Chapter 2

I screamed at him, completely hysterical, "I want to know when my fiance fell in love with my own sister. Are you really telling me that doesn't matter?"

Jeremy's brow furrowed instantly, and he looked at me as if I were a madwoman. "We'll talk when you've calmed down."

With that, he turned to leave.

I immediately grabbed his arm. "No. We're talking right now."

His patience finally snapped. He wrenched his arm free, his voice rising sharply.

"Nicolette, don't act like you're the only innocent victim here. We've been together for ten whole years, and I could count our real dates on both hands."

He sneered. "Weren't you the one who asked me to look after Noelle? You have no one to blame but yourself for how things turned out."

"I asked you to look after Noelle," I spat, my eyes burning red as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. "I didn't ask you to look after her in bed!"

Jeremy just stood there, watching me silently.

"But Nico, I'm tired."

His voice softened, heavy with exhaustion. "Your mind is always on your work, your sister, and a million other trivial things. I only ever got a sliver of your attention. But Noelle's whole world revolves around me.

"I'm done waiting for you to find the time for me when I could have someone who tells me I'm the only one she wants."

The words were barely out of his mouth before my hand flew up and slapped him across the face.

"If I hadn't been the one doing all the heavy lifting for Noelle, do you really think she'd have had the time to fall into your arms?"

He pressed his tongue against the inside of the cheek I had slapped and let out a cold laugh.

"But this was your choice, wasn't it? The last time you postponed our wedding, I told you—if it happened again, I'd just find someone else to marry. You're the one who didn't take me seriously. You pushed me away with your own two hands, so you don't get to stand here and make a scene."

"Now, Noelle and I have a honeymoon to get to. Find your own way home," he added, already turning to go.

…

A gust of cold air knifed through the airport and got caught in my throat. Something bitter and aching pressed down on my chest until I couldn't breathe.

I watched Jeremy walk away, his back rigid and resolute.

Ten years of love, reduced to nothing by a single careless line tossed over his shoulder—"You pushed me away with your own two hands."

The ruin was so complete that nothing remained to salvage.

I wiped the scalding tears from my face. The last trace of warmth in my eyes went out, replaced by a cold that cut to the bone.

"Fine, Jeremy. I'll step aside for the two of you."

Whatever had been burning in me a minute ago was just… gone. No hysterics, no breakdown. Only a dead silence.

"You chose to betray me. You're the one who destroyed our ten years together. From today on, we're done. There's nothing left between us."

Jeremy's steps hitched for a split second, but he didn't turn around. "Nico, don't drag this out. A dignified exit is better for both of us."

Dignified?

He and the sister I had poured my heart and soul into raising had been sneaking around and getting married behind my back, and now he was lecturing me about dignity?

A laugh slipped out of me, and the tears came spilling down all over again. And with them, the last of my love for him vanished completely.

…

Back at the office, my staff were stunned to see me. "Nicolette? Weren't you supposed to be getting married? What are you doing back here?"

I shrugged like it was nothing. "My fiance ran off with someone else. The wedding's off."

The office went dead silent in an instant, everyone trading uneasy looks. I was the only calm one in the room. Couldn't have been calmer—there was even a faint smile on my lips.

No one could have guessed that just half an hour ago, I had been blindsided by a double betrayal from the man I loved and my own sister.