At Wedding, Assistant Rekindled Fiancé's Spark, So I Quit

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The wedding vows had just begun. The officiant turned to the groom.

Do you take Miss Pruitt to be your wife, to stand by her all your days?

Wait!

The groom's junior assistant came rushing up onto the platform.

She pulled out her phone, looking up at him, hopeful.

Mr. Henson, if we keep our streak going today, in thirty days it turns into a flame. Do you want to?

The whole hall went still, every glance loaded, because there wasn't a person there who couldn't hear what she really meant.

I held tight to my fianc's hand and begged him under my breath.

"Luke Henson, don't say 'I do' to her."

He pushed my hand away without hesitation.

"Eva's just a girl. Don't embarrass her in front of everyone."

He took out his phone and sent his assistant a heart, his eyes soft with indulgence.

"I do."

The whole hall broke into an uproar, everyone turning to watch me, amused.

I gripped the hem of my dress until my fingertips went white, and gave a bitter little smile.

Our wedding vows, and my fianc said "I do" to another girl.

The assistant cheered and threw her arms around him, planting a hard kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, Mr. Henson!"

I stepped down from the platform without a word and went to find his grandmother.

"Cheryl Henson, the contract to care for Luke. I'm not renewing it."

Watching Eva Fox's kiss land on Luke's cheek, the whole hall sucked in a sharp breath at once.

It felt like a hard slap across my face, my head spinning.

I used every last bit of strength just to stay on my feet.

Luke quickly shoved Eva behind him, his eyes full of guard.

"Nanette Pruitt, Eva has a child's temper, she doesn't know any better. Don't you dare try to bully her."

My nails dug deep into my palms. My smile came out uglier than crying.

"Luke, at our own wedding vows, you said 'I do' to another woman."

"You tell me. Who exactly is bullying who?"

Eva's eyes welled up instantly as she leaned into his chest.

"I'm sorry. I only wanted to hit thirty days on the streak with Mr. Henson. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Please don't read too much into it, okay? It's my fault. Don't be angry."

A few words, and somehow I was the scheming one.

Every guest below the platform had their eyes fixed on me.

Amused. Mocking. Glad to see me fall.

The officiant hurried to smooth things over.

"The bride doesn't look well. Let's pause the ceremony for now."

Before I could get a word out, Luke was already guiding Eva toward the guest room backstage.

So careful with her, as if she were some priceless treasure he was terrified of chipping.

I was left alone up on that platform, like a clown someone had thrown away.

It felt like a piece of my heart had been carved out alive, every breath tearing at me.

Three years by his side, and this was the absurd ending it bought me.

This marriage, I didn't want it anymore.

I stumbled down from the platform and went to the lounge to say goodbye to Cheryl.

The door opened and she pushed herself up on her cane, anxious, gripping my hands tight.

"Sweetheart, I heard what that bastard did."

"You wait right here. I'm going to go beat him, and I'll set this right for you!"

Looking at the pain in her eyes, my nose stung and the tears nearly came.

But I shook my head hard, my voice thick and rough.

"Cheryl, there's no need. I've already decided. I'm not marrying Luke."

The truth was, I should have made this decision long ago.

Three months ago, Luke hired Eva as his assistant and came home complaining that the girl talked too much, that she was annoying, that she was throwing off his work.

But I saw it clearly. A man who was cold and harsh with his staff, and there wasn't a trace of impatience in his eyes.

Instead there was a warmth I'd never seen in him before.

A month ago, he started staying on his phone with Eva every night, talking until it was late.

A man who used to only ever pick up the phone for work now smiled at that screen, gentle.

When I couldn't stop myself from asking, he wouldn't spare me so much as a glance.

"Eva's just a girl. She wants to keep our streak going every day, so I humor her. That's all."

Does keeping a streak going take talking until the middle of the night?

But I lied to myself. It was just a passing whim of his.

Until today, when he stood at our wedding and said "I do" to Eva Fox.

And yanked my head clean out of the sand I'd buried it in.

