You Wanted the Divorce,So Why Are You Begging Me to Stay？

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On the day of our wedding anniversary, I found out I was pregnant.

I slipped through the rain to the private lounge where Daryl was spending the evening, wanting to surprise him.

Outside the door, through the gap left ajar, I heard him talking with his friends about a surprise he had planned for our wedding.

"Josephine still has no idea she's been sleeping with both of us. Every winter, I send my twin brother to take my place with her."

Through the crack in the door, amid the roar of laughter, I caught sight of a man who looked almost identical to Daryl.

"Imagine the look on her face at the wedding when she sees that video of my brother on top of her."

I clutched the pregnancy test results in my hand, ready to storm in and demand to know why he'd done this to me.

But then I heard Daryl's voice again:

"Sarah's career has taken off. Josephine's served her purpose."

"Sure, she lost her family and her career because of me, but I gave her a few good years of the high life. I'd say we're even."

The casual indifference in his tone sent ice through my veins.

A man who had done everything in his power to hurt me for the sake of another woman. I was done with him.

And everything he had stolen from me, I would take back. Every last piece.

Inside the private lounge, the men kept egging each other on.

"Come on, Daryl, you've lost three rounds of dice in a row. You owe us something juicy."

"What's this big surprise you've got planned for Josephine at next week's makeup wedding?"

I stood outside the door, heart brimming with sweetness.

Three years since we'd signed the marriage certificate, and Daryl had been so consumed by work that the wedding kept getting pushed back.

Now I was going to bring our baby along and finally make it complete.

"Ha! Bro, Josephine is such a fool. She has absolutely no clue you've got an identical twin brother!"

"What do you guys think? If she finds out at the wedding that the man keeping her warm every winter was actually me, and then she sees our little bedroom video, will she lose it right there on the spot?"

The laughter inside swelled even louder. My legs buckled, and I nearly collapsed.

I stepped forward, pressed myself against the door frame, and peered through the gap. Beside Daryl sat a man with the exact same face.

Daryl leaned back on the sofa and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Vincent Sanchez, I owe you for these past two years. Your visits made it possible for me to be with Sarah."

The man exhaled a stream of smoke, the haze blurring his features.

"I don't get it, bro. Sarah was your college crush, so why'd you marry Josephine?"

"Even in bed she's boring as hell. I'm so sick of her."

The men who usually greeted me with fawning smiles and called me "Mrs. Sanchez" were now leering and cracking vulgar jokes.

I stood frozen, struck as if by lightning, unable to move, but the fury inside me burned hotter with every second.

I drew a deep breath, gripped the door handle, and steeled myself to charge in and confront Daryl.

Then the words from inside stopped me dead.

"I was only ever with her for Sarah's sake."

At the sound of that name, my fingers tightened around the pregnancy report until the paper crumpled.

There was a tenderness in Daryl's voice I had never once heard before.

"Sarah went abroad right after college to chase her dream of becoming a jewelry designer. By the time I wanted to go find her, she'd gotten married."

"Later, when the International Jewelry Design Competition came around, Sarah was so anxious about Josephine entering the same contest that she couldn't sleep. It broke my heart. I knew I had to help her."

Gasps of admiration erupted around the room, everyone praising his devotion.

I stood outside the door, and the memory of that accident years ago crashed over me. Cold sweat soaked through the back of my dress.

The man on the sofa wore an expression of pride and tender indulgence.

"None of you would ever guess. I personally planned Josephine's car accident so she'd miss the competition. Sarah sailed to victory using the designs I gave her."

"Josephine's so stupid. She even saw the winning piece afterward and said it looked familiar, but she never figured out I'd stolen her work."

"The only regret is that I accidentally killed her parents too. After that, I couldn't leverage their connections in the jewelry world anymore."

The last shred of hope inside me shattered.

I felt the blood in my body turn to ice. I couldn't breathe.

After the accident, my hands were so badly injured that I gave up my dream of being a jewelry designer entirely. The trauma left me with severe psychological damage.

