Chapter 2

(Three years later.)

Katie Anderson stood quietly in front of a white headstone with a bouquet of fresh lilies resting in her hands.

The cemetery was peaceful in a way she had never learned to appreciate since Madison died. The silence here always felt different from ordinary silence. It carried memories…painful ones.

A soft breeze moved through the rows of graves and lifted strands of her dark hair away from her face.

Katie looked down at the grave before her. The letters engraved into the stone had long stopped feeling unreal.

“Madison Anderson, Beloved Daughter”

Her fingers tightened around the flowers before she crouched and carefully placed Madison’s favorite flowers…white lilies.

Katie adjusted one of the stems and smiled faintly. “You still have terrible taste.”

Her voice was quiet. Her eyes stayed fixed on the grave. “You always said roses looked too ugly and lilies were more beautiful.”

Her smile lingered briefly before fading. Three years had passed since she buried her daughter. Three years since she sat on a hospital floor unable to understand how the world could continue moving after hers ended.

Katie reached forward and brushed invisible dust from the headstone. “I came late today.”

She tilted her head slightly. “I had an inventory count at the store.”

Her lips curved again. The store? That part still surprised her sometimes.

Back then, she had barely managed to survive each day. Now she owns one of the fastest-growing independent jewelry brands in the city.

The first year had been ugly. She worked because sleeping hurt, she designed things because her thinking only carried the memories of Madison.

She had built a company and somewhere along the line…people started buying her designs, then they started recommending and investing.

Katie lowered her eyes. “I did it.” Her voice softened. “I opened the jewelry business.”

She smiled properly this time. “You remember how I used to say diamonds looked boring?” Her fingers moved lightly across the flowers. “Well…” She laughed quietly. “Turns out boring diamonds pay bills.”

The laugh disappeared almost immediately and her expression softened. “I wish you saw it.”

The words left more quietly than she intended. She stayed still for a while, then her face changed. Her eyes moved away from the headstone.

“Brian never came back after you died.” Her expression remained calm but her voice grew quieter. Katie looked at the flowers. “He disappeared after that day.”

Her throat moved. “I waited for months, then I stopped waiting. He never called or sent letters. No single explanation…” Her eyebrows lowered.

Her face remained steady. “I think that was the hardest part.” She looked up. “People talk about heartbreak like something easy.” She smiled faintly. “It isn’t actually.”

Katie’s voice lowered. “It’s waking up every day and realizing someone you love chose to disappear.” She looked back at Madison’s grave. “I used to think he would come back .”

Her smile disappeared. Then suddenly she laughed . “Oh, you remember Rita?” Katie shook her head lightly. “She finally got that overseas opportunity she wanted. She left and never called again or never returned the calls.”

Katie shrugged slightly. “I don’t know why.” She looked back at the grave. “Maybe life just happened.”

“For a while I thought I did something wrong. Now, I think people leave because they want to.”

Katie’s fingers brushed the flowers again. She stayed quiet before she finally stood.

Katie looked down one last time then her expression softened. “I’m okay.” Her eyes lingered at the grave. “I’m not happy every day but I’m okay.” She smiles faintly. “And I think you’d be proud.”

She stood there for a while before turning and walking away.

***

Katie got into her car and adjusted her seatbelt. Her hands had barely reached the ignition when her phone rang.

She looked at the screen. Nana.

Katie answered immediately. “Nana?”

“Come home immediately, Katie.” Rosetta, Katie’s grandmother's voice came through the phone.

Katie straightened. Something in her grandmother’s tone made her stomach tighten. “What happened?”

“Just come.”

Katie frowned. “Nana—”

“See you at home, Katie.” The call ended.

Katie stared at the phone. Her heartbeat picked up. Rosetta never sounded like that before, especially towards her.

Katie immediately started the car. Her mind jumped through possibilities. Is it an emergency? A collapse? Bad test results? She pressed harder on the accelerator.

By the time she reached home and stepped inside, her breathing had already changed.

