I asked Sebastian Lancaster to marry me 99 times before he finally said yes.

I got all dressed up and waited outside the city hall from morning to night.

Then he texted: "I'm helping Clara get her puppy a license. We'll pick another day."

Minutes later, Clara Beaumont posted on her Instagram.

"Someone is always there whenever I need. Just wondering, if I call him on his wedding day, will he ditch the bride and come to me?"

And his reply was just one word: "Yes."

I stared at that word until it went blurry, and suddenly it all felt like a bad joke.

I pulled a number from my notes and dialed it calmly.

"Still wanna marry me? The city hall is open for another thirty minutes. Are you coming?"

Dewayne Frederick on the line seemed stunned, stammering for quite a while before finally saying, "R-Really?"

"On my way! Don't move!"

In less than twenty minutes, a black Maybach screeched to a perfect stop in front of me.

I had known Dewayne forever as a laid-back guy. This was the first time I had seen him buttoned up in a suit.

When I didn't move, he leaned in close, his handsome face right in mine, so close I felt his breath.

"Aurora, a deal is a deal. Don't even think about backing out."

"I won't. Let's go."

The moment the marriage license was stamped, he slipped it into his jacket like it were fragile glass.

If I didn't know he only picked me for the lucky numbers in my birth chart, I'd think he actually liked me.

Before he left, he jerked his chin at me.

"I'll pick you up in a week."

I nodded.

Back home, Sebastian showed up at the same time. He glanced at me, then hurried inside without saying anything.

My hands curled into fists at my sides as I watched him bolt away.

I stepped into the living room. Mom, Dad, and some uncles were already waiting on the couch.

Mom waved me over, grinning. "Rora, you've got the marriage license, right? We just asked Sebastian, and he said it wasn't with him."

My eyes flicked to Sebastian without thinking.

One uncle let out a teasing chuckle. "Come on, everyone knows our girl has had a crush on Sebastian since day one. She'd keep him by her side if she could. No way she'd let that paper out of her purse."

Sebastian's face darkened. He glared at me, eyes flashing disgust and a warning, sharp enough to hurt.

I knew he was waiting for me to clear things up with my parents.

When our eyes met, I almost did, but I let the words die on the tip of my tongue.

I thought, "We're nothing to each other now. Why should I give a damn what he thinks? Let him cool his heels for once."

I jiggled the purse in my hand. "Yep, it's with me. But I can't show it to you just yet.

"Oh, we also picked the wedding date—next week."

With that, I waved goodnight and headed upstairs to my room.

They kept joking about how much I liked Sebastian. They weren't lying.

He moved in with us when he was ten, and we were basically childhood sweethearts. But he never saw it that way.

To him, my crush was just a joke, almost an insult. He hated that people treated him better because of me.

All his love and patience went to some other girl.

No matter how many times I laid down my pride and asked for his hand, he only looked at me like I was dirt.

He had no idea that after I told my parents I'd only marry him, our family turned down every match that came our way, and because of this, we faced repeated difficulties.

In our circle, if you weren't on top, saying no was like painting a target on your back. Once they iced you out, they'd strip you down to nothing.

Before, my stubborn vow to marry him was nothing but trouble for my family.

But now, I didn't need them to pay for my love.

And I was done with him.

I was about to shut the door when Sebastian barged in.

"Aurora, we need to talk."

The door clicked shut behind Sebastian, and his anger came with it.

"We never got the damn license! Why'd you tell them we did and even pick a date?"

I glanced at his clenched fists, a teasing smile tugging at my lips.

"Can't I marry someone else?"

He scowled. "Cut the jokes. Go clear this up before it blows up in everyone's face."

I pushed down the lump in my throat and walked to the window.

"Relax. It'll all work out fine. Everyone is happy, and... you're off the hook."

His brow furrowed harder.

"What are you talking about?"

I sighed softly, about to tell him who I was marrying, when the door flew open with a bang.

A Chihuahua shot in, hurling itself at my ankle like it wanted to tear me down.

Clara snatched it up, panicked. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to let Coco‌ loose. Please don't take it out on it."

