About

It was a business transaction disguised as a wedding. Neither Roderick nor I wanted this—it was just our parents playing chess with our lives. My family's mid-sized company would support his family's operations, and the connections my parents could gain by linking with his corporate dynasty were worth more than they could put a price on. At our first meeting before the wedding, he showed up thirty minutes late and bolted within five minutes, claiming his girlfriend was waiting for him. All I could do was watch him walk away in stunned silence. I left the restaurant without touching a single bite, just paid the check and went home. I felt like such an idiot for spending hours getting ready because I'd actually been excited to meet my future husband. After the wedding, my life became a never-ending cycle of cooking meals he'd barely touch, getting berated by his parents for not being good enough, then dragged to my own family to hear lectures about how I had to make this marriage work no matter what it cost me. Day by day, I watched the light fade from my own eyes in the mirror.