Chapter 2

When I was working on her brows, Stella's phone rang.

She put it on speaker. A familiar male voice filled the room.

"Hey, baby. How's the fitting going?"

The voice was full of affection. He used to talk to me like that.

Back when we first moved in together, he'd wake up before me every morning just to whisper in my ear.

Valerie. Time to get up.

When I ignored him, he'd blow air on my face and tickle me until we were both laughing.

I turned my head away. I was afraid Stella would see my tears.

Stella pouted at the phone.

"Still in the middle of it. Baby, you're really missing out. The dress is unbelievable. I wish you were here."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." His voice was gentle. "Board meeting this afternoon. I can't get out of it. Next time, I promise."

"No!" Stella whined. "I finally found one I love. You can't miss this."

A short pause. Then he sighed and gave in. "Alright. I'll come as soon as it wraps. Okay?"

Stella broke into a grin.

Last night I told Dominic I was picking up the finished dress today. I asked him to come with me more than once.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and gave me four words.

"Don't be so needy."

Then he walked back to the bedroom and closed the door.

And now Stella bats her eyes once, and he folds completely.

His schedule wasn't the problem.

I was.

Stella giggled into the phone a little longer, then hung up.

The staff member beside her sighed dreamily. "Mrs. Vance, the way Mr. Vance treats you—it's honestly unfair to the rest of us."

Stella smiled, satisfied.

Then she looked at me. "What about you? When's your wedding?"

Before I could answer, another designer walked in carrying accessories. She'd never liked me much.

She laughed. "Her wedding? We've been watching her design and custom-fit this dress for months. Not once has anyone seen this so-called fiancé of hers. Honestly, who knows if he even exists."

She turned to Stella, all warmth. "Not everyone's as blessed as you, Mrs. Vance. Mr. Vance runs a whole empire and still finds time for all of this."

I looked down and said nothing.

Because she was right.

Dominic and I hadn't even set a date.

Every step of this had been me—just me, planning a wedding for two people.

Stella frowned. She seemed genuinely annoyed on my behalf.

"Your fiancé doesn't help at all? You're doing everything alone? That's not okay. You really need to think hard about whether this is the right person."

She meant well. But the satisfaction underneath it was hard to miss.

I smiled anyway. "You're right. I'll think it over."

I turned it back on her. "What about you? Have you set a date?"

Stella thought for a moment.

"Sometime in the fall. We already handled the legal part. He took care of everything—I just got to pick what I liked."

I stilled. "You already made it official?"

"May 1st." She stuck out her tongue a little, almost shy.

"I love that day. He had a flight booked and I refused to let him cancel it—I mean, go. "

She laughed at herself. "Am I too childish? My mom always says I never grew up. But Dominic says that's exactly what he loves. "

"He wants to spoil me, protect me. He says I should spend my whole life without a single worry."

She smiled. Bright and easy and completely unbothered.

My chest went cold.

May 1st. My birthday.

I'd booked his favorite restaurant and waited until midnight. He texted at eleven: running late, don't wait up.

I didn't dig into it. I told myself it was work.

But I never expected on my birthday, he was with her. Making it official and promising her a lifetime.

I've been with Dominic since I was eighteen. Ten years.

In the beginning, he couldn't wait to marry me. He used to joke that he was counting down the days until I was old enough to make it legal.

And then he stopped mentioning it altogether.

Now I know why. He'd already made his promise to someone else.

Once, under a sky full of fireworks, he got down on one knee.

He slid the ring onto my finger and said he would love me, protect me, and never let anything hurt me.

Now he has made the same vow to another woman.