas, lounged on the bed I used to share with Liam.

In her hand, she held a marriage license, snapping selfies with a triumphant grin.

They moved fast.

She purred. "Liam, thank you for making my dream come true. I have no regrets. I just feel so terrible about delaying your wedding with Nina. I'll file for divorce in a few days, just like we planned. Please, tell her not to hate me."

Liam sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her cheek.

"Don't worry about her," he said with a dismissive snort. "She's just throwing a tantrum. I'll smooth things over in a couple of days. You've been through so much. You should get some rest."

*****

I couldn't watch anymore. The sight of them in my room, speaking those vile, cloying words, made me physically ill. I shut off the feed.

I wasn't going back there anyway. They could have the goddamn house.

"Miss? I haven't eaten in days. Could you spare some money for a meal?"

Lost in a fog of disgust and fury, I was heading for my car when an old man blocked my path.

He looked hale and hearty, with rosy cheeks and a sturdy frame. He was not at all like someone who had been starving.

My internal alarms went off. I ignored him, sidestepping to walk away.

I didn't get two steps before he swung a wooden cane and cracked it against the back of my knee.

"Think you can run, you little bitch?" he snarled.

I yelped in pain and went and crashed to the pavement.

The next second, a cloth reeking of chemicals was clamped over my mouth and nose.

My struggles were useless. The last thing I saw before the world went black was his hate-filled eyes.

Chapter 2

"Nina, what is that supposed to mean...

"Ouch! That hurts!"

I swung the door open to escape, only to crash into a woman who had clearly been eavesdropping just outside.

It was Olivia Miller, Liam's precious childhood friend.

"Oh, Nina," she whimpered. "If you're mad at me, you can just yell at me. You didn't have to push me so hard!"

She clutched her ankle, tears welling up in her eyes, looking like a tragic heroine on a soap opera.

Liam's expression darkened instantly. He strode over and swept her into his arms.

"Olivia, are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

His voice was dripping with concern. He glared back at me. "Seriously, Nina? That was cruel. If you're mad, take it out on me. Why hurt an innocent girl?"

Watching these two put on their pathetic show, I felt bile rise in my throat.

I tried to step over Olivia, but she suddenly writhed out of Liam's arms and dropped to her knees in front of me.

"Nina, my father is dead! I'm an orphan!" she sobbed. "Are you really going to push me to the edge? I just want one day. One wedding. I'm only borrowing him!"

Her voice rose with hysteria. "If you really want me dead, just do it! Kill me now! I have nothing left to live for anyway!"

I stared at her, speechless.

Before I could react, Liam scooped her up again, looking at me with pure disgust.

"How did I never see what a poisonous bitch you are?" he spat. "You have your money and your perfect family to fall back on. Olivia has nothing!"

He took a menacing step closer. "If you ever touch her again, I will make you regret the day you were born."

With that, he stormed away, clutching his girl in distress as if I were a fire-breathing dragon.

As he left, I saw he was still gripping the folder with his documents.

And I saw Olivia, over his shoulder, shoot me a smug smirk.

This was the man I had loved for five years?

I was shaking with a rage so deep that it felt like my chest was collapsing.

In Olivia's world, I was always the villain.

I paid for everything myself. There was no way in hell Liam was getting his hands on them.

I drove to the jeweler, but the assistant looked at me blankly.

"What? Your fiancé picked them up yesterday. He even asked us to resize the bride's ring because it was too loose."

Those rings cost around 400 thousand dollars.

My blood ran cold. The assistant, sensing the tension, immediately dialed Liam.

As soon as she connected, a syrupy female voice answered.

"Hello? Liam's in the shower right now." It was Olivia.

"Oh, you're calling about the rings?" she cooed, not waiting for an answer. "They're absolutely perfect. Liam has such exquisite taste. They fit perfectly. I'm completely obsessed."

My face turned icy. The terrified assistant stammered, asking them to please return the rings immediately.

Before she could finish, Liam's angry voice boomed through the speaker.

"Is Nina there making a scene again? I know she's listening. Olivia and I are getting married, but we don't have time to order new rings. Can't I just borrow them?"

First the groom, now the rings. Borrow?

I nearly laughed out loud. How utterly shameless must a person be to utter such nonsense?

I took a deep breath and looked at the receipt in my hand.

"Four hundred thousand dollars," I said, my voice cutting through the air. "Transfer the money to my account, and the rings are yours."

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?!" Liam yelled. "What kind of rings cost 400 thousand dollars?"

Olivia interrupted in the background, her voice dripping with desire.

"Liam, these rings are so beautiful. I love them so much."

Her words stopped him cold.

After a tense silence, his voice returned, heavy and defeated.

"Fine. I'll buy them. The money will be in your account shortly. But after this, you have no right to ever ask about these rings again."

He hung up. Ten minutes later, my phone pinged: a deposit of 400,000 dollars.

I stared at the balance with a bitter feeling in my gut.

Liam was notoriously frugal, bordering on cheap.

For my birthday last year, he bought me a twenty-thousand-dollar handbag I had wanted for ages.

He then complained about the cost for a solid month. But for Olivia, he dropped 400 thousand dollars without a second thought.

The verdict was clear: he didn't love me.

Just as I was leaving, the hidden surveillance app on my phone pinged.

After discovering Liam's affair, I secretly installed a camera in our bedroom.

It was set to alert me to any movement.

I was a notorious clean freak, so I could never sleep in a bed someone else had used.

I opened the live feed.

Olivia, wearing my silk pajamas, lounged on the bed I used to share with Liam.

In her hand, she held a marriage license, snapping selfies with a triumphant grin.

They moved fast.

Liam sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her cheek.

"Don't worry about her," he said with a dismissive snort. "She's just throwing a tantrum. I'll smooth things over in a couple of days. You've been through so much. You should get some rest."

*****

I couldn't watch anymore. The sight of them in my room, speaking those vile, cloying words, made me physically ill. I shut off the feed.

I wasn't going back there anyway. They could have the goddamn house.

"Miss? I haven't eaten in days. Could you spare some money for a meal?"

Lost in a fog of disgust and fury, I was heading for my car when an old man blocked my path.

He looked hale and hearty, with rosy cheeks and a sturdy frame. He was not at all like someone who had been starving.

My internal alarms went off. I ignored him, sidestepping to walk away.

I didn't get two steps before he swung a wooden cane and cracked it against the back of my knee.

"Think you can run, you little bitch?" he snarled.

I yelped in pain and went and crashed to the pavement.

The next second, a cloth reeking of chemicals was clamped over my mouth and nose.

My struggles were useless. The last thing I saw before the world went black was his hate-filled eyes.