Chapter 1
When Josiah Hughman’s first love, Brittany Dresler, returned, the first thing she did was make a bet with Priscilla Collins. The agreement stated that if Josiah abandoned Priscilla nine times for Brittany, the former would have to give up the title of “Mrs. Hughman”. Priscilla agreed.
The ninth time, one call from Brittany was all it took for Josiah to leave Priscilla stranded on the highway again. “Celia, something urgent came up. Can you get out of the car here and take a cab home?”
Before she could even answer, he shoved an umbrella into her hands, not caring that it was pouring rain outside or that she was on her period. He did not even ask if she would be okay as he was in too much of a rush to see Brittany.
“Text me when you get home,” he added.
When she saw him punch Brittany’s home address into the GPS, Priscilla’s heart clenched so hard she thought that it might stop. She watched as the sports car sped off, its taillights vanishing into the rain.
The icy wind whipped against her skin, causing her to shiver from the cold. Within seconds, her dress was soaked. Alone in the downpour, she stumbled down the side of the freeway. Her heels tore into her skin, and soon, her feet were raw and bleeding.
Five hours later, Priscilla finally made it to Coastal Villa. Her dress was stained a deep crimson with blood, and she collapsed at the gate. She clutched her aching stomach and gasped for air. The rain blurred her vision, but through the haze, she saw Brittany standing over her with an umbrella, wearing a smug little smile.
Brittany taunted her, saying, “Hurts, doesn’t it? You regret signing that bet with me now, don’t you? You really thought that Josiah would have even a shred of real feelings for you after all these years? You forgot one thing—he’s always loved me. And next to that, whatever he felt for you was nothing.”
Priscilla forced herself up, her face pale but eerily calm. “Nine times. You win. I’ll divorce Josiah.”
With that, she stumbled toward the house. As the rain drizzled around her, the memories she had tried so hard to bury came rushing back with it.
Priscilla and Brittany were college roommates. Back in freshman year, Brittany had thrown a huge birthday bash, and that night was the first time Priscilla ever laid eyes on Josiah. With just one look, she was completely drawn in by his aloof, polished charm that left her breathless and her heart pounding like crazy.
That night, Brittany had introduced him to everyone as her childhood best friend. Then, right before everyone, she announced her new boyfriend—a notorious bad boy on campus who was always skipping class and causing trouble.
Priscilla could still remember Josiah’s expression when he heard the announcement. It was impossible to forget the shock, the hurt, and the way he completely lost his composure. With just a glance, she knew exactly who he was in love with.
Nonetheless, Brittany was always the type to chase thrills. She liked danger and chaos. Her type of men were guys who skipped school, raced cars, and pulled her into sketchy bathrooms to hook up. Josiah, with his good manners and old-money upbringing, was way too stiff for her taste.
She hated how much he tried to control things. Ultimately, she wanted him gone so badly that once she found out that Priscilla had feelings for him, she devised every trick in the book to push them together. She organized casual hangouts and dinners and orchestrated fake coincidences.
Priscilla had watched the whole thing unfold. She saw Josiah go from resisting to feeling humiliated, to eventually giving in and accepting it. By junior year, just as Brittany had planned, Priscilla and Josiah became a couple.
Two years later, Josiah proposed. They had been married for three years since then, living like polite strangers but sharing a warm and peaceful life.
Priscilla had truly believed that they would grow old together, hand in hand. However, that illusion did not last long. One month ago, Brittany returned from abroad and invited her out, just to propose a bet to her.
She said, “Celia, I changed my mind. I want Josh back. You two have been together for nine years, right? Then let’s make a bet. If he chooses me over you nine times, you lose. You’ll need to divorce him and give him back to me.”
Priscilla agreed, almost without thinking. Deep down, she needed to know if there was still a place for Brittany in Josiah’s heart. What followed was a brutal lesson in how willingly Josiah would drop everything for Brittany.
The first time was on their third wedding anniversary. Priscilla had planned an outdoor picnic under the meteor shower, knowing how much he loved astronomy. However, halfway there, he turned the car around the moment Brittany sent a single text, leaving her alone on a windy hilltop all night.
The second time, Priscilla needed an appendectomy. Instead of being there, he rushed off to “rescue” Brittany from some sketchy guys and vanished for a week. Priscilla had to sign her own surgery consent forms. Then, she dragged herself to follow-up appointments, bandage changes, and meals.
The third time, he walked out of her grandmother’s funeral to have a meal with Brittany. With each abandonment, Priscilla’s love for him was drained, little by little, until nothing was left. She had wondered if he still cared for Brittany. But the truth was worse because he had never stopped.
This time, Priscilla knew that she had lost the bet, fair and square. She was ready to own it.
After arriving home, she took a long, hot shower and changed into soft, cozy pajamas. Then, she went to the kitchen and made herself a warm cup of ginger tea. Sipping it slowly, she finally felt alive again.
After that, she pulled out the divorce papers she had prepared after the bet, signed her name at the bottom, and slid them to Brittany. She said, “Here. You can be the one to give it to him.”
Brittany raised a brow, looking slightly surprised. “Why me?”
Priscilla replied, “I don’t want to waste time explaining to him why I’m leaving him. But if it comes from you, he won’t even bother reading it. He’ll just sign the papers.”
Brittany smirked and took the papers as if she were accepting an award. “Don’t feel too bad.” She offered her sympathy, fake niceties dripping from her voice. “Give it a few days, and I’ll introduce you to some hot new guy.”
“Sure,” Priscilla answered without skipping a beat.
However, her quick agreement caught Brittany off guard. She asked, “You’re just letting him go? That fast?”
Priscilla let out a soft laugh, but there was no joy—only a bitter ache. “He’s the only man I’ve ever truly given my heart to. And look how that ended. I gave him nine chances, and every single time, I lost. If I still can’t walk away, I’d be pathetic. From now on, I’m only living for me.”
Just as she finished speaking, the front door swung open. Josiah froze at the sight of Brittany, and he asked, “What are you doing here? I just dropped you at the hospital.”
Brittany did not bother explaining that her sprained ankle had been nothing more than an act. She simply smiled, picked up the papers, and walked over to him. She sweetly said, “I came to see you! I need your signature. Right here.”
Josiah’s eyes never left her as he scribbled his name exactly where she pointed. He only thought to ask what he had just signed after the pen left the paper.
Brittany opened her mouth to answer but paused. A thought flickered across her mind, and she replied smoothly, “It’s a special gift; something Celia and I worked on together. You’ll find out what it is in a month. Don’t worry. You’re going to be very surprised.”
