His Vows and My Silent Exit

"What, still acting like a spoiled princess?" Ethan snorted.

The others echoed his words.

"Yeah, Lily is sticking her neck out for you, and you're ungrateful."

"Why didn't you bite it like your parents? Deadbeats like you are just trouble."

Enraged, I grabbed a wine bottle off the table and chucked it.

My aim sucked. It smashed against the wall, the glass exploding everywhere. The jerk who insulted me and my family went pale and shut up fast.

A shard nicked Lily's face. She screamed as blood beaded on her cheek.

Ethan grabbed my wrist and yelled, "Are you out of your mind? Trying to kill her?"

He had heard that guy's nasty dig about my parents. But instead of comforting me, he flipped out for Lily's scratch.

I guessed that was what true love looked like. I laughed through tears, choking as I snapped at him. "He just trashed my parents. Didn't you hear it? Or do you think I should have died too?"

My shout shut the room up cold. Ethan's lips twitched, but no words came out.

I looked like a wreck, but tears were just weak without a leg to stand on. There were so many people, but not a single person spoke up for me.

Ethan had sworn he would never let me get hurt. Now he demanded I grovel to Lily.

I'd had enough.

He softened his tone. "Come on. Just say sorry to Lily, and you can go."

He used to talk to me like that all the time, saying he loved me, cared about me, and felt for me. But never once had he told me to apologize to someone in front of a crowd.

My heart died, but my gaze went firmer.

"Why should I?" I retorted. "Am I sorry that I got engaged to Ryan, so she could steal him? Or that I don't have her skills, even getting my husband on her side? I'd rather die than apologize to her."

I slammed the door on my way out, not caring how they trashed me after I left.

Back home, I drafted divorce papers and texted my mentor, Lexi Howard.

[Ms. Howard, I'm in for Paris.]

I used to be her star student, and top designers had fought over me for when I was 22, my design snagged an international gold award. That trophy was my ticket.

Back then, I had to give up on that chance because my family crashed. When the second chance came, Ethan married me and killed the idea.

"I don't want us long-distance. What if you fall for someone else out there?" he had said, all sweat.

I had fallen for it, thinking he was crazy about me. Turned out, he just wanted to keep me in sight so that I couldn't cause trouble for Lily.

This time, I wasn't passing it up.

Lexi was pumped, throwing in some advice about women needing careers to stand on their own.

I didn't get it at first. When I did, it stung.

I chatted with her while sorting my credentials, wrapping up when she went to bed.

The door swung open. Ethan stumbled in, reeking of booze.

Supporting him, his friends cringed. "Ethan is drunk. Take care of him."

They bolted probably because of the party blowout.

Ethan used to come home just like that. I'd whip up hangover soup every time.

Not anymore. He wasn't drowning for me after all.

I ignored him sprawled on the couch and started to leave. He grabbed my wrist and mumbled, "Kelly, don't go. You don't know how much I love you."

I stopped cold, knowing drunk words were always true. Maybe he'd fallen for me without knowing it. He always muttered my name when he was wasted.

But then he kept going. "Lily, why did you pick Ryan over me?"

I laughed at myself, bitterness pooling inside me. It was Lily, not Kelly.

Even when we were tangled up together, it was always "Lily" he moaned.

I blamed myself for ever trying to soften. I should have learned my lesson.

I shook off his hand and walked away. From then on, I stopped longing for anyone's care.