I Love My Worst

vate gym, punching a sandbag like it owed him blood.

ated

rrang

anipu

as a blur from that cursed ni

now, with the clock ticking and his stepmother tighten

Keziah Brown, he wo

Benetton

at d

n for a final "orientation dinner." Benetton ca

No heels. No makeup. Just arm

elit dining room, she fo

on

. They hadn't spoke

for the first tim

e was t

yes,

ear. Only a quiet, defiant wo

remember me

id no

just another girl

sile

, I w

yes locked with hers.

ft me crying in a suite I didn't belong in? Or the part wh

ed. "You think

are what y

dn't know she picked you.

allowed.

this," he said fla

fists clenched. "Th

like statues bound by cha

id, "Let's m

raised

erfect wife in public. I'll stay out of your way in p

away," sh

"No feelings. No

llusi

s like enemies

dding

ed the second she s

Tre

i

her bruised, nake

ly turne

ad. A thousand judging eyes, most of them rich and bored, waited for the show to begin

ing from a livestrea

ut starting her expe

s no bac

t

t. Mrs. Benetton Jackson stood in the front pew, expression u

flinch when Kez

dn't

't b

he sick twist of fat

tant, ice behind

ding me," Keziah whis

your lines,

spoke like t

asted like ash

d rings they

finger like it was a chain.

kiss th

did

ok hands

s clicked. Somewhere in the

cept the invisible noose t

e car

after was sil

tinted window, scr

lace gown, sat stiff

nally

ew," sh

look up. "

at you did to

barely remember it. And I don't keep track of e

n't pa

were

s hit li

arry you. Not

arriage is a performance. Yo

er fists. "Why

my company and threatened to sell to m

just roll

as you. Don't pretend this is some mora

tunned. "You really are

as naïve a

vor Man

Mansion was

soleum dress

disappeared into his wing without another word while Keziah was shown to her own s

and yanked the veil from her ha

sn't a

a che

as the queen only to

xt mor

the press li

REVOR TIES THE KNO

N? MYSTERY BRIDE S

LOVE OR

attering, some vicious. Keziah's old photos from her diner jo

billionaire gold

ut the

through t

ssed and wen

ack coffee, flipping through the Wall Street J

ragged online,

"Good. Let them u

d. "That's yo

er. "We play our

imple f

, standing. "

Benetton Jackson summo

prunin

es with

ing," the woman said

? Being Grey's hos

a red bloom and

s. Why me? Why

ly looked at h

especially me. I needed someone de

ffened. "D

money, I nee

nd of le

n, voice sof