Chapter 3

Over the years, Grayson had tossed the word "marriage" around countless times.

The first time was when he signed his massive contract extension. We tasted financial freedom for the first time. We stared at the numbers in the bank account, too excited to sleep all night.

Win a championship, sign a huge contract, marry the girl he loved.

Grayson pinned me against the floor-to-ceiling windows, panting as he said he wanted to marry me. He promised to start a family and be together forever.

But soon after, he met Cici, an influencer and known puck bunny, at a club party. Cici cried her eyes out, saying she was being exploited by her former agency. She claimed she couldn't even pay her rent, and had to pay off her family's debts.

Grayson was suddenly hit with a savior complex. That very day, he put Cici on his personal payroll and offered her a salary way above the market rate.

He only gave me a heads-up after it was a done deal. "Blair, Cici is really pitiful. She reminds me of when I had absolutely nothing. I want to help her."

"If we have a wedding now, I will definitely need to take time off. If the sponsors drop me, we won't be able to pay Cici's salary. Let's just wait another two years. Once I win the Cup, I will give you a wedding that will shock the whole league."

For the next few seasons, he dangled marriage in front of me every single year.

When they made the playoffs, he said we would get married.

On my birthday, he said we would get married. Even when I was hospitalized for pregnancy complications, he swore he would buy a diamond ring and propose as soon as I was discharged.

But in the end, it was always Cici getting drunk at a nightclub and needing him to pick her up. Or Cici's heater breaking and absolutely needing him to fix it.

Even on the day of my scheduled abortion, Grayson didn't show up. He just had his assistant transfer some money to me.

"Baby, I really wanted to go with you, but if the paparazzi caught me outside a clinic, it would be too much trouble."

"Besides, Cici said she wants to learn how to ski, and I am helping her pick out gear right now. Be a good girl, listen to the doctor, and don't cause a scene."

"Once this blows over and your body is recovered, I promise I will make it up to you with a perfect engagement trip."

I don't know if he was also thinking about the past, but a flash of discomfort crossed Grayson's face.

He cleared his throat, trying to cover it up. "I mean it this time. I already bought the ring. I will propose to you on that tropical island you love so much."

I hadn't even planned to keep going in circles with him.

But seeing him now, spewing empty promises and using someone's genuine devotion as a stepping stone, a sudden wave of anger lodged in my chest.

Anger for my past self, the girl who split her scholarship money in half and shoved it into his hands to pay for his training camp fees.

So I held out my hand. "Show me."

He froze for a second. "Show you what?"

"The itinerary for the island and the receipt for the ring. Didn't you say everything was prepared?"

Grayson was instantly speechless.

I didn't waste any time. I snatched his unlocked phone right out of his hand, opened his banking app, and scrolled through his recent transaction history.

Five hundred thousand dollars, paid in full for a sports car.

Fifty thousand dollars, directly paying off Cici's credit card bill for high-end jewelry.

Twenty thousand dollars, a limited-edition Birkin bag.

And at the very bottom of the long list of expenses sat a thirty-nine-dollar Amazon receipt.

I clicked on it.

Sure enough, it was a cheap, discounted moissanite ring. His chat log with customer service still showed a careless message: Just engrave the letter B or whatever.

I then switched to his text messages with Cici and searched for the name of the island.

Just as I thought. Two days ago, Cici had thrown a massive fit. She complained that he never took her anywhere nice and that she was sick of only meeting him in underground parking garages.

Grayson had immediately booked that expensive island villa to placate her.

"Once I deal with the media, I will take you to the beach to relax, okay?"

"But we have to bring Blair. As long as she is there as my agent, the paparazzi won't write garbage about us, and the agency will cover all the expenses."

Staring at the screen, I couldn't help but let out a broken laugh. I laughed until my eyes stung.

"Grayson, is this your idea of making up for my engagement trip?"

"A thirty-nine-dollar discount Amazon ring. And a three-person island getaway where you bring me along as your cover just to keep your little influencer happy."

"Ten years, and this is all I am worth to you? Thirty-nine dollars?"