Chapter 1

Joanna Malone had been with Rowan Swanson for ten years. She had given him a whole decade of loyalty, devotion, and compromise. Finally, he said, "Marry me." But on their wedding day, he left her at the altar. He had rushed off to rescue his long-time secretary, Hattie Duncan—the same woman who had carried an unrequited love for him for years. Joanna had run after him, torn between heartbreak and concern. She didn't care about the makeup smearing down her cheeks or the stares from guests. The only thing that she cared about was the fact that Rowan might be in danger. When Joanna got to the scene, she froze. She saw Hattie falling. Someone had pushed her off a rooftop while she was trying to protect Rowan's confidential documents. She crashed to the ground in front of Joanna's eyes and ended up in a coma. Overwhelmed with guilt, Rowan admitted her to a top-tier private hospital, ensuring she received the best medical care possible. When Rowan asked Joanna to help care for Hattie's mentally ill mother, she said yes. For two years, she endured every outburst, every cruel insult, and every object hurled at her during one of Sabrina Wilkinson's episodes. Then one day, Sabrina had another episode. She took scissors to Joanna's handbag and slashed everything inside—her planner, her ID, even the marriage certificate. Joanna didn't even have the strength to be angry. She was exhausted, hollow. She gathered the shredded remnants and went to the courthouse to apply for a new copy. The clerk, Lawrence Erickson, looked up and said, "Ms. Malone, I'm afraid this marriage certificate is fake. According to our records, you've never been married." Her mind blanked. Her body felt like it had lost gravity. Joanna couldn't even remember how she made it out of the courthouse. All she recalled were the stares, each filled with pity and quiet sympathy. "Did you hear that? Her husband married someone else. Gave her a fake certificate. Is she the mistress? Or is it the other one?" "Are you dumb? Of course, the one with no certificate is the mistress. Do you even have to ask? If there's no legal paperwork, it's not a marriage. That's just the guy messing around." Joanna stumbled into her car, her body trembling uncontrollably. The conversation with Lawrence at the courthouse kept replaying in her mind, over and over, like a broken record. "That can't be right. We've been married for two years. Please check again." Lawrence had sighed and turned the monitor toward her. "I double-checked. Ms. Malone, you are unmarried. But your 'husband'—he's married. His spouse is listed as Hattie. Do you know her?" Joanna let out a bitter laugh before it broke into a sob. Of course, Joanna knew exactly who she was. She was the secretary recovering in that private hospital. She was the one who had been in love with Rowan for years, never hiding it, never giving up, no matter how many times he failed to return her feelings. Joanna's head throbbed as she slammed her foot on the gas and sped home. The front door was ajar. No one noticed her walk in. She followed the sound of clinking glasses and laughter to the study. Rowan was inside, surrounded by his closest friends. They were drinking and laughing, completely oblivious to the storm that had just torn through her world. "Rowan, you're something else. Two stunning women, and both call you 'darling'? You're living the dream. We're all seriously jealous, both of them are drop-dead gorgeous!" Rowan laughed and kicked him lightly under the table. "Cut the crap. You can joke like that in here, but if Joanna hears it, you're dead. I mean it. Watch your mouth around her." "Damn, you're really that scared of her finding out? Then why are you still hiding the fact that Hattie's already awake? And come on, the moment she asked you to marry her, you didn't even hesitate. Don't tell us you don't have feelings for her. None of us are buying that." Rowan didn't answer right away. He leaned back against the leather sofa, his eyes narrowing with thought. He finally said, "Joanna's been with me for 12 years. She's got a temper like a firecracker—always ready to explode. Sometimes, she doesn't even feel like a woman. Just pure chaos. "It's been 12 years. Touching her feels like touching my own skin. There's no thrill left in it. But it's not that I don't love Joanna. On the contrary, I don't think I could ever live without her." He paused, then added, "But Hattie… she's different." His eyes lit with something unspoken, a flicker of nostalgia or maybe longing. "She's gentle, shy... and so sensitive that even the slightest touch leaves her blushing. I gave Joanna the title, the love, and the right to stand beside me in public. But Hattie? She's the woman I had to keep in the shadows. "Shee nearly died for me. Giving her some kind of protection is the least I can do. Beyond that, there's nothing else I can offer her." Just outside the room, Joanna leaned against the wall, barely holding herself upright. Her legs trembled. One of Rowan's friends broke the silence. "Rowan, what if Joanna finds out? You've had her caring for Hattie's mentally ill mother all this time. If she knew the truth… she'd hate you." Rowan's eyes lowered, as if something had just crossed his mind. He straightened up, folding his hands together on the desk. "She won't find out. I'll make sure of that." A sharp pain bloomed in Joanna's chest, like something had struck her straight in the heart. For a moment, it stole her breath completely. Tears spilled before she could stop them, falling in silence, one after another. She had spent 12 years chasing after him. No wonder there was never a real wedding. No wonder he was always on business trips. No wonder he worked late but never returned to their bedroom. Everything suddenly made sense. I that moment, she realized she had become nothing more than a walking punchline. Laughter still echoed behind the door. Joanna wiped her face, turned away, and walked toward the end of the hallway. Her fingers trembled as she pulled out her phone and made a call. She said, "I'll do it. I'll come back to Andarre. And I'll agree to the engagement."