Chapter 1

When it came time to toss the bouquet, every single girl at the wedding was staring at my hands, hoping. But I turned around and held the bouquet out to my best friend in her wheelchair.

The instant she reached for it, I raised the bouquet and slapped it hard across her face.

Pollen showered down along with her scream, the thorns scratched her face, and every guest in the room gasped.

I just tossed the ruined bouquet under her wheelchair with a flick of my hand and smiled coldly, saying nothing.

The pollen had my best friend choking, barely able to breathe, yet she shakily tumbled out of her wheelchair.

Lying on the floor, she gathered up the wrecked bouquet and hugged it to her chest.

"Sloanie's getting married... I just wanted to share a little of your happiness. I hope you're happy forever..."

As she spoke, red blotches visibly spread across her skin, and her voice grew weaker and weaker.

The groom panicked and wanted to call an ambulance.

But I had the banquet hall doors sealed and, without any expression, insisted the ceremony go on.

The guests frowned and whispered to each other.

"I heard that years ago this best friend saved the bride from some thugs. Not only was she assaulted herself, those thugs left her paralyzed from the waist down. She'll never stand again for the rest of her life."

Contemptuous looks came at me from every direction, but I just straightened my corsage.

I took a deep breath and said coldly,

"Once this wedding is over, you'll understand why I'm doing this."

...

With that, I grabbed Sabrina Shaw by the collar with one hand and hauled her back into her wheelchair.

The edge of her collar dug into her neck and left a red mark, and her skin, which should have been pale and smooth, was now covered in a frightening allergic rash.

She slumped into the chair, still clutching the bouquet, refusing to let go.

I looked down at her with disgust.

"No mom, no dad, and a body full of delicate little ailments. You're ruining my big day."

Sabrina instantly panicked. She shook her head and looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sloanie... I, I didn't mean to."

She hugged the bouquet a little tighter.

"I just... wanted to see you happy. I know you look down on me for being an orphan with no parents, but as long as you're happy, I... I can be at peace..."

The pollen kept her gasping. She was clearly breathing out more than she could breathe in.

Her chest heaved violently, but she still forced out the words to defend herself,

even though the rash on her face had spread into solid patches and her throat was so swollen she could barely make a sound.

The guests looked at her with heartache, then turned to me with their fists clenched.

"Someone like her gets to get married? That friend right there saved her life!"

"Coming to this woman's wedding is taking years off my life! She's even bullying an orphan. God will punish her for this!"

A few of the older guests were so furious they were glaring and huffing, their chests heaving harder than Sabrina's.

They said it loudly on purpose so I'd hear, hoping to force me into feeling something.

Sabrina reached a trembling hand into her bag for her allergy medicine, her breath wheezing in and out like a broken bellows.

I watched her coldly and brushed out the wrinkles in my wedding dress.

Shaking, she tipped two pills out and was just about to put them in her mouth

when I stepped forward and yanked the ruined bouquet out of her arms. The pills went flying and the bottle rolled away.

The thorns raked deep across her arm again, and beads of blood soaked into her white bridesmaid dress.

"You're allergic to pollen and you still won't let go of these stupid flowers? I'll throw them out for you, so you don't drop dead in front of me."

With that, I carelessly flung the bouquet she'd worked so hard to pick up off the stage.

The already battered bouquet lost its last petals.

The rest of the pollen scattered across the stage, and Sabrina broke into a violent coughing fit.

She coughed so hard she nearly fell out of her wheelchair.

The groom, Jordan Crane, quickly had someone bring Sabrina some water, then turned on me sharply.

"Sloane! All these years we've been together, and I never saw what a vicious person you are!"

"Don't forget, if Sabrina hadn't saved you, there's no way you'd be standing here in one piece marrying me today!"

My lips curved, but I didn't smile. I gently ground the pills on the floor under the toe of my heel.

Then I picked up the pill bottle and toyed with it.

"Saving me was her own choice. Too bad those three thugs didn't just have their fun with her until she died back then."

The moment I finished, there was a loud clang.

I'd thrown the bottle, which Sabrina could have reached with one hand, to the other side of the stage.

Her eyes went wide, and a rasping, disbelieving wheeze came from her throat.

Her outstretched hand froze in midair.

Struggling for breath, Sabrina begged me,

"Sloanie... I feel so awful... Will you please give me my medicine back? Please..."

The guests below were gritting their teeth with rage.

"Fuck, this woman's insane!"

"She gave up her legs and all she saved was an ungrateful snake!"

Some glared at me with pure hatred.

Someone rushed forward to grab the pill bottle.

I shoved over the microphone beside me.

A huge, piercing screech of feedback tore through the banquet hall.

Everyone clapped their hands over their ears.

Sabrina was so startled she fell out of her wheelchair onto the floor.

But I just pointed at the pill bottle across the stage and smiled at her.

"Want your medicine? Then crawl over and get it yourself."

Everyone watched Sabrina, pitiful and helpless, struggling to crawl.

But not one of them noticed my hands clenched tight behind my back.