Chapter 2

Julian scooped Vanessa up without a second's hesitation. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

His buddies jumped in to cover for him.

"Don't take it the wrong way, Ms. Hannah. Julian's just being a good Samaritan."

It wasn't the first time he'd played the good Samaritan.

When Vanessa said a pipe had burst at her place, he drove over at three in the morning.

I blocked the door, crying, and he pried my fingers off one by one and called me cold, called me heartless.

When Vanessa said her depression was back, he sat with her on the beach until sunrise while I called him seventeen times.

When he got back, all he said was, "Can you just be reasonable for once?"

One time I refused to let him go. That night, Vanessa slipped in her bathroom and knocked herself unconscious. As he ran out the door, he turned back and snapped at me.

"If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive you."

On all those hysterical nights, I cried until my voice was gone, and he never once looked back for me.

Now I just picked up a glass of juice and smiled at him.

"Go ahead. Stomach pain is no small thing."

He'd already grabbed his jacket, but at my words, his fingers stiffened and he turned to look at me.

The private room went eerily silent.

His throat worked. He tossed the jacket back onto the couch and said to Vanessa:

"Let them take you to the hospital.

"Tonight's Hannah's birthday. I promised I'd stay with her until midnight."

My fingertips tightened around the glass, and I shoved that flutter of feeling right back down where it belonged.

Don't read into it, Hannah.

He's just gearing up for another lie.

Strangely, though, the chime never sounded in my head.

Sure enough, Julian stayed.

He bought me the handbag and jewelry I'd been wanting, and then, at a dessert shop, he made me a cake with his own hands.

But the second the clock struck twelve, a phone call pulled him away.

I didn't get angry. I just blew out the candles and smiled at him.

"Go. I'll be fine on my own."

He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"That's my girl. I'll be right back."

The next second, the chime went off in my head.

I glanced at his retreating back, picked up the cake, and carried it over to the trash can.

Then Julian suddenly turned around.

"Hannah, what did you wish for just now?"

I froze for a beat.

He answered before I could, smiling tenderly.

"I know. You wished for the perfect wedding, right? Don't worry. I'll keep every promise I made you."

The door shut again.

I dumped the cake in the trash and let out a cold laugh.

What I'd wished for was to make $15 million as fast as possible and then leave him forever.

In the middle of the night, I came across a post Vanessa had just shared.

A photo of an ultrasound, with a vague caption.

"So grateful! Someone was so excited he almost cried."

Caught off guard, it still stung.

The year things got ugliest between us, I found out I was pregnant.

Julian knelt in front of me in tears, swearing he'd change, that from then on his heart would belong only to me and our baby.

I believed him.

He behaved for less than two months. Then one phone call from Vanessa, and he was driving to her place in the middle of the night again.

That night, I jumped off a bridge.

When I woke up, the baby was gone.

The system suddenly spoke up.

"Host, Julian's guilt value just shot up to ninety percent.

"He probably won't betray you again. The wedding's set on an island, and he won the dress and the diamond ring at auction by outbidding everyone, whatever the price. Maybe you should think about staying?"

I scoffed.

"I'm not about to pin my happiness on someone else's guilt."

If I couldn't have all the love in the world...

Then I'd take all the money in the world instead.

It wasn't until five in the morning that Julian finally called. Vanessa was in the hospital, he said, and she had no one with her.

When I got there, Vanessa was in the hospital bed, her eyes red-rimmed.

"Julian, the doctor says I need to keep my spirits up. Could you stay with me tonight? I'm scared of the dark."

Julian was about to answer when everyone's eyes turned to me.

I pulled out a sleep mask and earplugs and held them out.

"Perfect. I brought you both some overnight things.

"Ms. Lane's afraid of the dark, so stay, Julian. I ordered breakfast for you two. Don't forget to eat."

I said it lightly, like it was nothing.

If anything, Julian's face darkened.

Vanessa looked up, wounded.

"Julian, you should go. I'll be fine by myself."

The next second, Julian yanked Vanessa toward him, cupped the back of her head, and kissed her.

Everyone held their breath.

But Julian's eyes looked past her, locked on me, as if he were waiting for my reaction.

I was long gone.

I'd made it to the nurses' station when hurried footsteps came up behind me. Julian caught up.

"Hannah, why are you running?"

I took out one earbud and looked at him calmly.

"What did you say?"

"Vanessa's baby is mine."

His throat bobbed, and he deliberately raised his voice.

But I stayed perfectly calm, as if I'd seen it coming all along.

"Oh."

He stared at me in disbelief. "That's it? You don't have anything to ask?"