People outside the county clerk's office stopped dead. A crowd was already forming when Julia dropped straight to the ground, slapping her thighs and wailing for all she was worth：
“Somebody come judge this for yourselves!”
“This woman lived under our roof for five years, eating our food, spending nothing of her own. Now my oldest son wants to marry her, and she's trying to back out of the wedding over a few thousand dollars!”
“My younger boy is at home waiting on money to save his life, and she wants us all dead!”
Just like that, I was pinned under the stares of a growing crowd, cast as the cold-hearted villain.
I looked at Greg, hoping he'd say one fair word.
He just stood off to the side and picked up right where Julia left off：
“Delilah, I know you're upset about Emily.”
“I said I was sorry. A man slips up once before the wedding—why do you have to keep dragging it out?”
“You can't take your anger at me out on my family's lives.”
A few sentences, and he'd shrunk his cheating down to nothing and turned all the Sanchez family's debts into my problem.
Emily leaned against Greg's white SUV, one hand drifting deliberately to her flat stomach.
“Babe, I've been so nauseous lately. I just haven't been feeling well.”
She looked straight at me, the provocation written all over her face.
Greg's expression shifted. He turned back to me, still righteous：
“Delilah, did you hear that?”
“Even if there is an accident, I'll handle it. It won't affect our marriage at all.”
“Just get the license first, transfer Elijah's money, and we'll talk about everything else at home.”
I stared at the absurd scene in front of me.
And I remembered my mother at the end—her fingers locked around mine, every word costing her what little strength she had left.
“Lilah, keep yourself whole first. Before you love anyone.”
“Don't give yourself away for someone who won't give you back.”
I'd broken that promise for five years, all because of one small light Greg Sanchez once gave me.
“Hey! What are you spacing out for!”
Elijah had shown up out of nowhere, bloodshot eyes and all, and he was already lunging for the bag on my shoulder.
“You've got cards in there. Give me the money, now!”
I held the bag tight against my body. He shoved me hard.
My feet slipped out from under me and I slammed into the stone steps.
Pain ripped through my ear, hot and instant, and something warm began to seep down.
One of the pearl earrings my mother left me was gone.
Greg glanced down, then lifted his wrist to check the time.
“Delilah, quit the act.”
“You done? You're never going to leave me and we both know it.”
“Transfer the money today, and we'll still get the license.”
I stood up slowly and brushed the dust off my skirt.
I unzipped my bag and pulled out a manila envelope.
“Greg, you just asked me if we're still getting a license, right?”
I watched the shock break across his face, and I smiled.
“We are.”
“But not a marriage license. A police summons.”
