No Love Left to Give

"Mom, Dad. I've changed my mind. I'm willing to go back to Bimern and marry Mr. Coleman, even if he's in a coma." I keep it a secret from Frederick Kirby, my boyfriend of seven years. I'm going ahead and arranging a wedding with someone else. Lennon Downey, Frederick and I grew up together. I had fallen in love with Frederick when I was a teenager, while Lennon was always like an older brother to me. We are close, and we've always been that way. That is, until the three of us went on a trip and got caught in a flash flood. Florence Cooper, the fake heiress, stole the credit for saving their lives and even lied that I left them behind to save myself. Since then, they've taken her side in everything. They've even hurt me for her. I cried, fought, and tried to explain over and over again. I thought that they would see her for who she really is one day. However, they never did. All I got in return was betrayal, again and again. I'm done. I just want to leave. I want to disappear from their lives and never, ever see them again. Chapter 1 My wedding to William Coleman was set for two weeks later. I promised to head back early for preparations. The moment the call ended, Florence Cooper showed up. The second I saw her, I knew nothing good could come of it. I turned to leave, but it was already too late. "Please, Liz. I'm begging you, just leave me alone! I didn't know your parents would use me as your stand-in after you went missing. I never meant to steal your future—" Her scream came a split second after the splash. The pool was right beside us, and Florence jumped straight in. In the past three years, she had pulled this exact stunt more times than I could count. At first, I didn't even bother reacting. Now, I just tried to stay out of her way, exhausted by it all. I rushed to call someone to pull her out. I needed this ridiculous scene to end before Frederick Kirby or Lennon Downey showed up. If they saw this, I wouldn't be able to clear my name no matter what I said. Naturally, Florence had timed it perfectly. Barely a second after she hit the water, Frederick came running. "How did you get so viscous?" He looked at me with disappointment. Without waiting for me to speak, he jumped in to save her. Frederick and I had dated for seven years. He was the person I had loved most in this world. How could he not know the kind of person I was? Why did he believe her every time? This wasn't even the first time he misunderstood me. Still, it stung every single time. I swallowed my frustration and knelt by the pool, ready to help get her out. Just then, Lennon heard the commotion and stormed over. He saw the scene and kicked me straight into the pool. "If something happens to Florrie, don't even think about walking away from it unscathed!" His eyes were bloodshot with rage. It was as if he wanted me dead. I didn't even have time to feel hurt before the water swallowed me whole. My limbs went numb, and my heart pounded. My mind went completely blank. There was no room for thought, only fear. "Help! Help! I… I'm going to drown!" I thrashed and cried. Lennon just stood there, watching me from the edge with disgust. He snarled, "No one's buying your act." He didn't reach out to help. Frederick swam right past me, holding Florence in his arms, deliberately avoiding me. Together, they rushed her to the hospital. Neither of them spared me a second glance. I swallowed the pool water. Eventually, my strength gave out, and I sank to the bottom. At that moment, I hated them. I hated how blind they were, dancing like puppets to Florence's every move. I also hated how cruel they were. One was my boyfriend, and the other had always claimed to be like a brother to me. Yet, they both stood by and watched me die. Most of all, I hated myself. I hated that it took three years of betrayal before I finally decided to leave. I hated that I had let it get to this point. God knew how heartbroken my parents would be when they found out. A million thoughts raced through my head as I sank deeper. I really thought I was going to die. Then, by sheer luck, one of the housekeepers found me and pulled me out of the pool. I coughed up mouthfuls of water, gasping for air, too weak to move. By the time the paramedics arrived, I was burning up with a 105-degree fever. Falling into icy water in the dead of winter had given me pneumonia. Chapter 2 Feverish and dazed, I slipped into a haze, lost in dreams of the past. When I was a child, I was kidnapped by the Johnson family's enemies and thrown into a drainage ditch. An intellectually challenged old man took me in and raised me like one of his own. He passed away when I was three. After that, it was Frederick's and Lennon's families who helped me get by. The three of us grew up together. One became the boyfriend I adored, while the other was like the brother I never had. When I turned 18, my birth parents finally found me. They were