Chapter 1: The Day Before the Wedding

"You have to sign this."

Ashley froze. The pen in her hand fell onto the marble countertop. Her fiancé stood in front of her, handsome as ever in his crisp white shirt and expensive watch, but his words sent shivers down her spine.

"What?" she asked.

Harvey glanced at the man beside him. The lawyer stepped forward and set two folders down on the counter.

"The prenup and the NDA," Harvey said, as if this were some ordinary business transaction.

Ashley slowly opened the first folder. The prenup was fair and tidy. She had expected that. She was, after all, an heiress. She did not mind protecting their assets. She nodded to herself, preparing to sign it.

Then she opened the second folder. Her breath caught.

"This one," Harvey said, tapping the pages, "is so we have no secrets. I want to be honest with you before the wedding."

Ashley scanned the document carefully. It was a non-disclosure agreement. Her eyes widened as she read the infidelity clauses and privacy clauses and media control. It was all written out like some twisted business transaction.

"This is about... affairs," she said quietly.

Harvey sighed, looking almost impatient. "Yes. If something ever happens, I do not want rumors affecting you or my company. This is cleaner."

Ashley's hands shook. "Something ever happens? You mean if you cheat?"

He did not even flinch. "I have already had relationships before you. You knew that. I am not saying I will stop loving you. You are my home, Ashley. But my life is busy. Temptation is everywhere. This just means you never have to be surprised. There will be no lies between us."

Ashley felt like she could not breathe. She sat down at the kitchen stool. "You are asking me to agree to an open marriage," she said.

Harvey nodded once. "Yes. I am giving you honesty. Many women would be grateful. You will still be my wife. You will still have my name. You will still have me."

Ashley pressed her hands together to stop them from shaking. "Harvey... I told you about my mother. You know why I hate this. You know what it did to my family. How can you ask me this?"

Harvey walked around the counter and crouched in front of her. His expression softened. "Ash, listen to me. You are the only one I love. These other women do not matter. They never will. They are just distractions. You are my forever."

Tears blurred Ashley's vision. She could still remember the face of her mother, pale and tear-streaked, when she had found out about her father's affair. She remembered the quiet funeral after her mother's depression killed her. She remembered the loneliness that had come after.

"You are telling me this the day before our wedding," she whispered.

"I wanted to be honest," Harvey said gently. "Would you rather find out later? This way you know exactly what to expect. No secrets."

Ashley shook her head and stood up. "I cannot sign this. I will sign the prenup, yes, but this... this is not marriage. This is not love. You are asking me to accept the one thing I swore I would never live through again."

Harvey stood too, his mouth pressing into a thin line. For a moment he looked frustrated, then he smoothed it away and gave her the charming smile that had once melted her heart. "You are upset now. I understand. But you will see that this is practical. You are too smart not to see that."

"I will never see this as practical," she said. "I do not want to marry someone who plans to cheat on me."

"You are not thinking clearly," Harvey said. "Our wedding is tomorrow. Everyone is expecting it. Do you want to humiliate us both?"

Ashley stared at him. "You postponed the wedding yourself the moment you asked me to sign this. Not me."

The lawyer cleared his throat softly. "Perhaps we should give Miss Dawson some time," he suggested.

Harvey's jaw tightened, then he nodded. "Fine. I will give you time. Think about it while I am gone. When I get back from my trip, we will talk again. Until then, the wedding is postponed."

Ashley's chest ached. She almost begged him not to go, not to leave her with this storm inside her chest. But she bit her tongue.

"Take your papers," she said finally.

Harvey hesitated. "Ashley—"

"Take them."

The lawyer gathered the folders. Harvey stepped closer, reaching for her hand, but she pulled it back.

"You know I love you," he said quietly. "You know I would never leave you."

"Then why do you need anyone else?"

Harvey had no answer. He simply gave her one last look, then turned and walked out.

Ashley sank onto the stool again. Her wedding dress hung in her room upstairs, white and perfect. The flowers she had chosen filled the house with a sweet, heavy scent. But it all felt wrong now.

She buried her face in her hands and let herself cry.

She thought of the first time she met Harvey. He had been a guest speaker at the university, talking about leadership and success. He had spotted her in the crowd and sought her out after. He had been so charming, so persistent. He had waited for her after class in the rain, driven her home when she had no umbrella, bought her favorite books and chocolates for no reason.He had made her believe she was the only girl in his world.

Was that all a lie? Or had he loved her then, only to grow tired now?

Her phone buzzed. A message from Harvey appeared on the screen.

I love you. Think about it. I will call you when I land.

Ashley turned the phone face down. She could not read another word from him tonight.

She whispered to the empty room, "I cannot marry a man who does not choose me alone."

And for the first time, Ashley wondered if she would even see Harvey again after he came back from his trip.