No Petals Left to Give

I never thought I'd hear from Spencer again.

When his call came, I was stuck in a hospital bed, watching my blood churn through the loops of a dialysis machine.

I ignored most of his calls—too wiped out to care.

When I finally picked up, his voice hit me, sharp and demanding.

"Maya, just help me one last time. We can't let anyone keep attacking Fiona like this."

Before I could even process, Clara yanked the phone out of my hand.

"Help you? Are you kidding me?" she snapped. "You and Fiona deserve every bit of the backlash you're getting! If your perfect little princess can't handle it, maybe she shouldn't have messed with someone else's fiancé! Don't ever call Maya again, Spencer. Go back to Fiona, your precious little train wreck, and leave her alone!"

When I left the hospital, the doctor's words followed me out: treatment would only get more expensive.

But honestly? What was the point?

I decided I wasn't going back.

***

When we got back to Clara's place, Spencer was waiting at the door.

The wedding footage had gone viral. Fiona's behavior at the ceremony had drawn massive backlash.

Spencer's PR team scrambled to file lawsuits to pull it down, but they were too late—the clips had already spread everywhere. They couldn't stop the storm.

The video of Fiona barging in, humiliating me in front of everyone, and Spencer just standing there, doing nothing, hit a nerve. It wasn't just a scandal; it was outright bullying.

Fiona was falling apart under the pressure. And now, Spencer wanted me to fix it.

If I forgave them publicly, the narrative would change. If I, the bride, let it go, what right did anyone else have to keep judging?

Clara was ready to go off on him again, but I stopped her. I stepped forward, meeting his gaze without a shred of emotion.

"What exactly are you asking me to do, Spencer?" I said. "Should I tell everyone I was the other woman? That I forced you into this marriage? That I came between you and Fiona, and now I'm backing out to make room for your true love? Should I take the blame for all of it?"

He hesitated but still answered.

"If you could do that, it'd be for the best."

Clara shoved him, hard, like she couldn't get him away fast enough.

As he turned to leave, he threw one last shot over his shoulder. "Maya, you say you love me, but you can't even accept the person I love? Haven't I done enough for you? Fiona gave me a kidney eight years ago. Five years ago, she was humiliated because of me. And you? What have you ever done for me? You can't even help with this one thing!"

Clara sucked in a sharp breath. "How can someone be this shameless?!"

***

Spencer went all out defending Fiona, making sure everyone saw just how far he'd go for her.

When I finally caved and agreed to help, he turned it into a full-blown spectacle. The press conference was staged like something out of a drama, with cameras flashing so fast it felt like being under a strobe light.

I flinched, raising a hand to block the glare, but Spencer's lawyer shot me a look that made me drop it right back down.

I didn't have a choice.

Clara had just lost her job, out of nowhere.

We'd been harassed by strangers on the street.

Even at home, people I didn't recognize would linger nearby, watching, waiting.

I could let my own life crumble—it wasn't like I had much left to lose. But Clara? I couldn't let her go down with me.

This was Spencer's message: Clara was my weak spot now, and he'd use it.

***

The reporters didn't hold back.

"Miss Lane, the public sympathizes with your situation. Why are you supporting Mr. Saun at this press conference?"

"As a bride whose wedding dress was ripped away while her groom ran to another woman on what should've been the happiest day of her life, do you hate Miss Wore?"

"Users online claim the three of you have been connected since childhood. What caused this dramatic fallout?"

"Please, Miss Lane..."

"Can you comment on..."

"Miss Lane..."

I let their voices blur together until I finally raised a hand, silencing them with a faint smile.

"Let me tell you a story, Maybe it'll give you the answers you're looking for..."