overjoyed, telling me that I was their long-lost daughter, the true heiress of the Johnson family. They even begged me to come home. I had always longed for family. So, I planned to go back with them. However, Frederick's eyes turned red. He said he couldn't bear to be apart from me. Lennon, always impulsive, went even further. He slit his wrists and ended up in the emergency room. Their actions terrified me. After that, I never dared to bring it up again. The three of us had grown up together. So, naturally, I didn't want to hurt them. I thought we would stay happy that way forever. Then, out of nowhere, Florence said she wanted to build a relationship with me and showed up with her suitcase in hand. At first, both Frederick and Lennon were distant toward her. But not long after, the four of us took a trip together and were caught in a flash flood. I dragged Frederick and Lennon, who were both unconscious, out of danger and left Florence to watch over them while I rushed to a hospital nearly 60 miles away with a severe infection. Later, she told them that she had risked her life to save them. She even said that I had abandoned them to run for my own life. Their attitude toward me and Florence shifted instantly. A loud bang and a sharp, violent kick at the door snapped me awake. I opened my eyes to see Lennon storming in, his face twisted in rage. "Florrie said that you pushed her into the pool! She's been crying nonstop. Do you think faking an illness is going to get you out of this? Get up and go apologize!" "I'm not faking it… I almost drowned. I've got a fever and pneumonia," I explained. After what he did today, nearly killing me, there was nothing left but hatred. His feelings meant nothing to me anymore. Still, I forced myself to speak, because I didn't know what he might do in his rage. However, Lennon didn't believe a single word I said. "You've learned how to swim at six. And that pool's barely deep enough to drown you. Stop pretending to be the victim, Elizabeth. What, did you miss your calling as an actress? Get up and apologize to Florrie!" His words made my blood boil. After my near-death experience after having dragged him and Frederick out of the flood, I never went near water again. The trauma of that incident left me fearful of water. However, no matter how many times I said it, they never believed me. I swallowed my anger and rasped out, "Fine. I'll go after this IV drip finishes. Happy?" Three years of this had taught me when to shut up and fold. So, I thought that it would be enough to satisfy him. However, he ripped the needle from the back of my hand and yanked me off the hospital bed. The skin tore with his harsh movement, peeling away to expose raw flesh beneath. Blood sprayed down my wrist, the sting making me hiss in pain. However, Lennon didn't flinch and simply dragged me out the door like he couldn't even see it. Even though we were not related by blood, he used to say that we were siblings by heart. He even said that if anyone ever hurt me, he would be the first to make them pay. I was a fool to ever believe him. I pressed my hand to my bleeding wound as he hauled me into Florence's ward. The moment I stepped in, I saw her sitting on the bed as Frederick held her and comforted her gently. "It's okay, Florrie. I'm here. Don't be scared." He used to set clear boundaries with other women for fear that I would get upset. Yet, there he was, holding another woman in his arms, even with me standing right before him. Even with the blood from my hand dripping steadily to the floor, all he cared about was her. Looking at my injury, he remarked, "That must hurt. But crying about it won't help. You hurt Florrie, so you owe her an apology!" "Fine. I'm sorry. Is that good enough?" I didn't care anymore. I just wanted it to be over so I could get back and finish my IV drip. Florence heard me but chose to ignore me. Instead, she curled into Frederick's arms and continued to cry. His heart ached at that sight. He snapped, "You pushed her into the pool in the middle of winter. One little apology isn't enough." I almost died, and that still wasn't enough for them. Chapter 3 Tears welled in my eyes, but I held them back. I asked, "What do you want then?" Frederick hesitated. He looked as if he didn't know how to put it into words. "Frederick, you promised me," Florence said as she looked at him with pitiful puppy eyes. He let out a sigh and turned to me. "Florrie had always wanted to enter the International Gemstone Design Competition, but she never had a strong enough piece. The collection you've been working on is good. I told her that she could use it." "No. Absolutely not!" That collection was my heart and soul. I had poured five years of inspiration and countless sleepless nights into those designs. They were important to me! Frederick had asked me to show it to him, saying that they looked good. That was the only reason I let him see them. Who