Cheryl looked at my reddened eyes, sighed with an ache, and stroked my hair.

"It's that bastard who doesn't deserve his luck. He isn't good enough for our girl."

She took a contract out of the drawer and handed it to me.

"This is the contract from back then. You keep it."

I had just reached out to take it when the lounge door was shoved open.

Luke stood in the doorway, seething, pointing at me as he snapped.

"Nanette, the guests are still waiting."

"I only granted Eva one small wish. Do you really have to throw a fit and walk out, and make the Henson family a laughingstock?"

Before I could speak, Cheryl raised her cane and brought it down hard against his leg.

"You bastard, the one making the Henson family a laughingstock is you. Now hurry up and apologize to Nanette!"

Luke winced at the pain and, unwilling to back down, was about to argue.

Then his eyes caught the contract in my hand, and he snatched it away.

When he saw what it said, his face went livid, and he flung the contract hard into my face.

The edge of the paper sliced across my cheek, leaving a thin line of blood that burned.

"Nanette, so you stayed with me for three years because my grandmother paid you two hundred thousand a year?"

His eyes were full of scorn and disgust.

"A woman who's crawled that far into the money, and you think you're entitled to be jealous?"

I crouched down and quietly picked up the contract he'd crushed, my fingertips ice-cold.

Three years ago, Cheryl Henson asked me to look after Luke, who was struggling with depression. Yes, we did sign a contract.

But back then Luke and I were complete strangers. I signed a contract, took the money, and got him treatment. What was wrong with that?

Later the two of us grew close, and we decided to marry.

I'd kept that old contract on purpose, and drawn up a new one to spend the rest of my life with him.

I'd imagined that today, at the wedding, Cheryl would give it to us as a special gift, a keepsake of how our story started with a contract.

But now, all of it had become a joke.

I didn't want to explain a single word more. I lifted my eyes to Luke, my voice calm.

"Mr. Henson, you're right. We were a contract relationship from the start. The contract's over now, so I should go."

With that, I turned and walked toward the door.

"Nanette, you wouldn't dare."

Luke was suddenly beside himself.

"If you set one foot out that door today, don't ever think about coming back!"

My steps faltered, and a fine, spreading ache pushed through my heart.

Luke, the one who pushed me away, step by step, was always you.

Maureen Henson leaned against the door frame, and when she saw me stop, she rolled her eyes hard.

"Tsk. Can't bear to leave after all?"

"I said it a long time ago. Marriage has to be between equals."

"An orphan with no father, no mother, clawing her way into the Henson family. What are you after if not the money? Quit acting so high and mighty."

Since coming back, Maureen had never once thought much of me.

She doted on Eva instead, with her sweet mouth and her flattery, always waiting for the day she could swap me out and make Eva her daughter-in-law.

I lowered my eyes, a sneer tugging at my lips.

Where did she find the nerve to say I was after money?

Back when the Henson family was on the brink of bankruptcy, Maureen had made off with every cent in the house and run.

Mr. Henson had held things together alone, worn himself down until illness took him.

And that was why Luke fell into severe depression.

Cheryl, afraid of setting him off, had never told him the truth about how his mother walked out.

Now the Hensons had risen again. Maureen had blown through the money out there, then come crawling back to live off them.

The one who truly hungered for money was her.

But none of that was any of my concern anymore.

I stepped around her and walked straight out of the Henson house.

After a night's rest, I went to the hospital first thing the next morning and found the attending physician.

"Dr. Lambert, the two hundred thousand for the treatment has come through. Please, could you schedule my grandmother's last surgery."

Grandmother had been diagnosed with a heart condition three years ago. She needed one surgery a year, six hundred thousand in all.

My grandmother and Cheryl were close friends. When they were young, my grandmother had once saved Cheryl's life.

When Cheryl heard about the illness, she wanted to simply hand over the money.

But my grandmother was stubborn and flatly refused.

I happened to be studying psychology at university, so I gave up my funded graduate placement abroad.

