Chapter 2

Once everything was sorted, my phone pinged with a text from Claire.

It was an address.

"Rehearsing my wedding with my husband tomorrow. Got a gift for you tonight, if you have the guts to come get it."

I hesitated for only a few seconds before heading over alone.

Right outside the private room of that high-end Manhattan cocktail lounge, I bumped into Ethan's friend, Jack Rosen. He was leaning against the wall, reeking of alcohol, trying to get some air.

When he saw me, a sloppy grin spread across his face.

"Are you... Vivian? Ethan's little girlfriend? I'm not seeing things, am I?"

He let out a loud hiccup. "Ethan is insane, man. Having a massive public wedding and still playing house with you. We didn't dare say a word. Nobody wants to piss him off and lose their contracts."

"I actually feel bad for you. Everybody knows. You're the only one in the dark."

He slumped against the doorframe, squinting at me.

I stared at him, my face completely blank.

Everyone knew. Only I didn't.

My entire life was a punchline.

Standing outside the half-open door, I looked into the booth. There was Ethan—the man supposedly at an emergency board meeting—throwing back drink after drink.

Claire was glued to his side, her arm looped through his, beaming.

They were tangled together like vines. There was no room for anyone else.

Someone at the table spoke up. "Ethan, you really gonna keep hiding it? It's kind of messed up."

Ethan froze, his expression darkening instantly.

"Keep your mouths shut around Vivian. You know what happens if you don't."

"This is just a strategic marriage for the business. Even if she knew, she wouldn't blame me. I'll explain it to her, just not right now."

Claire just smiled, sipping her drink.

The guy next to him chuckled nervously. "We get it's for business, but Vivian did a lot for you. One second she's your girl, the next she's the dirty little secret. Honestly, it's pretty brutal."

"Doesn't she at least have the right to know?"

I knew the guy defending me.

Years ago, when Ethan's company was on the verge of a cash flow crisis, he was working so hard he forgot to eat.

I was dropping off dinner at his office when I ran into Jack.

Jack had looked miserable, telling me how much pressure Ethan was under.

At the time, I was competing in a national design competition and was the heavy favorite to win.

My rival, Olivia Bennett, wanted me out. She wired a massive sum of money directly into my account to buy my withdrawal.

At first, I refused.

It was an insult to my talent and my pride.

But to save Ethan, I swallowed my pride, kept the money, and dropped out.

I knew Ethan wouldn't accept a handout from me, so I gave the card to Jack and asked him to funnel it into the company and make sure Ethan received it.

Jack had hesitated for a long time before taking it. "Don't worry, Vivian. You're already family to us. I envy Ethan. He's so damn lucky to have you."

Inside the booth, Ethan scowled, clearly irritated by the guilt trip, and downed another glass of liquor.

Claire, however, seemed to notice me standing in the shadows of the hallway. Her smile widened.

She reached up and traced Ethan's jawline.

"Careful, husband. If you keep talking about how much you love your little girlfriend in front of me, I'm going to get jealous."

"You're so possessive," Ethan chuckled. "Let me give you a kiss then."

In the next second, he forgot I existed. He pulled her in and kissed her passionately in front of everyone, sparks flying, completely lost in her.

I watched them numbly. The heavy, suffocating pressure in my chest suddenly dissolved.

We used to hold each other up. Now, we were walking completely different paths.

The man who promised me a lifetime of happiness was currently swallowing someone else's sighs, and I was just the audience.

How ironic.

I knew Claire did it for my benefit.

Since she was putting on a show, I decided to give her an audience. I pulled out my phone and recorded the entire thing.

Once I had enough, I turned to leave.

Inside, Ethan finally pulled away, seemingly remembering my existence.

He stood up, swaying slightly.

"Alright, I gotta head out. Need to go buy Vivian a cake. You guys have fun."

I paused for a fraction of a second, but I didn't look back.

I knew he wasn't going straight home, and I knew I wouldn't be waiting for that cake.

Claire spent the rest of the night spamming my phone with updates of their evening, trying to use my pain to highlight her victory.

But what was the point?

I only had two days left in New York.

On my second-to-last day, my alarm went off.

