Your Dream Girl Can Have You

While we were picking out wedding rings, the sales associate brought out a diamond ring. Hiram Lanford handed it straight to Chloe Bennett. It fit her slender finger perfectly. Hiram stared at it. "Size six," he told the associate. "Order that size." I held out my hand. "I'm a seven. That won't fit." He frowned. "Your hands are about the same size. As long as it looks good on her." His buddy laughed. "Come on, Emma. Cut him some slack. Everyone at school knew he had a thing for Chloe. Let him live the dream." Hiram didn't deny it. "Don't read too much into it." I smiled. 'If she was his dream, he could have her.' Chapter 1 "It's too dark for Chloe to take a cab alone. I'll drive her home." Without a glance at me, Hiram took Chloe's hand and led her to the passenger seat. She glanced back with a sweet smile. "Sorry, Emma. You'll have to find your own ride." I nodded. "It's fine. Go ahead." The door shut, the engine started, and the taillights vanished into the night. The wind stung my face. I pulled my coat tighter and waited by the road for fifteen minutes before finally getting a cab. The driver noticed me shivering. "Why didn't your boyfriend drive you home? It's freezing out." "He was taking someone else home," I said calmly. He paused, then dropped it. Back at the apartment, I sat by the door, changed my shoes, and called the hotel. "Thank you for calling The Wren." "This is Emma Erven. My wedding's booked for next week. I'd like to cancel the ceremony and reception." A brief silence. "Ms. Erven, with only a week to go, your deposit is nonrefundable." "I know. Keep it. Just cancel everything." "Of course. May I ask why?" I smiled a little. "I don't want to marry him anymore." At eleven thirty, the lock turned. Hiram walked in smelling of sickly sweet perfume. Chloe's. He paused when he saw me at my computer. "Still up?" "Putting my portfolio together." He figured I was still sulking and tossed his jacket on the couch. "Quit making such a big deal. The wedding's next week. Let the ring thing go." He went into the bedroom and flopped onto the bed, still dressed. I shut down my computer, showered, and slept on the couch. At seven the next morning, Hiram was still asleep. I slipped into the study and pulled up five years of transfers and bills for our shared expenses. I didn't count every cent. I exported what I could find and saved it in an encrypted folder. Then I found three well-known design firms hiring in Bayport and sent each my portfolio and résumé. Half an hour later, Haven Design emailed back with a video interview invite for the day after tomorrow. I closed my email and shut my laptop. As I left the study, Hiram came out of the bedroom. "Why are you up so early?" "I have project drawings to finish." He nodded and went to the kitchen for water, then turned back. "Oh, Chloe's back in the States and needs a place. "I told her she could stay at the old apartment. "Tidy it up when you get a chance." He said it like it was a given. I felt nothing. "Okay." He must've thought I'd caved again. He smiled and ruffled my hair. "That's more like it. Be good." I didn't pull away or say anything. After he left, I called a moving company. "Hi, I'm moving out of town. Do you have any openings this weekend?" "We do. How much stuff?" I looked around the place I'd called home for three years. "Not much. Just my things." I hung up and stood on the balcony, watching Hiram's car ease out of the complex. The sun was bright, but I'd gone cold inside long ago. 'Hiram, isn't this what you wanted? 'You can have it.' Chapter 2 "You're coming to Chloe's welcome-home dinner tonight." Hiram stood in the bedroom doorway, fastening his cuff links. It wasn't a question. I kept working on my design. "I have drawings to finish." "How's it going to look if you don't show?" He walked over and shut my laptop. "What am I supposed to tell people?" "That I'm working late." He frowned. "Can you drop it already? The ring thing is over. You're my fiancée. You need to show up for stuff like this." I looked at him, suddenly tired of it all. "Fine. I'll go." Seven or eight people, including Tyler Grant, were already in the private dining room. Chloe wore a white dress and sat next to the head of the table. She stood when she saw us. "Hiram, Emma! You're here." Hiram pulled out her chair, then mine, three seats away. When the server brought menus, I ordered my usual seafood soup. Chloe leaned over to check the menu, then clapped a hand over her mouth. "What's wrong?" Hiram looked worried. Chloe blinked. "My skin's been breaking out, and my doctor said to avoid seafood. Sorry. I'm such a pain." She glanced at me. "Don't take it the wrong way, Emma. I didn't mean to cause trouble." Hiram scowled and turned to the server. "Take the seafood soup away." I looked up. "That's my order." "Chloe's allergic. How's she supposed to eat with seafood on the table?" he snapped. "Pick something else." "She can skip the soup. There are over a dozen dishes. They're not all seafood." Hiram put down his fork. "Can you think about someone else for once? Chloe came all this way from overseas. Cut her some slack." The room went quiet. Tyler cleared his throat. "Come on, let's order something else. Be a good sport, Emma." I glanced at him, then at Hiram's angry face. "Fine. Change it." The soup was taken away. Chloe ducked her head, a faint smile on her lips. "Thanks, Hiram." Conversation picked up again. A few drinks later, Tyler started egging them on. "Hiram, you haven't seen Chloe in three years. Link arms and take a drink. Welcome her home!" Chloe waved him off. "No, Emma's right here. That'd be awkward." Tyler grinned. "Emma doesn't mind. Right? We're all friends." Everyone looked at me. I held my tea and said nothing. After a brief pause, Hiram raised his glass, linked arms with Chloe, and drank. Chloe blushed and ducked her head, her eyes crinkling as she smiled. Everyone clapped and cheered. I sipped my tea. Cold and bitter. Something in me shut off for good. No anger. No hurt. Just the calm of knowing we were done. Outside