Chapter 1

Two hours before our engagement party, my fiancé, Fabian Graham, was nowhere to be found.

I was in the dressing room, overhearing the bridesmaids whispering outside.

One girl whispered, "Why did Fabian go to the private room next door? Kelly is in there, isn't she?"

I pushed the door open and walked in.

The door was half open, and Fabian naturally picked up some food for Kelly May.

"If your stomach's not great, lay off the spicy stuff and eat more seafood to nourish yourself," he said.

Kelly whined, "But Fabian, your fiancée is still waiting for you, you know."

"Ignore her. All she ever does is nag me. She's not as adorable as you," Fabian said gently.

I didn't go in. Instead, I called the hotel manager.

"Please cancel the banquet in Hall One. Make it a normal dinner. And invite Mr. Howell over," I said.

If Fabian didn't want the engagement, I'd let someone else have his shot.

*****

A week before the engagement party, Fabian gave me a nine-carat diamond ring.

He waited downstairs at my office for three hours to slip it onto my finger himself.

That day, he wore a dark gray suit, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, with the sandalwood beads I'd given him on display.

He said, "Miranda, once we're engaged, we'll go to Katova Land for our honeymoon.

"You said you wanted to see the Northern Lights, right? I looked it up. Next month is the perfect time to catch them."

Looking into his eyes, seeing all that sincerity, I almost believed he truly loved me.

But now, standing in the hotel hallway, listening to the laughter from the private room next door, my fingers gripped so hard that they turned white.

The bridesmaids' chatter still lingered in my ears. "Who is Kelly, anyway? How did she get Fabian to ditch his fiancée right before the engagement party?"

"I heard she's Fabian's high school sweetheart, the girl he never got over. She went abroad three years ago and just came back."

"So what does that make Miranda? A substitute?"

I pushed open the half-open door.

Fabian had his back to me, placing a peeled shrimp on Kelly's plate. His movements were so natural, like he'd done it a thousand times before.

Kelly was in a white dress, bare-faced, yet she had all his attention, more than I did, even though I spent three hours on my makeup as the bride-to-be.

"If your stomach's not great, lay off the spicy stuff and eat more seafood to nourish yourself," he said.

His voice was gentle, the kind I was so familiar with, but he'd never used that tone with me.

Kelly looked up, her eyes meeting mine over Fabian's shoulder. A faint, triumphant smile played at her lips, with a hint of pity, as if she'd already won.

She said, "But Fabian, your fiancée is still waiting for you, you know."

Fabian didn't turn around. He picked up another piece of fish, picked out the bones, and put it on her plate.

He smiled. "Ignore her. All she ever does is nag me. She's not as adorable as you."

I turned and walked away.

It wasn't that I was scared to go in. I couldn't be bothered. What would I do after storming in, starting a fight, crying, and making a scene?

I wouldn't give Kelly something to laugh at or let Fabian think I couldn't live without him.

I headed to the emergency exit and called the hotel manager. "Please cancel the banquet in Hall One and make it a regular dinner.

"Also, invite Jaden over. Tell him I invited him for dinner."

The manager paused. "Ms. Randall, what about Mr. Graham?"

"Mr. Graham's busy taking care of his patient. He doesn't have time for an engagement," I said, hanging up and leaning back against the wall, trying to steady myself.

My phone vibrated. Fabian texted me: [On my way, stuck in traffic.]

He'd said the same thing three hours ago. Over the past three months, he had the same excuses: "stuck in traffic," "working late," "last-minute meeting."

I thought he had cold feet before the wedding. It turned out he was busy rekindling an old flame.

I didn't reply. Instead, I scrolled through my contacts until I found Jaden Howell.

Three years ago, when I chose Fabian, Jaden told me, "He's got a grave in his heart. He's buried someone alive in it. Miranda, you'll get hurt."

I didn't believe him then. But now, I wondered if he'd be willing to take in a discarded fiancée like me.

When the call connected, Jaden sounded surprised. "Miranda?"

"Jaden," I said, my voice steady. "I'm at the Royal Hotel right now. I'd like to have dinner with you. Are you free?"

There was a brief silence on the other end. "What about Fabian?"

"He's dead," I said. "In my heart."

Jaden let out a soft laugh, a sound I couldn't quite read. "Give me twenty minutes."

I went back to the dressing room and started wiping off my makeup.

The makeup artist hurried over, alarmed. "Ms. Randall, there's only an hour left. Are you sure you want to do this now?"