Old Promises, New Rings

For the 23rd time, I'm left standing at the altar as Jace Larkin hurries off because his foster sister, Celine Keaton, threatens to end her life again. The guests mock me, saying that we'll never tie the knot and attending our wedding will bring bad luck.

I tune them out, holding on to Jace's promise that he'll come back and marry me. I buy his promise yet again, only for him to prove me wrong one more time.

After I clean up the mess and pacify the angry guests, I reach home in the middle of the night. While passing the study, I hear Jace's voice. "Cece's always been mentally unstable. Of course, I have to stay with her. Regina will never leave me, even if I postpone our wedding a hundred times."

Sorry, Jace, but I'll have to disappoint you this time. Blinking back tears, I unlock my phone and text my childhood friend, Clement Halloway. "Let's get married in three days."

After my fiance left me standing alone at the altar for the 23rd time because of his foster sister, I finally decided to leave.

The moment I sent a message to Clement Halloway, my phone rang. "Rina, did he hurt you again? Stay put. I'll go teach that scumbag a lesson right now!"

Before I could answer, Jace Larkin emerged from the study. I hurriedly muttered that it was nothing and hung up on Clement.

Jace's brows drew together. "Who were you talking to just now?"

"It was just a telemarketer."

He didn't buy it and insisted on checking my phone. Fortunately, he didn't recognize the number. After seeing the unfamiliar digits, he relaxed.

That was typical of him. He never loved me, but he knew exactly how to keep me under his thumb.

His demeanor immediately softened. He sat beside me, twirling my hair around his fingers. Having been with him for seven years, I knew that whenever he felt guilty, he couldn't help these small, telltale gestures.

"I shouldn't have left you again today, but Cece tried to take her own life once more. This time, the hospital called me and gave me a heart attack!" he said apologetically. "The doctor said she lost a lot of blood. If she had arrived a few minutes later, she might have died."

This was the 23rd time he had apologized to me, and Celine's 23rd suicide attempt. To be honest, I had once passed her hospital room and caught her looking fine and perfectly lively.

Instinctively, I shifted away and freed my hair from his hand. "It's fine."

It was fine, because I was about to leave him anyway.

He leaned closer and brushed the tip of my nose with his finger. I was about to say something when the doorbell rang.

He went to answer it and returned with a cake. "I knew you'd be upset, so I bought your favorite strawberry cake! See? I remember the little things." He smiled as he unboxed the cake.