Chapter 1
After getting turned down for the ninth time when she proposed, Phoebe Thurman lay beneath Oscar Gilliam. She stared up into his eyes, dark and glazed over with raw desire. Fighting off the tingly heat spreading through her body, she'd decided to give their three-year relationship one last try.
But before she could say a word, Oscar reached his peak.
He trembled all over and pulled Phoebe tight in his arms, then pressed a satisfied kiss to her forehead.
"I've got things to do later. Order yourself something to eat if you're hungry, and don't wait up for me tonight."
Phoebe watched his back as he pulled away and left. A sharp, bitter ache welled up in her chest, drowning out every other feeling.
She never told Oscar that this had been their last chance—her final try.
Phoebe finished packing her suitcase and tucked it into the closet. That was when she spotted Oscar's phone lying on the closet shelf.
She knew he was swamped with work and needed his phone handy for client calls. Without a second thought, she hurried off to deliver it to him.
But the second she stepped into the hallway to Oscar's office, she heard his friends' harsh, mocking laughter.
A man said, "No one pulls off dating tricks like Oscar, seriously. Nanette Odom, the school beauty, said she doesn't want a rookie. So you got yourself a temporary girlfriend to practice your moves. Three years in, Phoebe's head over heels for you, and even Nanette praises your skills."
Another man chimed in right after, "Heard Phoebe proposed to you again today. That's nine times in total, right? Man, she's obsessed with you. I can't wait to see her face when she finds out she's just your practice dummy—she'll be absolutely crushed."
Oscar recalled the pain in Phoebe's eyes when he'd left her earlier. He shot his friends a sharp, warning glance.
Then he said, "Not a word of this to Phoebe until she proposes to me a tenth time. Nanette holds a grudge against Phoebe from back in the day. She refuses to date me officially until I've rejected Phoebe ten times straight."
One of his friends pressed his fingers to his lips and mimed zipping his lips to show he'd keep the secret.
The other friend frowned, sounding confused. "Oscar, what if she quits on you or moves on to someone else after ten rejections? Phoebe's just as pretty and hot as Nanette. Loads of guys chased her back in school, you know that."
Oscar's Adam's apple bobbed as he thought about the intimate moment he'd shared with Phoebe minutes ago.
He quickly pushed the lustful thoughts aside, then offered a smug, confident smirk. "She's only ever had eyes for me for three years straight. You know how it goes—people always crave what they can't fully have. I've turned her down so many times. Right now, she's probably at home planning her tenth proposal. No other guy stands a chance."
A flicker of unease tugged at Oscar's heart the second he finished speaking, for no clear reason. But he dismissed it. He'd always loved Nanette, and Phoebe was nothing more than practice to sharpen his skills.
He'd keep stringing Phoebe along for as long as she stayed—and if she chose to walk away, it wouldn't bother him one bit.
Shaking off the odd discomfort, he switched topics with his friends.
He didn't notice the half-cracked office door—or the woman standing outside, listening to their every single word.
Phoebe's hands and feet turned ice-cold in an instant.
Sharp, stabbing pains pricked at her heart. Every breath she took felt agonizing.
She didn't even realize when tears flooded her face and streamed down her cheeks.
Phoebe stumbled away blindly and didn't let herself break down and cry out loud until she'd stumbled into the elevator.
'A temporary girlfriend? Just a practice dummy? Is that the real reason he's never wanted to marry me?'
Her phone rang then, and her mother, Katrina Thurman's voice came through the line.
Katrina said, "Phoebe, I know a three-year relationship with Oscar isn't easy to walk away from. I'd completely understand if you changed your mind. Don't push yourself too hard. Your dad's wish matters, but your happiness matters more to me."
Before this ninth proposal, Phoebe had already promised her mom she'd come home and settle down with someone else.
She'd only tried one last time with Oscar to leave no regrets.
But all her lingering sorrow vanished the second she learned the ugly truth about her relationship with him. She was finally free.
Phoebe said, "Mom, I'm not pushing myself at all. Tell Dad I'll head home as soon as I wrap up everything here."
She choked back a sob, determined not to let her mom hear how broken she was.
As soon as she hung up the phone, she opened the shopping app and placed an order for her tenth wedding dress.
