He Chose Her At My Wedding

Chapter 2

When we arrived at the hospital, the doctor ran a full workup and told us there was nothing seriously wrong. All Dad needed was plenty of rest. Mom and I finally let out the breath we'd been holding since Dad collapsed.

Mom stayed by Dad's side while I went to handle the admission paperwork. When I got back, I was about to step into the room when I heard Dad's rough voice through the door.

"Jared has gone way too far this time! But I'm the useless one. I let Gloria put up with all this, and I can't even stand up for her properly!"

I leaned back against the wall, listening to the faint hitch of Mom's quiet sobs and Dad's heavy sighs. Before long, it sounded like Dad had started calling his business partners one by one, begging for help.

I didn't know how many calls he made, but when the room finally went quiet, I took a deep breath, turned the handle, and stepped inside. The second Mom saw me, she turned her back and swiped at her tears before I could get a good look.

I walked over to the bed. "Dad, Mom. How big is the funding gap for the company? I've got savings in my bank account, all money I've put aside over the years. I can transfer it to you right now..."

Dad cut me off before I could finish. "No need! Hold onto your own money. Your dad's got this handled, no problem."

Just then, the door creaked open. It was Jared. He strode over to the bed, chest heaving like he'd sprinted all the way to the hospital. "Derek, how are you feeling? Anywhere still hurting?"

Dad's face was set in a hard scowl. "Spare us the fake concern, Mr. Olsen. We don't need your charity."

Jared opened his mouth to say something else, but I shot forward, clamped down on his arm, and dragged him out of the room before he could get another word out. "Jared, they don't want to see you. Just leave."

I turned to go back inside, but he caught my wrist. He sounded irritated. "You're still mad? I'll double the original investment I planned for your father's company. That's enough, right? Isn't this what all of you wanted anyway?"

I spun around, and there he was, pinching the bridge of his nose, impatience written all over his face. I glanced back to make sure the door was shut, then wrenched my hand out of his grip. I kept my voice low and tight. "Jared, I meant what I said at the wedding. I'm not saying this out of anger."

He stared at me, went quiet for a beat, then scoffed. "This is all over Leila? She pulls silly little stunts like this all the time. Why is everyone overreacting this badly? Spit it out already. What do I have to do to get you all to drop the attitude? Name whatever you want. I'll give it to you."

He wasn't wrong that this was nothing new. In the three years we'd been together, Leila had provoked me more times than I could count. When we first started dating, she made snide comments left and right, calling me a gold digger who was only with him for his money. But every time, before I could get a word in, Jared stepped up to defend me.

As time went on, she stopped with the cheap shots, but she always made a point of snatching every surprise and gift Jared had prepared for me right out from under me. Jared would rush to soothe me afterward, saying Leila just had a spoiled-princess streak but didn't mean any real harm. Because I loved him, I bit my tongue and let it slide, over and over.

I never thought the day I finally said enough would be the day he turned around and accused my parents and me of scheming. The last bit of attachment I'd clung to after our three-year relationship was gone. He had cut it off himself.

"Jared, I don't want anything from you." I lifted my chin and looked him in the eye. "The only thing I want is to break up."

"Gloria, calm down and think this over. My patience isn't infinite." He tossed out those cold words and stormed off.