Chapter 1

The moment the knife came at him, Julian Longston didn't hesitate. He pulled Clara Hayes into his arms, shielding her with his body.

His back was right there in front of me, totally exposed.

He was sure I'd do what I always did—step in without a second thought and take the hit for him.

I'd stepped in to stop workers making trouble for him.

I'd even taken the fall for his DUI.

There was even a time when the Longston family relatives shoved me down the stairs, all to keep her mom's name clean, and I ended up stuck in a hospital bed for two whole months.

Every single time, I thought maybe, just maybe, my patience would make him care about me, even for a second.

But all he ever said afterward was, "Evelyn, you've been through tough times since you were a kid. This injury is nothing.

"Clara's different. She gets scared easily. This kind of thing is way too much for her."

He forgot.

I was once a little girl, too—someone used to hold my hand and make sure I was safe.

There was a time when my heart was full of warmth.

But after all his favoritism, after all the times he took me for granted, my heart had turned to ice.

So I just stood there.

I watched as the knife, smelling of alcohol and hate, plunged straight into his back.

Clara screamed in his arms, her voice thin and shrill.

She peered over Julian's shoulder at me, her eyes filled with nothing but panic.

Julian noticed, too.

He turned to look at me, and the calm on his face vanished in an instant.

He tried to dodge.

But it was too late.

The tip of the knife slashed through his suit and buried itself deep beneath his shoulder.

Blood burst out, soaking his white shirt red and spattering onto Clara's skirt.

The banquet hall erupted into chaos.

Security rushed in and pinned down the attacker. Guests backed away in panic, and glass crashed everywhere on the floor.

I just watched Julian.

He stared at me, like he was seeing me for the very first time.

He just couldn't figure out how the Evelyn who'd put him above everyone else for three years could just stand there and watch him get stabbed.

Clara clutched his collar, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Julian, please don't scare me! There's so much blood!"

Julian didn't spare her a glance.

His eyes were glued to me.

He gasped, his voice trembling, "Why?"

I knew what he wanted to ask. 'Why didn't you save me?

'Why didn't you rush over?

'Why didn't you take the hit for me?'

I stepped closer, looking down at him.

I looked at the man I'd loved and endured for eight years, now slumped in Clara's arms, looking utterly defeated.

I didn't feel any satisfaction.

And I didn't feel any sympathy.

All that was left was emptiness.

"You expect me to take a knife for you?" I looked him straight in the eye. "Julian, in your dreams."

*****

I was taken to Longston House.

Rain hammered down from the eaves, and inside, the living room was covered in thick carpets. I knelt on them, my knees still aching and numb.

Julian didn't die.

The doctor said the blade was off by two inches, so it didn't hit anything that would kill him.

But he lost a ton of blood, so he won't be waking up anytime soon.

Eleanor, Julian's grandma, sat at the head of the table, and she hurled her cup at my feet.

Scalding coffee splashed onto the back of my hand, burning a bright red welt.

"Evelyn, you're heartless!" She pointed at me, her voice trembling.

"Julian marrying you was the Longston family doing you a favor. And what do you do? You just stand there and watch the show as he gets stabbed?"

I knelt there, my back straight, not saying a word.

Clara sat nearby, Julian's jacket draped over her shoulders, sobbing so hard she could hardly breathe.

"Mrs. Longston, please don't blame Evelyn," she pleaded, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.

"It's all my fault. If Julian hadn't stepped in to protect me, he wouldn't have gotten hurt.

"Evelyn was probably just so scared she couldn't react."

Eleanor slapped the armrest, her anger barely contained. "Scared? She used to throw herself in harm's way faster than anyone. So why did she freeze up today?"

Clara bit her lower lip. "That's not what I meant."

Peggy, Julian's mom, stood off to the side, her expression darker than the storm outside.

"Evelyn, answer me. Did you do it on purpose?" she demanded.

I looked up. "Yes."

The living room went dead silent.

Clara's sobs stopped in her throat, her handkerchief dropping onto her skirt.

Peggy stared at me like I was crazy. "Say that again."

"I did it on purpose," I said, my voice steady.

I looked her straight in the eye. "I'm not Julian's shield, and I'm not Clara's human shield."

Eleanor, livid with rage, snatched up her cane and slammed it down with a thunderous crack. "Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!"

Peggy stepped forward, raising her hand to strike me.

But then, a servant at the door called out softly, "Mr. Longston's awake."

Peggy's hand froze in midair.

Clara jumped up, not even bothering to grab Julian's jacket as it slipped off her shoulders.

"Julian's awake? I need to go see him." She hurried a couple steps, then turned back to look at me.

"Evelyn, you should come too. Julian must be really upset right now. If you just apologize, he won't stay mad at you."

I got up from my knees, pushing myself off the carpet.

A sharp pain shot through my knees.

"Why should I apologize?" I shot back.

Clara's fragile facade nearly slipped.

Eleanor barked, her voice trembling with fury, "Take her. I want Julian to hear it straight from her mouth just how heartless she really is."

The hospital room reeked of disinfectant.

Julian was leaning back against the headboard, his shoulder wrapped in bandages, looking pale as a ghost.