gave him the right to give them away? However, Frederick didn't care about my feelings. "It doesn't matter if you agree or not. I'm submitting the designs under Florrie's name." I was livid. "If you do that, I'll report her for plagiarism!" "The originals are with me. You deleted the photo backups, didn't you? What proof do you have? Listen, Lizzy. You wronged her. Think of this as a way to make up for it," he calmly said. His words hit me like a bucket of ice water had been poured all over me. My body went cold. All this time, I thought that Florence may have manipulated him. Even at his worst, all I ever felt was disappointment. But at that moment, I loathed him. He had asked me for the originals. He even told me to delete the backups, and I did. I never would have imagined that he had been planning this all along. However, what he didn't know was that I had signed every single one of those design sheets with invisible ink. My name was on every single page. Was he trying to build Florence up as some design prodigy using my work? Dream on. The day the awards were announced would also be the day her theft came to light. I bit back the fury and bitterness and said coldly, "It seems like you've already made up your mind, Mr. Kirby. Why even bother asking me? But remember, this is it. We're done. I don't owe you anything anymore." I had never addressed him that way. All this time, I had always called him Freddy. His brows furrowed, and he looked like he wanted to respond. However, Florence whined that she wasn't feeling well, and all his attention snapped right back to her. He and Lennon both rushed to comfort her like two idiots competing to see who could coddle her more. There was a time when I would have felt crushed seeing that. But now, it just made me sick. An emotionally unfaithful boyfriend, and a childhood friend who nearly got me killed over a two-faced snake. Both of them made me sick to the core! I pushed past the discomfort and walked out of the room. The second I stepped out, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I doubled over, clutched my chest, and threw up so hard that it felt like I was being torn apart. How could I have even considered staying here for people like them? That night, my mom sent over the wedding schedule and asked, "How does it look, sweetie?" "It looks fine." I didn't care how the wedding went as long as it helped my family and got me out of Hemdeen. I stayed in the hospital for a week while Frederick and Lennon were just next door, doting on Florence the entire time. We were barely a few feet away, yet they never came to check on me once. However, I no longer cared. The moment I was discharged, I went straight home and started packing my belongings. All I wanted was to leave this place behind for good. Chapter 4 I put every gift Frederick and Lennon had ever given me up for sale on a secondhand site, then made plans to have one last meal with my best friend. "What? You're going back to Bimern to get married and never coming back? Do Frederick and Lennon know? Would they even allow it?" At the restaurant, Jennifer Goulding was so shocked that she dropped her piece of meat. I couldn't blame her. Anyone who knew me well knew that Frederick and Lennon had always been the two most important people in my life. I served her some more lamb. "They don't know. And I don't plan on telling them." Jennifer poked at her food, stunned at first. However, her expression shifted to delight. "After everything they did for that witch? Hurting you over and over like that? Good! Leaving them is the best thing you've ever done. "And you're right not to say anything. Don't give those scumbags a chance to ruin it. When's the wedding?" "Five days from now. My mom just sent over a few wedding dress options. Could you help me—" I didn't even get to finish my sentence when Frederick stormed over, panic written all over his face. He questioned, "What wedding dress? Who's getting married?" Florence trailed behind him, biting her lip. "Maybe she's trying to force your hand because you never proposed." Frederick frowned and said, "Lizzy, we're still young. I wasn't planning to get married this early." It was almost comical, the way he backed away so quickly. After all, he used to be the one who couldn't stop talking about getting married the second we were old enough, worried that I would fall in love with somebody else. Now, he was acting as though the idea of marrying me was something to avoid at all costs. I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and forced a neutral tone as I said, "It's for a friend. Not me." He let out a breath of relief, then walked off with Florence. "Ugh. Scumbag. I think he still cares about you, but I hope he finds out that you're marrying someone else and regrets it for the rest of his life!" Jennifer snapped. I held up my phone and enlarged the photos of the wedding dresses. "Forget about