“But it was so damn fun.”
Kissing him, I moan. “I can’t argue, but I need to ensure it’s more than just sex.”
“Whatever you need, Harper, I’ll do.”
“Thank you,” I say, but I regret it the moment he steps back.
I’ve never felt such strong attraction before, but it also terrifies me. Everything with Ford is exhilarating yet intense. It would be easy to fall for him, but I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet—not after everything that happened with Asher.
Chapter 38
Kenzie
It’s been nearly impossible to settle down all day. The anticipation of tonight has me buzzing with excitement. I’ll finally get the satisfaction I crave. Everyone will see Harper for who she truly is.
In the small dining room at Starlight Manor, guests in cocktail attire huddle around cream-clothed tables adorned with lilac centerpieces. The crystal chandeliers cast a golden glow over everyone’s faces. It’s almost six, and I can’t shake the worry that Harper won’t show.
But she walks in right on time, hand in hand with Ford, her emerald sweater dress clinging to curves I’ve always envied, her glossy hair cascading down her back. She looks... radiant.
No one dares to comment on how disgraceful it is for them to arrive like this. In fact, Asher’s grandma—with her pearls andjudgmental eyes—says they make a lovely couple. Something she’s never said about Asher and me.
God, I hate her. How can she make me jealous at my own rehearsal dinner?
“He loved her for years, you know,” Dorothy says, her voice dripping with sympathy. “I’m not surprised they got together when Asher called off the wedding.”
We’ll see how everyone feels when Harper’s sabotage comes to light. She won’t be the golden girl anymore. The town’s sweetheart will finally fall, and I can’t wait to watch her get what’s coming to her.
I glance at Asher, my blood boiling until I can feel my pulse throbbing in my temples. His jaw is clenched so tight a muscle twitches beneath his clean-shaven cheek as he glares at Harper and Ford. The way his eyes follow her every movement, lingering on the curve of her hip in that perfect dress—he might as well be drooling.
He still loves her. Damn it! I’m supposed to win, not her. I’m getting everything she ever wanted—the ring on my finger catching the chandelier light, the man at my side, this whole perfect night—and he’s ruining it with his pathetic longing. No, she’s ruining it just by breathing.
It took months of carefully calculated touches, of late-night texts that started innocent and grew bolder, of “accidental” encounters outside his apartment in that red dress with the plunging neckline. Asher resisted at first, his eyes darting away whenever our knees brushed under tables, even though he’d never treated Harper with the devotion everyone thought she deserved.
I could see the unhappiness etched in the tight lines around his mouth, the way he’d stare into his whiskey instead of at her. When he finally gave in, pressing me against his kitchen counter with trembling hands, his kisses tasted like guilt anddesperation. The sex itself was forgettable—all awkward angles and mismatched rhythms—but lying there afterward, watching moonlight stripe across his ceiling, I savored the sweet knowledge that I’d claimed what was hers. The hollow victory tasted better than any orgasm could have. And soon, I’ll strip away everything else she values. Her reputation, her friendships, her perfect image. Piece by precious piece.
I scoff as she pretends to be over Asher, but I know she wants him back. Or at least wants to try. Either way, she still cares, regardless of what she claims. When the truth comes out, Ford will leave her. Everyone will turn against her, and she’ll finally be an outcast, just as I’ve felt my entire life.
The servers bring out the plates, and everyone takes their seats. Harper and Ford sit together, of course. I wait until everyone’s quiet, food in front of them. “Can I have everyone’s attention?” I call out, standing.
All eyes fall on me, and I smile. As it should be.
“There’s a special guest here tonight that I want to bring to the spotlight: Harper Wallace.” Harper looks up in confusion, and murmurs ripple through the room. No one knows what’s about to unfold, and it will be glorious. The best day of my life.
“I asked Harper here for a very specific reason tonight. To call her out.” The murmurs shift to whispers, and I can feel the thrill of vindication rising within me.
“Call me out?” Harper asks. “For what?”
Scoffing, I shake my head. “For being so jealous that you want to ruin my perfect day. For trying to be the one coming out on top. I want everyone to see you for who you truly are.”
“For… What? You have everything, Kenzie.”
“And yet, you’ve been sabotaging my wedding.”
She frowns at me. “How have I done that?”
“How didn’t you?” I retort.
Turning to Ford, she gives him a questioning look, and he shrugs. That’s right, Ford. See her for who she really is: an evil bitch.
