Stan's hand shot out and gripped my jaw, fingers digging in.
"Jade, my patience has limits."
"You will marry me. There is no other option."
I smiled.
"Fine. I'll marry you."
Stan blinked. He clearly hadn't expected me to agree so easily.
His grip loosened, and that rehearsed warmth slid back into his eyes.
"There. That wasn't so hard."
"I'll give you a wedding."
I said nothing. The memory of my last wedding was still vivid. The ceremony. The wedding night. The homeless shelter I ended up in. I would never walk that road again.
Agreeing was only about getting the money.
The moment those funds hit the account, I was gone.
On the day we signed the marriage certificate, Stan was dressed to the nines.
He held my hand as we walked out of the courthouse.
"Jade, we're husband and wife now."
The warmth in his voice was almost convincing. I pulled my hand free and gave a noncommittal hum.
A sports car pulled up in front of us. The window slid down, revealing a face I knew all too well.
Annette Simmons. The woman Stan had never stopped thinking about.
In my last life, he'd thrown away my life just to keep her happy.