Chapter 1

One month until my wedding.

Every single day, I've been meticulously preparing for our big day, dutifully caring for my fiancé's mentally unstable mother, and counting down the moments until I become his wife.

Until I overheard his conversation with a friend.

"Ethan, didn't you say you were into Olivia Taylor? How come you're suddenly marrying Emily Johnson?"

Ethan Brown replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Olivia's girlfriend material. Emily's wife material."

"You know my family situation. There's no way I'd subject Olivia to taking care of my unstable mother."

His friend laughed. "Fair point. Your mom's getting worse, isn't she? Last time she smashed Emily's head open pretty badly."

"If that had been Olivia, you'd have lost your mind."

Chapter 1

"So which one do you actually like better—Olivia or Emily?"

Ethan leaned back, legs crossed, and scoffed. "Olivia, obviously."

"Have you seen how gorgeous she is?"

"Who wouldn't choose a knockout beauty over some woman who nags you all day and lives between the kitchen and the bathroom?"

"Then why aren't you marrying her?"

"You don't have to marry someone just because you like them. Life's about being happy."

His friend took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly. "Damn, Ethan. You've really got them wrapped around your finger."

"Emily's completely devoted to you, man."

"Remember when you were just starting your company? You barely had time to eat."

"She brought you lunch every single day. Made the rest of us jealous as hell."

"And after your mom attacked her like that, she didn't complain once. Just kept her head down and spoon-fed your mother like nothing happened."

Ethan sipped his drink and smiled. "Exactly. That's why she's perfect for marriage."

"Olivia's high-maintenance. Now that she's pregnant, she needs even more care and attention."

"Once Emily and I are married, someone will be running the household."

"Then I'll have no worries. I can take Olivia abroad for the birth, make it a proper honeymoon. Really spoil her."

His friend was thoroughly impressed. "You treat Olivia like a queen."

Ethan continued, "Raising kids is exhausting work."

"Besides, Emily's so... ordinary. I don't want those inferior genes passed down."

"I told her I don't want biological children—that we'd adopt instead. When the time comes, she'll raise Olivia's baby under the pretense of adoption."