Chapter 1
The day Allison Winters received the notice that her husband was “critically ill,” she was surrounded by his so–called friends who were all there to pressure her into letting him marry another woman.
“Allison, come on,” one of them said with a forced grin. “Alex just wants to give Sarah a proper wedding. He’s dying–can’t you let him have this one last wish? Don’t be selfish.”
“Yeah,” another chimed in. “He’s got maybe two months left at best. Don’t forget–he broke four ribs and gave up a kidney saving you. Without him, the Winters Group would’ve gone under years ago.”
won’t even help him fulfill his dying wish?”
low you w
“You’ve always said you loved him more than life itself. And now
“It’s just a fake ceremony,” someone else added. “He’s not divorcing you. He’s not taking anything from you. Honestly, you’re coming off as the bad guy here.”
They ganged up on her, each word sharper than the last, making it sound like Allison was some heartless villain for not letting her dying husband walk down the aisle–with another woman.
Her fingers clenched as she turned to Alexander Rockwood, her voice tight with desperation. “Alex… what do you think?”
Alexander sat on the couch with his legs crossed, looking the picture of fragile beauty and quiet regret. “I gave up Sarah for you,” he said, his tone mournful. “Even if you agreed, she’d never say yes. I’ve hurt her too much.”
His words were like ice water down her spine.
Allison lowered her gaze, her heart twisting in pain. So that was it–this whole scene had been orchestrated. Of course he wasn’t going to take her side.
The truth was, Alexander had come up with a scheme to fake a terminal illness. That way, he could “die” and be free to leave with Sarah Mayfield without being branded a heartless bastard.
She only found out by accident—scrolling through one of his group chats with his friends–where he casually joked about the plan. Until that moment, she had believed he was truly sick.
She had stayed up all night researching treatments, begging experts for help, and paying whatever price necessary to track down miracle drugs.
She had prayed in every church she could find–big or small, chapel or street–corner congregation–begging whatever god was listening to give him just a few more peaceful years.
But in the end, it was all a lie.
A cruel, pathetic lie.
If he wanted so badly to marry Sarab, then fine–she’d let him. But that was the day Allison stopped loving him. For good.
And not only would she stop loving him, she’d marry his sworn rival with his damn inheritance.
“Pine. I agree.” Allison forced a smile, though her face had gone ghostly pale.
The room erupted with barely restrained glee, especially from Alexander. She hadn’t seen that glint in his eyes in a long time.
“But I have a condition,” she added calmly,
His eyes snapped to hers. His jaw tightened ever so slightly. “What is it?”
want your shares in Winters Group.”
“We’ll give them to you!” one of his friends interrupted before he could respond. “Hell, take anything you want–we’ll make it happen! So long as Alex dies happy.”
“But you’ve got to convince Sarah to say yes to the wedding,” another reminded her. “She needs to be all in.”
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Allison turned to Alexander.
The decision had to come from him.
“Say yes already, man!” his friends urged.
Alexander hesitated for a beat, then gave a slight nod. “Alright!
“I’ll make sure she agrees,” Allison said with icy determination.
Years ago, he had promised Sarah he’d fulfill her bucket list. But after choosing to marry Allison, many of those promises had been left
undone.
Now, it was Allison’s job to finish them.
The first was gifting Sarah ten limited–edition Hermes bags.
The second–painting a hundred portraits of her.
The third–spending hours inside St. Clair Cathedral, lighting every candle she could find, whispering the same prayer over and just to feel like she was doing something
And the final one?
A public apology.
Sarah was the daughter of the Winters family’s longtime housekeeper. Even as a teenager, she had a gift for manipulation–first trying and failing to charm Allison’s older brother, then setting her sights on something far more ambitious: Allison’s fiancé, Alexander. When Allison’s mother finally had enough, she threw Sarah out with no warning and no apology.
Now, Sarah wanted revenge. She was demanding a public apology–expected Allison to humiliate herself for the so–called injustices the Winters family had inflicted on her.
Allison hesitated for only a moment, then she dropped to the ground and knelt.
She looked up and said clearly, “Sarah, I’m sorry. Everything that happened before–was the fault of the Winters family. Please forgive us. And please… stay by Alex’s side in his final days.”
Sarah looked down at her, unimpressed. “That’s it? No sincerity at all.” She raised her arms and shrugged. “Guess your love for him wasn’t that deep after all”
“What do you want from me?”
“You seriously don’t remember the day I got thrown out?” Sarah leaned in, sweet face hiding pure venom. “You looked down on me then, What–scared now?”
Allison’s whole body trembled. She stared past Sarah–and caught a glimpse of Alexander behind her.
His eyes… were warm. Burning with affection.
But not for her.
Allison’s chest tightened, pain blooming in every corner of her heart. Just a little longer, she told herself. It’ll all be over soon.
She raised her hand–and slapped herself across the face. Hard,
Then shouted, “I’m sorry! I’m trash I’in a worthless bitch!”
Gasps rippled through the crowd as phones came out and flashlights flickered. Her vision blurred–but she refused to let herself cry.
Sarah, of course, wasn’t done.
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“If you hadn’t guilt–tripped him into marrying you, Alex and I would’ve been together already. You ruined everything. You’re the reason he spiraled into depression and got cancer in the first place! It should’ve been you dying–not him!”
Allison bit back the scream in her throat. “I’m begging you just stay with him.”
“You’re begging me?” Sarah’s smile curled with victory.
The crowd turned on her in an instant
“What a heartless witch.”
“She deserves worse than a slap. She should be graveling.”
Η
“Ican’t stand bitches like her she should just drop dead.”
A bottle came flying from the crowd, smacking her forehead and knocking her to the ground. More followed–bottles, stones, trash- slamming into her body until she was bleeding and bruised, covered in cuts and shame.
Her body was on fire, her tears mixed with blood–bitter, metallic.
She and Alexander had grown up together. He once shielded her with his life. She had mistaken that for love, and chased after him like a fool ever since.
She’d broken off her engagement to the Vanderbilt heir just to be with him, driving her mother to the hospital in griet. She’d even handed over her shares of Winters Group so he could secure a foothold in the Rockwood family’s succession race.
Not once had Alexander said he didn’t want to marry her.
She had always believed Sarah was just a shameless homewrecker–never realizing the two of them had been in love all along
But the truth was obvious.
It was always written in his eyes–in the way he treated her with indifference, the constant overseas “business trips,” the locked study she was never allowed to enter…
But she had been too blind to see it.
By the time the attacks stopped, Allison couldn’t feel a thing. Her whole body was numb.
She tried to sit up–and saw Sarah clinging to Alexander’s side, grinning smugly as she met her gaze.
“You pathetic fool,” Sarah sneered.
Alexander actually smiled. “that’s right.
“Let’s go, Alex. I’m starving
“Whatever you want,” he said softly, wrapping his arm around her,
They walked away without a single glance back.
Allison watched him disappear, his figure growing smaller.
Strangely, her heart didn’t ache as much as she thought it would.
All she had to do now was wait–wait for him to “die” in a month. Then she’d claim everything he owed her… and fulfill her mother’s dying wish to marry into the Vanderbilt family.
She staggered to her feet, but darkness swam before her eyes.
Then everything went black as she collapsed face–first onto the pavement.
