PROLOGUE
Scarlett
It will one hundred percent go down as the most viral moment of my life—not on purpose. I think it was rage that pushed me down the aisle. My smile was perfection as the cameras flashed.
He smiled at me—my fiancé Rob-what kind of name is Rob anyway? The things that I remember now are dumb, like Rob was never the name of the hot guy in college. At least give me a Zane or a Duke, but no, I chose Rob.
Rob was safe.
Rob was in law school, came from money, had sandy brown hair, crystal blue eyes, a sharp jawline, and, no joke, a country club membership at fifteen, compliments of his super-rich family.
I’d like to point out I never ever thought about cheating on him, not once.
Not even when I got tired of missionary and asked if he’d pull my hair, only to have him say he was concerned that something was wrong with me.
“Women belong in a certain place, Scar, and you’re so classy. How could I possibly do that to you? Let me just hold you; you’re my treasure.”
Oh yeah, he’d said treasure, and the idiot I am, I melted like, OMG, this guy is the best, while in the back of my head, I was like, but what’s so bad with getting a little dirty? A little bad?
He’d proposed months after we both graduated college, and I just let both moms take over what was supposed to be the wedding of the century with Seattle’s richest and most elite families—which by the way, my family was not a part of—but now that I was with the great Rob Danish III, gave us instant access.
I still remember going into the Everett Country Club and nearly passing out after going to the bathroom. It had perfume, like actual perfume for you to wear, and not Wal-Mart—no, they had Gucci, Prada—they had everything plus mints that probably cost more than my purse.
I took another step toward Rob.
He smiled like I was his world.
My heart sank knowing that it was all a lie.
I’d been laying in bed all night staring up at the fancy ceiling with its intricate designs and moldings and wondering if I could really do it.
My family would be disappointed if I didn’t. This was a whole new world for them. My dad had a start-up that Rob’s family had already funded.
My sister was obsessed with her new big “bro.”
Should have seen that coming.
Tears flow down my cheeks as I take another two steps toward my father at the end of the aisle. Everything looks like a fairy tale. A dream come true. My dress is pure silk with a shorter lace train in an intricate Beauty and the Beast design on the back because Rob remembered how much I loved books; he had the designer flown in from Paris to hand-deliver the surprise.
My fairy tale.
How does this happen?
More tears flow, and my makeup is going to start streaking if I don’t do something, but all I can do is stare straight ahead and see flashes of my future.
Perfection.
With this man by my side.
This man who’s currently smiling at me like I’m the Belle to his Beast turned Prince.
Maybe I watched too much Disney growing up.
Because I fell.
I fell so hard.
Tale as old as time, am I right?
I can still see the text messages and the way my phone burned through my palm as I read through them, saw pictures and video proof, and just numbly got up and said I was calling it a night at my rehearsal dinner.
He’ll never know all the goodbyes I had rehearsed in my head, nor will he ever understand how hard it’s going to be for me.
Stay or go.
My heart says stay.
My brain says run.
I wish I had Nike’s on instead of shoes that cost more than my first car.
The music stops as my dad, in his three-piece chic suit, turns to me and smiles. His eyes crinkle, his teeth are straight and white, and he literally cannot stop smiling at me as tears run down his cheeks.
I want to ask for help.
I feel so trapped I can’t breathe.
“I’m so proud of you, baby.”
Another hot tear runs down my cheek and falls onto the gorgeous bouquet of white roses.
How perfectly pretty.
“Love you, Dad,” I whisper.
He frowns a bit, then forces his smile back and leans in, whispering, “Are you okay?”
My eyes search his. He’s aging. He needs this deal. Would they really drop him because of me? I have seconds, not minutes. I give a small nod, then wrap my arms around his older, frailer body. “You’re my hero.”
He doesn’t as much as hesitate before he whispers, “You’re mine.”
Strange how people who truly love you and value you give you the strength you never knew you were lacking until that moment.
“Who gives this woman?” the priest asks. He has no idea what sort of hell I’m about to unleash. It almost makes me laugh.
“Her mother and I,” my dad says proudly.
Rob comes over and reaches for my hand as we walk up to the altar. He even shakes my dad’s hand, with both of his hands, as if to show that he’s this dominant man when he’s literally afraid of taking me against a wall.
Idiot.
I’m suddenly even more angry.
I planned for this moment.
I hold the paper in my left hand, I crumple it, and as we go through the ceremony and get ready to say our vows, Rob turns to me.
“I think about you every day, Scar.” His eyes tear up. “You’re my everything, you’re perfect, my best friend, everything I’ve looked for in a life partner. Remember when we adopted that dog with the missing leg, and you said that sometimes you feel like something’s missing? I think that something was me, I’m that something, we complete each other—“
The actual hell? Is he comparing me to a dog? My favorite dog that I will sic on him if he doesn’t stop talking.
“—You’re my little Bun Bun.”
And he just called me our shared dog’s name.
At our wedding.
In front of five hundred friends.
“—So friendly, so willing to do anything to please, and so kind to everyone you meet. I feel like that’s where our story started, and this is where it ends, with forever, us together forever. All because of Bun Bun.”
He must have seen something like murder flicker in my eyes because he momentarily drops my hands and then picks them up again. “I love you.”
I grit my teeth.
“Scarlett?” The priest looks to me. “You can read your vows now.”
“Can I face the audience? It’s really important they understand the depth of my love for Rob.” I smile sweetly.
“Oh, wonderful! What a blessing for everyone in attendance!” The priest clasps his hands together like he’s about to say a prayer of thanks when I turn from Rob and smile at the crowd.
Everyone’s smiling right back like aw, happy moment, do your thing!
Oh. I. Will.
I unfold the small paper and start to read.
“Rob…” I look toward him quickly. “…this is for you.
He frowns and then says, “That’s beautiful, thank you—“
“—Damn, I wish my fiancé knew how to act in bed.” I just keep reading. “You’re so hot, don’t worry, I’ll figure something out. She’s just a wife; she’s not like a mistress. You’re so hot, so sexy. Can you come over tonight? Let me send you a dick pic. I know you love those, though let’s be honest, it doesn’t even fit in the phone, haha.”