Chapter 1

Just as I walked out of the banquet hall, the wedding planner called.

"Ms. Hull, you booked this venue six months ago. It'll be almost impossible to get this date back once we release it, and your deposit is non-refundable. Are you sure you want to cancel?"

I looked down at the faint indentation on my ring finger.

"Yes. Cancel it. I'll cover the loss."

After hanging up, I hailed a cab and headed home.

As the city lights blurred past the window, I took out my phone to text my parents about my decision to call off the wedding. But when I opened my social media feed, a notification for a new video caught my eye.

It had been posted by one of Elton Werner's friends. The clip showed a rowdy nightclub, where everyone was shouting and cheering Elton and Lula Buckley on.

"Kiss her! Kiss her!"

Lula sat in the middle of the couch, looking up at Elton with barely concealed anticipation.

"Fine, I'll kiss her," Elton said with a helpless chuckle. "But let's get one thing straight. This is just the penalty for losing the game earlier. It's not because I want to."

He sounded reluctant, but he leaned down without the slightest hesitation. Amid the crowd's deafening cheers, their lips met in a deep kiss.

I couldn't bear to watch another second. I locked my phone, staring blankly out the window until the driver announced we'd arrived.

Only then did I finally open the door and get out.

Back in the apartment, the wedding decorations that filled every room seemed almost painful to look at. Just two days ago, I'd stood in this very place, full of hope as I planned our future together.

Now, I went straight to the bedroom and began packing my things.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that I heard someone fumbling with the front door.

Lula was helping Elton inside.

Both were so drunk they could barely stand. She dragged him into the living room, where they stumbled toward the couch and collapsed onto it.

"Betsy, your man is wasted tonight," she panted. "He's dead weight! Get me a glass of water. I nearly killed myself hauling him all the way here."

They slumped together on the couch.

I said nothing and turned toward the kitchen. Then I heard Elton's teasing voice from the living room. "Still not giving up, huh? Let's see where you run this time!"

Lula squealed playfully. "Oh! Help! Hahaha! Elton, you jerk!"

Elton was drunk out of his mind. He'd completely lost his usual restraint, and I was worried his roughhousing might accidentally hurt Lula.

So, I hurried out of the kitchen.

"Elton, you're drunk. Stop moving around like that, or you'll hurt..."

The words died on my lips.

Elton had Lula pinned beneath him, one hand gripping her ankle while he tickled the sole of her foot. She squirmed beneath him, laughing so hard that her high-pitched giggles rang through the otherwise quiet apartment.

"Elton, you're so annoying! Get off me!"

Neither of them seemed to care that I was standing right there.

When Lula finally noticed me, a deeper blush spread across her face. She struggled free of Elton's arm, then caught her breath and hurriedly fixed her hair.

"Betsy, you really need to keep your man in line. He always picks on me when he's had too much to drink." She gave me a casual smile. "I'll leave him to you now. I need to go home and shower. I'm all sweaty."

With that, she turned and left.

Elton pushed himself up and collapsed onto the couch. Still dazed from the alcohol, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and reached out to me out of habit.

"Betsy, get me a glass of water."

I stood still, staring down at the face I knew so well.

"How did you know about the tattoo on Lula's inner thigh?"

Elton's outstretched hand stopped in midair. He opened his eyes and frowned slightly.

"It's just a tattoo. We've known each other for years. I even went with her when she got it done. What's so strange about that?"

I met his gaze. "You went with a supposedly casual friend to get a tattoo on her inner thigh?"

He stood and stepped toward me, reaching out to stroke my hair.

I turned my head and avoided his hand. His fingers closed on empty air, and his expression immediately darkened.

"Can you stop making a big deal out of everything? We're about to get married. Do you really have to pick a fight with me over something that happened ages ago?"

His voice carried a mix of self-righteous indignation and condescending patience.

"She's just a friend. You're the one who's going to be Mrs. Werner. Isn't that enough for you?"

Suddenly, I couldn't be bothered to argue anymore. I turned and walked back into the bedroom without another word. Behind me, Elton let out a heavy sigh, as though I were the one being unreasonable.

I sat against the headboard, took out my phone, and called my colleague.

"Sarah, is the spot on the Arctic research expedition still available?" I asked.

Sarah Brooks sounded surprised. "It is, but the final list comes out tomorrow morning. Aren't you getting married in a few days?"

I gazed at the dark sky beyond the window and whispered, "Not anymore."