Chapter 2

To get some peace and quiet, I used the injuries I had sustained from the fall as an excuse to be hospitalized. I received plenty of calls and texts that day. Some wanted to fulfill their thirst for drama, while others called to chastise me.

I could tell from the texts. "How could you do this to Jeannie, Sebastian? She cried until she fainted! Get yourself over here right now and apologize to her!"

I doubted Jeannie would be upset over my running anyway from our wedding. She likely had been praying for it. She should thank me for the chance to be together with the true love of her life, Gregory.

If anything, they should be the ones apologizing to me.

I was still deep in my thoughts when the hospital room door opened to reveal my parents' furious faces. "Sebastian Miller! I don't know where you got the nerve to pull off something as ridiculous as jilting your bride and jumping from a building!

"Do you have any idea the embarrassment you've caused us?"

I didn't expect them to show up so quickly. Sudden fear had me shrinking under the covers and begging for mercy.

"Stop yelling. I'm already hospitalized as it is." I even showed them my arm sling to rouse their parental sympathy.

Unfortunately, they only snorted in response. "Serves you right for getting injured. Thanks to you, Jeannie's been hospitalized as well. You'll take responsibility for this whether you like it or not."

I understood then why they had shown up here so quickly. I had underestimated Jeannie's dedication to her act. Now, no one would suspect her of not wanting to go through with the wedding in the first place.

My parents gave an order before I could respond, "You'll hold another wedding with Jeannie once you're discharged from the hospital."

"No." I objected with such steel in my voice that my parents blinked in surprise. I could not blame them. After all, I had practically demanded that they let me marry Jeannie.

I fell for Jeannie at first sight in my senior year when I first transferred to her high school. It marked the beginning of five years of secret pining on my part.

When her family business fell into dire straits, they came to my parents and suggested a marital alliance between us. I had been elated at the news, and convincing my parents to agree to the engagement took a lot of effort.

And now, I was backtracking. My parents probably had a hard time accepting such a shift in demeanor.

"Why?" It was a female voice that had spoken.

My parents quickly parted to reveal Jeannie, who had changed out of her wedding gown and into a patient's attire.

Her already slender frame looked even skinnier and more frail than usual. A gust of wind could make her collapse like a house of cards. She swayed on her feet, and my heart tightened for a moment.

Jeannie stared at me intently and asked again, "Why don't you want to marry me?"

My brows furrowed, but I put on a stony expression as I said, "Because I don't love you anymore."

Whatever strength that had kept her upright left her when she heard my answer. She toppled to the ground. Her body went limp as she fell unconscious.

My parents shot me a vicious look as they and the nurse escorted Jeannie back to her room.

I thought about going with them but stopped myself. I had no idea how Jeannie had become so weak, and I wondered if she was merely putting on a show.

My parents were so furious with me that they didn't drop by to see me after that. I did, however, earn a thumbs-up from my friend who came to visit. "Nice job pissing Jeannie off to the point of blacking out, man. Remember how she was all you could talk about back in the day?

"You pursued her for such a long time, so why did you break things off now just before tying the knot?"

I waved my hand dismissively. "It got boring after the challenge wore off."

"In that case, I'll pursue you instead."

I looked up and found Jeannie smiling at me from the room doorway. I snapped icily, "I don't want to see you."

She was unbothered as she padded into my room with an insulated food container. She poured a cup of broth for me and said, "Here, I made you some bone broth. Drink it while it's hot."

My friend sensed the tension in the air and bolted, leaving me and Jeannie alone.

My face was grave as Jeannie brought the cup to my face. She was treating me like a petulant child. "Take a whiff. Smells good, doesn't it?"

The familiar aroma snaked its way up my nose. Throughout the 20-something years of our marriage in my previous life, everyone thought Jeannie and I were the ideal example of a happily married couple.

I believed it, too.

She had been thoughtful and considerate. She would miss out on our anniversaries and various celebrations because of work, but she always apologized to me afterward. To make it up to me, she would give me gifts, all of which were things I liked or had mentioned in passing.

Jeannie had even picked up cooking for me despite being a young lady who had never done chores. She made the meals at home and learned different recipes that might ease my sensitive stomach.

I loved her bone broth the most.

During those days, I thought her making the bone broth implied that I meant something to her. In the end, I realized how wrong I had been.

The thought was enough to put me off the broth.

I turned away from her and grumbled, "I don't want broth. I don't want to see you either, so leave."

Jeannie bit her lip. She seemed to be trembling. It took a while for her to squeeze out a tight, miserable smile. "I suppose you're not in the mood for broth now. I'll set it aside, but remember to have some when you get hungry."

I didn't want to hear her speak and slid under the covers.

She did not leave for a while. I could tell because I heard her movements. It wasn't until the door clicked shut that I poked my head out.

Jeannie had tidied up the hospital room and even placed a bouquet in my direct line of vision. Not that I cared.

"She's quite the actress," I muttered to myself.