Chapter 3Bleeding Out At My Own Wedding

It was an open secret that Victoria Prescott despised me.

She had always wanted Harrison to marry the daughter of a prominent CEO from their country club—a girl he’d grown up with. A perfect, blue-blooded match.

But five years ago, Victoria suffered an ectopic pregnancy. I was the attending surgeon who saved her life.

That was how I met Harrison. It was love at first sight for him, followed by a relentless, sweeping courtship.

Because I had literally saved her life, Victoria couldn't openly forbid the relationship. But she never gave me the time of day, either.

Three years ago, when Harrison first proposed to me, she threw a fit and fled to their estate in the south of France for two years just to avoid attending an engagement party.

This time, Harrison had drawn a hard line in the sand. He told her that whether she showed up or not, he was putting a ring on my finger.

Only then did Victoria finally cave and fly back to the States.

"I understand," I murmured into Harrison's chest, playing the perfect, accommodating fiancé. "I used to be so narrow-minded. But people grow up, right?"

He swallowed every word of my counterfeit devotion.

Look at this. This is how men operate. You can pour your raw, bleeding heart out for them and they will throw it away. But play a calculated game, feed their ego, and you'll hold them in the palm of your hand.

Harrison stroked my hair, visibly moved. "I'll be fair to you, Natalie. I promise, I won't let you be marginalized."

A cold sneer bubbled up in my throat, but I kept my face utterly serene.

Taking advantage of the sentimental mood, I suggested we head to the courthouse and sign the marriage papers legally before the big ceremony. I pitched it as a "peace of mind" thing for me.

He agreed without a second thought.

But our victory was brief. We signed the papers that morning. By the afternoon, Mia was moving her suitcases into our house.

Harrison looked sheepish as he explained. "My mom... she doesn't feel right having a young, pregnant girl living out on her own, so—"

"I completely understand," I interrupted with a warm smile.

He patted my head again, clearly thrilled by my sudden domestic compliance.

I took it a step further. I gave Mia the guest bedroom with the best natural light.

And then, I gave her Harrison.

He spent every single night in her bedroom. He showered her with blatant, unapologetic affection in our shared living space.

It didn't take long for the household staff to read the room. Within days, the maids were treating Mia with far more deference than they treated me.

Spoiled by his attention, Mia’s arrogance skyrocketed. One evening, as I walked past her bedroom door, she made sure I was looking before she draped herself over Harrison.

"Baby," she purred, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "You sleep with me every single night. It’s starting to feel a little unfair to Natalie. Don't you think you should go sleep in her bed for once?"

Her tone was seductive, but her eyes, locked onto mine, were viciously triumphant.

Harrison, completely strung along by her teasing, flipped her onto her back and pinned her against the mattress. "You little manipulator. You don't mean a word of that."

"Well," she teased, trailing a hand down his chest. "Who do you actually prefer sleeping with? Me, or her?"

"I think my actions speak for themselves," he mumbled, already burying his face in her neck.

She stared at me over his shoulder, wearing the crown of the victorious conqueror, desperate to see me shatter.

But my heart remained a stagnant pool of water.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text from my younger brother:

Thanks so much, Nat. I start at Prescott Enterprises on Monday.

Another buzz. My sister:

Got the management position! Thank you for the hookup, you're a lifesaver.

And finally, a text from my mother:

Natalie, honey, why on earth did you wire me two million dollars? That’s so much money. I don't want your money, keep it for your own future.

I smiled down at the screen.

A piece of paper from the courthouse didn't just buy me a luxury lifestyle. It became a rising tide that lifted my entire family.

And that was worth infinitely more than the fleeting warmth of a cheating man.