“Nana?”

No response. Katie walked farther in then she stopped. Rosetta sat calmly in the living room with tea in her hands, biscuits and wraps scattered around the couch.

Katie stared at her disbelief before her heartbeat slowed. She frowned. “You are fine?”

Rosetta nodded calmly. Katie blinked then she walked closer. “You scared me, nana.”

Rosetta looked at her. “Sit down.”

Katie stared at her suspiciously before she sat.

Rosetta looked at her, “You’re getting married Katie.”

Katie blinked processing the words, then she laughed. “What?”

Rosetta folded her hands. “You’re getting married.”

Katie scoffed then she stood. “No.”

“Katie–“

Katie turned. “I’m going upstairs if you don’t mind.”

“Katie...” Her grandmother’s voice stopped her.

Katie turned. “Nana, we’ve had this discussion over and over again, I’m tired of explaining why I don’t want to get married again!”

Rosetta looked at her calmly. “I’m dying, Katie.”

The room became dead silent, Katie raised a brow. “You always say that in order to make me get convinced, I’ve said it before….”

Rosetta interrupted her, “ I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.”

Katie stopped moving. Her expression slowly disappeared and her voice lowered. “What?”

Rosetta looked away. “I found out months ago.”

Katie stared at her. “What do you mean months?” Katie walked closer. “You hid this for months?”

Rosetta inhaled. “I borrowed money from the Stark family…” Rosetta looked at her squarely. “And in return, I promised them your hand in marriage.”

Katie froze. “You did what?” Rosetta said nothing. Katie stepped closer. “You promised me in exchange?”

Her voice rose. “Why?”

Rosetta looked away. “For the surgery.”

Katie’s voice cracked. “Why would you do that? I could afford money for the surgery.”

Rosetta looked at her. “Katie, please… this isn’t—“

Katie’s eyes watered. “You know I could afford it.”

Rosetta’s expression softened. “You already carried enough. I didn’t want to disturb you.” She looked down.

Katie stood there, speechless. Her chest tightened. Her grandmother looked older suddenly.

Rosetta continued quietly, “the surgery helped.”

Katie swallowed. “How much?”

Rosetta sighed, “just forget it.”

Katie closed her eyes, biting her lower lip to control the anger. She could have paid for the surgery, why would she have done something like that and hid it for months?

Her anger faded slowly, only exhaustion remained. Then she looked up.“ Just cancel the wedding.”

Rosetta became quiet and she shook her head. “It can’t be cancelled…”

Katie frowned.“Tell them that the bride is no longer interested and we will be willing to refund the whole money. Is that hard?”

Rosetta reached for a folder. “This is the agreement.” Katie looked down at the folder.

Rosetta continued— “If you refuse…we return fifteen times the amount. It’s 70,000 dollars.” Her grandmother smiled weakly. “I don’t have it.”

Katie looked at her tired eyes. At the woman who stayed beside her after Madison died. The woman who buried her great-granddaughter.

Katie slowly sat again. Then quietly asked, “How long?”

Rosetta looked at her. “What?…”

Katie swallowed. “How long does the marriage last?”

“One year.” Rosetta answered softly with a smile forming on her face.

Katie looked down. One Year. Her chest rose slowly, “Okay...” She exhaled. “I’ll do it.”

Rosetta’s eyes softened. She reached into her bag and placed a photograph on the couch.

Katie took it slowly, her eyes dropping to the man in the picture. He looked to be in his early thirties.

He wore a black suit that looked expensive even in a photograph. His face was calm, and there was something in his expression that made him seem difficult to approach.

His eyes were cold. He looked like the kind of man who rarely smiled. Katie kept looking at him. This was the man she was supposed to marry. A complete stranger.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the photograph. Then her eyes moved to the words written beneath the photograph.

Damien Stark.

Katie looked at the name for a few seconds. Then she let out a quiet breath and lowered the picture onto her lap.

One year… She was going to marry this man for one year.