The Childhood Sweetheart Won

The familiar, intimate scent of him turned my stomach, and I instinctively recoiled.

But he paid no attention, his grip like a vise.

He didn't let go until my lip split and I tasted blood.

I slapped him, hard, across the face.

"You're disgusting!"

My whole body was trembling.

Tears I couldn't control streamed down my face.

My shout stunned him, his expression frozen in shock.

"You think I'm disgusting?"

I laughed through my tears.

"You kiss another woman and then you try to kiss me? If that's not disgusting, what is?"

The next second, Callie appeared, dressed in the exclusive, custom Zuhair Murad evening gown that was supposed to have been mine.

"Jeremy, look, this gown is so beautiful. It fits me perfectly, not too big or too small. It's like it was made for me."

I clearly saw a flash of admiration in Jeremy's eyes.

Callie is my height, but she weighs ten pounds less than I do.

In the past, she'd often made subtle and not-so-subtle jabs about my weight.

Jeremy used to remind me that my figure couldn't compare to hers.

When this gown was commissioned, Callie was the one who finalized the details with the brand.

If the dress fit her perfectly, it meant she had ordered it for herself from the start. No wonder it had taken two assistants to wrestle me into it when I'd tried it on.

There was no way Jeremy didn't know.

Even today, when he came to pick up the bride... he wasn't really there for me, was he? He was there for her.

Bile rose in my throat. I hated myself for being so blind.

I looked at the perfectly matched pair in the full-length mirror and clapped slowly.

"A gown always looks best on the right person."

Callie feigned surprise, her eyes instantly welling with tears.

"Sloane, I wasn't trying to steal your gown. I'll go change right now."

Jeremy's gaze never left her.

I grabbed my clothes and headed for the door.

"You two can have the room. Consider it your honeymoon suite."

"Let's go, Callie! Let Sloane cool off by herself!"

Jeremy gripped Callie's hand, and the force of his abrupt turn sent me sprawling to the floor.

He didn't even look back.

Of course, he didn't see the triumphant smirk on Callie's face.