And all of it, every single piece of it, had been orchestrated by the man I loved most.

Fat tears fell from my eyes. I couldn't accept that any of this was real.

The voices inside the lounge continued:

"So, Daryl, how come you didn't go abroad this winter?"

At the mention of it, warmth spread across Daryl's face.

"Sarah's divorced now. She's coming back to the country soon. From here on out, I can be with her whenever I want."

"And what about Josephine? If you're tired of her, Daryl, how about you let us have a go?"

Another round of laughter.

"Enough." Daryl cut them off. "After the wedding, I'll give her a generous settlement. That should square things."

"Bro, don't tell me you've actually gone soft on her?"

I stared at that man through the gap, unblinking.

"What about you?" Daryl turned to Vincent. "You've been sleeping with her every winter for three years. Don't tell me you caught feelings."

Vincent shook his head without a moment's hesitation.

"What are you talking about? I'm so over it. She keeps asking me when we're having the wedding. Drives me insane."

"Good thing I'm leaving the country tomorrow. Never have to see her again."

Daryl let out a derisive laugh, his face settling into a coldness I had never seen before.

"Good. The money I'm giving her is just to keep her from clinging to me and Sarah. I don't want her ruining Sarah's mood."

"Since the wedding was her idea in the first place, I might as well make the surprise extra special."

"One week from now, I'm going to destroy her reputation at that wedding. And then I'm going to propose to Sarah."

I don't remember how I made it away from that door.

When I came to my senses, I had already crashed into someone. Expensive whiskey splashed across my clothes, leaving me a mess.

I kept my head down, stammered an apology, and fled before the person could say a word.

The winter rain hammered against my skin. I felt none of it. The voices from that room echoed on and on inside my skull.

For the past two years, Daryl had taken me abroad for treatment, accompanied me on trips to lift my spirits.

Even when he was clearly exhausted, he would smile and reassure me:

"Josephine, as long as you're okay, I'm okay."

But now I understood. All of it had been nothing more than a tool to keep me useful.

The rain fell harder. The bone-deep cold jolted me fully awake.

At that wedding in one week, the ones left in ruins would be the Sanchez family.

I got into my car, pulled out my phone, and did three things in rapid succession:

I scheduled a termination procedure, hired someone to uncover the truth behind that car accident years ago, and accepted the collaboration offer from the luxury jewelry brand Bellerose.

The moment I finished, a notification popped up on my social media: someone had followed me.

Along with it came several direct messages:

Mrs. Sanchez, I know today is your anniversary with Daryl. I told him he didn't need to come pick me up, but he insisted. So I can only tell you this way: what we have is a pure friendship between a man and a woman. Nothing more.

At the end, she'd sent a cat sticker, the same one Daryl always used.

It was Sarah Simmons.

I tapped into her profile, and it all clicked. The cat Daryl was so fond of was a birthday gift he'd given her.

A message from Daryl arrived on my phone:

Babe, sorry, something came up with an important client. I'll make the anniversary up to you later.

I let out a bitter laugh and didn't bother replying.

When I got home, the housekeeper greeted me at the door.

"Ma'am, the food's gone cold. Would you like me to reheat it?"

"Even the best dishes don't taste the same after reheating. Throw it all out."

Ignoring the housekeeper's startled expression, I turned and went upstairs to wash up and rest.

I didn't sleep well that night.

In the haze of half-sleep, the scent of roses drifted to my nose.

My heart ached. I pulled away from Daryl's embrace.

"Josephine, what's wrong?"

"You've been coming home later and later." My throat tightened. "Daryl, is work really that busy?"

Daryl sat up and pulled off his shirt. The marks on his neck and shoulder, unmistakably intimate, stung my eyes.

"I know you've got a lot on your plate with the wedding planning, and it's easy to overthink. But trust me, okay?"

I bit down hard on my lip, rolled over with my back to him, and said nothing.

After a long silence, a delicate, glittering bracelet dangled before my eyes.

"Are you angry?"

Sensing something was off, Daryl leaned in, wrapped his arms around me, and pressed a soft kiss to my temple.

