Chapter 1

"Okay sweetheart, I've set the wedding for the end of this month. I had a fortune teller pick the date. We're gonna have the most perfect wedding!"

My mom said this cheerfully. I just nodded and murmured an agreement.

After hanging up, I sat there staring at my phone. Jason Chapman came out of the bathroom and stood behind me, sounding a little nervous as he asked, "What's that about a wedding?"

I knew what he was really worried about — that I was pushing him to marry me again.

"Nothing. One of Mom's friend's daughter is getting married."

I brushed him off and started to walk away. As I passed him, I caught a whiff of cloying perfume.

Jason sensed something was off and rushed to explain, "I ran into a perfume salesperson in the mall and tried a sample. Didn't realize the smell was so strong."

His excuse was embarrassingly flimsy. I just gave a small smile, hummed in acknowledgment, and kept walking toward the bedroom.

Jason hates shopping. When would he ever run into a salesperson in a mall? And that was clearly women's perfume — strong and sweet. There's no way he sampled it himself at a counter.

After nine years together, I could see through his lies easily.

I'd just been lying to myself all along.

An hour earlier, I'd seen Piper Mills a.k.a. Peanut's social media post. She and Jason were surrounded by a crowd, standing in front of a massive birthday cake, looking incredibly intimate. On her finger was the six-carat diamond ring Jason had given her.

Piper was just an average girl from an ordinary college. I only hired her because she was Jason's hometown friend. But my kindness turned me into the fool in this story — the one who took in a snake and got bitten.

I went back to my room and scrolled through the taunting messages Piper had sent me before.

[Shae, Jason and I grew up together. His heart belongs only to me. You're the one who got in between us.]

[You've stolen nine years from me. He never loved you, and he's never going to marry you.]

[He's never given you a ring, has he? Take a look at this — isn't it big?]

Four years of college, five years building a business together. Nine years total with Jason, and he had never once brought up marriage.

I used to make a scene about it. I used to fight with him.

He would always say, "I want to give you a beautiful wedding, but I'm not ready yet. Just wait a little longer for me, okay?"

But I told him I didn't care about any of that. I would have been fine with just going to the courthouse and getting the paper.

Because otherwise, what was I even doing for nine years?

Now, of course, he has more than enough money to throw a lavish wedding.

He just doesn't want to marry me anymore.

Nine years, and now we have only fifteen days left.

…

At 11 p.m., I washed up and got ready for bed.

Jason was already lying down. He got a call, jumped up quickly, and ran out to the balcony.

A few minutes later, he came back and said, "Something came up at the office. I need to go on a quick business trip."

He didn't dare look me in the eye.

I just said, "Oh," kept my eyes on my book, and asked, "Will you be back by the 18th?"

"The day after tomorrow?"

Jason froze for a second, then seemed to relax as he stepped closer to me. "Of course I'll be back by the 18th. I wouldn't forget."

"Our nine-year anniversary," he added.

"Good."

The corners of my mouth turned up slightly.

But I wasn't planning to celebrate our anniversary. I was planning to break up with him that day. To put a period at the end of this nine-year sentence.

Jason walked out the door at midnight. The calendar flipped to a new day.

Exactly fourteen days left until I go home for the arranged marriage.

The days passed. When the 18th arrived, I didn't hear from Jason. Instead, I saw a travel vlog on Piper's social media.

She flashed a sweet, carefree smile as a tall figure stood reflected in the background.

I recognized him instantly.

It was Jason.