Chapter 3

I desperately wanted to stop it. But my hands just passed right through Jake’s body. I watched in horror as he slid a ring onto Ashley’s finger.

How could he?

Why Ashley?

She was the one who killed his mother.

Jake!

My mouth opened, my throat raw with grief, but no sound came out. I was numb. Ashley was beaming as she looked in the mirror, then she said, “Oh, right, Jake, is she okay?”

“She” was obviously me.

Jake’s face went blank, almost annoyed.

“She’s fine. Playing games.”

“So…should we invite her to the wedding?”

Jake’s lashes lowered, hiding his expression. Then, a nasty grin spread across his face.

“Of course. She’s a very important guest.”

I knew instantly what he meant. Jake wanted me to watch him get married. After all, it was a scene I’d always dreamed of. Because we never got Jake’s mom’s approval, we’d only gotten a marriage license, no wedding.

Later, the wedding became my greatest longing. Because Jake’s mom died, an unexpected heart attack, and she passed in the hospital. The last call she ever made was to me.

So Jake naturally assumed I’d stressed her to death. The day of her funeral, he forced me to kneel at her grave in the pouring rain for 24 hours.

That day, the heavy rain soaked us, and we stared at each other. His eyes were dead, filled with hate. He said, “Annie, from now on, we’re enemies for life.”

From that moment on, I went from Jake’s lover to his enemy. He hated me, humiliated me, but wouldn’t let me leave.

He even brought other women home, right in front of me. When he saw the tears in my eyes, he’d just chuckle, patting my cheek mockingly. “Annie, are you hurting? But you brought this on yourself. Who else can you blame?”

I tried to explain, but it only made Jake worse. He had no doubt about his decision. Because he knew his mother didn’t like me.

She even said she’d never let me into the Harrison family.