Dying to Let You Go

Sophie Lowell's POVI felt like an invisible hand had clamped around my throat. It was a long time before I finally found my voice again. When I did, it shook. "Why?"Why would Ian Colson cheat on me, then still go through with registering our marriage? Why would he wait until the happiest moment of my life to tear it all apart with the truth?Ian froze for a second. Then, he suddenly burst out laughing. "You win."I stared at him, completely lost.A second later, a familiar woman's voice floated out from the car speakers. "Then you have to use my favorite strawberry-flavored one tonight, okay?"My eyes widened in shock. I felt the blood in my veins turn to ice."I made a bet with Jessica about how you would react when you found out I was cheating. I said you would slap me, and she said you would ask me why," Ian said lightly. "If I win, she wears black stockings. If she wins…"He lifted a brow. "Well, you heard her."As his words fell, Jessica Hore's voice came from the speak

Sophie's POVOutside, a heavy storm had just passed.I happened to fall straight into a patch of mud. The road was slick, and the more I struggled to get up, the harder it was to stand.Ian just sat in the car and watched me, his face blank. "See that, Sophie?"When I looked at him, he let out a cold laugh. "You can barely even stand up without my help. Where could you possibly go if you divorced me?"Before I could answer, he pulled the car door shut, then drove off. The car shot past me like an arrow loosed from a bow, making mud splatter all over my face.As my vision went dark, memories of my past with Ian flashed through my mind like a reel of film.Right after the divorce with Jack, I'd been unable to handle the betrayal and had fallen into severe depression. I couldn't control the urge to hurt myself. If I cut myself once, Ian would give himself two cuts each time he found out.I had endless sleepless nights, so he had the roof of the villa torn open and replaced with a

Sophie's POVA moment later, I heard the sound of kissing through the wall. Jessica's soft, breathy moans followed right after. "You're so naughty, making Sophie listen to us from the other room.""There are worse things I can do. Wanna try?" Ian rasped.I clamped my hands over my ears, but the sounds still slipped in through my fingers. A creeping chill seeped into my heart until the pain made me curl up on the floor.My mind was at war. On one side was all the good in Ian—the way he'd treated me, the promises he'd made, the way he'd smiled at me. On the other side, my brain kept replaying the image of him and Jessica tangled together as the noises broke through my defenses.My head hurt like it was going to split. I fumbled inside my clothes for my antidepressants and shoved the pills into my mouth one by one.I had no idea how much time had passed before Ian opened the door, a bath towel slung low around his waist. He looked down at me imperiously. "Is that all it takes to bre

Third-Person POVOn the way to the hospital, Ian's mind kept looping through every memory he had of his time with Sophie, just like she had the night she'd walked home alone in the rain.He'd first met Sophie in his sophomore year of college. He'd collapsed from low blood sugar in the middle of a basketball game. Sophie, who'd been passing by, had given him the candy she always carried with her.At the time, he hadn't known that Sophie was the woman his dormmate, Jack, had been pursuing for six months. He only knew it was love at first sight for him, and he launched straight into a fierce pursuit. By the time he found out the truth, Sophie and Jack were already together.The day he heard they were getting married, Ian cried the whole night. Then, he got in his car and followed their wedding convoy from start to finish, all by himself.In the end, when Jack carried Sophie out of the car, Ian hadn't dared to walk up to them. He'd just turned the car around and driven off, his eyes r

Third-Person POVSophie woke up on the third day after her surgery.The moment her eyes opened, Ian, who'd been sitting by her bed for three whole days, shot to his feet. He fired off questions nonstop. "Sophie, you're awake. Do you feel okay?"She faltered for a moment. Her hands, hidden under the blanket, balled into tight fists. After a moment, she shook her head and asked curiously, "Who are you?"Ian stiffened. Then, his heart raced with wild joy. While waiting for Sophie to wake up, he'd gone over countless versions of apologies and explanations in his head, mentally prepared to pursue her all over again.The one thing he hadn't expected was that she would lose her memory and forget everything. Somehow, that gave him a chance to start over.He forced himself to tamp down the thrill in his chest. "I'm your husband. We just registered our marriage last week. Our wedding is scheduled for the end of this month."He paused, then added, "But a few days ago, you accidentally fell