Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Because Chase Lancaster’s childhood sweetheart faked a suicide attempt, our wedding was called off again and again.
I was humiliated in front of all our friends and family. My mom was so upset, she kept fainting and ending up in the hospital.
Chase was filled with regret. He held my hands, promising it would never happen again.
I believed him.
But the next time I stood in the center of a crowd, wearing my wedding dress, Lily Albright stormed into the ceremony wearing a dress stained with what looked like blood.
As a doctor, I immediately recognized it was just dye, artificial coloring. But when I tried to explain to Chase, he slapped me so hard, I fell to the ground.
“She could be dying, and you’re trying to stop me? What the hell is wrong with you? If anything happens to her, you’ll all pay!”
He ran off, carrying her in his arms, without a backward glance.
My mother had a heart attack, right there in my arms, and died.
Chase celebrated Lily’s recovery by setting off fireworks all over town.
I was in the hospital, dealing with my mother’s arrangements when I got a text from him.
“Trust me. This will never happen again.”
My face was pale, empty of emotion. He was right, it really wouldn’t happen again.
Because we were done.
1
I sat in the hospital wearing my wedding dress. There was even some of my mother’s blood on it.
My colleagues all looked at me with pity. Everyone knew my fiancé had dumped me. Again.
And that it had killed my mom.
I stared blankly at the blood on the dress. Inside, I felt hollow, like I had a hole in my chest.
The phone rang for what felt like forever. I barely registered it until a colleague nudged me.
I answered, and Chase’s voice burst from the speaker.
“Willa, where are you? Why aren’t you answering me?”
His voice was frantic, with an edge of panic.
Because the old me would have yelled at him, gone crazy. I would have definitely said something.
My silence scared him.
His tone softened.
“Willa, you’re so reasonable. You’re not like her. This is the last time. I promise.”
I blinked. Over the years, I’d heard his promises more times than I could count.
The first time he bailed on our wedding, he was a mess, promising he’d never trust Lily again.
The second time, he was furious, promising to cut Lily out of his life.
The third time, he smashed his phone to prove he wouldn’t answer her calls.
Now, I couldn’t keep track of how many times it had happened.
His promises and my so-called reasonableness cost me my mom.
His promises were worthless.
And I was done.
“Chase, my mother is gone.”
“Chase, honey, do you like this dress on me?”
Lily’s voice crashed in, drowning out my words.
Chase hesitated. He started to say something, but Lily grabbed the phone.
She purred, “Willa hung up.”
I frowned, wondering what she was up to.
Then Lily spoke again.
“Honey, answer my question. Did you know the blood was fake?”
Chase went silent. I felt a chill run down my spine. I waited, holding my breath.
Lily coaxed him, and he finally spoke.
“I suspected it was fake. But you came all this way, putting everything on the line. I couldn’t let you do it alone.”
“Even if I had to do it a million times, I’d run away with you again, no matter what.”
Lily giggled, slow and pleased. The sound mocked my pain and my stupidity.
Then, I heard fabric tearing.
Chase sounded breathless as he protested. “No, Lily, I only see you as a sister.”
Lily purred, “She’ll never know. I know you want me, Chase. Just let me be your woman. Please.”
Her voice was weak, begging. Her love poured out of her, thick and heavy.
Chase seemed to surrender completely. He took charge.
Their moans, loud and unrestrained, crashed over me like thunder.
My eyes burned. My hands shook, gripping the phone.
Then, a wave of nausea rose in my throat.
I bolted to the nearest trash can and vomited until I thought I’d pass out.
When I could stand again, I called my boss.
“Hey, Mr. Thompson. Add my name to that list for the overseas training program.”
2
I got home, exhausted, and collapsed into bed.
The next morning, I woke up to someone shaking me hard.
“Willa Lancaster, I thought you were reasonable. But you’re capable of the worst things!”
“You really—”
Chase saw my face. His eyes widened.
He stared. “Why are your eyes so swollen?”
He reached out to touch my face, but Lily started to sob.
Chase seemed to wake up. He grabbed my arm and picked up where he left off.
“Why did you wear that wedding dress covered in fake blood all over town? What were you trying to accomplish? People photographed you. It’s all over the internet. Everyone’s tearing Lily apart! What do you think this looks like?”
I stared at him, speaking slowly and clearly. “That was my mother’s blood.”
Chase froze. His brow furrowed with annoyance.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll apologize to your mom later. But today, you have to apologize to Lily! And you need to post an apology online!”
Apologize? I stared at him.
Chase was so proud. He’d never apologized for anything, not even when he ran out on our wedding multiple times.
Now, he was willing to bend over backward to make me apologize to Lily.
But my mom was gone. What good would his apology do?
I gave a cold smile, saying nothing.
Lily bit her lip. Her eyes were red as she looked at Chase.
“It’s okay, honey. Willa just wants to vent. If people insulting me makes her feel better, I don’t mind.”
Her voice broke. She used reverse psychology to turn herself from the instigator into the victim.
Chase’s temper flared. He grabbed my wrist.
“Willa, do you want to get married or not?”
My phone vibrated. I looked down and saw that Mr. Thompson had sent the application for the training program.
I yanked my arm free and turned away, typing a reply.
Chase was stunned. He didn’t understand. He’d used the one thing that was most important to me to threaten me.
Why was I replying to a text?
He stared at me, his eyes dark. I ignored him.
Finally, he said, “Who are you texting?”