Without telling a soul, I put on a mask and sunglasses and headed to the Manhattan hotel.

Claire and Ethan were rehearsing.

She was in her gown, the train sweeping across the floor; he was in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo.

The wedding coordinator guided them through the motions. Every mark they hit, every vow they practiced, the exact moment the rings were presented—I had designed all of it.

I watched them gaze lovingly into each other's eyes, reciting the moments that made them fall in love.

I watched them shed perfectly timed tears.

And I watched them lean in for a breathless kiss.

I couldn't help it. I pulled off my sunglasses and rubbed my eyes.

A staff member standing next to me whispered, clearly needing to share the moment, "Makes you emotional, huh? You don't expect real love in these corporate mergers. But they're definitely crazy about each other. You can't fake that look."

I gave a tight smile.

"Yeah. They definitely love each other."

Ethan seemed to sense something. He suddenly glanced in my direction.

I quickly shoved my sunglasses back on and lowered my head.

Claire followed his gaze, a smirk playing on her lips.

"What is it, Ethan? See someone you know?"

"Nothing. Thought I saw someone else."

Ethan shook his head and checked his phone.

The texts he had sent me were still unread.

Based on my usual habits, that never happened.

He frowned, a flicker of unease crossing his face.

I looked up again, taking in the dreamlike venue I had built from scratch, and whispered to myself, "At least I got to see it come to life."

Even if I wasn't the one in the dress, and I wasn't the one walking down the aisle, this was my masterpiece.

Five years of my youth and all my love, finally given a proper burial.

Every single detail of their wedding screamed of my existence and my history with Ethan.

I wondered if it would eventually tear them apart.

Not my problem anymore.

Tomorrow was their grand public wedding, and my flight out of New York.

Happy wedding day, Ethan.

And may you lose everything you ever loved.

After the rehearsal, Claire cornered me outside the dressing room.

She looked me up and down, her lips curling into a sneer.

"I've rubbed your face in it for days, and you're still hanging around?"

"Maybe Ethan does love you. But if he really loved you, why did he marry me?"

"A man's love doesn't last. The marriage license does. You don't have it, which tells you exactly where you stand."

"We are not in the same league. With me in the picture, he's going to leave you behind. Take the hint and get the hell out of here."

"I'm even letting you attend my wedding. Consider it your final reality check."

She tossed the heavy cardstock invitation at my chest and walked away.

I caught it out of reflex, the sharp edge slicing a thin paper cut across the back of my hand.

My custom ringtone went off.

I didn't answer. The call went to voicemail.

A second later, Ethan's text came through.

"Vivian, worked super late last night, so I crashed at the office. Didn't want to wake you."

"Got pulled into a last-minute business trip for the next two days. Don't be mad, okay? I promise I'll bring you that cake when I get back."

It must be exhausting for him.

Juggling a massive wedding with another woman while meticulously lying to keep me on the hook.

My eyes burned, but no tears fell.

The day I found out, I was destroyed. I couldn't sleep; I fell apart.

But today, the pain was dull.

A man who betrays you isn't worth an endless supply of tears.

I didn't reply. I blocked his number and deleted his contact.

When I got home, I took the screenshots of Claire's taunts and the video of them kissing at the bar, and sent them all to the florist handling tomorrow's delivery.

"Please hand this video to the groom at the venue. Make sure he watches it right before the ceremony starts. Thank you."

On the day of the wedding, I dragged my suitcases to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with Dr. Brooks, leaving the city that broke my heart in the rearview mirror.

Back at the venue, Ethan was greeting guests with a flawless smile, but his eyes kept darting to his phone.

Up until this very second, his Vivian hadn't replied to a single text.

His calls went straight to voicemail.

A knot of panic tightened in his chest, but he couldn't leave. He had to get through the ceremony.

Just as the bride was about to make her entrance.

The florist walked right up to Ethan and handed him a bouquet.

Ethan took it, confused.

Claire was on stage giving a pre-ceremony toast, recounting their beautiful journey together. He offered her a strained smile.

Then he read the card. His stomach dropped, and the color vanished from his face.

The florist lowered their voice. "Ms. Hart asked me to give this to you. She said there's a video you need to watch before the ceremony begins."