Chapter 1

Three days before our wedding, I found out Ethan Sterling moved the venue.

He changed it from my late Nana's garden in Georgia to a luxury castle in Spain.

It wasn't for me, but because his childhood friend, Layla Thorne, loved it.

I went to confront him, but I heard him complaining to his friends in his office.

"Thank God Layla has some taste," he said. "Otherwise, I'd be the laughingstock of the city for the rest of my life."

His friend reminded him, "Didn't you promise Willow you'd have the ceremony at her grandmother's place? What if she gets mad and doesn't marry you?"

Ethan laughed coldly.

"The Quinn family is on the brink of bankruptcy. Marrying me is her only lifeline. She can't afford to gamble with that."

"I've already had the wedding planner call her. She's probably scrambling to rebook her flights right now."

Anger and resentment boiled in my chest. I bit my lip and turned away.

Three days later, the castle wedding went on as scheduled.

I didn't rebook my flight, and I didn't show up.

Instead, I was in Nana's old backyard, exchanging rings with another man.

Ethan still doesn't understand.

I didn't want to marry him for a lifeline. I wanted to marry him because of a ten-year love.

But now that the dream is over, it's time for me to make a different choice.

1

Shortly after I left the Sterling Group office, Ethan sent me a photo of the castle.

It showed the front of the limestone building with its golden domes. It was breathtakingly expensive.

But right in the center of the photo was Layla Thorne.

She was wearing a flowing red dress, her curly hair blowing in the wind.

I stared at her bright smile for a few seconds. The whole thing felt absurd.

I was the bride, and this was the venue Ethan chose for our wedding.

Yet the star of the photo was the woman he called "just a friend."

After that, Ethan went silent.

I knew him well. He thought the wedding planner had already handled me.

He probably sent the address just so I wouldn't get lost when I rebooked my flight.

I felt a suffocating weight in my chest.

He had promised me we would do this at Nana's. Why did he change it the moment Layla mentioned she liked Spain?

It was dark by the time I got to our shared villa.

I heard Ethan shouting at the housekeeper inside.

"Willow Quinn isn't a child. Why are you bothering me just because she's a little late?"

"But sir, Miss Quinn left right after the wedding planner called. I'm worried she's upset and might…"

Ethan scoffed.

"She's out handling visas and tickets. The Quinn family is huge; she can't change everyone's travel plans in five minutes."

"Trust me, Willow has been dreaming of marrying me forever. She'd die without me."

"Even if I held the wedding in Antarctica, she'd crawl there. Let alone a beautiful castle Layla picked out."

The housekeeper went quiet. I heard Ethan mutter to himself.

"Layla hasn't texted me back in five minutes… I should go check on her."

I was already gone by the time he ran out the door.

That villa belonged to the Sterlings. It was never my home.

Ethan had asked me to move in to prepare for the wedding.

At first, we were like any other happy couple, sweet and inseparable.

Then, Layla Thorne came back to the States after a bad breakup.

Ethan said she needed his support. That support lasted four months.

Whenever Layla said she was sad, he would drop everything to be with her.

I picked the dresses. I designed the garden layout for Nana's yard. He did nothing.

Whenever I protested, he would look up from his phone―usually while texting Layla―and look annoyed.

"You want to marry me to save your family business, don't you?"

"I've already agreed to marry you. Stop being so petty about every little thing."

Then Layla would call, and he would walk out with a smile.

My heart would break a little more each time.

"You were the one who proposed to me first," I'd whisper to the empty room.

"I only said yes because I loved you…"

In those months, I went from a bride-to-be to a lonely ghost in my own house.

Now, even the venue had nothing to do with me.

I stayed at a friend's place that night. Ethan never called.

The next day, I finished my resignation from the company. When I went back to the villa to pack, I heard Layla laughing.

"There have to be flower petals falling from both sides during the vows. It's so much more romantic."

Ethan sat beside her, his eyes full of warmth as he watched her.

"Whatever you want, Layla."

That was a look he never gave me anymore.

Layla saw me and waved. "Willow! Come here! I have the best idea for the wedding!"

Ethan's face darkened when he saw me.

"Where have you been? Layla has been working on this for four months, and you're acting like a guest."

"Actually, it's better this way. Layla has much better taste than you. Your 'rustic garden' idea was embarrassing."

I felt like an outsider in my own life.

"I'm tired. I'm going to go rest."

I ignored Ethan's scowl and went to the guest bedroom.

As I closed the door, a message popped up on my phone from a number I had ignored many times.

"Just say the word, Willow. I'll burn my whole fortune to come and steal you away from that altar."

Outside, Layla was still dreaming out loud about her castle wedding.

Ethan's voice kept repeating, "Whatever you want."

I smiled bitterly and typed back a reply.

"No need to steal me. I'm choosing you as my groom."

Ethan, if you want to go to a castle, go ahead. I'm going home to Georgia.

I'm letting you go, and I'm finally letting myself go too.