Chapter 1

LEFT AT THE ALTAR

The church doors were already open.

The music had started.

"Angela," the wedding coordinator whispered with a smile. "It's time."

My fingers tightened around my bouquet.

This was it.

The day I had dreamed about since I was a little girl.

The day I would become Mrs. Ethan Cole.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to ignore the butterflies dancing wildly in my stomach.

"How do I look?" I asked my father.

His eyes glistened as he smiled.

"Like your mother on our wedding day."

A lump formed in my throat.

"If Mom were here..."

"She'd be the proudest woman in the room."

I nodded quickly before the tears could ruin my makeup.

Not today.

Today was supposed to be perfect.

The music swelled.

The guests stood.

The massive wooden doors slowly opened.

Hundreds of faces turned toward me.

I smiled.

One step.

Then another.

My heels clicked softly against the polished floor as my father walked beside me.

I searched for only one face.

Ethan's.

But...

He wasn't there.

My smile faltered.

Maybe he was standing behind the flowers.

Maybe I just couldn't see him.

We walked farther.

Still no Ethan.

The whispers began.

"Where's the groom?"

"Wasn't he supposed to be waiting?"

I looked toward the altar again.

Empty.

Completely empty.

The priest looked as confused as I felt.

The musicians stopped playing.

Silence spread through the church like a disease.

"Dad..."

My voice barely came out.

"Where is he?"

Before my father could answer, someone hurried toward us.

It was Ethan's best man.

His face was pale.

His hands shook.

"I'm... I'm sorry."

The bouquet slipped from my fingers.

"What happened?"

He swallowed.

"Ethan isn't coming."

The words didn't make sense.

"What?"

"He left."

"No."

"He left an hour ago."

"No!"

I stepped backward so quickly I nearly fell.

"You're lying."

"I wish I was."

"Call him!"

"I have."

"He'll answer me."

With trembling fingers, I grabbed my phone and dialed Ethan's number.

It rang once.

Twice.

Then...

The number you are trying to reach is unavailable.

Again.

Unavailable.

Again.

Unavailable.

No.

No.

No.

This couldn't be happening.

I dialed again.

This time, a message appeared.

You have been blocked.

The phone nearly slipped from my hand.

Blocked?

On our wedding day?

The church exploded into whispers.

"Oh my God..."

"He abandoned her."

"What did she do?"

"I heard she cheated."

"No, I heard she's pregnant."

The rumors spread faster than fire.

Each sentence cut deeper than the last.

"I didn't do anything," I whispered.

No one heard me.

Or maybe no one cared.

My knees gave out.

My father caught me before I hit the floor.

Then my phone vibrated.

For one desperate second, hope rushed through me.

Ethan.

With shaking hands, I opened the message.

«Don't look for me.

I never loved you.

You were only a mistake I waited too long to fix.»

Something inside me shattered.

Not cracked.

Shattered.

Three years.

Three birthdays.

Three anniversaries.

Thousands of promises.

Reduced to three cruel sentences.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't think.

I could only hear the laughter...

The whispers...

The pity...

And the sound of my own heart breaking.

I ripped off my veil and ran.

I didn't stop when people called my name.

I didn't stop when my father begged me to wait.

I didn't stop until the rain swallowed me whole.

By then, my mascara had mixed with my tears.

My wedding dress dragged through puddles.

Every step felt heavier than the last.

I stood alone on the side of the road, staring at the wedding ring still on my finger.

Slowly...

I pulled it off.

"I hate you," I whispered.

A pair of headlights appeared through the rain.

A sleek black Rolls-Royce stopped inches from me.

The rear window rolled down.

A deep, calm voice broke through the storm.

"Miss..."

I looked up.

"...if I offered you a way to ruin the man who did this to you..."

He paused.

"...would you take it?"