[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-26031368DDE4-11":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},11,1,"Chapter 1: A Cold Proposal and a Cruel Choice","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Drake Alexander used to be my savior.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But the hands that once lifted me up were now strangling me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">---\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As the yacht chugged back to shore, Drake stepped off with his new girlfriend and marched right over.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Julien,\" he said, his voice like ice, \"don't forget your place.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Julien stood up for me. \"Cecilia was with you for years, and you tossed her overboard for her?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Drake just gave me a chilling look. \"Aren't you going to get her coffee? Don't you need the cash?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I don't want your money,\" I said, my voice flat. \"And I don't want you anymore.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I looked at him, baffled. How could he be the same person as yesterday?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Beside me, Julien leaned in and whispered, \"Marry me.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I stared at him, then turned back to Drake. \"Are you that scared I'll latch onto you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Drake leaned down to sniff his girlfriend's hair and mumbled, \"Please, just let me go.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I turned to Julien. \"Fine. I'll marry you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Just yesterday, he'd told me he wanted to marry me. But this morning, I woke up to find another woman in his bed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Last week, I found out I was pregnant. And then I learned I had cancer.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Drake was desperate for a kid. To keep the baby, I asked him for a hefty sum.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The doctor assured me the cancer wouldn't affect the baby, but carrying it to term would be incredibly dangerous for me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Before he could reply, his phone buzzed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He looked so serious, it didn't feel like a joke. A wave of guilt washed over me, and I agreed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He drove me home, promising to start wedding plans right away and arrange a meeting with both families.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing his genuine happiness, I just nodded and went inside.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I never bought it. But after he openly defied Drake for me, I finally believed it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I glanced down at my stomach. Since I'd made my decision, it was better to let the child go.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"How dare you think you can marry my daughter? You're not fit to lick Drake's boots!\" he bellowed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Julien tried to placate him with a smile.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I grabbed Julien's arm and addressed my stepfather. \"We're just informing you. Your opinion is not required. Goodbye.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When I was little, they ran a diner. After school, I'd be in the back kitchen, washing dishes and helping out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272930961]