him. Which dress and bridesmaid gown do you think looks better?" After meeting with Jennifer, I planned to pack and head back to Bimern for the wedding. With just a few more days to go, I thought I could at least get through them in peace. However, soon after Frederick and Florence left the restaurant, footage of the two of them entering a hotel room with Lennon started circulating online. Lennon was a B-list actor with a decent following, so it didn't take long for the topic to trend online. Jennifer and I had just picked out the dresses when the news alert popped up on my screen. "Frederick hasn't even broken up with you, and he's already doing this? What is wrong with him? "Lizzy, are you okay? Please, don't bottle it up. It's not worth getting sick over." She was worried about me. I exited the alert and simply said, "It used to hurt, but not anymore." If I still cared about Frederick, I would've lost my mind a long time ago. At this point, whether he or Lennon wanted Florence no longer mattered to me. Even if the three of them ended up tangled together, it had nothing to do with me. However, on my way home, I began to notice people staring and whispering. A few men looked at me in a way that made my skin crawl, as if they were mentally undressing me. I had no idea what was going on until a news push notification popped up. Photos of me, Frederick, and Lennon from over the years were plastered online, with headlines claiming I was the real third in their alleged throuple, not Florence. They were the only ones with those photos besides me. It seemed that they had thrown me under the bus. Then Florence posted a carefully worded message on her social media account, not naming names, but heavily implying that I was a promiscuous woman who couldn't keep my hands off other men. Now, everyone thought I was the main character of some messed-up three-way relationship. Chapter 5 I thought the past three years had hardened me enough to face anything calmly. However, the moment I saw those photos, I still felt my blood boil at the shamelessness of the people I once held dear. I went home looking for either Lennon, Frederick, or Florence, yet none of them were there. So I pulled on a hat and mask and headed straight to the Kirby estate. Florence had made it to the final round of the International Gemstone Design Competition using my work, and Frederick and Lennon were throwing her a party to celebrate. "You aren't invited to my celebration. Get out before I call security!" Florence stood in front of me in the custom gown she had stolen from me. She used to be cautious around me, afraid I might record her, always acting sweet, even when we were alone. Now? She didn't even bother hiding it. I swallowed my anger and said, "Don't bother. I won't stay long. I just have one question. You were the one in that hotel room with them, so why throw me under the bus? I gave you both of them. I even handed over the designs I spent five years creating. Isn't that enough for you?" After I went missing as a child, my parents adopted Florence. She got to live my lavish life, but I never resented her for it. Even after I was found, I never tried to take anything back from her. So why? What did I ever do to her to deserve this constant cruelty? At my words, her expression twisted with rage. "Gave? Don't make yourself sound noble. I took them because I could. Because you refused to marry that vegetable, I had to." "Mom and Dad never planned to make you marry him," I said. "Oh, please. Do you think I believe that? The Johnson family was out of money, and only the Coleman family could help. The Johnsons wouldn't send their precious daughter, so it's natural that they'd send me. Really generous, huh? What a load of crap!" Florence snapped. Mom and Dad had treated her well, yet this was what she thought of them. My vision blurred with fury. "Florence, you—" Before I could finish my thought, she screamed, flopped to the ground, and started sobbing. Her wine glass shattered beside her. Then Lennon shoved me hard, sending me crashing to the floor. "Elizabeth! How many times have I told you to stay away from Florrie? Keep this up, and you can get out of my house. Go back to being the unwanted orphan no one cared about." My head slammed into the wall, and my vision blurred. My palm landed on a shard of glass, splitting the skin wide open. The pain stole my breath, but Lennon didn't even spare me a glance. He picked Florence up in his arms and walked away. Fredrick saw this and came over, not to help me, but to make sure I didn't cause a scene. The usual polite and gentle Frederick dragged me out of the party, saying, "Lizzy, this is Florrie's night. Don't ruin it, alright? It's just a few designs. You can always draw more." That was five years of my life. I had worked tirelessly on it, pouring my heart and soul into every detail. How many sets of five years do we even get? I pushed him aside and