The afternoon light barely reached the back alley where I sat on a crate, pressing a rag against the gash on my arm. A man I didn’t fully trust—one of Matthew’s men, maybe—knelt in front of me, his voice low and urgent. “Listen, after I patch you up, you should get out of this place. ” I shook my head before he could finish.
If I told Jackson I’d run into gangsters, he’d only worry. And I’d already decided: I wasn’t dragging anyone else into this mess. I walked into the wedding hall an hour later, still smelling of blood and cheap antiseptic. Jackson stood by the altar, his smile wide, but the room was nearly empty.
A few chairs, a handful of curious faces, nothing more. He leaned in, trying to keep his voice light. “So, baby, do you have any thoughts about next week’s wedding? ” I didn’t answer.
My eyes were fixed on the door at the back, the one I knew led to the storage room where they’d taken her. “No,” I finally said, my voice flat. “Please. Just stay away.
”
His face hardened. He stepped closer, and I could smell the fear on him, masked by cheap cologne. “You’re not going anywhere,” he hissed. “I’ll be the only groom at your wedding.
” I laughed—bitter, short. “You want to tell me why there’s no one here? Don’t tell me. ” He grabbed my wrist, his fingers digging into the wound.
“Then tell me why. ” I pulled free, stepping back. “Because Jackson has been living off me all this time. That’s why I left.
That’s why I came here. ” His eyes flickered with something—confusion, maybe even hurt. But then he shook his head. “No.
That’s mine. I’ll never do it again. ” He reached for me, but I was already moving toward the door. “Let’s go somewhere else,” I said.
“Anywhere. ”
I pushed through the back door and froze. Abby stood there, blocking my path, her arms crossed. Her voice was calm, almost too calm.
“If you want to question that man, then you shouldn’t be leaving. ” I stared at her. “What are you doing here? ” She tilted her head, the faintest smile on her lips.
“I’ll ask you something else. Tell me you still like him. ” I shook my head. “You’ll never understand respect.
” She laughed—a cold, hollow sound. “So then, even after seeing what a coward he is, you’re still worried about him? ” I didn’t answer. I just tried to step past her, but she grabbed my arm, her nails biting into my skin.
“So if you want him to be safe and sound, then we’ll do as I say. That is rule number one. ” She pulled a roll of cash from her pocket and shoved it into my hands. “And third, take off these chains.
” She gestured to the small gold earrings I’d worn for years. “Don’t you have any confidence? ” I whispered. “I will never love you.
” She smiled wider. “Pursuing you is exactly the same thing. ”
Before I could react, the door behind me swung open. Jackson stood there, his face pale, his fists clenched.
He looked at the cash in my hands, then at Abby. “He give you any cash? ” I shoved the money back at her. “This is the last time I’m helping you with your loans,” I said, my voice shaking.
“I can’t do anything else. ” Jackson laughed—harsh, broken. “She’s still not back. ” I turned to face him.
“This is the last time I’m helping you with your loans, and I can’t do anything else. ” He shook his head, stepping closer. “Gibson, no. He’s not that bad after all.
” I felt the tears burning in my eyes. “That’s enough. You should ask him that. ” But he didn’t stop.
He kept talking, his voice rising. “But he really had no reason to do that. I told you that he is into you. You can still forgive him after all of that.
”
I screamed. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “From here on in, you’re not going anywhere. You stay right here.
” I grabbed the cash from Abby’s hand and threw it at his feet. “I’m leaving. I’m done with all of you. ” Jackson’s face twisted.
He lunged forward, but Abby stepped between us. “Hey, long time no see. ” Her tone was almost friendly. “Actually, may I offer you a small drink?
” I stared at her, my chest heaving. “Yes, you may. ” She pulled a bottle from her coat and poured a glass. “I might drag others into this mess.
You said you liked these kinds of scenes. ” I took the glass, my hand trembling. “You knew exactly what I was going to do. All because I care about you.
” She raised her own glass. “No, I’m just really tired, that’s all. These guys aren’t pushovers. Do not be a buzzkill.
”
I drank. The liquid burned going down. For a moment, everything went quiet. Then Abby spoke again, her voice soft in my ear.
“Well, it’s not like it’s the first time. If you hadn’t driven Kathy away, the two of you could actually have been my cash cows. ” I froze. The glass slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor.
“Jackson, we used to love each other very much. I mean, you saved me before, back when we didn’t know each other. ” She laughed, cruel and low. “I never thought that you were dumb enough to fund my schooling.
” My vision blurred. “After the way I hurt him, he’s not saving me. Matthew, they’re all after you. ” I felt my knees buckle.
“After all, you are here, so I don’t need her. No, I’m not leaving without you. ”
Abby’s face swam in front of me. “You’re the first one brave enough to tell me that.
” She pushed a plate of food across the table. “Finish eating, then let’s check out my restaurant. ” I shook my head weakly. “No need.
Actually, never mind. ” She raised an eyebrow. “That’s no problem. By the way, what exactly did you do about Jackson?
” I closed my eyes. “Not at all. They’ve known each other for years. ” She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.
