Chapter 1
Evelyn's POV:
During the wedding reception, Graham Holloway's childhood friend, Chloe Spencer, smiled as she splashed red wine across my wedding dress.
"Let's bet on how big a stain we can make on the bride! Graham will double whatever's in the pot and cover her cleaning bill! The more you get on her, the more generous Graham looks!"
Dark red wine ran down my chest, soaking through the lining and leaving me drenched and humiliated.
Graham didn't stop her. Instead, he handed Chloe an entire bottle of liquor with an indulgent smile.
His friends whistled and cheered. Phones came out as they started placing bets.
I clutched the front of my dress shut and told them to stop, my voice trembling.
Graham yanked my hands away, frowning. "Evelyn, they're just trying to liven things up. Don't ruin the mood."
Chloe blinked innocently. "Evelyn, don't be so stingy. Graham likes to have fun. If you're going to be his woman, you can't be this uptight."
I froze.
In the name of "having fun", Chloe had once broken the zipper on my dress and left me exposed in public. Graham had called it a joke.
She had switched out my allergy medication, sending me to the hospital with respiratory failure. Graham had called that a prank too.
To him, every cruel thing she did to me was just harmless fun.
Another glass of hard liquor splashed across my face, and shrill cheers erupted around us.
As I watched Graham transfer the money without hesitation, I tore off my veil and hurled it at his stunned face.
The laughter died instantly.
Graham scowled and grabbed my wrist.
"Evelyn, what the hell is wrong with you now? Everyone's joking around. Do you have to look like someone just died?"
Chloe ducked behind Graham, her eyes going red on cue, her voice shrinking small. "Evelyn, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I never should've suggested the game. Graham, don't be mad at her. She didn't come up the way we did, so maybe she honestly doesn't know how things work with people like us."
Graham protectively pulled Chloe behind him, then glared at me.
"You hear that? Chloe is still defending you. Put the veil back on, and I'll pretend this never happened."
I looked at the man I had loved for 7 years and felt my stomach turn.
"I'm done playing. I'm not marrying you."
I wrenched my hand free and turned to leave.
Graham gave a cold laugh behind me.
"Evelyn, if you walk out that door today, I don't care if you crawl back on your knees and beg me someday. I won't even look at you."
His friends joined in.
"Graham, forget her. She's just playing hard to get so you'll chase after her!"
"Exactly. Give it 3 days. She'll come crawling back, begging like a dog."
I didn't look back. I straightened my spine and walked out of the ballroom.
The dark red wine felt sticky against my skin, the sharp smell of alcohol clinging to me.
Chloe knew I had an alcohol allergy, yet she had deliberately chosen the highest-proof liquor and splashed it all over me.
And my fiancé had not only handed her the bottle, but blamed me for ruining the fun.
The moment I stepped outside the hotel, my phone started vibrating nonstop.
It was Westbridge Medical Center.
"Is this Ms. Carter? Your grandmother suffered sudden heart failure. We're trying to save her now. Please come in immediately to sign the paperwork!"
My entire body went rigid, and my mind went blank.
'How could this happen?'
Grandma had been perfectly fine before I left. She had even smiled and said she would wait at home for me to come back in my wedding dress so she could see me.
I frantically hailed a cab and rushed straight to the hospital.
On the way, I fought through the tightness in my chest and called Graham.
Grandma's attending physician had warned me that if she had another episode, only Dr. Daniel Foster in Westbridge could perform the surgery.
Dr. Foster was a longtime family friend of Graham's.
The phone rang for a long time before someone answered.
But Chloe's sugary-sweet voice came through the line instead.
"Evelyn, why are you calling to check up on him again? Graham is still furious. You should probably leave him alone for now."
I forced down my anger and panic, but my voice still shook.
"Put Graham on the phone. My grandmother is in critical condition. I need him to contact Dr. Foster!"
There was a second of silence before Graham's impatient scoff came through the phone.
"Evelyn, this little pity stunt is pathetic. You acted all high and mighty at the wedding, and now you're making up a story about your grandmother being in critical condition just to force me to give in?"
Tears spilled down my face. "I'm not lying! Graham, please save Grandma. They're trying to save her right now!"
"Enough!" Graham snapped. "Chloe's stomach pain flared up because of the scene you caused. She's crying from the pain, and instead of admitting you were wrong, you're still lying through your teeth. Evelyn, you disgust me."
The call ended.
When I tried again, I discovered he had blocked me.
It felt as though an invisible hand had closed around my heart and squeezed until I couldn't breathe.
This was the man I had loved with everything I had for 7 years.
While my own grandmother was fighting for her life, all he cared about was whether his childhood friend had a stomachache.