"I had your anniversary gift ready ages ago. Try it on?"

He clasped the bracelet around my wrist.

His warm breath brushed against my neck and shoulder. I looked down at the bracelet, and tears blurred my vision before I could stop them.

In Sarah's latest social media post, she was wearing the full jewelry set from this exact brand.

This bracelet was nothing more than a freebie, a gift-with-purchase thrown in after a thirty-million-dollar spending spree.

So that was what I was worth to Daryl.

And there was something else. When my mother died, the force of the crash had caused her bracelet to sever her wrist completely.

Even now, bracelets still cast a shadow over my heart.

"Josephine, you're so beautiful."

Daryl's thumb traced circles on my wrist, and his other hand moved to slide my robe off my shoulder.

I turned away, my voice flat.

"I think my period came early. I've been too tired lately."

He opened his mouth to say something, but his phone rang at just the right moment.

Within minutes, he'd changed his clothes and was heading for the door.

"Something urgent came up. I'll explain everything later, Josephine."

Seeing my silence, he paused mid-step and added:

"Tomorrow I'll go with you to try on wedding dresses. Consider it making up for our anniversary."

"I've also got a surprise for you."

The word "surprise" struck me like a bolt of lightning.

I forced a smile. "Okay. Sounds good."

The room fell silent again.

I buried my face in the pillow and let the tears soak through.

All those years of love had been nothing but a lie from start to finish.

And I was only seeing it now.

When I lifted my head, I unclasped the bracelet and tossed it into the trash.

A notification lit up my phone: my appointment with a divorce attorney had been confirmed.

The name of the law firm struck me as oddly familiar, but I couldn't place it no matter how hard I tried.

A flicker of unease passed through me, but given that this firm was the best in the city for divorce cases, I dismissed the thought of switching.

The next morning, I was woken by commotion downstairs.

From the hallway landing, I looked down to see Daryl on the sofa with his arm around Sarah, his face soft with adoration.

Sarah was directing a row of models to parade outfit after outfit while a sales associate stood by, awaiting her orders.

When she saw me coming down the stairs, she leaned closer to Daryl, pressing herself tighter against him.

"You must be his wife? I'm sorry for moving in without asking. I barely slept all night worrying about it. You don't mind, do you?"

She wrung her hands, looking up at me with wide, anxious eyes.

I smiled faintly.

"You've already made yourself at home and called in a personal shopping team. Do you really still need my permission?"

Daryl cleared his throat and was about to speak when someone who looked exactly like him walked in from outside.

"Josephine, don't get the wrong idea."

"Let me formally introduce you. The one sitting with Sarah is my twin brother, Vincent. He's the surprise I mentioned last night."

The three of them exchanged a glance and broke into laughter.

I stood rooted to the spot, feeling like a complete fool.

That night at the lounge, Daryl had told everyone how to tell the brothers apart.

Vincent had a tiny mole at his hairline, nearly invisible unless you looked closely. Daryl didn't.

So I knew with absolute certainty: the man sitting with Sarah right now was Daryl.

"Vincent is the most important family I have. His work was classified, so he couldn't appear publicly before. That's the only reason I never told you."

Vincent stepped forward and took my hand.

"And Sarah is like a sister to us. She just got back to the country and hasn't found a place yet. She's staying with us temporarily. You won't be upset, will you?"

All three of them performed flawlessly.

I swallowed the nausea rising in my stomach and forced a smile.

"Of course not. She can stay as long as she likes."

Sarah's smile turned smug. She finished picking out her clothes and began ordering the staff around to rearrange the house, every inch the lady of the manor.

The Sanchez brothers hovered around her, catering to her every need, as if I didn't exist.

Right on cue, my attorney sent a message: the divorce papers were ready.

I slipped back to my room to review them. When I stepped out again, the staff were carrying armfuls of my old design sketches out of the house.

"What's going on?"

"Ma'am, Ms. Simmons liked your old study. Mr. Sanchez ordered us to clear out all the clutter before he left to see Mr. Vincent off."