For two hundred thousand a year, I stayed to care for Luke and earn my grandmother's surgery money.

I'd meant to take her in for the surgery once the wedding was over. I never imagined it would end up like this.

Dr. Lambert looked troubled. He gazed at me and let out a sigh.

"Miss Pruitt, I'm truly sorry. There's no money left in your grandmother's account."

I went blank.

"That's not possible. The Hensons wired the money over first thing yesterday. How can it be gone?"

Dr. Lambert lowered his voice.

"This morning, Mr. Henson had someone withdraw the two hundred thousand straight out of the account."

My hands were shaking so badly it took me several tries to get Luke on the line.

"Luke, why did you move the money out?"

He let out a short, contemptuous laugh.

"Nanette, and here I thought you were so tough."

"Turns out I just had to move the money and you couldn't hold out anymore?"

"That's my grandmother's surgery money!"

My voice cracked with panic.

"What gives you the right to take it?"

"The right?"

He gave a cold snort.

"Thanks to Eva reminding me, yesterday was the last day of the contract."

"You ran off partway through. You didn't finish the agreement, so that two hundred thousand? You're not getting a cent of it."

A vast absurdity rose up in me.

Even if I didn't marry him, I'd cared for him for three years. Curing his depression was real, something I'd actually done.

What gave him the right to trample me like this.

I forced the anger down, softened my voice, and begged.

"Luke, my grandmother can't wait any longer for the surgery. Please, just give me the money first"

Before I could finish, Eva's coy voice came through the other end.

"Mr. Henson, we're relighting our spark today. Stop wasting your breath on her."

The call cut off.

I called back, and it was nothing but the busy tone, unreachable, over and over.

I scrambled to my feet, ready to go straight to Cheryl and beg her to help.

A nurse came running.

"Miss Pruitt, it's bad, your grandmother's had a sudden heart attack, they're trying to resuscitate her!"

I rushed into the room.

Doctors and nurses crowded around the bed, working without pause. Her face was ashen, her chest heaving hard.

A nurse handed me a phone, her voice choked.

"Someone just sent your grandmother a video and a message. She collapsed the moment she finished watching."

Hands trembling, I picked up the phone. On the screen was yesterday's wedding footage, and one vicious line of text.

Broke old woman, sending your granddaughter to wait on Mr. Henson, dreaming she can marry into money. Keep dreaming!

My grandmother forced her eyes open, tears sliding down from the corners.

Nan, I'm sorry, your grandmother was useless, I put you through so much

"No, Grandma, it's not your fault, it's them, they're the bad ones, you're the best grandmother in the whole world!"

I collapsed over the edge of the bed, sobbing until it tore me apart.

"Please, don't leave me."

But the doctors gave everything they had, and still there was nothing they could do.

The flat line on the monitor was like a knife, cutting away every last thing I'd been holding on to.

My heart was completely dead.

My phone chimed. A message from Luke dropped in.

"Nanette, since you only got close to me for the money, I'll give you a chance. A hundred thousand a year, and from now on you serve me personally."

"A woman like you, who can't do anything but wait on people, a hundred thousand is already a sky-high price. Don't be ungrateful."

A hundred thousand a year?

For three years, when his depression struck he couldn't sleep a single night, and more than once he tried to kill himself.

I racked my mind to soothe him, sat with him through to daybreak, and pulled him out of the dark inch by inch.

And in the end, in his eyes, I was worth only a hundred thousand a year, fit for nothing but being a servant who waited on people.

Expressionless, I blocked his number and deleted it, then called my university advisor.

"Professor, three years ago I gave up the chance to do my graduate studies abroad. Is it still open to me now?"

His delighted voice came quickly from the other end.

"Nan, of course, I've kept your place for you all along."

"I always believed in your talent for psychology. Someone will come to take you to leave tomorrow."

I hung up and gently took my grandmother's hand.

"Grandma, we're leaving this place, and we're never coming back."

I gathered my grandmother's ashes and went to say goodbye to Cheryl.

