Chapter 1

The room went dead silent.

Margo froze, her hand still hovering by the door. Her heart pounded as she waited for his answer.

Finally, Huxton spoke.

"Don't be ridiculous. I only see her as a sister."

"A sister? Dude, seriously? She gave you three years of her life, and she's just a sister?

"Don't tell me you're still stuck on Jayla. She bailed the second you got hurt. Didn't even check on you. Now you're back on your feet, and suddenly she's back too? Come on, man. Anyone but her."

Huxton stayed quiet.

Outside the door, Margo's heart twisted.

His silence said it all.

She'd spent three years thinking he'd eventually love her back. Turns out, his heart still belonged to the girl who'd ditched him.

Three years ago, Huxton had been Auremont City's ultimate golden boy.

Graduate of a top school. Heir to Dunne Corp. Great at skiing and horseback riding. And ridiculously good-looking on top of it.

Margo? She was just a broke college student the Dunne family sponsored.

She first saw Huxton at a school awards ceremony.

He stood onstage, tall, gorgeous, and totally out of reach.

Margo sat in the very back, clutching her scholarship envelope and barely daring to clap.

Jayla Benson stood beside him—beautiful, popular, and just as rich.

Everyone said they were straight out of a fairy tale.

Then came the car crash.

Huxton injured his spine, and doctors said he might never walk again.

Jayla didn't even show up at the hospital. She dumped him over text and disappeared.

Overnight, Auremont City's golden boy hit rock bottom.

He shut everyone out, lashed out, and even tried to end his life.

His parents cried nonstop, but nothing they did helped.

Margo was the one who stepped up.

She crouched in front of his wheelchair and said softly, "Huxton, it's gonna be okay. I'll stay with you."

For the next three years, she learned massage techniques, helped with his rehab, and barely slept, terrified he'd hurt himself at night.

Once, when he snapped and swung a chair at his own legs, Margo jumped in front of him and took the hit.

Year after year, she stayed.

She became the one person Huxton couldn't do without. Everyone said he couldn't even sleep unless Margo was nearby.

So when he finally recovered, everyone assumed he'd marry her.

Margo had believed it too.

But now she got it.

Huxton was back on his feet. Jayla was back in his life.

And his "sister" needed to get out of the way.

Margo took a breath and pushed open the door.

The room went quiet. Everyone turned to her, guilt all over his friends' faces.

"Margo? When did you get here?"

"Just now." She smiled like she'd heard nothing and handed Huxton the gift. "Congrats on your recovery."

Huxton reached for it, but the door opened again.

Jayla stood there, eyes red.

"Huxton, I heard you're better. I came to congratulate you."

The room went dead silent.

"What are you doing here?" one of Huxton's friends snapped. "You bailed the second he got hurt. And now you just show up like nothing happened?"

Jayla's face burned, tears filling her eyes. She shoved the gift at Huxton and turned to leave.

Huxton caught her wrist.

"You're already here. Stay."

Everyone froze.

Then all eyes went straight to Margo.

She kept smiling, even as her nails dug into her palms.

'Three years by his side, and I still can't compete with one tear from Jayla.'

The rest of the party was painfully awkward.

Huxton's friends ignored Jayla and kept teasing him and Margo instead.

"Margo, didn't you massage Huxton every day during rehab?"

"Yep. She's basically a pro. Huxton wouldn't let anyone else touch him. He'd totally lose it!"

Margo looked down, pretending not to see Jayla glaring at her.

Huxton stayed quiet, but his attention never left Jayla.

Later, someone suggested a game.

Jayla lost first. Her punishment? Ask a guy for his contact info.

She immediately looked at Huxton for help.

He stared at his phone like he hadn't noticed.

Jayla bit her lip and stood.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Margo watched Jayla head to the next booth, where a bunch of guys quickly crowded around her.

One drunk guy grabbed her wrist. "Sure, gorgeous, I'll give you my IG. But how about you let me cop a feel first?"

"Get off me!" Jayla screamed.

Huxton's head snapped up.

A second later, he was across the room, slamming his fist into the guy's face.

"You got a fucking death wish?"

All hell broke loose.

"Huxton! Stop!" his friends yelled, rushing to drag him back.

Margo ran over too, scared he'd hurt himself so soon after recovering.

"Huxton, don't—"

He shoved her aside.

"Move!"

Margo lost her balance and fell down the stairs.

Her head slammed against the floor. Everything went black for a second. Warm blood ran down her temple and into her eye.

She forced herself up just in time to see Huxton carrying Jayla away.

He never looked back.

Pain ripped through Margo's chest, making it hard to breathe.

And suddenly, she remembered.

Back when Huxton couldn't walk, he'd once snapped and started beating his legs with a chair. Margo jumped in to stop him and took the hit instead.

Three broken ribs.

Huxton's eyes went red.

"My legs are already useless! Who cares if I hit them? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Don't you know what matters more?"

Margo broke out in a cold sweat from the pain but refused to let go of his legs.

"I do.

"Your legs matter. That's why I have to stop you.

"Because one day, I'm getting you back on your feet."

That day, Huxton, who had always been so proud, pulled her into his arms, trembling.

"Margo, don't leave me..."

Everyone called Huxton walking again a miracle.

But they knew better.

There was no miracle.

Margo had given everything she had, pulling him out of that dark place piece by piece.

And now...

He was back on his feet.

He didn't need her anymore.

Just then, Margo's phone rang.

Her hands shook as she pulled it out. The name on the screen made her eyes burn.

Mrs. Dunne.

Margo already knew why she was calling.

The second she answered, Yvonne spoke carefully.

"Margo, Huxton's the CEO of a public company now. His wife needs to come from the right family. Someone who can help his future.

"I truly appreciate everything you've done for him these past three years. But the Dunnes paid for your college too. You took care of Huxton, and we gave you an education. I'd say we're even, wouldn't you?"

Yvonne went quiet, like she expected Margo to argue. Maybe even beg.

Margo stared down the hallway where Huxton had disappeared.

Three years.

Three years of believing he might love her someday.

What a joke.

"Okay," she said, her voice strangely calm. "I'll leave.

"He'll never see me again."