Chapter 4

He took my wedding plan and set to work, thrilled, building the wedding he was throwing for Zelda Pruitt.

Pink roses covered the entire hall.

Balloons pumped full of hydrogen bobbed overhead, trailing rainbow stars, like a fairy tale come to life. Exactly the wedding I had once dreamed of, down to the last detail.

Reuben's buddies were teasing him.

"Not bad, man. Didn't know you had a romantic streak in you."

"You never put this kind of effort in for your wife. Aren't you afraid she'll get mad and walk?"

Reuben slid one hand into his pocket and gave a soft laugh.

"I can't give Zelda a title, so of course I have to give her the best wedding."

"As for Rachel, she's been with me eight years. She stuck it out through the poorest days. Now that things are good, and she's the age she is, she's not going to nitpick over this."

So he was certain I would never leave. That was why he trampled my heart without a shred of hesitation.

It took him a while to notice me standing behind him.

He came toward me with a smile, striding over, not the least bit embarrassed at being overheard.

"Tomorrow at the wedding, I want you to officiate."

I shook off his hand as he reached for mine, my voice shaking. "You two are the ones getting married. Why am I the one officiating?"

Reuben spread his hands, his tone as ordinary as anything. "Because you don't cost money. Hire someone out there and it's three, five thousand at least. You studied this stuff, didn't you? It's no trouble for you."

He lowered his head, scrolled through his phone, then added:

"Oh, and you don't need to bother getting a dress. There's a dress in the closet left over from the last wedding. Just make do with that."

His words landed like a slap across my face.

I looked at him and couldn't get a single word out.

So in his eyes, my profession, my dignity, could all be converted into cash.

But with Zelda, the seven-figure ring, the sky full of fireworks, he swiped his card without so much as a blink.

Reuben, you can total up every dollar between us. So tell me, can you total up our eight years?

Three years later, I stood at a wedding once again, only this time I was officiating the marriage of my own husband to another woman.

Truly laughable.

Zelda wore a crown and a couture gown, and on Reuben's arm she came slowly forward to the front.

In front of everyone, they were a perfect, happy couple, and I was just the free officiant standing beside them.

I gripped the microphone tight and gritted my teeth as I walked the guests through every step of the ceremony.

Down to the very last one, the groom kissing the bride.

Zelda leaned toward me and smiled, low. "No wonder Reuben only ever gave you the bill when he sent a gift. You two really suit each other."

"This gown of mine is a global limited edition, the only one in the world. He said I deserve the best."

With that, she smiled and walked to Reuben, tipping her head back to look up at him.

Reuben didn't spare me so much as a glance. He cupped the back of her head with one hand and kissed her deeply.

The string that had been pulled tight inside me finally snapped clean through.

I slid the divorce papers into a document envelope, handed it to his brother, and fled.

But this time not a single tear fell.

When the wedding was over, Zelda hung on Reuben's arm and went table to table toasting, basking in everyone's blessings.

Only then did he seem to remember me, his eyes sweeping the hall over and over, never finding me.

Even after the crowd had scattered, he still hadn't gotten a word from me.

He was about to call me when his brother handed him the envelope.

"Your wife left this. Said it's your wedding gift."

Uneasy, Reuben took the envelope and tore it open.

The words DIVORCE AGREEMENT stared up at him.