snapped, "I'm not here because of the designs. I came because of the trending news. She was the one pictured at that hotel. So why am I taking the fall?" "Keep your voice down! Florrie is about to win an international design award. If people find out that she was at a hotel with two men, her reputation will be ruined." Frederick was my boyfriend. He was involved in a threesome with another woman, threw me under the bus, and never once felt the slightest guilt. Instead, he blamed me. I looked at him with disgust. "What about me? Do I not have a reputation to protect?" "You're not the one winning awards. A little gossip won't kill you. Besides, I'll marry you and take care of you," he said casually, as if that were a trivial matter. Ever since the flood, he had been hurting me for her like it was the most natural thing in the world. I looked at that familiar face, which now felt like a stranger. Perhaps even he realized what a piece of garbage he sounded like because he avoided my gaze. "Suit yourself, Lizzy. But if you cause any more trouble, I'm breaking up with you." "Then we're done." It wasn't the first time I had said it. He thought that I would come crawling back, as I always did. So he just walked away, as if nothing had happened. Through the glass, I saw Florence holding a trophy, standing between Frederick and Lennon, basking in the recognition and affection. It was the celebration that should have been mine. Florence caught me watching and shot me a smug look. A second later, my phone buzzed. It was a text message from Florence. Florence: "You grew up with two men and still couldn't win either of their hearts? That's just sad. Watching you cry is honestly hilarious. You're so ugly when you cry. "Oh, by the way. Your little designs might win me gold. Are you mad yet? But it doesn't matter. You're not getting them back. And as for that hotel drama? You'll just keep taking the fall!" She deleted the message right after she sent it, like she always did. I clutched my phone tighter, telling myself to hold on. Let's see if she would still be that smug once her plagiarism was exposed! As for that hotel stunt, I refused to take the fall. I called my private investigator. I wanted him to dig out the deleted hotel footage. "I'm on it. I've already gathered some of the false accusations she made against you. There's a lot, and it might take a few more days to sort through them," the private investigator told me. "That's fine. There's no rush. Just send it through when it's ready," I replied. I had hired one of the best investigators money could buy, hoping to prove that Florence had set me up and clear things with Frederick and Lennon. However, after Lennon kicked me into the pool and Frederick left me to drown, I didn't care what they thought about me anymore. Since I no longer cared about them, I wasn't in a hurry to obtain the materials either. I smiled bitterly, slid my phone back into my pocket, and returned home. Most of my things were already packed. I intended to walk away without leaving the slightest mark. Whatever I wanted to keep, I took. I threw away or sold the rest. In the end, all I had was a single 20-inch suitcase, a thick photo album, and a glass jar full of colorful paper cranes. The photo album held years of pictures of me, Lennon, and Frederick. They once said that we would take at least a hundred photos a year, so we would have something to look back on when we were old. However, they had already broken that promise for three years. The paper cranes had been a gift from them. They told me that each one held a wish. When I pulled them out years ago, begging them to believe that I was innocent, they had crushed the paper cranes under their feet and told me to grow up. I took the album and the jar outside, stacked them, and set them on fire. "What are you doing?" Lennon had arrived just in time to watch it all burn. Chapter 6 Lennon shoved me aside in a rage, completely ignoring the flames that were still burning as he rushed to grab the photo album and the jar of paper cranes. Even Frederick, who was always calm and unreadable, turned pale and dropped his hold on Florence as he ran toward the fire. However, the album was already gone, reduced to ashes. The paper cranes were also nothing but dust. Lennon held the pile of ashes in his hands, his eyes bloodshot as he turned to glare at me. "Are you insane? Why would you burn them? Do you have any idea how many years it took to collect these?" Frederick stared at me, too, his face full of disapproval. I had no interest in getting yelled at or slapped around, so I gave them the excuse I had prepared long ago. "The old photos weren't printed that well. I've got digital backups. I already sent them to a shop to get reprinted. The clearer versions should arrive soon." They were clearly still ready to tear into me, but then Florence let out a soft cry, and both of them immediately rushed to her