Chapter 4

On the day of the wedding, the online abuse against me kept coming.

Some of them even found my building and stood outside pounding on the door, hurling insults.

My chest was so heavy I could barely breathe, and my hands wouldn't stop shaking.

My backup medication had always been kept at Darren's place.

With no other choice, I called him.

"Darren, can you bring me the medicine from home?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, then his voice, irritated.

"Olivia, my wedding with Carrie is about to start."

"Every single time she needs my help, you just happen to have an episode."

"How many times are you going to run this same act?"

I was gasping for air in big, ragged breaths.

"I'm not lying to you, Darren, please, just bring me the medicine."

Darren softened his voice.

"I know you're having an episode. But this whole thing started because of you."

"I'm sending you an apology statement. Post it online, and I'll bring the medicine over right away."

A document popped up in the chat.

Darren wanted me to admit I was mentally unstable, that I'd hurt Carrie's brother and then framed them both.

My medicine was custom-made. The specialist treating me was someone Darren had spent a long time begging to take my case.

And now that bottle of pills had become his leverage over me.

I hung up and dialed 911.

I swallowed my emergency pills, forced my body to hold together, and waited until twelve o'clock.

The wedding began. I kept my eyes locked on the video feed.

I'd paid for the venue, which meant I could watch everything happening there.

The surveillance footage of me being dragged and assaulted in the alley, along with the recording of Darren urging me to admit I was mentally ill, all of it went live.

The wedding hall dissolved into chaos.

Carrie collapsed into Darren's arms, crying.

The screen wouldn't shut off, and the records of Carrie's brother stalking and harassing me again and again played across it too.

Darren called. I hung up.

"Olivia, are you trying to completely destroy Carrie and me?!"

"I'm giving you one last chance. Delete all of this and come apologize to Carrie in person."

"Otherwise, forget about ever getting a marriage license with me. Carrie and I will make this fake marriage real!"

After reading the text, I put him straight on my blocked list.

It was time for my flight to Port Haven for treatment.

This time, I was walking out of the deep alley that had trapped me for five years, on my own.

……

The whole wedding turned into a farce, and the guests scattered without a word.

Carrie nearly cried herself unconscious. Darren, unable to contain his fury, drove straight to the building where Olivia lived.

"Olivia, get out here! If you don't apologize to Carrie today, I'm cutting you off for good!"

Darren searched the apartment several times over, but there was no sign of her.

All he found was the engagement ring, sitting on the table.

And pressed beneath it, the torn pieces of their photo together.

"Darren, let's break up."

Once the words registered, Darren stood frozen where he was, stunned.