Chapter 1

I pulled Lydia Linley out of the roaring flames, but it cost me everything.

I spent twenty days in a coma with third-degree burns covering most of my body.

By my hospital bed, she had tearfully promised to give me the most magnificent wedding.

But on the eve of the ceremony, everything changed.

I found her sobbing in the arms of Jaxon Thorne, her first love who had just returned from London.

"Jaxon, I honestly feel like vomiting whenever I look at Shane now, but he did save my life," she whispered through her tears.

"If you come to the wedding to take me away, I'll leave with you in a heartbeat!"

Jaxon held her tightly, looking heartbroken. "Lydia, if I steal the bride, what will happen to Shane?"

"I never asked him to save me," she snapped, her voice cold. "Whatever happened to him, he deserved it!"

I looked at the hangover medicine in my hand and tossed it into the trash can.

Since everything was my own fault, there was no reason for me to attend this wedding anymore.

1

I hadn't been back in the VIP lounge for long when Lydia and Jaxon walked in, one after the other.

Both of them had an unnatural flush on their faces, and there was even a faint smear of lipstick on the corner of Jaxon's mouth.

"Hey, what were you two talking about for so long?" someone teased.

"Are you hiding some little secrets from us?"

The group started catcalling them, completely ignoring the fact that I was sitting right there.

"If you ask me, Jaxon and Miss Linley are the ones truly meant for each other. A perfect match!"

If they were a perfect match, then what was I?

What did that make me, her fiancé?

Jaxon looked at me with a hint of provocation, though he forced a polite, apologetic smile.

"Lydia and I haven't seen each other in years, so we had a lot to catch up on. You don't mind, do you, buddy?"

I set my glass down and gave him a faint smile. "Of course not."

As I spoke, I slid the engagement ring off my finger and grabbed Jaxon's hand.

I pushed the ring onto his ring finger.

"Since you two are such a perfect match, why don't you try this ring on?"

The ring fit him perfectly. "Look at that. Even the ring thinks you two belong together."

It seemed this ring, which always felt a bit too loose on me, never belonged to me in the first place.

The people around us exchanged awkward glances, clearly not expecting me to react this way.

Lydia's face twisted with discomfort as she hissed, "Shane, what the hell are you talking about? Everyone is just joking."

"Jaxon, don't listen to him. He's just an ugly person making a scene."

The flash of disgust in her eyes stabbed me like a needle.

I used to be known as the handsome guy back in college, but the fire had turned me into this scarred monster.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I'm just trying to help you two lovebirds fulfill your destiny."

Jaxon frowned and pulled the ring off his finger with an air of indifference.

He tossed it back at me. "Shane, don't get the wrong idea. Lydia and I are just close friends."

The ring hit the unhealed scars on my face, sending a sharp jolt of pain through me.

I didn't even flinch. I just smiled thinly.

"Since you don't want it either, then this ring is useless."

I grabbed my jacket and stood up. "I'm leaving. You guys have fun."

The room went silent for a few seconds before people tried to grab my arm.

"Hey, Shane, come on! We were just kidding. Don't take it so seriously!"

"Don't take it to heart. Jaxon didn't mean anything by it."

"You're getting married soon, don't be like this."

Lydia finally lost her patience and shouted, "Let him go!"

"I don't know who he thinks he's acting for with that attitude. Does he really think he's some kind of prize?"

"Shane, don't think for a second that because you saved me, I owe you for the rest of my life!"

"I'm telling you, if it weren't for the sake of appearances, I would never have agreed to marry such a―"

She caught the sadness in my eyes, and the rest of her words seemed to get stuck in her throat.

I saw a momentary flicker of guilt on her face, but she quickly looked away.

I suddenly felt exhausted.

Standing here was exhausting.

Everything involving Lydia was exhausting.

"Then let's call it off. We're over," I said, my voice eerily calm.