Pretty enough that Julian's voice went soft. “Whatever you want.”
I stared at the two of them, my stomach turning. “You two actually make me sick.”
She glared at me instantly. “You can say whatever you want about me, but don't you dare talk about Julian!”
“You didn't know, did you? We've done everything together already. Everything except the last step.” Her cheeks flushed as she glanced at him. “He said I was underage. Wouldn't touch me. Held out all the way until after my SATs.”
“That's how good he is to me—that's why I'd marry him without a second thought,” she said, turning to me with a stubborn look in her eyes. “Don't you say another bad word about him!”
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. “And what if I don't let you have this wedding?”
“Ida, you don't get a choice,” he said, his voice so calm it was cruel. “I just received word. Your father is showing signs of waking up.”
“His condition's unstable. You wouldn't want him to come to and find out the three of us are at each other's throats, would you?”
My whole body was shaking. “Julian Crawford. You're using my father to threaten me?”
“I'm just worried about his health,” he sighed. “Relax. Your father's always been good to me. I'll go by the hospital and look after him. You're a girl, after all. It's not as convenient.”
I laughed until tears came.
If it weren't for me and my father, he never would have stood this high.
Sophomore year, his family fell apart. He couldn't afford to stay in school. I'd been chasing him for a long time by then, and I took my allowance and offered to help.
Back then, the boy in the white shirt with frayed cuffs had looked at me with stubborn pride in his eyes. “I don't take handouts.”
I'd shaken my head. “This isn't free. Every weekend until you graduate, you come work at my family's company. No pay.”
He agreed.
“No pay” or not, getting into Winfield Group before graduation already put him miles ahead of everyone his age.
My father saw how I felt about him and took him under his wing. He'd stay up late walking Julian through financial reports, teach him negotiation tactics hands-on, even bring him along to galas personally—paving the way with his own connections, contact by contact.
During all of that, I got what I wanted too. Julian and I were together.
After graduation he left Winfield Group to start his own company. Crawford Group wouldn't have made it to its IPO without my father and me holding it up from behind.
Young love, pure and honest. Back then, I truly wanted to gather every good thing the world had and place it in front of him.
And what did I get in return?
I closed my eyes. I didn't want to think about it anymore.
“Fine,” I heard myself say. “The wedding goes ahead. I'll be the bridesmaid.”
He gave a cool nod. “For Rose's sake, we'll tell people it's an early run-through of yours. Keep your mouth shut when the time comes.”
I looked at his face and found it both familiar and completely foreign.
Then, all at once, something in me let go.
Two ingrates. A match made in heaven, really.
I already knew what wedding gift I was going to give them.
Something they'd remember for the rest of their lives.
The days after that felt like someone had hit fast-forward.
Julian and I only crossed paths at the hospital. Outside of that, we were strangers.
Once in a while he'd call to ask who should get an invitation, what to pick for party favors.
I answered on autopilot, but my mind kept drifting back to when we'd planned our own wedding together.
Wrapping candy favors at midnight. Driving all over the city to taste-test catering menus. Believing we'd be each other's for life.
Now, every detail he was so carefully arranging was for someone else's wedding.
Life really was just one long performance.
The morning of the wedding.
I arrived at the hospital early.
From the moment he used my father against me, I'd made up my mind to get my father out.
So I'd been busy too, these past weeks.
Busy sorting out Winfield Group's affairs.
Busy reaching out to top neurology specialists overseas.
I'd finally gotten everything in order just before it was time to leave.
The plan was to have my father quietly transferred first. Then, once I'd delivered that “gift” at the wedding, I would disappear for good.
