Chapter 3

As Layne looked back at my calm expression, hesitation flickered across his face.

But at the insistent ringing of Ruby's call, he turned once more and walked away.

…

Julian and I had agreed to meet at City Hall at 9:00 am.

After getting the marriage certificate, Julian had to deal with a sudden issue at his company and went to a cafe next door.

He checked his watch. "Give me ten minutes. After I'm done, we'll head to the Sandoval residence."

I nodded. "Okay."

I didn't want to interfere with his work, so I stayed outside City Hall to wait for him. I never expected to run into Layne there, with Ruby by his side.

The moment he saw me, he instinctively let go of her hand. "Aleah, what are you doing here?"

His friends, standing with him, glanced at me and immediately started mocking me.

"Well, look at that. Dressed up all formal. Don't tell me you came here to stop Layne after finding out he's marrying Ruby today."

"Ruby's parents saved his whole family. Meanwhile, all you do is cause trouble for him."

"Know your place and leave him alone. Ruby's the one who should be with Layne!"

His friends had never liked me. Every encounter came with sarcasm and insults.

Layne shot them a warning look, then tried to explain. "Aleah, it's not what you think—"

I cut him off without caring. "I'm here to get married. It has nothing to do with you."

His words caught in his throat. His gaze darkened as he stared at me.

Ruby's eyes flashed with barely concealed jealousy. "Layne just feels bad that I don't have a family, so he wants us to be family on paper. Your grandpa's dying soon. You should understand what it feels like to have no one to rely on."

Grandpa had raised me, and we were extremely close.

My expression cooled instantly. "Since you're an orphan, you should learn how to speak properly. Don't drag your parents' reputation through the dirt. People will point fingers at them, saying they raised a daughter who became a mistress."

Ruby's face went red and pale in turns, and tears welled up immediately. "You can insult me, but how can you insult Layne? Layne, just stop helping me. Leave me in the hospital. Don't care if I live or die!"

She turned to leave, wiping her tears dramatically.

But Layne pulled her back before she could go, and she crashed into his chest.

His expression turned icy. "You went too far. Ruby's parents died because of my family. If you blame her, you're blaming me. Apologize to her."

Seeing the victorious glint in Ruby's eyes, I stayed calm. "No way."

Her expression twisted with hatred.

Then suddenly, she pushed Layne away and dropped to her knees, banging her head against the ground in front of me. "Please! Just let us go! I don't want to die…"

Layne's pupils constricted. He rushed to pull her up, frantically searching his bag for medication and forcing it into her hands.

Seeing her refuse the medication and her body trembling in distress, he lost all semblance of reason. He lunged forward and wrapped his hand around my throat.

"Ruby has PTSD. She can't hear anything about her parents! Aleah, are you trying to kill her?"

My feet left the ground. My face turned red as I struggled to breathe.

My eyes locked onto the medication in his hand. So he had already stopped carrying medicine just for me.

A tear slipped down my cheek. I didn't know if it came from desperation or disappointment.

Seeing the teardrop on the back of his hand, Layne suddenly snapped back to his senses, and he hurriedly released his grip on me.

"Sorry… I overreacted. Seeing Ruby like that made me lose control. If you still want to marry me, then get on your knees and apologize. We can never get married until I repay what I owe Ruby."

I stumbled back down the steps, my knee scraping hard against the ground. Pain shot through my bones.

I stopped hoping to ever see that old tenderness in his eyes again. I just smiled faintly and shook my head. "Layne, we're never getting married."

Layne frowned, irritation creeping in. "What, you think you can marry someone else? Aleah, do you think you can live without me?"

Slowly, I pulled out a wedding certificate from my canvas bag. "I'm already married."