side. "You twisted your ankle? How'd you get so careless?" Frederick picked her up without hesitation. "You dummy. How are you going to survive without us?" Lennon questioned, his voice tinged with concern. Florence bit her lip and spoke in a sweet voice. "Don't just worry about me. Take a look at Lizzy, too. She's packed her bags. Is she mad and planning to leave?" Lennon didn't even think before responding, "She's just an orphan. She relies on me and Frederick for everything. Where could she possibly go? I've kicked her out so many times, but she's never had the guts to leave." Frederick laughed before saying, "You don't have to worry about Lizzy. I was her first love. All she ever wanted was to marry me. She's not going anywhere." All their attention was on Florence, like I'd vanished into thin air. In the past three years, when they first started hurting me, they at least looked a little guilty. They hated me for leaving them behind during the flood, despised me for "bullying" Florence and "twisting the truth", but they still refused to let me go. Back then, all I cared about was exposing Florence's lies and clearing up the misunderstandings. I put up with everything, never once thinking of leaving. Eventually, hurting me became so normal to them that they stopped caring about how I felt or even worrying that I might leave. However, their thoughts no longer mattered to me. I didn't want to see the three of them clinging to each other, so I went upstairs to sleep. The next morning, I got up early, washed up, had breakfast, put on my makeup, and wheeled out my suitcase. The sound of it rumbling along the floor drew Frederick's attention. "Where are you going?" he asked. I didn't believe that he cared. I figured that he probably just didn't want to lose the person ghost-designing for Florence. While I was in the hospital, he had already removed me from my position as design director and replaced me with her. He even tried to make me her assistant. I learned about all of that from my coworkers. The whole thing disgusted me so much that I couldn't even stand the sight of Frederick anymore. Still, I didn't want to start a fight, so I kept my voice down and said, "Jennie's getting married. I'm going to her wedding." "She lives in the city. So, why the suitcase?" Frederick asked. "Her fiance's from Bimern. The wedding's being held there," I replied calmly. "When are you coming back?" he asked again. "In three days," I said. "So the photos should be back by then?" he asked. "Yeah," I answered. Frederick was always detail-oriented and would always ask a lot of questions. Lennon, on the other hand, had no patience. "She's not leaving for good, right? Just let her go, man. Florrie wants to get a cat. Let's take her to pick one out today." Normally, whenever Florence was involved, Frederick would drop everything else just to focus on her. Surprisingly, this time, he added, "Having you take the fall for that hotel scandal was our fault. Let me know when you're flying back. I'll pick you up at the airport." "I'll come too, alright? Seriously, it's just a small thing. Can you stop acting like it's the end of the world?" Lennon was visibly uncomfortable. So, it seemed that they did know they had wronged me. I almost laughed, but kept my expression neutral. I simply said, "Okay." Then I turned and left without looking back, with my suitcase in tow. I wasn't going to throw tantrums anymore, and I wasn't going to come back. Let them wait. I would never return again. Chapter 7 At five in the afternoon, my plane touched down in Bimern. My parents were already waiting for me at the airport. Next to them was a handsome man in a wheelchair. He appeared to be of mixed heritage, with refined features and a gaze that conveyed striking depth. It was the kind of face that was both elegant and impossible to look away from. The moment I saw him, I was stunned. On the second glance, something felt strangely familiar. It was as if I had seen him somewhere before, but I couldn't quite place it. "Lizzy, this is William," my dad introduced. William was the heir to the Coleman family and my future husband. As soon as my dad finished speaking, my mom leaned in and whispered, "Right after you agreed to the marriage, Mrs. Coleman told William about it. And would you believe it? He woke up that same day. It was like a miracle. I only found out this morning. "He insisted on coming along to pick you up when he heard that you were arriving." It really did feel unbelievable. When I made the decision to marry, I had prepared myself for a husband in a vegetative state. Now, face to face with a living, breathing fiance, I honestly felt a little dazed and nervous. "Nice to meet you, Lizzy," William said, offering a handshake. I quickly took his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Coleman." "Just call me William," he said gently. "Okay…" I couldn't tell if I was imagining it, but his handshake