Clara threw herself at his bedside, her tears spilling onto the blanket. "Julian, you really scared me!"

Julian reached out and softly brushed her hair.

He was so gentle, as if she might shatter at the slightest touch.

I stood at the doorway, my eyes fixed on that hand.

That same hand, when I was burning up with a 104-degree fever, just tossed some fever meds on my nightstand and said he had to go pick up Clara.

It was pouring rain that day.

I dragged myself to the hospital, leaning against the wall, my registration slip falling apart from the rain. The nurse asked where my family was.

I just said he was busy.

Julian frowned when he saw me. "Evelyn."

Peggy jumped in, "Julian, don't get worked up. She said it herself—she didn't save you on purpose."

Clara jumped in, trying to calm things down. "Mrs. Longston, please don't say that. Evelyn's just upset. That's all."

Julian stared at me. "If you've got a problem, take it out on me. When that knife came at us, Clara was clinging to me. Do you even know how terrified she was?"

I let out a cold, mocking laugh. "So she's scared and you play the hero. You get stabbed, and that's supposed to be my crime?"

Julian's face darkened. "You used to be different."

"What was I like before?" I walked over to the bed.

"Back then, when you told me to bring medicine to Clara, I did it. When you asked me to give up my studio so she could have her art show, I just handed it over.

"Your mom said she needed a proper emerald bracelet to show off, so you took the one my mom left me, and I didn't even complain."

Clara's head snapped up.

"Evelyn, Julian said I could borrow the bracelet, just for a bit. I tried to give it back, but you kept avoiding me."

I looked at her. "You flaunted it in three magazine shoots, and when you finally gave it back, all I got was a cheap knockoff in the box."

Peggy's face darkened. "Evelyn, you better have some proof to back that up."

Clara's tears started falling again.

"I know you can't stand me, but you can't just accuse me of something I didn't do."

Julian closed his eyes, clearly impatient.

"Enough. It's just a bracelet. If Clara wants it, I'll just buy you another one."

I nodded. "Fine."

He seemed relieved.

Then I continued, "Let's end this marriage."

Julian's head whipped around to stare at me, shock flashing in his eyes.

Clara's fingers clenched the edge of the blanket, her nails dragging lightly across the fabric, making a soft, barely audible sound.

Peggy was the first to lash out.

"Who are you trying to threaten with divorce? Julian's lying here wounded, and you bring this up now? Do you even have a heart?"

I pulled the divorce papers out of my bag and set them down on the nightstand. "Sign it."

Julian stared at the divorce papers, his voice hoarse.

"Evelyn, haven't you caused enough trouble?"

"No." I handed him the pen. "Julian, this time, you be the one to make it quick."

He didn't sign.

He knocked the papers off the bedside table, sending them tumbling onto the floor.

The divorce papers scattered, ending up right at Clara's feet.

She bent down to pick them up, moving just slow enough for everyone to notice how ghostly pale her face was.

"Evelyn, please don't push Julian. He just came to—he can't take any more shock right now," she pleaded.

Julian looked at me, barking, "Get out."

Peggy immediately called for the bodyguards.

"Take her back to Longston House. Don't let her out unless I say so," she ordered.

Two bodyguards closed in on me.

I looked at Julian.

"You're going to lock me up?"

He looked away.

"Until you calm down."

I let out a cold laugh.

"I'm perfectly calm."

The bodyguards moved in, reaching for my arms.

Just then, someone pushed the door open from outside.

It was Julian's assistant, Owen Pierce.

He was clutching a black file bag, sweat beading on his forehead. When he saw the chaos in the room, he froze in his tracks.

"Mr. Longston, we've got trouble!" he reported.

Julian frowned. "Spit it out."

Owen shot a look at me, then glanced at Clara.

"The reporters at the banquet caught it all on video. Now it's blowing up online—people are saying you shoved Ma'am aside to shield Ms. Hayes, and that's why you got stabbed."

Peggy's face went pale. "Who leaked it?"

Owen lowered his voice. "No idea. And now people are digging up that thing from three years ago—when Ma'am took the fall for your DUI."

Julian's gaze landed on me. "Was it you?"

I didn't say a word.

Clara was clearly freaking out.

"Evelyn, why are you doing this? Julian just woke up, and you're already trying to drag his name through the mud?" she demanded.

I looked at her.

"Did you see me push him in that video?"

Clara was speechless.

Julian sat up, pressing a hand to his wound.

"Evelyn, delete that video."

"I can't delete it."

"Then get in touch with whoever posted it."

"I don't know who it is."

He stared at me.

"You really think this is enough to make me sign the papers?"

I bent down, picked up the divorce papers, and brushed the dust off them.

"Whether you sign or not, that's your business. If people are blaming you, that's because of what you did yourself."

Peggy, furious, lunged forward to snatch the papers from me.

I stepped back.

She missed, her heel slipped, and she almost went down.

Owen quickly reached out to steady her.

Clara darted to the bedside, her voice shaking. "Julian, your wound is bleeding!"

Red was already staining the bandages.

Julian looked at me, his face even paler than before. "Evelyn, are you happy now?"