The Christmas He Lost Her

Leon leaned against my shoulder and scoffed.

"I knew you were just playing hard to get. If you really don't care, why are you crying?"

I said nothing. Just turned off my phone.

"I was just thinking... the way I used to act was like a madwoman."

Looking back at those hysterical five years, I barely recognized the person I'd been.

Leon grabbed my chin and turned my face toward him. Then he kissed away my tears, rough, almost like punishment.

"Now you finally get how much you've embarrassed me all these years."

His breathing grew heavier.

Then Chloe's voice called from outside the door.

Something sharp flashed in Leon's eyes.

"How about the three of us... together?"

My expression froze.

Like the moment had soured, he brushed his thumb across my lips.

"Wynne, being my wife isn't the same as being the Wronski family's heiress. You need to be a bigger person. Behave a little better, and next year I'll take you to my family's estate for Christmas with my parents."

I dropped my gaze and watched him leave—Chloe already tucked in his arms.

But there wouldn't be a next year for us.

I met Leon my freshman year of college. We dated four years.

He was the most popular guy on campus. Love letters never stopped.

Leon never shut them down. He'd just smile and say he liked watching me get jealous.

Somehow, over those four years, I turned into someone insecure.

Like a trapped animal guarding its turf—teeth bared at the swarm of girls circling him.

I couldn't stop myself from grabbing onto something.

So on graduation day, I proposed to Leon.

He lit a cigarette first. "Wynne, I'm not done having fun yet. If we get married, you can still be my wife. But can you live with me keeping mistresses?"

I thought he was joking.

Six days into our marriage, I walked in and found him in bed with another woman.

Leon didn't even pause. He saw me—and just kept going.

Something in me snapped.

I went full psycho and trashed the whole house.

The girl got scared so bad she landed in the hospital, and Leon and I made front-page headlines.

After that, Leon came up with the Christmas draw. His brilliant idea to make me "behave."

Bernard made a bet with me. If Leon didn't take me to his family estate within five years, Bernard would come drag me back to Solmierz.

I took the bet without blinking. Easy win, right?

First year, the winner was some random spa girl.

And Leon actually took her to the Fabian estate.

Me? Locked out.

My hands froze until they blistered. I walked down the mountain all night before I finally made it home.

Second year, the winner was some country girl.

In the family photo Leon posted, she stood right in the center.

I sat in front of the cold Christmas Eve dinner, crying until my chest hurt.

After that, I got desperate. Praying day and night, begging for the winning lot.

Third year. Fourth year...

Now the fifth. The last one.

Still not me.

By then, I'd basically turned into Nowevik's favorite gossip story.

Fine. Whatever.

I didn't want to be a Fabian anymore anyway.

[Bernard, come get me early. The Christmas Eve dinner in Nowevik... yeah, I never got used to them.]