“All right, but still, she’s not the kind of woman who can stand by your side. No, you can’t because she can’t even begin to imagine the world we live in. Besides, with all the enemies we have, if a woman like her gets caught, she’ll only end up cut open and disemboweled. ”
I shot to my feet, the room spinning around me.
“You can both rot in hell. ” Abby laughed. “But then after he dared to lay a finger on you, how should we handle him? ” I grabbed the edge of the table.
“Enough. After that, we’re all going to end up dead. These are just the people after Matthew. Let’s go inside.
” She didn’t move. Her eyes were like glass. “Tell me, what do you want? Listen, you fool.
Try not to become too arrogant just because Matthew is interested in you now. Because I’m the one who’s in the same league. ” I spat on the floor. “I know that all of you are just after his money.
Then if it is true, then I’ll walk away. Then your offer isn’t enough. If Abby’s really Matthew’s fiance, then what am I? ”
She stood up slowly, unfolding her arms.
“What’s really going on between you and that Abby? Matthew, you never mentioned Abby to me, not even once. ” She stepped toward me, and I stepped back. “Understand?
It is never going to happen. All of you. All of you. ” Her voice rose to a shriek.
“This is between us, you fool. So, I’m going to deal with you right now. Rip her clothes off first. ” I heard footsteps behind me.
Rough hands grabbed my shoulders. I struggled, but they held me fast. Through the haze of fear, I saw Matt standing in the doorway, his face unreadable. “Then why haven’t you been with anyone else all these years?
” He asked, his voice calm, detached. I laughed, broken. “Well, that’s because before Bethany, no one else had managed to interest me. ”
Abby’s face twisted.
She nodded at the men holding me, and they dragged me out into the hall. I couldn’t fight anymore. I let them push me into a chair as Abby paced in front of me, her voice dripping with venom. “I should have protected you.
But then I’m not really your fiance. Won’t that cause any problems? ” I lifted my head, meeting her eyes. “If we get married, then you’ll see that my feelings for you are real.
We’ll stay married for three years. And after that, if you regret it, then I will let you go. ” She stopped pacing. “If this is the respect you’re talking about, no.
And I’ll pretend that today never happened at all. Or else. All these years I treated you as my mother’s good friend. ” I saw something flicker in her face—pain, maybe.
“For her, I’ll do it all over again. That’s because you and I share a common enemy. ”
She pulled a folded document from her coat and laid it on the table. “You just tell me if you’re in or not.
So, is that urgent enough? ” I stared at the paper, at Matthew’s signature scrawled at the bottom. “The woman you love is nothing but a fool,” she said, her voice cold. “So, if I were you, I would divorce her right now, or else your reputation will be ruined.
Because if you do that, you’re never going to know who really saved you. Then do it and you’re never going to learn the whole truth. Now tell me exactly who it was and I will spare you. But then if you lie to me, I’ll make your life a living hell.
”
I closed my eyes. The memory came flooding back—the crash, the smoke, the hand reaching through the wreckage to pull me free. A handkerchief pressed to my wound, the scent of jasmine. “But when I finally woke up, there was no handkerchief inside,” I whispered.
Abby smiled. “Well, that makes the two of us. ” She slid the paper closer. “Well, that’s not enough.
Your apology is not enough. So, what exactly do you want? ” I looked at her. “The terms of the trust fund agreement allows direct family members unrestricted access.
” Her smile widened. “Go and wait at the venue first. ”
I stumbled out of the room, my head pounding. Matthew stood by the altar, his eyes scanning the crowd.
“I want to see the other one,” I said. He shook his head. “Because the bride at this wedding today can only be me. You’ll see her soon enough after the wedding.
Matthew, if you marry me today, I promise that you’ll see her after the wedding. ” I grabbed his arm. “As long as you keep her safe, I’ll do it. ” But Abby was already there, her voice sharp.
“You can’t allow that fool to go anywhere. Leave that filthy creature alone, and the beef between us will be settled. ” Matthew turned to face her, his eyes cold. “You should know that I would never leave Bethany.
”
Abby screamed. “Abby, no. ” But it was too late. She shoved me aside and lunged at him with a knife.
There was a cry, a blur of movement, and then Matthew was on the floor, blood pooling beneath him. The hall erupted into chaos. I dropped to my knees beside him, pressing my hands against the wound, but the blood kept coming. The paramedics arrived, and I rode with him to the hospital, holding his hand as the lights flashed overhead.
In the emergency room, a doctor finally emerged, his face grim. “I’m afraid that he’s still in shock. Tell us, doctor. Is there anything else?
Well, if he doesn’t wake within 24 hours, then he never will. ”
I sat by his bedside for hours, watching the monitors beep, counting his breaths. When he finally opened his eyes, I almost sobbed with relief. “Any better?
” I whispered. He tried to sit up, but I pushed him gently back down. “The doctor says you have to stay still unless you want neck injuries. ” He looked at me, his eyes searching mine.
“Let us begin,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. I didn’t understand. But then he smiled, weak and tired. “You may kiss your bride now.
”
I leaned down, my lips brushing his forehead. “Not yet,” I said. “We have a wedding to plan.
“