It was a baby dog, and the bites were basically nibbles. Why freak out?

I stared at her, confused.

She was our housekeeper's daughter. She smiled sweetly at everyone except me.

Around me, she acted like I'd bite, so Sebastian was sure I had been giving her hell when no one was looking.

Watching her tear up, Sebastian pulled her close and soothed her, "Hey, it's okay. Just a little nip. Everything is fine. Nothing is gonna happen."

Then he turned to me, his gaze ice-cold.

"It's just a puppy. Why are you making such a big deal?"

I laughed in disbelief. I hadn't even opened my mouth, and I was already the villain.

Before I could fire back, someone downstairs hollered that the groom had sent the gifts.

Sebastian's face sank the second he saw the fat stack of gifts.

Clara's eyes sparkled with greed. She whipped out a painting from the box.

"Whoa, Aurora, did Sebastian buy you all this?"

I frowned. No way he could afford any of this. He was just a poor kid my family had been putting through school.

I wanted to set her straight, but Sebastian yanked me aside and growled, "You're trying to make me look like a kept man? I don't need your charity!

"I'm telling you straight, I'm not marrying you! Kill this freak show, now!"

I knew right away he had got the wrong end of the stick.

"It's not what you think. It's..."

"Coco‌, drop it!" Clara's shriek cut me off.

The painting was already in soggy pieces between Coco‌'s jaws. My anger flared.

Forget the price. It was part of my gifts!

"Ms. Beaumont, do you even know how much that painting costs? Can't you really keep a three-month-old puppy in check, or did you just let it happen?"

Clara's tears started pouring. "Sorry... I'm so sorry..."

I stepped forward to pick up the ruined painting.

Sebastian thought I was going after Clara. Abandoning whatever pride he had been clinging to, he snapped my hand away.

"Clara already said sorry. What more do you want? It's just a painting. And now you're gonna hit her? You must be crazy!"

Crazy?

I lost the painting, and now I was the bad guy?

Fine. Since I was "crazy," let me lay out the facts.

I turned to Clara. "Ms. Beaumont, that painting is worth 1.5 million dollars. Your dog destroyed it, so you pay up. Agreed?"

The tears stopped dead. After a couple of seconds, Clara bawled even louder and started to kneel.

Sebastian caught her before she hit the floor. Furious, he jabbed a finger at me. "Aurora, don't push it!"

I shoved his hand away. "Or you can pay for her."

His face went livid like I had insulted him.

He clenched his fists, teeth grinding. "Cut the rich-girl act. I'll get you the money!"

Then he marched out with Clara without another word.

Watching him leave, I couldn't help thinking about the boy who had first walked through my door.

The year Dad took Sebastian in, he was ten, scrawny and scared.

I was the only kid, so I was thrilled to finally have someone around. He stuck to me like a big brother and spoiled me rotten.

Then, at eighteen, someone joked, "Looks like you raised yourself a husband. Marry rich and act hard. Smart move."

After that, he started keeping his distance and acting like he didn't like me.

I shook my head with a bitter smile.

Gossip weighed more than whatever we had.

The day before I married Dewayne, I went to the bridal shop I had told Sebastian about a million times.

Every other time, he had always cut me off impatiently.

I never thought I'd see him and Clara there today. He was in a suit, and Clara was in a wedding dress, looking surprisingly perfect together.

I swallowed the weird feeling and stepped inside.

The manager, Frank Walter, rushed over, all smiles. "Ms. Morland, your custom dress is ready. Want me to bring it out?"

I hesitated, then nodded.

I had spent three months designing it. No way I was ditching it because of Sebastian.

"Could you..."

"Aurora?"

A girl cut me off.

I glanced over. There were Sebastian and Clara, heading straight for me.

She hiked up her skirt and ran over, eyes sparkling when she saw the dress. "Wow! Is this your wedding dress? It's gorgeous!"

Sebastian's brows pinched together like he had seen something dirty.

Clara picked it up. "Can I try it on?"

Before I could answer, she turned to Sebastian. "Come help me into it, okay?"

