Chapter 3

I laughed out loud. "Tyler, please tell me you're not about to ask me to let her live here and give her my dress."

He opened his mouth. Before a word came out, his eyes went wide. I'd grabbed the scissors off the table and cut the dress right down the middle.

Scraps of lace fell to the floor. "I'd rather wreck my own things than let garbage like her touch them."

Chloe shrieked and burrowed deeper into his arms. "She's crazy, Ty-baby! She's lost her mind!"

Tyler stared at the ruined dress, then at me, like he'd never seen me before.

"Viv! It's just a dress! Fine, don't give it to her, but you didn't have to rip it to shreds! What are you gonna get married in now?"

"Don't worry about it," I said. "The Kanes are having a new one made for me."

He went stiff. "The Kanes? As in Dominic Kane? The Dominic Kane?"

Shock flashed in his eyes. Then he sneered. "Viv, everyone knows the one thing Dominic hates most is..."

He gave me a long look and didn't finish. He didn't have to.

I used to hide my real face because I wanted someone to love me for me, not my looks. Right now, I just didn't feel like arguing.

I pulled out a makeup wipe. One swipe, and I could shut him up for good and walk out.

Tyler waved me off. "Oh, come on. What's that for? Scrub all you want, it's not gonna change your face—"

My phone rang. I put it on speaker.

It was Hughes, the Kane family butler. His voice came through polite and clear. "Miss Ashford, the madam has picked a date. The wedding will be in three days."

The call ended. The room went dead quiet.

Tyler's face turned white as a sheet.

"No way. Why would the Kanes ever..." Tyler shook his head, panic all over his face.

"She's lying, Ty-baby!" Chloe jumped in. "The Kanes would never! She's just mad you left the wedding, so she paid some people to put on a show and scare you!"

Tyler looked at my face, my disguised face, for a moment, and the doubt in his eyes was gone almost instantly.

"Enough, Viv. I get that you're upset I left for Chloe, but you don't joke about marriage. Dominic..."

He glanced at my face again and clenched his jaw. "Dominic cares a lot about looks. Why would a guy like that marry you? Just admit you made it up and say sorry, and I can still—"

"Still what?" I cut in. "Still keep me as your backup? Keep me waiting around until you get bored of your first love and come crawling back?

"What do you think I am, Tyler? Some pathetic girl who'll fall apart without you?"

He had nothing to say. His face went through every shade of angry.

Chloe leaned into him like she might faint. "Let's just go, Ty-baby. Us being here is only making her angrier.

"She's too upset to think straight. Once she calms down, she'll figure out who actually cares about her."

While she said it, she made sure to shoot me a smug little look.

That was all the excuse Tyler needed. He let out a heavy breath. "I'll give you some time to cool off, Viv. Call me when you've thought it through."

Then he put his arm around Chloe and walked out without looking back.

The funny thing was, the doorbell rang just minutes after they left.

Hughes stood outside with two assistants and a huge white box.

I lifted the lid. Inside was a custom wedding gown from a world-famous designer, with diamonds sewn all over it. They caught the light every time I moved.