My mom is critically ill. Before she passes away, she wants to see me married. It takes 27 days of pleading before my boyfriend, Kyle Grayson, says yes.

I wait at the city hall until the doors close, but he never shows up.

That same day, his childhood sweetheart, Ruby Callahan, posts their marriage certificate online. "Time flies. Three days more and we'll be a month in."

Only then does it hit me. The very first day I begged, Kyle was already Ruby's husband.

Right then, a text from Kyle lights up my phone.

"Holly, Ruby's family was pushing her into marriage. I couldn't stand by and watch her marry just anyone and ruin her life. We'll be divorced in three days. I'll marry you then."

Three days later, he shows up at the city hall in a suit. But all he gets is a text from me.

"Goodbye for good, Kyle."

At the morgue, I saw Mom's face and broke down in tears. My mother, Florence Blume, had raised me all on her own and had never asked for a thing. And yet, I still wasn't able to fulfill her last wish.

When I found out how sick she was, I begged my boyfriend of six years, Kyle Grayson, to marry me so that she could die in peace, knowing that I wouldn't be alone.

I begged for 27 days, but he kept putting it off.

On day one, Kyle said his childhood sweetheart, Ruby Callahan, had her car quit on her, and he was rushing over to pick her up. On day two, he was helping her move.

And it went on like that—one excuse stacked on another. On the 26th day, he told me Ruby's stomach was acting up, so he had to tend to her.

If Ruby hadn't posted their marriage certificate on social media today, I would still be in the dark. I'd given Kyle ten thousand outs, but it had never once occurred to me that he was already married.

I knelt beside Mom's hospital bed.

Toward the evening, Kyle called me. He sounded as gentle as ever. "It's late. Why aren't you home? Where are you? I'll come get you."

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I used to play the unreasonable one just to make him fuss over me and then wait happily for him to show up. Now I couldn't bring myself to say a single sweet word.

His voice tightened. "Holly, where are you right now?"

"The hospital."

He went still, as though it just dawned on him then that I'd been looking after Mom all this time.

"I… Hang on. I'll be there at the hospital with you."

After I hung up, I forced myself to stand, swallowed my grief, and started making arrangements for Mom's funeral.

Ten minutes later, Kyle texted, "Holly, I have to be with Ruby to deal with her parents. I'll definitely go see Florence next time!"

I didn't feel the least bit surprised. For the past two years, the words he'd said to me the most were the very same—"next time".

He missed our anniversary and said he would make it up next time. He skipped coming with me to see Mom and said he would come next time. He kept stalling on marriage and said he would definitely be free tomorrow.

Kyle took my forgiveness for granted and kept hurting me without consequence.

But there wouldn't be a next time. Mom wouldn't get another chance to see me married, and as for me, I was done forgiving him.

…

That night, I didn't go home. I stayed at the hospital until morning.

Kyle texted me all night and called more times than I could count. I didn't open a single message, and I let every call go unanswered.

As daylight broke, I headed to the office early and started drafting my resignation letter.

Kyle was the founder of the company, while I was just a designer. I'd stood by him when he had nothing, helping build the business from the ground up.

Now, my place there had dwindled to almost nothing. He wouldn't notice even if I vanished.

Just as the resignation letter slipped from the printer, Kyle appeared behind me out of nowhere.

As he looked at me, I maintained my composure and picked up the letter.

"Finished printing?" he asked, gentle as ever.

I answered with a quiet hum.

Kyle kept staring as though he didn't notice how distant I'd become. He cleared his throat. "Holly, could you come with me for a minute?"

The moment he called me away, the desks around us stirred with whispers.

"Did you hear? Mr. Grayson is already married."

"No way. No wonder he and Holly never went public. They kept everything so quiet. She must be the homewrecker."

"Holly's always saying she hates homewreckers. She's a witch and still plays the saint."

Dad walked out on Mom and me for another woman, and we'd paid the price for half our lives. Now, thanks to Kyle, I was the one people were calling the homewrecker.

In his office, Kyle reached for me, but I stepped back. "Mr. Grayson, this is the office."

His brows drew together as he frowned. "Don't be mad. How about I go with you to see Florence tonight?"

I shook my head. "There's no need anymore."

Mom was gone, and I wouldn't have wanted her to see Kyle anyway. If she'd known that people were calling me a homewrecker because of him, she would've been furious.

Kyle must've sensed something was off. After a moment of silence, he said, "I'll be able to divorce Ruby in two days. We can get married after that." He handed me a gift box. "I bought these supplements for Florence. It'll help with her recovery."

I looked at it, my mind going a little blank.

His thoughtfulness had come too late. Mom didn't need them anymore.

When I said nothing, a flicker of worry crossed Kyle's face. He was about to speak when his ringing phone cut in. He pulled out his phone, glanced at me, and, after a brief moment of hesitation, walked out.

I knew it was Ruby. She was his legal wife, after all.

I felt nothing. I didn't care anymore.

After that, I turned in my resignation letter.

Mr. Anthony Zeller, the vice president, didn't seem surprised by my sudden resignation. He looked like he'd been expecting it.

"Holly, I'm sure Mr. Grayson will make sure you're taken care of."

I bit my lip. The whole thing felt absurd. It felt like everyone saw me as Kyle's canary in a gilded cage at work and thought he'd mapped out my whole future for me.

No one wanted to believe I was actually Kyle's girlfriend, that it was my heart he'd broken, and that I was getting ready to leave.