He paused, then smiled and nodded.

"No!"

Even if I was nice enough to let them be together, there was no way I'd let Clara put on my wedding dress.

Sebastian's face hardened, his voice edged with irritation.

"Look, we're not getting married, so you'll never wear that dress. Let Clara try it. It's no big deal."

I stared him down, my tone sharp. "It's mine! Don't even think about it!"

He froze. He wasn't used to me saying no. After all, I had always let him have his way.

"Sebastian, please, let me try it," Clara whined, clinging to his arm.

The next second, he snatched the dress from me. "It's just a dress. Clara will give it back."

Clara lit up and grabbed the dress. As she turned, the skirt caught on a metal rack. Clothes and mannequins toppled like dominoes.

Sebastian instinctively reached for me, but Clara screamed.

"Ah!"

His hand swung the other way. He grabbed her and yanked her out.

I stayed under the mess, a metal bar jammed into my back. Every move hurt like hell.

After they dragged me out, I stared at Sebastian across from me. My heart felt dead.

Fifteen years with me, and he still picked some girl he had known for three months.

My dress lay right there on the floor, white satin now streaked with dirty heel prints. Obviously, someone had stomped all over it.

I glanced up. Clara was tucked under Sebastian's arm, flashing me a cocky smirk.

I had had enough. I lunged to drag her out and have it out, but Sebastian stepped between us, face dark.

"Aurora, I know you're mad that I didn't pull you out first, but don't take it out on Clara. She almost got hit too."

I pointed at the dress on the ground, my voice cold. "What about this?"

He pressed his lips tight.

After a beat, he said, "Clara didn't mean it. Things went crazy, so she panicked and dropped it. A quick dry-clean and those footprints are gone.

"Anyway, I'm not showing up tomorrow. You can't marry yourself, so stop making a scene."

With that, he took Clara's hand and walked out.

They were barely out the door when Frank ran over, phone in hand.

"Ms. Morland, Mr. Frederick wants you on the third floor now."

I was a bit surprised to see rack after rack of wedding dresses on the third floor.

This part of the shop was never open to customers. I always thought it held some kind of valuable items, but it turned out to be wedding dresses, and even more surprisingly, they belonged to the Frederick family.

"Ms. Morland, every dress here is sized for you. Pick whichever you like."

I blinked, even more baffled.

I tried to ask what was going on, but the look on Frank's face told me he had just found out too.

On my wedding day, they dragged me out of bed at dawn to get me ready.

The makeup artist was lifting the veil toward my head when the door burst open.

Sebastian snatched the veil off my head and slammed it on the table, eyes blazing.

"Aurora, when are you gonna stop this crap? You know damn well I'm not marrying you, so why are you still pushing it?!

"You're dragging everyone down so you can play bride?!"

It was my wedding day, and I didn't want a fight. I took the veil back, handed it to the makeup artist, and kept my voice flat.

"Relax. Today's wedding has got nothing to do with you."

I thought that would shut him up, but he blew up instead.

He yelled, "Nothing to do with me? Bullshit! The whole city knows this wedding is for you and me!

"Aurora, you're selfish as hell! I never knew you had this side! You'll screw anyone over to get what you want! You're not half the girl Clara is. You..."

Seeing him get more and more worked up, I swung my hand and slapped him across the face.

He stood there, stunned.

"Calm down now? Then get the hell out!"

He snapped back, red-faced. Through gritted teeth, he spat, "Fine! Very well!

"Mark my words: I will never marry you! You'll be a laughingstock today, and your family will be dragged down right along with you!"

I glared at him, stone-cold.

Mom and Dad were right—he really was an ungrateful jerk.

He could insult me all he wanted, but dragging my entire family down? That was where I drew the line.

My hand lifted, ready to slap him again—

when the makeup artist rushed in, flustered.

"Ms. Morland, Mr. Frederick is here for you. Veil on, quickly!"

Sebastian's face froze. His brows snapped together.

"Mr. who? Coming for what?"

Before he could finish, a low, magnetic voice rolled in from the doorway.

"Well, who's talking to my bride?"