Chapter 3

3.

I met Grant Sinclair back in college.

He was the guy everyone knew on campus.

His parents had divorced early on, and he grew up with his mother, Eleanor.

She was a high-powered executive who gave him everything money could buy, but she was never home.

That lack of discipline made him wild, arrogant, and difficult to deal with. Nobody wanted to get close to him.

I was no different.

The professors hated him, and I made sure to steer clear.

But for some reason, maybe because I was the top student everyone looked up to, Grant locked his sights on me.

He started asking me out in a hundred different ways.

On weekends, he'd show up with his sports car to take me for a drive. He showered me with gifts for every holiday.

I turned him down every single time, but he never gave up.

Eventually, I asked him why he was trying so hard.

His answer caught me off guard.

"Because you're real," he said.

"Everyone else either looks down on me or wants my money. You're the only one who doesn't care."

"I just wanted one real friend, Jo."

The loneliness in his eyes at that moment broke my heart.

I realized then that maybe everyone had him wrong.

His arrogance was just a suit of armor made of thorns.

Inside, he was just a kid who was lonely and desperate for a connection.

I looked at him and smiled.

"Fine. From today on, we're friends. I'm Joanna Sterling, by the way."

Grant smiled back, and I realized for the first time how beautiful he was when he let his guard down.

……

From that day on, we were inseparable.

We studied together, hung out at the library, and walked across the quad every evening.

He took me racing, horseback riding, and ice skating.

My friends thought I was crazy. My professors told me to stay away from the "bad influence."

Everyone thought Grant was just using me, and that he'd toss me aside once he got bored.

But I could tell he was genuine.

The more time we spent together, the more I felt for him.

He had all the money in the world, but he had no one. No father, no true friends.

I felt like he deserved to be loved.

I even gave up a prestigious graduate fellowship just so I could graduate and start a life with him.

Grant was so grateful. He invited me to work at his mother's company.

That was when I met Eleanor, the legendary iron lady of the business world.

In their massive mansion, Eleanor held my hand with tears in her eyes.

"Joanna, thank you for staying by Grant's side. He's changed so much because of you. I can see how much he loves you."

"I wasn't a good mother. Please, stay with him. I just want him to be happy."

She was a mother who loved her son, despite her mistakes.

I couldn't say no to her plea, and I genuinely cared for Grant.

So I stayed. I worked my way up in the company.

Only later did I find out that Eleanor had been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.

She knew her time was short and her only regret was leaving Grant alone.

On her deathbed, she pulled me close and begged me to build a life with him.

I promised her I would, and she passed away with a smile on her face.

To honor that promise, I married Grant.

Grant hated the day-to-day grind of the business. He was the CEO in name, but I handled almost everything.

I never complained. I loved him with everything I had.

Whenever I worked late into the night, he'd come into the office and rub my shoulders.

"You work too hard, honey," he'd whisper.

"Don't worry. One day, I'll be the one protecting you. I'll never let anyone hurt you."

And now, he's the one who has hurt me the most.