Chapter 2

Julian fell silent for a few seconds after hearing that.

Mia's eyes immediately filled with tears. "Susan, even if you're upset that Julian picked me, you shouldn't say you're going to marry someone else just to spite him."

She pressed her lips together, looking like she'd been terribly wronged. "Julian, if Susan's this upset, you should go be with her. It's just that, according to the festival rules, if no one chooses my boat, I'll have to stay here until dark before I can leave."

Julian's expression darkened, disappointment filling his eyes. "Susan, when did you become such a liar? Do you really have to be jealous and petty at a time like this? If I leave Mia now and go with you, is she supposed to stay here alone all day?

So, he knew how hard it was to spend the day alone on a boat.

Yet every Flowerboat Festival, I'd done exactly that, waiting on my boat all day without a drop of water.

I stared at him, my eyes stinging.

There was a time when I hated Mia and her mom for taking my dad away from me and tearing my family apart.

Julian knew that better than anyone.

After my dad's affair destroyed my parents' marriage, my mom, Diana Kurt, was forced to leave with nothing. She became depressed and nearly took her own life. That was when Julian stepped in and told me he'd take care of everything.

He went after my dad's company, acquiring the Clark family's assets one by one until my dad had no choice but to apologize to my mom and publicly compensate her.

When Mia wouldn't give up and tried to sleep with Julian, he showed her no mercy. He had her thrown out of his home with nothing on, where reporters photographed her. Humiliated, Mia had to leave Portville with my dad and return to the canal town.

The day my mom was well enough to leave the hospital, Julian showed up with a huge bouquet of gardenias and pressed it into my arms. The tips of his ears were flushed as he asked, "Are you happy now, Susan?"

Back then, my heart raced just looking at him.

But when did the person he wanted to protect change?

Was it when we agreed to come back to the canal town every year for the Flowerboat Festival, as our family tradition required?

People said that a young woman from the canal town had to take part in the Flowerboat Festival for seven years before she could have a blessed marriage and stay with her true love forever.

I remembered Julian holding me back then, his voice full of stubborn earnestness. "Susan, if everyone else gets that blessing, then we should have it too."

So, every year, we went back to the canal town and stayed for months.

Yet with each passing year, his eyes lingered on Mia more and more, until I could no longer lie to myself.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I stepped out of the cabin to find somewhere else to wait.

Just then, Mia jumped onto my boat and grabbed my hand. "Susan, it's all my fault. Why don't you and Julian have your wedding ceremony today instead?"

Before I could pull away, she let out a sharp gasp. "Susan, don't push me!"

A force slammed into me, and I was thrown into the water.

Julian's pupils widened. He rushed to catch Mia as she staggered, his voice full of panic. "Mia!"

The river water splashed over me, cold and painful, seeping straight into my heart.

The moment I surfaced, I heard Julian angrily shouting from the boat. "Susan, you knew Mia couldn't swim! How dare you push her?"

My chest ached. I looked up at him from the water and met his cold stare. "You think I pushed her?" I whispered.

Julian faltered. He parted his lips to speak, but Mia's whimper stopped him. "Julian, I think I twisted my ankle just now..."

Julian's expression softened. Without sparing me a glance, he scooped Mia up and carried her to shore. "I'm not going to choose you no matter what you do today, Susan. Stay here and think about what you've done."

The crowd, having gotten their fill of the spectacle, followed Julian as he left.

I silently climbed back onto my boat. My clothes were soaked, leaving water all over the deck.

I sat there, staring into space for a moment before picking up the oars.

I wasn't going to wait at this dock like a fool, hoping someone would come for me the way I had every other year.

Instead, I rowed toward the spot where I was supposed to meet someone else.

I held out my hand to the man waiting onshore and quietly asked, "Want to come aboard?"

But as soon as our eyes met, we both froze.