Drake Alexander used to be my savior.

But the hands that once lifted me up were now strangling me.

Right in front of his new girlfriend, Drake looked me dead in the eye and said, "For every day you stay single, you'll spend one more day as my dog."

I didn't even get to say "I'm pregnant" before he chucked me off the yacht into the sea. All because he wanted me to fetch coffee for his new chick.

And he knew damn well water was my biggest fear. I stared at the shore, so close yet so far, then at his cold gaze from the deck.

Just as I was about to throw in the towel, Julien Stephens, his subordinate, hauled me out. He looked me straight in the eye and said, "Marry me."

---

The near-drowning still played on repeat in my head. Julien held me, his arms wrapped around me, rubbing my skin to bring back the warmth.

As the yacht chugged back to shore, Drake stepped off with his new girlfriend and marched right over.

"Julien," he said, his voice like ice, "don't forget your place."

Julien stood up for me. "Cecilia was with you for years, and you tossed her overboard for her?"

Drake just gave me a chilling look. "Aren't you going to get her coffee? Don't you need the cash?"

"I don't want your money," I said, my voice flat. "And I don't want you anymore."

Drake let out a harsh laugh. "And then what? You'll come crawling back the moment I snap my fingers? I'll only believe you're done with me when you're married."

I looked at him, baffled. How could he be the same person as yesterday?

The giggling of his new girlfriend next to him was a harsh reminder: Drake hadn't changed. He was just another one of the city's rotten elite.

Beside me, Julien leaned in and whispered, "Marry me."

I stared at him, then turned back to Drake. "Are you that scared I'll latch onto you?"

Drake leaned down to sniff his girlfriend's hair and mumbled, "Please, just let me go."

I turned to Julien. "Fine. I'll marry you."

The second the words left my lips, Drake looked like a mountain had been lifted off his shoulders. He slung an arm around his girlfriend and walked away.

Just yesterday, he'd told me he wanted to marry me. But this morning, I woke up to find another woman in his bed.

Last week, I found out I was pregnant. And then I learned I had cancer.

Drake was desperate for a kid. To keep the baby, I asked him for a hefty sum.

The doctor assured me the cancer wouldn't affect the baby, but carrying it to term would be incredibly dangerous for me.

Now the money was gone, and so was he. Even if I risked my life for this child, it would be born a bastard. So, I had to let it go.

When Julien helped me into his car, I thanked him and explained I wouldn't actually marry him, but I was grateful he'd gotten me out of that mess.

Before he could reply, his phone buzzed.

He ended the call with a wry smile. "Well, I just lost my job too. If you don't marry me, I'm really screwed."

He looked so serious, it didn't feel like a joke. A wave of guilt washed over me, and I agreed.

He drove me home, promising to start wedding plans right away and arrange a meeting with both families.

Seeing his genuine happiness, I just nodded and went inside.

I used to be Drake's secretary. Julien was a manager under him. The office was always buzzing with rumors that Julien had a crush on me.

I never bought it. But after he openly defied Drake for me, I finally believed it.

I glanced down at my stomach. Since I'd made my decision, it was better to let the child go.

After a shower at home, I headed to the hospital for the procedure. I rested for two weeks, and my body slowly started to heal.

The doctor said that by giving up the child, my chances of beating the cancer were much better. It was still in the early stages.

The next time I heard from Julien was about meeting the parents. My own parents, who I hadn't seen in years, showed up too.

At the dinner table, my stepfather eyed Julien with a calculating gaze. When he learned Julien worked for Drake, he slammed the table and stood up, ready to leave.

"How dare you think you can marry my daughter? You're not fit to lick Drake's boots!" he bellowed.

Julien tried to placate him with a smile.

I grabbed Julien's arm and addressed my stepfather. "We're just informing you. Your opinion is not required. Goodbye."

My mother, seeing the scene unfold, rushed to smooth things over. She knew I had grown up. I wasn't scared of my father anymore—no, my stepfather.

When I was little, they ran a diner. After school, I'd be in the back kitchen, washing dishes and helping out.

Some kids on the street kicked over a big bucket of water. My mother saw it, but when my stepfather found out, he insisted it was my fault.

After beating me and getting no confession, he shoved my head into the bucket, put the lid on, and said it was a lesson learned.