I married my best friend’s wealthy grandfather, believing I was choosing security over self-respect. But on our wedding night, he revealed a truth that changed everything. What began as a shameful bargain soon turned into a battle over dignity, loyalty, and the people who had mistaken greed for love.
I was never the kind of girl people noticed—unless they were deciding whether to laugh.
By the time I turned sixteen, I had mastered three skills:
Laughing half a second after everyone else.
Ignoring pity.
Pretending that being alone was a choice.
Then Violet sat beside me in chemistry and ruined all of that simply by being intentionally kind.
She was the kind of beautiful that made people turn their heads. I was the kind of girl teachers overlooked without thinking twice.
But Violet never treated me like a project.
