Chapter 1 I'm Over It

Audrey Young was on her way to bring soup to her husband, Cameron Baker, when she got into a car accident. A semi-truck roared past and almost took her head off. She only survived because she reacted in time. At the hospital, the staff told her they couldn't operate until a family member signed the consent forms. She called Cameron again and again, but he never answered. On her last try, he hung up on her, then texted, "Audrey, I'm busy. Stop wasting my time." If Audrey's best friend hadn't shown up, she might've left that place without her legs. She spent seven days in that hospital bed, and Cameron never once reached out. Then, on the day she was finally getting discharged, her phone buzzed with a message from him. "Get to the hospital now! Macie's hurt, and she needs blood!" Audrey stared at the text, the words flat and cold on the screen. A chill spread through her, slow and absolute. She'd been gone a whole week, and he hadn't even noticed. He didn't give a damn. Three years of marriage, and it all felt like a bad joke. After a long silence, she finally texted back, "I was hurt too. I just got out of the hospital." A few seconds later, her phone chimed. Cameron's reply flashed on the screen. "Don't start. I'm not in the mood to watch you play the victim." Right after that, her phone buzzed with a bank alert. He'd just wired her three million dollars. Audrey felt it land in her chest like a small hammer—light, but enough to crack her frozen heart clean open. To Cameron, she'd always been the woman who married into the Baker family for money. In his eyes, she'd played her cards, saving his grandmother Julia Fowler's life, and used that debt to corner him into marriage. His reason for marrying her had always been brutally simple. She and Macie Stone, his sister-in-law and also the woman he could never have, shared the same rare Rh blood type. Macie had been born with a bleeding disorder and needed regular transfusions. So Cameron had struck a deal. He'd marry Audrey, as long as she agreed to be Macie's personal blood source. Thinking about it now, Cameron and Ian Shaw had almost nothing in common except that their faces bore a resemblance. Ian would never trample on someone's feelings. He'd never turn this cold. Audrey wired the money back. Half an hour later, she pulled up at Baker Group's private hospital, where Macie was being treated. Cameron was standing outside the VIP suite, jaw tight, worry etched across his face. He really did look a lot like Ian. They both had those clean, almost too-perfect features. His suit made him look straight-backed and expensive. The high bridge of his nose and the narrow set of his mouth gave him a sculpted look, like something cut from stone. The only real difference between them was in their eyes. Ian's were warm, while Cameron's were cool and distant, sharp with his quiet pride. Audrey went a little blank, then almost laughed at how pathetic she'd become. Cameron only reminded her of Ian when he was hovering over Macie. She'd spent three years taking care of him, giving him everything he wanted just to cling to that faint echo of Ian. All it left her with was pieces of herself. Cameron heard footsteps and turned. His eyes went cold in an instant. "What took you so long? Why haven't you been home these past few days? Where have you been?" He closed the distance in a few long strides and caught her wrist. It was still sore from the crash, and the way he grabbed her made her brow crease in pain. "Let go!" She shoved him off and said evenly, "Mr. Baker, under the terms of our marriage agreement, I don't question your personal life. That goes both ways. You don't get to ask where I've been." Cameron's brow furrowed. Audrey had always been accommodating, always quick to please, so hearing her talk to him like that hit a nerve. He started to snap back, then caught himself when he remembered Macie was still in the room. "I don't care where you've been. I already sent the money. Just go give Macie blood." Audrey flashed a faint, crooked smile. The way he said it, anyone would think her whole purpose in life was to keep Macie alive. On any other day, the words might have cut deep. But the crash had made one thing painfully clear—nothing she did would ever reach Cameron's heart, and she was done trying. She took a step back and said in a level voice, "Mr. Baker, I don't want your money. I'll give the blood, but this is the last time." Cameron's expression darkened, and he started to speak, but Audrey dropped their marriage certificate at his feet. "Let's get a divorce. I'm done."