Chapter 3

I picked up my phone. Habit made me want to call my parents.

I opened the family chat. The one pinned to the top. The one named The Hartleys.

It used to be three people. Now there were four.

Last week I'd sent five messages about venue options, floral budget, a seating chart.

Read. Read. Read. Read. Read.

No reply from either of them.

I scrolled down.

Lily had posted a photo of a puppy an hour ago.

Dad: that's my girl biggest heart in this family

Mom: our baby just venmo'd you 20k, spoil that puppy

Dad: sweetheart, wired $2M into your account too. my princesses don't settle for anything less than the best

My fingers were shaking so hard I nearly dropped the phone.

I kept scrolling back. All the way to the day before Lily came home.

Dad used to transfer money to me like that. Big round numbers. Baby girl. Princess.

Mom used to tell me: "Mia, you are our whole world. Nothing is ever going to change that. The three of us are going to be a family forever."

I closed the chat.

I opened my airline app and changed my ticket. Domestic to international. One-way to London.

Mom was right. The family of three hadn't broken.

I was just the extra one.

I didn't have a home. I should have left a long time ago.

I rolled my suitcase to the elevator at six the next morning.

Two security guards stepped in front of me in the lobby. Hartley private security. The ones my father paid for.

"Miss Hartley says you're not to leave today."

I took a step back. Looked at both of them.

"I'm Miss Hartley too. You don't have the authority to stop me."

"Move."

They didn't move. One of them put a hand on my suitcase.

I jerked it back. My heel slipped on the marble.

I went backwards into the staircase.

My skull hit stone. The world blew out in white and then in black and the last thing I heard, far away, was somebody shouting my name.

"Mia—"

When I opened my eyes again, Sebastian was holding my hand like he thought I'd disappear if he let go.

He saw me blink and leaned over me, pale with panic.

"Baby. I'm so sorry. Lily went too far this time. I already yelled at her."

I turned my head. Looked at the wall.

The panic on his face stiffened into something else. He laughed, incredulous.

"Mia. Seriously? You're not even a Hartley anymore and you still want to pull the princess act?"

Princess act.

My engagement party got burned to the ground. I pushed back. Princess act.

Half of Manhattan whispered I was Sebastian's side piece and his sister was his real girlfriend. I denied it. Princess act.

Now I had a concussion and I didn't feel like talking. Princess act.

Tears slid sideways into my hair.

I pointed at the door.

"Out."

"Mia—"

"Get out."

He sighed. Walked out.

I closed my eyes.

Through the hospital door I heard the wet, unmistakable sound of someone being kissed.

I grabbed the water glass off my tray and hurled it at the door. It shattered.

The kissing stopped.

Sebastian sighed on the other side of the wall.