Part 1Awakened: The Other Woman

At our engagement party, Declan Kane learned that his childhood sweetheart was being forced to marry his blind, bitter rival.

He didn't hesitate. He ditched me, rushed off to get a marriage license with her, and by that afternoon, they were on a flight to Iceland for their honeymoon.

Their epic, "childhood sweethearts" love story went viral.

And I became the villain. The shameful other woman who’d tried to stand in their way, so viciously attacked online that I couldn't even leave my own home.

But then, his blind rival showed up at my door.

"I'm a man who believes in an eye for an eye," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Declan Kane stole my fiancée. So, I'm going to poach what's his."

He tilted his head in my direction. "It's only fair trade, Ms. Sutton. Are you interested in getting a license of your own?"

I glanced at my phone, at the trending photo of Declan and his new bride sharing a romantic kiss under the Northern Lights.

Without a second thought, I grabbed my documents and handed them to the man before me.

* * *

Even with the marriage certificate in my hand, I couldn’t quite believe I had just gotten married on a whim.

And my new husband wasn't Declan, my boyfriend of eight years.

It was Kian Croft, a man I’d only met a handful of times, always as an adversary.

"Once it's signed, there's no turning back," he said. "So, when are you moving in?"

The meaning behind his words finally hit me, and a hot blush crept up my neck. Thank God he couldn't see it.

"Maybe in a couple of weeks. I have some things to pack up."

Kian nodded. "Alright. Two weeks is enough time to plan our wedding."

He pressed a black card into my hand. "Buy whatever you like." The tips of his ears, bright red, betrayed his quiet excitement.

A small smile touched my lips. This was a good start.

After a ten-day honeymoon, Declan finally remembered to call me.

"My flight lands at 3 PM. Come get me." His tone was casual, as if nothing had happened.

For the past ten days, the internet had been buzzing with real-time updates of his romantic getaway with Jessica Grant. Every sweet moment was documented and shared. I’d seen them cuddling in the Blue Lagoon, kissing passionately under the aurora, and making promises of eternal love on a black sand beach.

It was a list of all the honeymoon spots I’d ever dreamed of visiting. He’d just experienced them with someone else.

"I'm busy," I said coolly. "Get a cab."

It used to be that a single word from him was enough to make me drop everything and run to his side.

"Tch. Buzzkill." Declan went silent for a moment, then hung up with a dismissive grunt.

I figured that was it—the unspoken breakup signal between two adults.

But when I got home that evening, I found him sitting on my sofa, wearing a bathrobe. He glanced up as I walked in, his expression nonchalant. "You've kept the place clean while I was away."

I had spent the past few days throwing out everything that reminded me of him. The couple's portrait we once had hanging in the living room was gone, but he hadn't even noticed.

He pointed to a paper bag on the table. "A gift for you. Take a look."

I glanced inside. It was a collection of broken seashells, some still caked with mud. Just an hour ago, Jessica had been bragging on social media about the "Star of the Ocean" diamond Declan had given her.

Thanks to the exhaustive efforts of internet sleuths, I now knew that all the "thoughtful" gifts I'd received over the years were just someone else's trash. For Valentine's Day, he gave Jessica a limited-edition handbag and me a heart folded from the wrapping paper. For my birthday, he set off a city-wide firework display for her, then took me to a cheap street vendor for skewers. On holidays, he'd claim he was too busy with work to meet my parents, when in reality he was with Jessica and her family.

"You're a married man, Mr. Kane. It's not appropriate for you to be here in the middle of the night."

A flash of guilt crossed his face. "Ava, I was just trying to help Jessica."

"Kian Croft is a cold, ruthless man, and he's blind. I couldn't just stand by and watch her walk into a disaster, could I?"

"Marrying her was just a temporary solution. I'll divorce her after a while." He had his excuses all lined up.

"I have no interest in being your mistress, Declan. Please leave." The moment he abandoned me at our engagement party, we were over.

His face darkened. "Ava, can you stop being so selfish for once?"

"Jessica was worried you'd be upset, so she insisted I come back to be with you, and this is how you act?"

"If you know what's good for you, I can come see you on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Jessica is my wife, after all. She deserves more of my time."

A bitter taste filled my mouth. After eight years together, I was being demoted to a dirty little secret.

"Declan, we're breaking up."