Chapter 1
It was only October, but the air in Kleymond already had a sharp cold bite.
Early in the morning, Maeve Reese was still curled up in bed, lost in deep sleep. That was, until her mother, Valda, stormed into the room, her voice cutting through the quiet.
“Maeve, get up! Stop lounging around. You need to get ready–tolay’s the day. You and Jeff are getting your marriage license. Don’t keep him waiting!” Valda urged.
The words “marriage license” hit Maeve like a bucket of ice water She shot up in bed, hesitating for a moment before lowering her gaze. “Mom, I don’t want to marry him,” she mumbed.
“What the hell did you just say?” Valda’s voice spiked with disbelief. “Are you out of your damn mind? Jeff comes from a rich family! Marrying him means you’ll be set for life. Do you know how many girls would kill for this chance, and you’re saying you
don’t want it?”
“He’s screwing around with someone else. There’s no way I’m marrying him,” Maeve said firmly.
Just yesterday, she had brought Jeff some hangover medicine, only to stumble onto the bitter truth. Through a crack in the door, she’d seen him tangled up in bed with another woman.
The sight had shattered the image she had of him, leaving her stunned at how little she truly knew the man she’d almost married.
Maeve had first met Jeff Graves at the hospital, during one of the darkest times in her life–her father was critically ill, and the family couldn’t afford the surgery he desperately needed.
That was when Jeff’s father, Wallace Graves, swooped in to save the day, paying for the operation and even offering Maeve’s dad a job at the Graves family company.
Out of gratitude for the Graves family’s help–and buckling under the pressure from both families–Maeve eventually gave in to Jeff’s advances.
In the beginning, Jeff seemed like the dream guy–sweet, attentive, always there for her. But the moment she refused to take their relationship to a physical level, his attitude flipped.
Jeff grew cold, distant, and downright mean. He’d often called her in the middle of the night, demanding she bring him meds or booze, with zero regard for her feelings or needs.
For the past year, Maeve had felt utterly drained–physically, mentally, and emotionally. Instead of a partner, she felt more like Jeff’s personal maid, doing his bidding without a single thank you.
Last night, Maeve had cried quietly under the covers, hoping that when she opened up to Valda today, her mother would understand and offer some comfort.
But instead, Valda’s reaction was cold and brutal. “The Graves gave us a generous engagement gift, and we’ve already burned through most of it. If you back out now, how are we supposed to come up with the tens of thousands we need for your brother’s tuition?
“Have you ever thought about what this means for your dad and me? What, do you want us to bleed ourselves dry to pay this?” Valda barked.
Maeve stared at her in shock, thinking, ‘I’m the one who’s been betrayed, and all she cares about is the damn money? They didn’t even let me know about the Graves family’s engagement gift at all!‘
“Mom!” Maeve’s frustration boiled over, sharper than ever. “He cheated on me! How can you seriously expect me to go through with this?”
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