Chapter 2

I watched as Zara threw the velvet box into the waves. It contained the custom ring Aaron had ordered for me a year earlier, and he had never even let me see it.

I lunged into the water on instinct, trying to catch it, but my fingers only brushed one corner before it sank. The last flash of red disappeared beneath the water, shattering whatever was still holding my heart intact.

My eyes red, I shoved Zara as hard as I could in a frenzy. "What gives you the right to control my life?!"

A powerful blow hit my right shoulder. Then, Aaron rushed forward and scooped Zara into his arms before she could fall. "Enough! Zara was right. Cowardice is the lowest kind of emotion. I won't marry a woman who can't even control her own emotions."

He shoved me hard enough to send me crashing into the cold water.

Saltwater flooded my throat. I coughed until tears and mucus ran all over my face.

Aaron stood over me, his voice cold. "I listened to Zara and coddled you too much. That's how you became this fragile. Wipe your own tears and come with us. I'll teach you whatever Zara failed to teach you myself."

I lay in the freezing water and watched them walk away, looking like a perfect match. My heart hurt so badly it felt like it had ripped itself open.

My heels sank into the wet sand, making me stumble repeatedly. Seawater washed over the cuts on my feet, making them burn. But…

Aaron kept walking far ahead of me. His arm stayed wrapped around Zara, protecting her as if she were something precious.

At the car, Aaron lowered the passenger seat and leaned over to buckle Zara in. When he saw me curled up in the back seat, he held out his hand. "Anne, give me the blanket."

I looked at the hand-knitted blanket beside me and warmth rose in my chest before I could stop it. Aaron had made it for my birthday when he was twelve.

His hands had been covered in needle pricks, but his eyes had been nearly sparkling when he gave it to me. "I hope it keeps you warm when I'm not around."

The pink blanket had gone fuzzy around the edges after I'd used it for years. It had stayed with me through countless lonely nights and borne witness to moments of our deepest love.

I handed it to him.

Then, without a second thought, he draped it over Zara. "The air conditioning up front is cold. Keep your stomach covered."

Zara's lips pressed together, somewhat disgusted. "This thing is so ugly. It's barely good enough to wipe my feet with."

Aaron nodded. "It is pretty old. I'll buy you a new cashmere one later."

I froze in the back seat, unable to move at all. I still remembered accidentally spilling coffee on that blanket once. Aaron had scrubbed it clean by hand, inch by inch. After it dried, he had even sprayed it with my favorite jasmine fragrance.

Then, he held the blanket and me in his arms. "This is our treasure. We have to take good care of it."

So, that had also been fake.

When we passed a giant ferris wheel, Zara suddenly tapped the window. "Aaron, I want to go to the amusement park."

He immediately turned the car around. "Sure. We'll do whatever you want today."

My hands curled into fists.

Last month, we drove past the same place on my birthday. I had begged him for a long time to stop by so we could go there.

He had simply frowned and said, "Just how old are you? You still want to waste time on something that childish?"

But he made an exception for Zara without any hesitation whatsoever.

I was soaked, shivering from the cold, and the cuts on my feet were still bleeding. I finally said, "Can you... Take me to the hospital to treat my wounds first?"