Chapter 1

Sarah Townsend furrowed her brows as I dumped the ring into the trash can.

“What’s the meaning of this, James?”

I scoffed.

“Exactly what it looks like. Do you really need me to spell it out for you?”

Sarah looked utterly baffled, as if I were the one making a scene out of nothing.

“I’ve explained it to you. I only accepted Aiden’s proposal because of the circumstances.

“Dad just got better. I didn’t want to stress him out, so I was trying to reassure him.

“Can’t you be more considerate of the situation I’m in?”

I looked at the woman I had loved for three years while finding the whole thing absurd.

“What about the kiss? If it was an act for you to say yes, why did you have to kiss him right in front of my face?

“Did you ever once consider my feelings?”

Sarah paused for a second, but it didn’t take long for her self-serving logic to inflate her righteous confidence.

“So I bought you flowers and a cake to make it up to you.

“Be reasonable here. Without Aiden’s connection to qualify him for the experimental drugs, Dad wouldn’t have pulled through.”

I was at a loss for words at her reasoning.

The last six months replayed in my mind like a film.

Since Terrence Townsend’s car crash, Sarah couldn’t sleep or eat for an entire week, and it pained me so much that I was wracked with guilt.

As a partner of an investment firm, I put off all my business trips and social events just to work remotely from the hospital.

To spare her from the financial burden, I covered the six-figure medical bill in critical care, only telling her it was just a few thousand dollars.

Desperate to keep Terrence alive, I dug deep into my connections and shadowed Dr. Bryan Jones—a brilliant but eccentric doctor who wouldn’t even yield to requests from top leaders—for three days until he finally agreed to perform the surgery.

I couldn’t leave Terrence to the care of a nurse with his incontinence, so I took it upon myself to clean and change his dressings every day.

Even after everything I had fought for and put my ego aside for, Sarah believed my efforts were less than what Aiden could bring to the table.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, James.”

Aiden Bowen came to Sarah’s defense as she and I were at each other’s throats.

“I only came back when I heard Mr. Townsend got into a crash. I was helping out as Sarah’s friend.

“Sarah carries a lot of weight on her shoulders. My proposal to her was just to calm Mr. Townsend’s nerves. Nothing’s going on between us.”

He paused before taking a step back toward the door.

“If you mind my presence, I can leave right now.

“You guys should talk it out. Don’t throw away what you have because of me. Sarah has already been going through so much lately.”

He spoke in a way that distanced himself from everything, making me out to be the unreasonable, jealous one instead.

Right on cue, Sarah took Aiden’s arm and snapped her head back at me, her voice icy.

“James, see that? Aiden is sensible and looks out for everyone.

“If you’re going to be this petty, I have nothing more to say. I don’t want to argue with you. Just go back and cool your head.”

I drew a deep breath, the storm of accusations in my chest going dead silent.

She kicked me out, only to keep her ex for the night.

“Fine.”

I nodded, my expression devoid of emotion.

With Sarah watching in shock, I closed the door and took off.

Even as I started the car and drove away from the neighborhood, she didn’t once try to stop me.