I didn't tell her my grandmother had died, afraid it would hurt her. I only said we were planning to settle overseas.

I had just stepped out the front door of the Henson house when I ran into the three of themLuke, Eva, and his mother.

Maureen folded her arms and let out a sneer.

Well, well. Couldn't marry your way into this family, so you came crawling to the old lady instead?

Eva had her arm looped through Luke's, and she pretended to counsel me.

Nanette, Mr. Henson's already giving you a chancea hundred grand a year. Just say yes. Otherwise, how are you going to survive all on your own?

Luke swept a cold glance over me.

I know Grandmother's fond of you. Since you can keep her happy, I'll make it two hundred thousand a year. Don't be a fool about it.

I looked at their ugly faces and felt nothing at all. My voice came out flat.

No need.

Luke gave a cold snort.

Nanette, my patience has a limit. Throw another tantrum trying to jack up the price and I'll throw you out on the street.

I looked at him, so full of himself, and for the first time I regretted ever curing his depression.

Eva's eyes darted around, and she took a step forward.

Mr. Henson, she's still sore about the wedding day. Let me talk to her.

She leaned in close, and in a voice only the two of us could hear, she said something vicious.

Nanette, that videoI sent it. That grandmother of yours, the one with the heart condition. Did I manage to scare her to death?

Rage shook through my whole bodyshe was the one who'd killed my grandmother.

Without a moment's hesitation, I swung my hand and slapped her hard across the face.

You animal, how dare you!

Eva clutched her cheek and instantly threw herself into Luke's arms, crying.

Mr. Henson, look at herI was only trying to help, and she hit me to blow off steam!

Luke's face darkened at once. Without a second thought, he raised his hand and slapped me back, hard.

The force sent me straight to the ground. My lip split open, and blood beaded at the corner of my mouth.

Eva was only trying to help you, and you dare to hit her!

Beside himself with fury, he grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me toward the basement.

I've clearly spoiled you rotten. You can stay down here and think about what you've done!

He pulled so hard it felt like my scalp was tearing off.

The iron door slammed shut with a clang and locked.

Leaning against the cold wall, I slowly climbed to my feet.

I saved the recording on my phone. Every word Eva had just said, admitting she'd killed my grandmotherI'd caught all of it.

These wretches. I would never let them off.

Then the iron door swung open.

Two days later, Luke came down to the basement again, working it out in his head.

Two days without food, and Nanette would surely cave. For the three years she'd spent at his side, he'd bump it up to three hundred thousand a year and call it done.

But the moment he opened the door, his face changed.

The basement was empty.

His heart lurched for no reason, and his hands and feet trembled beyond his control.

As if something important had left him for good.

He didn't know his depression had never truly healed.

Years ago, his mother's leaving had been one of the things that triggered it.

Nanette's sudden disappearance was like a key, unlocking those buried, painful memories all over again.

Late that night, the villa was dead silent.

Luke lay in bed, turning over and over, unable to sleep. His head ached worse and worse, as if it would split open, and countless painful memories came flooding back.

His father's death, his mother's abandonment, Nanette's leaving...

The depression seized him.

Eyes bloodshot, he lost control and rushed into the living room, snatched the fruit knife off the table, and pressed it to his own wrist, his gaze crimson with madness.

His frenzy made Eva scream, and she cowered in a corner, shaking.

Then Luke rememberedtimes like this before, it had been Nanette who ran to him, heedless of the danger, carefully coaxing him to put the knife down.

And then staying with him patiently through the whole night.

He was like a fish thrown onto a dry riverbed, desperate for me, his one clear spring.

He went searching for Cheryl like a man gone mad, his voice hoarse, carrying a panic and terror he'd never felt before.

Grandmother, where's Nanette? Where did she go? Why isn't she back yet?

Bring her backI'm willing to marry her!

Cheryl shook off his hand, her eyes full of disappointment and ice.

Nanette left long ago. She's gone abroad for graduate studies, and she's never coming back.

Clangthe fruit knife fell to the floor.

Luke's face went white as death.