Chapter 1

The day I was supposed to try on my wedding dress with my boyfriend of seven years, I rushed to the bridal boutique, heart racing with excitement. But as soon as I walked in, I froze.

I heard his voice, low and frustrated, talking to his friend.

"You registered your marriage to Anne yesterday, and now you're here taking Kelly Thomas to try on wedding dresses? Aren’t you worried about the mess she’ll cause if she finds out?"

There was a long pause before he answered, his voice rough. "My brother’s dead, and Anne’s pregnant with his child. If I don’t marry her, they’ll have nothing. I have to step up."

The silence was thick before his friend spoke again. “So what about Kelly?”

“I’ll spend my life making it up to her. Just… keep quiet. She can’t ever know about this.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My whole world seemed to collapse in that moment. I didn’t know what to do, but somehow my legs carried me out of the boutique, straight to the hospital to schedule an abortion. If he couldn’t give me and our baby a real family, what was the point in keeping it?

I’d woken up that morning thrilled by the pregnancy test results, eager to share the news with him. But instead, I’d been slapped in the face with a truth I hadn’t even been prepared for. If he was already married to someone else, what did it even mean for us?

I didn’t even have time to process it before the bridal boutique’s designer walked up with a bright smile.

"Miss Thomas, the custom wedding dress Mr. Green designed for you is ready. Would you like to try it on?"

Her words brought me back to the present, and I was forced to swallow down the lump in my throat.

Lennox Green had poured his heart into this wedding. The ring, the dress, everything. He’d designed it all for me, based on my tastes. The engraving inside the ring read, "Love one another, love without doubt."

I’d suggested hiring a designer to take the load off, but he’d refused. "Doing it myself shows how much I care," he’d said. "I want you to look at these things and always think of me."

Everyone had praised him for it—his friends, his family. "You’re going to be a great husband, Lennox! Kelly’s so lucky!"

But now, that “great husband” label felt like a cruel joke.

I steadied myself, trying to push the thoughts aside, and headed to the fitting room where the dress was displayed. That’s when I saw her—Anne Garland.

She turned when she heard the assistant call my name, smiling warmly. “Kelly, you’re here! Come see your beautiful wedding dress!”

Her voice was so friendly, so genuine. She acted like the older sister I’d tried so hard to befriend. Back when Lennox’s brother was still alive, I’d made an effort to be close to Anne—gifting her things, trying to build a bond, thinking she’d be my future sister-in-law.

If I hadn’t overheard that conversation, I would have never imagined Anne would become the wall between me and Lennox.

The words replayed in my head. My gaze fell to her flat stomach.

A sharp bitterness crept up in me. No matter what, Anne had a safety net—a future that was already secured. But me? My child and I were left with nothing.

I turned my attention back to the wedding dress, the smile on my face almost painful. “It really is beautiful. Do you want to try it on?”

Before she could respond, Lennox’s voice rang out, disbelief and anger lacing his tone. “Kelly, what are you saying? This is your wedding dress! You can’t let someone else try it on.”

He stormed over, his eyes full of judgment.

I remained calm, my voice cold. “What’s the big deal? I heard Anne didn’t get to wear a wedding dress when she married your brother. Letting her wear it now might make up for that.”