Chapter 1The Fire and The Fan Girl

My husband locked me in the house because he was afraid I'd ruin his concert date with his "little secretary."

When a sudden fire broke out, I called him for help, begging him to come back. All I got was his impatient dismissal:

"Can't you be a little more mature? I just gave your concert tickets to someone else. Do you have to hold a grudge against a young girl and make up such a pathetic lie?"

I passed out from the smoke. After barely escaping with my life, I saw them on social media. They were on the Kiss Cam.

The girl was shyly burying her face in my husband's chest. The caption read: So sweet! Couple goals!

Furious, I left a comment:

"Kissing someone else's husband? A homewrecker and a dog—perfect match. Do you have no shame?"

Moments later, my phone blew up.

"Harper, apologize to Bella right now, or we're getting a divorce!"

* * *

The pain of the burns on my skin was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. I could have escaped easily, but my husband, Carter, had drugged my water with sleeping pills and locked me inside to ensure I wouldn't crash his "date."

Now, sitting in the back of the ambulance, my mind was terrifyingly clear.

Carter called. There was no concern in his voice, only rage.

"What the hell are you posting online? Do you know this is cyberbullying? Bella has depression! Now everyone is calling her a homewrecker!"

"It was just two tickets to Taylor Swift! How much were they? I’ll Venmo you double. Do you have to target Bella like this?"

My tears fell uncontrollably—from the pain, from the betrayal.

It was the Eras Tour, the farewell leg. I spent weeks fighting scalpers to get those tickets. But just because Bella, the daughter of his dad’s old army buddy, said she wanted to go, Carter gave them to her.

He never went to concerts with me. He said they were "too loud" and "not his scene."

But Bella only had to pout, and his principles vanished.

"Delete the comment and post a clarification. Later, I'll bring Bella over, and you will formally apologize to her."

"The house caught fire. I almost died, Carter."

I cut him off, my voice cold as ice.

He laughed on the other end. "Harper, you are unbelievable. You really don't want to apologize that badly? You have to make up a lie like a house fire?"

I hung up.

Even the nurses looked at me with pity. My legs were severely burned, especially where the skin had fused with the fabric of my pajamas. The flesh was blistering and weeping. I leaned back and sobbed, the pain making me wish I had just died in the smoke.

"We need to notify your family, Ms. Vance."

I opened my mouth, but no words came. I had no family.

Just then, Carter rushed through the ER doors.

Seeing me lying on the bed, conscious and seemingly fine from the waist up, disappointment flashed across his face.

"I thought you said you were dying? You look fine to me."

My heart clenched. When we first started dating, if I got a paper cut, Carter would panic and drive me to urgent care. The nurses used to joke that if he drove any slower, the wound would have healed itself.

Now? He looked at my charred legs and saw nothing. In his mind, unless I was in a body bag, it wasn't a big deal.

"Stop being so stubborn. Just apologize."

"Are you the family?" A nurse walked in, glaring at Carter with undisguised disgust. She had probably never seen a husband like this. "Sign the consent form. She needs debridement surgery."

Carter refused. "She needs to apologize first. Otherwise, I'm not signing."

The nurse was furious. "Her legs have third-degree burns! Are you gambling with her life?"

"Please, Harper," Carter turned to me, his tone shifting to manipulation. "The whole internet is dragging her. If she sees the comments, she might hurt herself."

"Just say you made a mistake. Say we aren't married, and that Bella is my girlfriend."

I looked up, eyes red, staring at the man I married.

I remembered how he used to chase me, swearing he would stay single forever if he couldn't marry Harper Vance.

Was his "forever" only a few years long?

"What if I say no?"

"Harper, I'm out of patience. If you don't apologize, we're getting a divorce."

"Okay."