Chapter 1: My Boyfriend’s Getting Married, and It’s Not to Me
“Mr. Sullivan, I agree to marry you.”
Before making the call, Sonya Ella downed half a bottle of vodka—the kind that burned going down.
There was silence on the other end. Then, she heard a gravelly voice, laced with undisguised irritation. Clearly, he’d been roused from sleep.
“Do you have any idea what time it is?”
Sonya hadn’t checked. She glanced at her phone. It was 2:30 AM.
“Sorry, I’ll call you tomorrow,” she muttered.
“Okay.”
“Huh?”
“But I’m leaving for a business trip overseas tomorrow. I’ll be back in about a month. We’ll get married then.”
“Fine,” she said, her voice distant.
She hung up, feeling dazed.
Two weeks ago, her aunt Millie Williams, back in her small hometown, had set her up on a blind date. Millie had described the guy as the grandson of Mrs. Alice Sullivan, their neighbor. He was a straight-A student, graduated from a top university in Chicago, landed a high-paying job with great benefits, and even received bonuses during the holidays.
Sonya had verbally agreed, intending to blow it off later. But that night, he called. He said he didn’t have time for dating or a relationship. If she agreed, he wanted to skip all that and just marry her.
“Crazy guy,” she’d thought.
But he hadn’t given her a chance to refuse. He told her to think about it and hung up.
The truth was, she hadn’t thought about it for the past two weeks. Yet, tonight, she said yes.
She opened her phone and checked the trending news. It was still a whirlwind.
A-list actress Seraphina West was rumored to be pregnant, and the father was a married, Oscar-winning actor. Shortly after, Seraphina was branded a “homewrecker,” and the heir to the Jennings family, Julian Jennings, stepped forward, declaring himself the father and confirming their impending nuptials.
Despite considerable skepticism, he released a video of himself proposing to Seraphina at her recent birthday party. He went down on one knee, asking her to marry him.
Public opinion swung wildly, with fans and the public alike sending their well-wishes.
The top trending topic remained: Seraphina West’s Impending Wedding to Julian Jennings. Sonya found the whole thing darkly ironic.
If Seraphina was Julian’s girlfriend, what was she? What were the eight years they’d spent together? She’d been a fool, and she was finally cutting her losses.
She decided to marry Henry Sullivan because he’d once said, “I want a life with my wife like most ordinary couples—mutual support, respect, and growing old together.”
It was simple, but it was exactly the life she wanted—a life Julian wouldn’t give her. After collecting herself, she packed her things. The mansion was Julian’s; she needed to leave. She had an early shift, so she only slept for a couple of hours.
As she went downstairs, she saw Julian sprawled on the couch. His hair was a mess, and he was frowning. He’d obviously overdone it last night and was hungover.
She ignored him and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.
While boiling water for noodles, Julian stumbled in, reeking of alcohol. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder.
“Ugh, my head’s killing me. Make me some hangover soup.”
Sonya frowned. “Go sit down for a minute.”
He mumbled with his eyes closed, “I just want to hold you for a bit.”
“You smell awful.”
“Do I?” He sniffed himself. “Okay, I’ll go shower first.”
Back in the kitchen, Sonya pulled a box from the top cabinet. Inside were the ingredients for her special hangover soup. Julian frequently had work dinners and drank heavily; it was taking a toll on his liver. She’d consulted an herbalist and developed a recipe tailored to his health.
The preparation was complex and time-consuming, requiring constant attention. Stirring the broth, she chuckled bitterly. Eight years of tending to him, warming his stomach, but never his heart.
Well, this last act of care would be the final period to her eight-year love.
When Julian came down after his shower, Sonya placed a steaming bowl of soup in front of him. He rubbed his temples while sipping it, seemingly unwilling to talk about last night.
“Congratulations,” Sonya said, breaking the silence.
Julian looked up, his handsome face slightly puzzled. “Congratulations on what?”
“Congratulations on finally getting Miss West to say yes after all these years of proposing to her, on her birthday,” Sonya said calmly.
She’d always known Julian loved Seraphina. It had been fifteen years—from junior high to now. Every year on Seraphina’s birthday, he’d proposed to her, even during their eight years together.
Did she not care?
Of course, she did.
But she loved Julian too much—too much to let go, and so she had chosen to ignore her own feelings.
Julian frowned. “You saw the news?”
Sonya looked at him, silent.
Julian nodded, matter-of-factly. “Seraphina and I are getting a fake marriage. We’ll divorce once the scandal dies down.”
“A fake marriage?” Sonya laughed incredulously. “Will you guys get a marriage license and have a wedding?”
“Of course. Our families wouldn’t approve otherwise.”
“So, how is that a fake marriage?”
“It is what it is. You don’t need to know the details.” Julian drank the soup, stood up, and started toward the stairs.
“We need to talk.”
Julian turned back. “Talk about what?”
Sonya took a deep breath. “I think we should break up.”
“What’s your problem? Which part of a fake marriage don’t you understand? It’s going to end soon. What are you even doing? This has nothing to do with you. Just pretend you don’t know anything, and stop making this about you!”
Making it about her?
Did she ever matter to him?
Sonya lowered her gaze. “Whether your marriage to Seraphina is real or fake, we’re done.”
“Sonya!”
“I’m tired,” Sonya closed her eyes. “Eight years of loving you has drained me. Let’s just end this.”
“Fine. Don’t regret it!”
Julian didn’t go upstairs. He grabbed his coat and stormed out.
It was over. A wave of relief washed over Sonya.
She was an OB-GYN at the city hospital. She started her shift, listening to a nurse, Ashley, gossip. “Who’s the real father of Seraphina’s baby? First, it was that actor, then it’s Julian Jennings. But if it were me, I’d pick Julian. He’s rich and ridiculously handsome.”
“They say he’s so devoted, he’s been pining after her for fifteen years! Fifteen years! Even God must be impressed.”
Sonya didn’t want to hear this. She sent Ashley to take a pregnant patient upstairs. But just as she found some peace, Julian called.
“Prepare yourself. Seraphina’s coming to your hospital for a prenatal check-up tomorrow.”