As I was leaving the office, I ran into Kyle and Ruby by the elevators.

The moment he saw me, Kyle's gaze flickered. He blurted, "Don't get the wrong idea. I brought Ruby here to—"

Ruby slipped her arm through his. "To get a tour of my husband's company."

I said nothing.

She added, "Holly, you don't mind, do you?"

The look she shot me was openly challenging.

I stepped out of the elevator in silence and made room for them. Kyle glanced at me, hesitation in his eyes, as if he meant to say something. But Ruby had already steered him away.

…

That afternoon at the crematorium, I watched Mom turn into fine gray ash. Then, I took her to the cemetery and laid her to rest.

By nightfall, Kyle still hadn't shown up or even sent a text. I didn't mind. Without him, Mom could go in peace.

If she were looking down on me, I doubt she would want me tangled up with him anymore. And she certainly wouldn't want me to get married to him.

Six years was enough. It was time to end it for good.

Leaving the cemetery, I walked home. It had been a long time since I'd been out on foot after dark.

I used to hold Mom's hand while walking, and later, I'd linked my arm through Kyle's. From now on, I would walk alone. I figured I would probably get used to it.

I didn't reach home until the wee hours of the morning. The living room light was on. Kyle was slouched on the couch, thumbs flying across his phone screen.

As I stepped inside, the crease in his brow eased. He jumped up and grabbed my hand. "Where were you? You wouldn't pick up or answer my texts. I was about to call the cops, you know that?"

I hesitated and slipped my hand out of Kyle's.

"I was with Mom. I didn't want her to be disturbed."

At the mention of her, he seemed to remember what he'd said earlier. Guilt flickered across his face. He looked at me with quiet hope and pulled out a small box.

I took it without thinking and opened it to see a diamond ring. I froze immediately.

Once, with my hand in his, Kyle had sworn he would put a diamond ring on my finger, that we would get married, and that Mom would see me happy.

I waited and wished for that day for such a long time.

But that was before.

I closed the box and passed it back to Kyle. His brows creased at that.

Something seemed to click in his mind before he said a little awkwardly, "It's already past midnight. One more day, and I can divorce Ruby. I haven't forgotten what I promised you. Tomorrow, I'll put the ring on your finger, and we'll go get married."

The sweet talk didn't move me.

"Okay, I hear you. I'm tired. I'm going to get some rest."

Kyle's smile faltered. It was the first time he realized I was brushing him off. Panic flashed in his eyes, and he reached for my hand.

That was when Ruby walked out of the bedroom in my pajamas. Sleepy-eyed, she glanced at me, then hooked her arm through Kyle's and cooed, "Holly's already back, Kyle. Come on, wash up and get some sleep."

Kyle shot me a quick look and blurted, "Ruby had a falling-out with her family, so I let her crash in the guest room tonight."

He kept his eyes on me, like he was afraid I would take it the wrong way.

I nodded, playing it off. "It's fine. I'll stay at Mom's place tonight."

Kyle froze, like he hadn't expected me to agree that easily.

Ruby didn't give me a second to reconsider. With a smug expression, she turned and hurried back into the room.

I wheeled my suitcase to the door.

Kyle was still rooted to the spot in the living room. His lips were pressed into a hard line, and he wouldn't let go of my hand, the guilt in his eyes growing by the second.

Finally, with Ruby nudging him, he said, "After we get married tomorrow, we'll go see Florence."

…

By morning, I had everything boxed up and went to the office to complete the handover.

The moment I stepped in, people gave me that sideways look. As I walked past them, they broke out in whispers, and even a few fingers were pointed at me.

I didn't understand why the atmosphere felt so off until I saw Ruby sitting at my desk. Everyone kept their faces turned to their screens, but their gaze kept darting toward the drama unfolding at my desk.

Noticing me, Ruby shot me a high-and-mighty look. "It's my first day at work. I'm taking this desk. You can move."

I met her eyes and nodded calmly. "Fine. I'll pack my stuff."

Our voices never rose.

Seeing me back down, people thought I'd lost in front of Ruby, Kyle's legal wife. But with both of us in the room, they stayed quiet, their fingers clicking on the keys while their disdainful comments flooded the team group chat.

I wanted to set the record straight, but I had no idea where to start. Ruby was, after all, Kyle's wife on paper. If I said anything more, I would just look foolish.

I'd just finished packing and was about to head out when Kyle walked over. He took in the armful of things I was carrying, and his jaw tightened.

"Where are you going?"

"I—"

Ruby cut in. "She's giving me this desk. I like this spot."

Seeing that I was about to leave, Kyle grabbed my arm. "No. This desk is yours. No one can—"

I cut him off. "If she likes it, let her have it."

I'd already resigned. Who ended up at that desk had nothing to do with me now.

Kyle stayed frozen, his expression unreadable. He didn't snap out of it until I was already gone with the box in my arms.

He shoved Ruby, who was humming while tidying the desk, and, right there in front of everyone, he slapped her across the face.

"Did our sham marriage make you think you could cross the line? Did you forget? I warned you not to mess with Holly."

After I left the office, Kyle texted me, "Tomorrow, I'll wait for you outside the city hall. The specialist I hired for Florence will arrive tomorrow. After we get married, we'll go see Florence together."

I smiled, and a little bitterness rose out of nowhere. I wasn't going to see him again. I grabbed my bags and headed for the airport.

…

The next day, Kyle was outside the city hall, a freshly issued divorce decree in his hand.