Clutter.

I stood there, stunned, and tears fell before I could stop them.

Every sheet of paper in that study was the product of countless sleepless nights.

More than that, everything my parents had left me was stored in there.

That room held all my memories of them, and everything I'd once been.

But to Daryl, it was all just clutter.

Out in the courtyard, flames leaped high in the burn barrel. Sarah picked up my parents' framed photograph and hurled it to the ground.

"Are there more of these morbid things in the house? Get them all out. I want everything burned."

My heart splintered along with the glass of that frame.

"Sarah Simmons! You have no right to touch my things!"

I wiped my tears and rushed over, snatching the photo from her hands.

"You live in Daryl's house, you spend Daryl's money. Everything in here belongs to him." She stepped closer. "As long as he allows it, who are you to say no? Give it back!"

I shielded the photo against my body and twisted away from her reach.

Sarah glared at me with pure venom, but the corner of her mouth curled into a vicious smile.

"Ahh!"

A sudden flare from the burn barrel scorched her arm, and she cried out in pain.

"I really didn't mean to touch your things! I already apologized! Do you have to shove me into the fire before you're satisfied?"

"Sarah!"

Daryl came rushing over, pulled Sarah into his arms, and slapped me hard across the face.

"Josephine! Have you lost your mind? Do you have any idea what you just did?"

The burning sting on my cheek confirmed that all of this was real.

"I didn't push her. She was burning my old design sketches and about to destroy my father's photograph."

"Daryl, don't I even have the right to be angry in this house?"

A second slap landed on my face.

Then the photo was ripped from my hands and tossed into the flames.

"Your hands are useless anyway. The sketches are gone, so what? Consider it supporting Sarah's career."

"And the photo? I'm the one who told Sarah she could get rid of it. They're dead. What's the point of keeping a memento? You just wanted to bring bad luck down on Sarah!"

"All this over something so small, and you still won't admit you attacked her. Josephine, you're a vicious woman! Apologize to Sarah. Now!"

The taste of blood spread through my mouth. I stared at the man raging in front of me, tears blurring everything.

After a long moment, my shoulders dropped, and I burst into laughter.

"Daryl Sanchez, don't you ever expect me to apologize to that woman!"

"You!"

Daryl was so furious he could barely form words. His hand rose again, but when his eyes met my shattered gaze, a flicker of guilt crossed his face.

"Josephine, you've been too spoiled." He lowered his hand and turned to the bodyguard nearby. "Take her to her room. She can stay there and think about what she's done until she's ready to apologize."

He scooped Sarah into his arms and drove away without a backward glance.

In the bedroom, I packed my bags while the staff gossiped in the hallway outside.

"Honestly, she doesn't know what's good for her. Picking fights with Ms. Simmons when everyone knows she's his first love."

"Did you hear? Every top specialist in the hospital was summoned to the VIP ward just for a minor burn on Ms. Simmons's arm. No one can compete with that kind of devotion."

"Everyone in this house knows it was Mr. Sanchez sitting with Ms. Simmons on the sofa this morning. She's the only one who's been kept in the dark all these years. And last night, the noise coming from their room was something else. But then again, can you blame him? She's so dull. What man could stand it?"

I gripped the hem of my sleeve until my knuckles ached. Darkness filled the room before the door finally opened.

"Do you really have to be this stubborn?"

Daryl walked in, picked up a cotton swab, and began dabbing at my wounds.

"Josephine, Sarah is like a sister to me. You'll always be Mrs. Sanchez. All you have to do is go apologize."

When I just sat there with my eyes lowered, saying nothing, he lost his patience.

"So you're just going to give me the silent treatment? Fine. Then don't speak for the rest of your life! Stay in here! And forget about the wedding!"

The thought of the wedding, the thought of what came next, loosened my tongue.

"I'll clear out whatever's left in the study."

"And the last piece of property my parents left me is a plot of land. Since you want to support Ms. Simmons's career, it'll be useful for building a jewelry gallery and retail center."

