Shattered Promises, New Beginnings

both fell for the same woman. Her name was Chloe Da

had loved for years, the man I was going to marry

d. "You' ve had everything handed to you your entire life. Yo

ays been my protector, my closest family sin

l of a strange, righteous pity. "You have so much. Why can' t

hey were explaining simple math. As if my he

ave been one of the happiest of my life.

d friends and family. I stood near the entrance, greeting guests, my stomach twistin

phones, then looking at me with a mix of pity and morbid c

need to s

a account. A picture of her and Liam, on a plane, holding hands.

d. On our en

ces of our guests blurred into a mocking

ght he was too

bably drove him away w

l he' s with? So much

am' s grandmother, Mrs. Hayes. Her eyes, usu

, Ava. And that girl

owned out by a sudden

y. She was wearing a simple white dress, looking pale and fragile

rm protectively around her should

" I asked, my voic

ied to stop him," she sobbed. "I told him he c

, he was packing a bag. I tried to take his keys, and

The social media post. He

with a rage I didn' t know I had. "You post

. "Can' t you see she' s hurt? She came here to warn y

o Chloe' s tear-streaked one. It was a per

have come in behind them. He rushe

as soon as I saw you weren' t

e to hear. "She... she was so angry. She accused me of

t left me breathless. I hadn' t touc

He looked at Chloe' s arm, then

he said, his voic

I could defend myself, he step

head hitting the corner of a marble-topped table with a sic

radling her hand, whispering comforting words. My brother, Ethan, stood over them