Chapter 13 - What Declan Had Promised Her
Declan followed me into the hallway.
“Sarah.”
I kept walking.
“Sarah, stop.”
I turned so quickly he nearly walked into me.
“What did you promise her?”
“Nothing like what you think.”
“I am finished guessing what things mean with you.”
People moved past us toward elevators.
I lowered my voice.
“What did you promise Brier?”
Declan looked toward the boardroom doors.
Then he finally answered.
“Money.”
“How much?”
“Five million.”
I laughed because the alternative was screaming.
“For what?”
“To leave us alone.”
I stared at him.
“You paid your ex-girlfriend five million dollars before marrying me?”
“I agreed to pay her.”
“From where?”
“My trust distribution.”
“The distribution that activated after our wedding.”
His silence gave me the answer.
I stepped backward.
“You were going to use money created by marrying me to pay off the woman you lied to me about.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“It is exactly like that.”
“She had messages.”
“What messages?”
Declan’s jaw tightened.
“Between us.”
My stomach dropped.
“From when?”
“Before you and I were engaged.”
“Only before?”
He looked away.
I already knew.
“How long?”
“There were a few after.”
“How long?”
“Eight months ago.”
I closed my eyes.
Eight months.
We had already selected our venue.
My dress was being made.
Our mothers had announced the engagement publicly.
“What did they say?”
“That I missed her.”
The honesty cut deeper than another lie would have.
“And did you?”
“At the time, I was confused.”
“No.”
I looked directly at him.
“You were comfortable.”
He stared at me.
“You wanted the safe wife and the exciting ex.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Fair?”
I almost laughed again.
“You left me in my wedding dress to go to her apartment.”
Declan’s shoulders dropped.
“I know.”
“No.”
“You know that happened.”
I touched my chest.
“You have no idea what it did.”
He had no answer.
Then Brier’s attorney rushed from the boardroom.
Behind him came security.
Brier was shouting.
“Ask Celeste.”
Everyone stopped.
Celeste appeared in the doorway.
Brier pointed at her.
“She told me the marriage would last six months.”
Celeste’s face went still.
Brier continued.
“She told me Declan would divorce Sarah after the Hale shares permanently merged.”
Declan looked at his mother.
“Is that true?”
Celeste said nothing.
That silence answered him.
Brier laughed wildly.
“You think I invented this?”
She pointed at Declan.
“Your mother chose Sarah.”
May you like
Then she pointed at me.
“And she chose me too.”
