Chapter 2

At 10:00 pm that night, Julian and Madison entered the house one after the other.

"Olivia, here." Julian handed me an unwrapped black velvet box.

The lid popped open. Inside was a delicate diamond pendant necklace.

Around Madison's neck, however, was the dazzling ruby statement piece.

The blood-red gem stabbed straight into my eyes. My fingers paused slightly.

On our first anniversary, I had once stopped in front of a boutique window to look at a similar ruby necklace.

Julian had pulled me away immediately. "It's too flashy. It'll look tacky on you."

The rubies weren't tacky after all. They just looked tacky on me.

"Julian was so clueless that he didn't even bother with a gift box," Madison said as she touched the ruby around her neck and smiled. "The diamond pendant suits you, Olivia. You don't really go out much anyway, so you don't need anything better."

I calmly closed the cheap black box.

"You're right. It would've been wasted on me."

Julian froze. Something in his gaze shifted. It seemed like he had finally noticed how quiet I had been all day.

Madison, on the other hand, had already walked over to the couch and sat down.

She pulled the wedding schedule out of her limited-edition handbag and said, "By the way, I changed the bridal car to a convertible Porsche. I always get carsick, and Julian said the open top would help. You don't mind, do you?"

It was my wedding, yet the bridal car had to be changed for the bridesmaid.

I lowered my eyes to the suitcase by the door. "As you wish."

Julian's gaze faltered. Then, he followed mine and saw the old suitcase.

It was the same one I had used when I moved in with him in the early days of our relationship.

"Are you going on a trip?" he asked, his brows furrowing. "The wedding's tomorrow."

I looked at him calmly and opened my mouth to answer.

Suddenly, Madison's glass of water slipped from her hand and shattered on the carpet.

"Julian… I'm sorry…" She pressed a hand to her chest and muttered with a shaky voice, "I felt dizzy all of a sudden."

Julian's expression darkened immediately.

"Did you catch a cold? Is your heart acting up again?" he pressed, his tone filled with urgency and concern.

My words never made it out. I stared at the broken glass on the carpet.

It was our couple's mug.

Last year, Julian had given Madison a full set of handmade porcelain mugs. When I asked him if we had anything that belonged just to us, he frowned and told me I was being petty.

He then casually ordered a custom set of matching couple mugs.

That was the only time he had ever given me anything resembling reassurance.

My mug had my portrait on it. Now, it lay shattered on the carpet.

"Didn't I tell you to take better care of yourself? Why do you never listen?"

Julian didn't seem to notice. His expression was stern, but the worry in his eyes gave him away as he scolded Madison.

Last winter, I'd run a 104°F fever. I was so sick I could barely stay on my feet.

All Julian said was, "Take some medicine, get some sleep, and you'll feel better tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Madison had done nothing more than drop a glass, yet he was acting as though it were an emergency.

Leaning against his chest, Madison looked over to me weakly. "Julian, are you really going to have the first dance with me tomorrow? Won't Olivia be upset?"

Julian gently patted her on the back and casually replied, "You've been dreaming of waltzing in a ballroom ever since you were a kid. I gave you my word, and I'm not going to break it. Olivia's reasonable. She's not the type to get worked up over something like this. She'll understand."

The groom's first dance would belong to the bridesmaid at my very own wedding.

A smile tugged at my lips as I watched them nestle together.

Julian caught the smile on my face and seemed pleased by how understanding I was being.

"I'm glad you see it that way," he said. "I've always thought of Maddie as a little sister. Taking care of her is second nature by now."

Madison immediately snuggled closer to him. "Don't get the wrong idea, Olivia. I still remember when I was little and wanted to see the fireworks. Julian snuck me out of the house, and his dad grounded him for it.

"There was also a time when I fell and cried after starting dance lessons. Julian carried me all the way home. We're basically brother and sister."

She sighed. "I'm so jealous of you, Olivia. After tomorrow, you'll officially be Mrs. Foster."

Julian gazed down at her. Indulgence was clear in his voice. "That's enough. How are you feeling now?"

Madison slipped her arms around his neck and pouted. "A little better. Just a little."

A helpless smile flickered across Julian's face. "Okay. Then, I'll take you upstairs so you can rest."

Then, he finally remembered that I was still standing there. "We've got a wedding tomorrow. Get some sleep. I'll come back once Maddie's okay."

With that, he carried Madison upstairs without a second glance.

The door to the master bedroom closed. The faint sounds of their laughter disappeared behind it.

I didn't go back to the bedroom. Instead, I calmly walked toward my suitcase and slipped the last of my documents inside.

The moment I closed it, a sharp pain twisted through my stomach. I crumpled to the floor. Cold sweat instantly soaked through my shirt.

It was an old condition I'd developed years ago, spending night after night drinking with clients while helping Julian secure investors.

My hands shook as I pulled out my phone.

"Julian, my stomach's acting up again. The cramps are so bad I can't walk… Can you take me to the hospital?"