I produced the divorce agreement and flipped to the last page.

"I've already reviewed the transfer documents. Just sign here, and I'll have my attorney handle the title transfer."

Daryl looked puzzled. He'd been trying to get his hands on that land for years, and I had never budged.

"Daryl, let's go ahead with the wedding as planned." I smiled lightly. "Once the ceremony's done, I'll officially have a new identity. It's time to let go of the past."

"I'm glad you've come around, Josephine." He signed without reading a single line. "Sarah's already forgiven you. The burn was nothing serious. Tomorrow I'll take you to try on dresses, I promise."

"Okay."

I tucked the divorce agreement away, keeping my voice bright.

"After the dress fitting, I'd like to go home for a few days and visit my parents. It's been a while."

The termination was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. I couldn't miss it.

"Want me to come with you?"

"No, I'll be fine on my own. Ms. Simmons needs you more right now."

Daryl took in my gentle, considerate smile and left, satisfied.

I spent the rest of the afternoon clearing out the study.

"Why did you take down all our photos from the wall?"

Daryl came to call me for dinner. Seeing the bare room, displeasure flickered across his face.

"Sarah's only borrowing the space for a while. She'll give it back soon. You didn't have to strip it this clean."

"A workspace should feel like a workspace. The photos didn't belong. I've put them away separately."

I answered calmly, my hands never pausing as I erased every trace of myself from the room.

"Fine. But stop for now." He carried a box out for me. "Come eat. I had the kitchen make your favorites tonight."

He walked back over, reaching out to ruffle my hair.

I stepped aside and gave him a soft smile.

"I'm all dusty. Go ahead and start without me. I'll be right down."

"I'll wait for you."

At the dinner table, Sarah had taken my seat. She raised a glass to Daryl.

"Daryl, thanks to the hundred million you invested, my personal jewelry brand is officially off the ground. I'd say our relationship just leveled up!"

They clinked glasses and celebrated, looking every bit the loving couple.

I kept my head down, chewing food that tasted like cardboard.

"I heard you used to be quite talented in jewelry design yourself. How come you never continued?"

Sarah's smile was pure provocation. Daryl answered blandly:

"She just doodled for fun. Nothing like what you do."

"I see. Well, at least she's lucky she found you. Set for life without lifting a finger."

I set down my chopsticks, my gaze cold and level.

"You really do envy me, don't you."

"I didn't mean anything by it. Please don't misunderstand me the way you did this morning." Sarah instantly switched to her wounded expression. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken out of turn."

"Sarah, you didn't do anything wrong. You don't need to apologize."

Daryl's face darkened, but when his eyes caught the cut on my lip, he softened his tone.

"Josephine, watch how you talk to her. Sarah's sensitive. Stop scaring her."

"Of course. I only meant that I hope Ms. Simmons finds someone as wonderful as you someday." I paused. "As for her career, I wish her every success. At the very least, I hope she doesn't end up like me, losing everything to one accident."

The table went silent.

After my rehabilitation from the crash, the Sanchez Group had first begun planning its expansion into the jewelry industry. I had prepared a detailed proposal, hoping to secure investment.

Daryl blocked every attempt.

I refused to give up. I submitted my work everywhere, only to be turned away every time, for the same reason:

"Mr. Sanchez already had a word with us. Please don't put us in a difficult position, Mrs. Sanchez."

Countless arguments, and every single time, I gave in because I loved him. I chose to sacrifice myself.

Never again.

"Let's leave the past in the past." Daryl cleared his throat. "Sarah, don't take it to heart."

Sarah bit her lip. Every glance she threw my way was laced with jealousy and resentment.

I paid her no mind. After dinner, as I headed upstairs, she caught up to me from behind.

"What a clever move, playing the victim in a few sentences and making Daryl go soft on you."

I had no interest in engaging her. I moved to walk around her, but she blocked my path.

"You don't know this, but the first night I moved in, Daryl and I went at it all night. We tried every position there is. He said I'm far more uninhibited than you."