lingered a beat too long. Plus, what was with the way he kept looking at me? Was there something on my face? I discreetly checked my reflection in the car mirror. There was nothing. He sat beside me in the car. After being micromanaged by Frederick and Lennon for so long, I wasn't used to sitting this close to another man. It made me feel awkward and fidgety. However, since he was my future husband, I figured that I should explain the hotel scandal. "William, about the video that's circulating online…" "Are you planning to sue them for defamation? Before I had the trending post taken down, I made sure to preserve the evidence. It's enough to press charges," William said. I froze and pulled out my phone. As he had said, the trending tag was gone. All the disgusting comments under my name had vanished. I had braced myself for anger and hadn't expected him to believe me outright. For a moment, my emotions tangled into something tight and complicated. "We'll deal with it after the wedding," he added. He then changed the topic. "I heard that you majored in jewelry design at Axsin University, right?" "Yeah," I said. He didn't push the scandal topic any further, which helped me relax a bit. "I've seen some of your designs. Your very first piece, if I remember correctly, was the crown your best friend wore at her coming-of-age party, right?" he asked. "How do you know that?" I was genuinely shocked. By then, I was already somewhat well-known in the jewelry industry. However, most people only knew the work that made me famous. Even Frederick and Lennon had no clue what my first design was. William smiled and said, "I saw it by chance and liked it enough to dig around for more information about that piece." I wasn't the chatty type, but I could talk endlessly about my work. Especially with someone who clearly appreciated it and wasn't faking it. By the time we arrived, I felt like we had at least broken the ice. That night, I met the Coleman family for the first time at dinner. Our marriage was technically a union between our two families, but everyone knew that it was the Johnson family that had sought help from the Colemans. If William hadn't been in a coma back then, this match never would've landed on me. I expected the Coleman family to be condescending, but they were surprisingly welcoming. My future father-in-law, Andrew Coleman, pulled Dad aside and said, "Benjamin, was the recent investment enough? If it's not, just say the word. Don't hold back. We're family now!" My future mother-in-law, Kelly Clarke, gripped my hand and smiled radiantly at me. "Look at this face! You're so beautiful. I'm sure you'll bring good luck. Here's your 1% stake in the company. You may now sign the documents. It's yours as a premarital asset. "And take a look at these heirloom pieces. If you don't like them, we'll go shopping for new ones!" That 1% stake alone paid out at least 50 million dollars a year. Even William only held 10%. Moreover, the heirloom pieces were easily valued in the billions of dollars. I stared at the share transfer contract, then at the trays of jewelry the attendant had laid out. My hands were literally shaking. It was all too much. I couldn't accept it. However, before I could voice my refusal, William quietly flipped to the signature page and leaned in close, saying, "Sign it before they change their minds." Honestly, with his cool and sharp expression, the way he whispered and schemed beside me felt so out of character. He handed me a pen, along with a black card. "Here, this is for you." "You're giving me too much," I muttered, already feeling guilty. William's smile was gentle as he said, "It's because you're worth it." The Colemans all seemed kind and genuine, so I finally felt relieved. Three days flew by in the blink of an eye. I never heard a single word from Frederick or Lennon during that entire time. Perhaps this was for the best. I didn't need them crashing my wedding. Naturally, I was being too optimistic. Half an hour before the ceremony began, I stood behind the doors in my gown, waiting for my cue to walk in, when my phone suddenly started buzzing nonstop. That's when I saw two missed calls from Frederick and one from Lennon. It seemed that they had also sent me text messages. Lennon: "Elizabeth, pick up your phone!" Frederick: "Lizzy, can you please answer my call?" I had no idea what they'd found out, but they were blowing up my phone like crazy. When I didn't reply or pick up, they started calling me every 30 seconds, as if they were desperate for me to answer. I frowned in annoyance, then turned off my phone. The ceremony began. I walked down the aisle on Dad's arm and watched as he solemnly handed me over to William. Just as we were about to exchange rings, Frederick and Lennon barged into the venue. "Lizzy!" "Elizabeth!" Their eyes locked on me in my white gown, their faces pallid. They appeared stunned as if I had betrayed them.