Chapter 2

Adrian’s POV

Adrian ends the call and slips his phone into his pocket.

One of the guys claps him on the shoulder.

“Damn, man. Three years of playing broke, and Maya’s still standing by you? My girlfriend would bolt in three days.”

“I’m so jealous,” another one says.

Adrian looks at Chloe with a smug grin.

“Told you she’d never betray me.”

Chloe pouts.

“Maybe she already did. Maybe she’s just too embarrassed to tell you.”

Adrian just laughs, not bothering to argue.

Instead, he gets up and heads for the door.

“Where are you going?” Chloe snaps.

“To pick out my wife’s wedding dress.”

Adrian slides behind the wheel of his car.

“When I started playing broke, the best I could give her was a ring made from a soda can tab,” he says.

“The test is over now. I owe her a real wedding.”

The guys pile out after him.

“Now that’s love.”

“Come on, let’s go see what kind of dress Adrian picks for his ride-or-die wife.”

At the bridal boutique, Adrian flips through one gown after another.

Nothing feels right.

“Do you have anything smaller?” he asks. “My wife is… really thin.”

The saleswoman hesitates.

“These are already our smallest sizes. Any smaller, and honestly, she wouldn’t be healthy.”

Adrian’s chest tightens.

Maya has been through so much these past three years, all while he’s been playing broke.

He told her he takes construction jobs whenever he can find them, so Maya always saves the best food for him.

The last time he held her hand, her wrist was so thin he could almost circle it with two fingers.

“Why don’t you bring your wife in?” the saleswoman suggests.

“We can alter a dress to fit her.”

“She can’t come right now.”

The dress is supposed to be a surprise.

“Then I’ll try it on,” Chloe says.

She sweeps in front of Adrian and plants her hands on her hips.

“I just lost weight, so Maya and I should be about the same size now. I want that one.”

Adrian frowns.

“Chloe—”

“Oh, come on,” one of the guys says. “Chloe’s offering to model it for you. What’s your other option? Making one of us put it on?”

“You need the dress tomorrow, man,” another adds. “Just let her help.”

Chloe lifts her chin.

“I’m doing this for free, Adrian. You could at least try saying thank you.”

Adrian pauses, then nods.

The designer takes Chloe’s measurements and holds scraps of lace, beading, and crystal up against the gown.

Chloe plucks off a crystal flower.

“Ugh, I hate this one.”

Adrian takes it from her and puts it back.

“Maya will love it.”

Chloe’s face goes cold.

An hour later, the measurements and details are finally settled.

A photographer walks over with a camera.

“Want to do a few test shots? If you like my work, I can shoot the wedding tomorrow.”

“Wait. We’re not—” Adrian starts.

“Sure,” Chloe cuts in. “Let’s do it.”

“Chloe.”

Adrian’s face darkens.

“Relax. I’m just standing in for her,” Chloe says. “If anything looks off in the photos, we’ll catch it before Maya puts the dress on.”

The guys jump in again.

“She’s got a point.”

“Everything’s already set up. Maya’ll be glad you did a test run.”

Adrian pictures it: him and Maya, old and gray, flipping through their wedding photos together.

He finally gives in.

The photographer beams.

“Great! Now scoot a little closer to him.”

Chloe presses herself against Adrian.

“Perfect. Now give me a big smile. Look how happy your bride is!”

Adrian stiffens, but he does what the photographer says.

“Let’s try another pose. Put your hand on her waist.”

“Beautiful. Now sweep her up in your arms.”

Adrian lifts Chloe off her feet.

“You two look incredible together,” the photographer says.

When the shoot is over, he shows them the pictures.

Adrian stares at Chloe’s smiling face on the screen.

Slowly, it becomes Maya’s.

He can almost see himself holding Maya in that dress.

She will smile at him with tears in her eyes, too happy to stay angry about the lie.

She’ll look beautiful.

A little too thin, maybe.

But that won’t matter. Once he brings her home, he’ll give her everything she’s gone without.

He’ll nurse her back to health himself.

“Okay, Chloe. Take it off.”

“I know, I know.”

Chloe turns toward the dressing room, then suddenly cries out.

Her heel catches the hem, and she goes down hard.

The skirt gets trapped under her body. Fabric rips, and a few crystals scatter across the floor.

The saleswoman claps a hand over her mouth.

“Oh no. That was the last one we had!”

“Chloe!”

Adrian lunges forward, furious.

“You’re never this clumsy! What the hell is Maya supposed to wear tomorrow?”

Chloe stares at him.

Then her eyes fill with tears, fast.

Adrian has never raised his voice at her. Not once since they were kids.

He even agrees to play broke for three years because she demands a gold-digger test.

And now he’s shouting at her over a dress.

“You’re blaming me?” she whispers.

The guys hurry over.

“It’s just a dress, Adrian. They can fix it tonight.”

“Chloe spends all day trying on the gown and taking photos for you. It’s not like she ripped it on purpose.”

The saleswoman nods quickly.

“We can repair it. I promise it’ll look good as new by morning.”

Adrian looks at the torn dress, then at Chloe’s tear-streaked face.

He lets out a long breath.

“I’m sorry. I overreacted.”