Chapter 2

Watching Julian collect cash from his friends one by one, a cold realization washed over me.

Today was just another bet. Another game to make me look like a fool.

The guys who lost the bet handed over their money, rolling their eyes at me in disgust.

"Maya, do you have any idea how much money I've lost because of you? Get a grip, seriously!"

"We've told you a thousand times, Julian is out of your league. Did you honestly think he'd ever marry you?"

"You've been played like a fiddle at least ten times by now. How do you keep falling for this? You are hopelessly stupid!"

I bit my bottom lip so hard I tasted copper. My nails dug into my palms.

After pocketing the cash, Julian walked over to me. He actually had the nerve to look concerned.

"What's wrong, Maya? Aren't you happy?"

He turned to his friends and barked, "Hey, shut up, you jerks. Today is Maya's birthday. Don't ruin it for her."

Just when I thought a sliver of his humanity had returned, Julian pulled a ten-dollar bill from his pocket and held it out to me.

He grinned. "Thanks to you, I just made two thousand bucks. Here's ten dollars. Go buy yourself a slice of cake. Happy birthday."

His friends roared with laughter again.

"Julian, you're too nice! Watch out, or Maya's going to fall even crazier in love with you!"

"Look at her, she literally wore a wedding dress! She's like a beggar begging for scraps, desperately trying to marry into the Vance family!"

If this were the old me, I would have broken down in tears by now. I would have begged Julian to stop hurting me, to stop treating my heart like a toy.

But this time, I calmly took the ten-dollar bill from his hand.

"Thanks. The copy fee for the marriage certificate is ten dollars, and I didn't bring cash."

Julian froze. Then, he let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

"Maya, did you leave your brain at home today? You're still dreaming about marrying me?"

"Are you blind? I was playing you."

"Honestly, I've seen desperate girls, but you really take the cake."

He shook his head with disgust, looking at me as if I were a piece of trash stuck to his shoe.

Even though I had prepared myself for this, his words still pierced my heart like sharp arrows.

I actually found out about his little bet yesterday.

Someone had commented on my dress photo, saying I only bought it because I was jealous of Julian's new girlfriend, Serena.

The man I had loved for eight years knew exactly how much I adored him. And because of that, he knew exactly how to hurt me the deepest.

He had completely forgotten the promise he made to me when we were younger.

"Maya, if neither of us is married by thirty, let's just get married to each other."

Today, I turned thirty. And I was indeed getting married.

I just hadn't told Julian that my groom wasn't him.