"We overslept because of it. When he saw you that morning he panicked a little, but then Vincent stepped in and claimed he was Daryl, covering for us right in front of your face. You should have seen your expression. It was hilarious."

She covered her mouth, laughing, her face dripping with contempt.

"Does being the other woman really make you that proud?"

I couldn't help but scoff, holding her gaze without flinching.

"What makes you so sure I didn't recognize exactly who was sitting next to you?"

"You!"

Sarah choked on her own fury. She stepped forward as if to close the distance, but I clasped my hands behind my back and climbed two steps higher.

"What, going to pull the same trick again? Frame me for pushing you down the stairs? Is that the only move in your playbook?"

"I'll let this go for now, Josephine."

Her scheme exposed, her face twisted with rage.

"But let me tell you something. Daryl only has eyes for me. Tomorrow, I'm going to make sure you see that once and for all."

The overhead light caught the glass of water in my hand, casting a wavering glow, as illusory as the love I'd believed in.

I shook my head with a rueful smile and turned away.

The next morning, I finished getting ready and found an outfit already laid out for me.

"I looked up what to wear for a dress fitting and picked something easy to change in and out of. I also packed everything you might need."

Daryl opened the bag he always prepared for me and showed me each item one by one.

Nothing was missing. He'd even remembered my preferred unscented wet wipes.

My nose stung, and something in my chest softened.

He wasn't the type to notice details. But over the years, his attentiveness toward me had been beyond reproach.

Daryl Sanchez did love me. Didn't he?

"Okay. Let me finish up and I'll be right down."

I took the bag, turned, and smiled at him.

In the courtyard, I was about to open the passenger door when the window rolled down.

"Good morning! I need a gown for my jewelry launch event coming up, so Daryl's bringing me along to the shop. He said you don't really have any friends, so I can help you pick out a wedding dress while I'm at it."

"I get carsick and can't sit in the back, so Daryl offered me the front seat. Don't read too much into it, okay?"

She watched me with amusement, clearly savoring the anticipation of my reaction.

I looked over at Daryl in the driver's seat. He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Josephine, you know how miserable carsickness can be. Sarah gets it worse than you do, so just bear with it this once. It's a short drive."

So he did know. That I got carsick too.

The tenderness that had just begun to sprout in my chest, I strangled it on the spot.

"Since the front seat is taken, it wouldn't be right for me to insist."

I smiled, warm and accommodating, not a trace of disgust or anger showing.

"But I'm also not willing to sit in the back. I'll take a cab."

Daryl blinked, about to say something, but Sarah tugged at his arm with a pout.

"Daryl, Vincent just texted. He wants to meet us for lunch. Let's go!"

Through the window, past Sarah, he gave me one long look, then pulled away.

I hailed a car quickly and arrived at the bridal shop at the same time they did.

Outside the fitting room, Daryl sat on a sofa, flipping through a magazine.

Sarah dragged him over to the rack of wedding gowns, clinging to his arm and pointing at one dress after another.

"Daryl, what do you think? Would I look good in this one?"

Before he could answer, a sales associate hurried over with an eager smile.

"Mrs. Sanchez, with your complexion and figure, you and Mr. Sanchez are a match made in heaven. This silhouette would be perfect on you. Would you like to try it?"

Sarah pressed her lips together in a coy smile. Daryl didn't correct anyone. He simply had the dress taken down.

She was about to step into the fitting room when she suddenly gasped, covering her mouth.

"Oh! Josephine, I'm so sorry. You're the bride. You should try on dresses first."

"Daryl, honestly, I got so carried away that I forgot, and you didn't stop me or pay your own bride any attention!"

She swatted his chest with playful indignation. The staff exchanged awkward glances.

Only then did Daryl turn to look at me.

"Have you found one you like?"

I picked a simple, understated gown. Sarah snatched it from my hands and looked it over.

"I'm not trying to insult your taste, but this design is completely outdated. It won't hold up to the occasion at all. You'd embarrass Daryl."

She turned and lifted her chin toward him. "Don't you agree?"