He reached for my phone.
Before he could touch it, Lily clutched her stomach, crying out in pain.
Chase instantly pulled his hand back and scooped her into his arms.
“What’s wrong, Lily? Don’t worry, I’ll take you to a doctor.”
He turned towards the door. Then he stopped.
Turning back to me, he said, “Willa, I’ll take her to the doctor. We can talk later and fix things.”
I cut him off. “Go.”
Chase stared at me. Lily moaned in his arms.
He tightened his jaw and turned away, striding out the door.
I finished filling out the application and sent it in.
A few minutes later, Lily posted on social media.
“I was so scared! I thought I was really sick. But it turns out my boyfriend was just a little too enthusiastic last night, and it gave me a tummy ache.”
“He said I’m the most fun he’s ever had, and he just couldn’t help himself.”
“Oh, well. A guy’s gotta eat, right?”
3
Two minutes later, she deleted the post.
Chase’s name flashed across my phone.
I answered. He paused for a moment.
Then he said, carefully, “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
My tone was casual. He seemed to relax.
He asked, “Did you see anything?”
He sounded so nervous. I didn’t answer.
His heart rate spiked. He started to say something, but I heard a door slam shut.
“Did you leave? Where are you going?”
“My mother’s house.”
I was going to pack up her things and make arrangements.
Chase said, “I didn’t get a chance to see your mom after the wedding. I’ll come by later.”
I hummed and hung up.
Thirty minutes later, I pushed open the door to my mother’s house. The only thing that greeted me was the cold.
My parents divorced when I was five. It had been just me and my mom for years.
I barely had any other family. That’s why only a few people from my side came to the wedding.
Chase’s parents spoiled him rotten. They didn’t even bother to come to the wedding because it had been postponed so many times.
The house was empty, and now it was even more lonely.
I calmly packed up her belongings.
When the last of her things were burned, tears finally poured down my face.
Chase never showed up.
I wasn’t surprised. Over the past five years, he’d broken countless promises.
My phone buzzed.
It was a text from Lily.
“He made me delete my post. Are you happy now?”
“To make up for it, he promised to take me to an amusement park.”
“See? I’m more important than you. Just give up and leave! You should know when you are beat.”
“I know this is cliche, but it’s true. Chase only feels bad for you, Willa. Just save yourself the time and embarassment.”
She sent a flurry of messages, taking advantage of the moment to unleash her anger.
I glanced at them and tossed my phone aside.
After I finished with my mom’s arrangements, I stayed at her house that night.
I’d already moved my things out of Chase’s place. We were over.
4
The next morning, someone pounded on the door.
I opened it. Chase visibly relaxed, but he still looked worried.
He said, “Why weren’t you home last night? I waited up all night. I tried calling you.”
I stared at him. I started to speak.
Lily pushed past me and grabbed my hands.
“Willa, please forgive him. It’s all my fault. Please, don’t torture him.”
As she spoke, her fingernails dug into my palms.
I gasped in pain and shoved her away.
I didn’t even push her that hard. But Lily stumbled backward.
Chase caught her, staring at me in disbelief.
“Willa Lancaster, that’s enough! Why would you hit her?”
Lily looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. She looked like a helpless bird in his arms.
Their show of affection made me sick.
I tried to close the door, but they pushed past me.
Chase walked inside. “Mrs. Lancaster, it’s me, Chase. I came to—”
He stopped, his smile freezing.
The black and white photo on the table stared him in the face.
I sighed. I was about to tell them to leave.
Chase slapped my hand away.
He looked furious, his eyes hard.
“I’ve had enough. Did you make your mother do this? Is this some kind of show you both are putting on?”
“This is insane! Just because I bailed on a few weddings, you’re dragging your mother’s name through the mud?”
His words shocked me. I was so angry I couldn’t breathe.
I pointed at the door. “Get out.”
Chase grabbed my wrist. For the first time, I saw him compromise.
“Willa, please, stop acting. Lily saw your mother yesterday.”
Saw my mother? I laughed, cold and broken.
My mother was dead. And they were still trying to smear her name.
Lily saw me shaking with rage. She smiled.
She glanced at the photo and said, sweetly, “Willa, that photo is bad luck. You’re cursing your mom. Don’t you know that?”
She grabbed the photo and smashed it on the floor.
The frame shattered. Glass shards ripped across my mother’s face.
Something snapped inside me.
I slapped Lily across the face.
She screamed and fell to the floor. She looked up at me, but her eyes were gleeful.
She waited for Chase to protect her.
But Chase stepped over her.
He grabbed me, pulling me into his arms.
He’d never seen me like this.
He panicked. “Willa, calm down.”
I couldn’t calm down. I grabbed a broom and chased them out of the house.
Chase took a few hits. One of them drew blood on his chin.
He ignored it. He kept banging on the door.
“Willa, open the door. I need to talk to you.”
Lily was furious. She grabbed his arm.
“Let’s just go, Chase. Willa is crazy. She doesn’t deserve you lowering yourself like this. We—”
Chase shoved her away.
His temper finally broke.
He yelled, “Stop stirring things up! This doesn’t concern you. Just leave me alone!”
He looked disgusted. He looked exhausted.
Lily had never seen him so angry. Tears streamed down her face.
She ran towards the street.
Chase hesitated. Then he ran after her.
I finally relaxed. When I felt calm, I called a real estate agent.
I was going to sell the house before I left the country.