Chapter 3

3

Thinking back to that day still made my heart tremble.

Caspian had been badly hurt. That wound on his back had left a permanent scar.

When I was younger, I used to touch it. He would laugh and call it a hero's medal for protecting his princess.

But what about now?

Would he still talk about that scar with pride? Or would he just hold his fiancée's hand and tell her it was a relic of a past that didn't matter?

My eyes burned as I thought about their future.

I wandered aimlessly across campus. When I realized where I was, I sighed.

My feet had a mind of their own. They had carried me to the Wall of Fame.

A massive portrait of Caspian hung there. I had traced every line of that photo with my eyes a thousand times.

I had studied like a madwoman just to get into the same university he attended.

And now, I was here to say goodbye.

"You think the photo doesn't do him justice, right? I told him to change it, but he refused."

"Men and their taste. I'll never get it."

The voice startled me. I turned to see a woman walking toward me with a bright, confident smile.

I didn't need an introduction. I knew exactly who she was.

This was Zora Vance. The woman Caspian was about to marry.

"You must be Phoebe. Hi, I'm Zora. I'm your uncle's associate... and his girlfriend."

"He mentioned you were a student here, so I thought I'd try to find you. Lucky me."

Zora smiled and reached out for a handshake, but she pulled her hand back just as I reached for it.

My hand hung awkwardly in the air for a second before I pulled it back. I could feel the waves of malice coming off her.

"Small world. Sorry, I have to go. The club is waiting for me."

"Don't run off! It's our first meeting. Let's grab lunch. Caspian is coming to pick me up anyway, we can all go together."

I looked down. I remembered Caspian saying he'd be in the area.

He wasn't here for work. He was here for her.

I tried to refuse, but Zora grabbed my arm and practically dragged me toward the parking lot.

The whole way, she talked about how she and Caspian met.

She told me stories of their 'secret' mutual crush. She said they only recently admitted their feelings.

Then, she told me I had to be at the wedding.

"How about you be my bridesmaid? You've been with Caspian so long, you must want to see him finally find happiness."

"I told him we should keep our relationship quiet for a bit. I didn't want you to be upset."

"But he's such a typical man. He just announced it. He told me not to worry about you. So, I'm apologizing for him."

"Besides... the idea of someone loving their own uncle is so disgusting. That would never happen with you, right?"

"Right, Phoebe?"

Every word she said felt like a stone being dropped into my stomach.

Finally, the weight was too much. My heart shattered into a million pieces.

I stayed silent the whole way. I had always been small and thin, and next to Zora, I felt like a child.

I realized I couldn't pull my arm away from her grip, so I stopped fighting.

Zora noticed my sudden submission. She smirked and ruffled my hair like I was a disobedient pet.

"Look at you, being so well-behaved. Caspian said you were a handful."