"Absolutely." Daryl nodded, indulgent as ever. "Josephine, you don't have Sarah's eye. She can spot the right fit in an instant."

"Sarah, go ahead and try on the wedding dress. If you like it, I'll buy it for you."

I sat on the sofa, watching the two of them act like they were the ones getting married, and let out a bitter laugh.

Only after Sarah pulled the fitting room curtain shut did Daryl finally spare me a glance.

"Josephine, go look around on your own. I've been staring at dresses so long my eyes are glazing over. I need a break."

A message arrived on my phone just then, and I used it as an excuse to slip behind the fitting rooms.

It was about the car accident from years ago.

The scant remaining evidence all pointed to both Daryl and Sarah.

Hatred flooded through me, so thick I could barely see straight.

From the fitting room ahead came the muffled sounds of a man's labored breathing and a woman's soft moan.

I buried my emotions and walked back to the sofa.

Vincent was sitting there.

"Josephine, found anything you like?" He slipped into his impersonation of Daryl without missing a beat. "Vincent just texted asking me to pick something up for him. Sarah's still trying on dresses, so I need to stay. If you're done, could you run over for me?"

"Is this fun for you?"

I met his slightly furrowed brow with an icy stare.

"Does lying to me like this amuse you?"

Vincent opened his mouth, momentarily unsure what exactly I was referring to.

A laugh started low in my throat, then grew and grew until it shook my whole body. Tears streamed down my face.

"Sarah makes a lovely bride. Congratulations to you all!"

I screamed the words and stormed out of the bridal shop.

The grief of my parents' murder, the fury of years of deception. I couldn't think about anything else. I just wanted to grab my bags and leave.

"Josephine! What are you throwing a fit about now?"

I had barely gotten into a car when a hand seized my wrist.

Daryl had caught up somehow, his face contorted with the irritation of a man whose good time had been interrupted.

"Don't forget how hard you begged for this wedding. If you want to humiliate yourself, fine, but don't drag the Sanchez name down with you!"

"Think about your late parents' reputation, at least."

Sarah linked her arm through mine, feigning concern.

I looked from one face to the next. All I saw was hypocrisy and absurdity.

As I struggled to break free, a car came hurtling toward us, out of control. Sarah froze in its path.

Daryl reacted instantly, grabbing her and pulling her aside, but an ornament on Sarah's outfit had snagged on my clothes, locking us together.

I twisted frantically to dodge. I was almost clear when Daryl shoved me away with all his strength.

Sarah and Daryl tumbled to safety. I was hit full-on and sent flying.

When I opened my eyes again, the smell of antiseptic filled my nose.

"How are you feeling?"

The familiar voice made my eyes snap wide open.

I never expected to see Brandon Delgado again in this lifetime.

"Don't be alarmed. Your divorce case was assigned to my firm. The original attorney had an accident, so all his cases were transferred to me."

The pain wracking my body left no room to process this. My hand drifted instinctively to my stomach.

"Your baby... didn't make it." Brandon's voice was strained, reluctant. "Josephine, I used to hate you so much. I told myself that if your life fell apart, I'd be glad. But now, why does it hurt like this?"

Two lines of tears slid into the pillow. The fluorescent light above me no longer seemed harsh.

I had dreamed so many times of having a child with Daryl, of becoming a happy family of three. But that was only ever my dream.

This poor child didn't even get a proper farewell.

Outside the room, the nurses' admiring chatter drifted in.

"Mr. Sanchez truly loves his wife. He threw himself in front of a car for her, and even a scrape on her skin sends him into a panic."

"Absolutely. I heard they're so in love, and there's some woman named Manning who keeps trying to come between them."

"Keep your voice down. The one in there might actually be the other woman. She was causing a scene at the bridal shop."

A hollow smile crossed my lips. I looked up at Brandon, his dark, steady eyes.

"Brandon, just this once, take me out of here. As my attorney."

"Okay."

The day I left, I arranged a package for Daryl, timed to arrive on his wedding day. Then I destroyed my SIM card.

It was time to settle every debt with the Sanchez family.