All Chapters of He Chose My Best Friend, So I Chose Freedom: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

I pulled out my phone and booked a flight home.I was about to put it away when a notification popped up.Anna had posted something new on the Instagram account she used to document her illness.The moment I opened the post, my eyes widened and anger shot through me.Anna was wearing my custom wedding gown, her arm looped through Walker's."When you love someone, you want to give her everything."Within minutes, her followers swarmed the comments."He's standing by her through cancer. This ship is everything!""Hope she beats cancer and they get their happily-ever-after."In the picture, Anna looked sweet and shy while Walker looked at her with so much tenderness it made my chest ache.It hurt until I could barely breathe.My hands shook as I typed a comment."Anna, can't you stop stealing? First my man, now my wedding dress? Take it off before I strip it off you myself!"The comments exploded."They look perfect together. Who asked some troll like you for an opinion?""I checked her p

My eyes locked on what he was holding.He was holding the phone my mother had left me!When her cancer became terminal, my mother knew she didn't have long.She spent her final days recording messages for me on that old phone, telling me how much she missed me and how worried she was about me.I reached for it without thinking, but Walker pulled it away."Walker, what are you doing? Give it back!"My eyes burned as I glared at him.On the anniversary of the night we'd met eight years earlier, Walker had noticed the silver phone my mother had left me.That day, he had dropped to one knee and proposed, promising my mother, whose face filled the screen, that he would always take care of me.Now he was using that same phone to force me to protect Anna."Take the evidence down. Post a statement saying you were jealous of Anna and made up those lies to ruin her reputation."Walker's cold voice left no room for argument."Think it over. Every minute you wait, I'll delete another recording."M

Whatever was happening between Walker and Anna, I didn't care anymore.When I got home, I threw my arms around Dad and sobbed until I had no tears left."My baby. You've had a rough time."Dad's rough palm stroked my blond hair, his touch warm and comforting."There, there. You're home. That's what matters." He kept stroking my hair. "I had the cook make your favorite vitello tonnato."Lucas is so dramatic. That boy heard you agreed to the marriage and nearly bought half of Florence. If you'd come home a day later, I wouldn't have been able to hold him back."Dad looked as if someone were about to steal his most precious treasure right out from under him.I followed his gaze and found Lucas Russo watching me with warm amber eyes.Lucas's ears were bright red, and a nervous smile spread across his face."Valentina, Matteo is exaggerating. I only... I just didn't know what you liked, so I got you a little of everything."I looked down. An entire table was covered in jewelry: sapphires, r

The online-harassment lawsuits were settled one by one, and no amount of crying or claiming they couldn't afford to pay changed anything.I didn't feel sorry for a single one of them. Once the last case was settled, I returned to Italy.My wedding was the next day, and I wanted to be rested and ready.That night, however, Lucas managed to sneak past Dad and into the house.With a mysterious air, he thrust a journal into my hands, then ran off with his face burning red.I opened it, confused.Page after page was filled with the story of Lucas's secret love for me."March 12, 2018. Sunny."I got to the corner she passes on her way to school early again so I could pretend we ran into each other by accident."Still couldn't bring myself to actually approach her. I just watched from a distance."Her eyes lit up when she smiled and said hello to me."My heart raced. I fell for Valentina all over again today."..."July 15, 2019. Heavy rain."Final exams are over. After begging Mom and Dad fo