the restaurant, Chloe caught Hiram's sleeve. "Thanks for tonight. Dinner's on me next time." He patted her hand. "Anytime. Call if you need anything." I stood a few steps away, waiting quietly for them to finish. Hiram drove in silence for a while before speaking. "What was your problem tonight? You looked pissed the whole time. What are my friends supposed to think?" "I wasn't making faces." "Tyler said you barely answered him. You're my fiancée. You made yourself look rude." I leaned against the window, watching streetlights slide past. "It won't happen again." He must've thought I'd backed down. His tone softened. "That's better. The wedding's next week. "We'll have plenty more big events. You need to learn how to act." I didn't move or answer. When the car stopped outside our building, I got out and walked ahead. "Wait up," Hiram called. I kept going and stepped into the elevator. He caught up, still smiling. "You're getting more difficult by the day." I stared at my blank reflection in the doors. 'I won't embarrass you again, Hiram. 'There won't be a next time.' Chapter 3 At eleven that night, a sharp pain in my stomach woke me. I was drenched in cold sweat, too weak to move. Hiram was supposed to be home resting, but he was gone. I called an ambulance. "I have a stomach bug. It hurts too much to move. Oakwood Place, Building 3, Apartment 802." The ambulance came quickly. Two paramedics carried me downstairs on a stretcher. The ER lights were blinding. A nurse checked my blood pressure. "Is anyone here with you? Family?" "I'll call someone." Hiram answered after six rings. "Do you know what time it is? Why are you calling?" he snapped. "I'm in the ER with a stomach bug. Can you come?" A brief silence. Then Chloe's voice. "Hiram, if we don't fix that pipe, the living room's going to flood." His voice softened, suddenly urgent. "I'm coming." Then, to me, "A pipe burst at Chloe's. I need to help her first. You'll have to handle it yourself. I'll send you some money." "Hiram, I'm in the hospital." "There are nurses. It's nothing serious. You can take care of yourself." He hung up. Ten seconds later, he sent $500. I set my phone facedown on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time. The nurse returned with forms to sign. "No emergency contact? Where's your husband?" "I'm not married." She glanced at me, took the forms, and left. I checked in, paid, had blood drawn, and got an IV. All on my own. My veins were small. It took the nurse two tries. I sat in a plastic ER chair, an IV in my left hand, my right pressed to my stomach. Beside me, an older woman's husband peeled an orange for her. About forty minutes after they started my IV, Tyler showed up with a bag of fruit. He sat beside me and crossed his legs. "Hiram sent me. Feeling any better?" "Why are you here?" "He couldn't get away. Chloe's place flooded pretty badly. He's helping her clean up." I smiled a little and said nothing. Tyler leaned in and lowered his voice. "Emma, don't take this wrong, but don't use being sick to test Hiram. "He's swamped with wedding stuff. Chloe's an old friend who just got back. Cut him some slack." I looked at him. "I was in so much pain I called an ambulance. You think this is a test?" He shifted under my stare and laughed awkwardly. "That's not what I meant. He's just got a lot going on." "Then tell him not to come." Tyler paused, caught off guard. He stayed a little longer, then left. Ten minutes later, my IV was done. I pulled it out and stood on shaky legs. Outside, the night air cleared my head a little. I sent the $500 back, then called my landlord. "Lydia, I have three months left on my old apartment's lease, right?" "Right. Why?" "I want to end it early. I'll pay the fee. I can have my things out tonight." Lydia Miller sounded surprised. "That soon? You're giving it up?" "Yeah. Everything's coming out today." I hung up, went back to the old apartment, and hired a moving van. Hiram and I had rented it together. It had sat empty since we moved to Oakwood Place. He'd offered it to Chloe. Tonight, I was taking everything that was mine. Two hours later, it was all packed and loaded. Lydia came for the keys and looked around the empty place, concerned. "Emma, are you sure about this?" "I'm sure." I handed her the keys and climbed into the van with the last box. In the passenger seat, my phone buzzed. Hiram. [Finished cleaning up Chloe's place. Feeling any better?] I stared at the text, then shut off the screen without replying. Chapter 4 Three days before the wedding, Hiram opened the closet for a shirt and paused. "Where are your clothes? Why's this side half empty?" I kept sketching in the living room. "At the dry cleaner's." He grabbed a jacket without another thought, then turned back on his way out. "Oh, give Chloe a shout-out in your wedding speech. She just got back and barely knows anyone. Make her feel welcome." I put down my pen and looked at him. "Why would I give her a special shout-out at our wedding?" Hiram turned, annoyed. "She's my friend. Can't you be nice?" "You chased her for four years and never got over her. I'm your fiancée. Why should our wedding be about her?" His voice went cold. "Emma Erven, this again? How many times do I have to say it? I don't feel that way about Chloe. She's just a friend." "Then tell her not to come." "I already invited her. How am I supposed to uninvite her?" He checked his watch. "I don't have time for this. Chloe's art show opens the day after tomorrow. I need to check on the venue." The door shut. I sat there as his footsteps faded down the hall. No one cared more about her opening than he did. I hadn't even tried on a wedding dress. At three, the doorbell rang. A delivery guy brought in two huge bouquets of lilies in full bloom. Their scent filled the living room. My throat tightened. I took two steps back. The card read, [Good luck with your art show. Hiram.] I stared at it for three seconds. My nose was already itching, and a red rash had spread across my skin. I'd told him about my lily allergy our first year together. He'd even stopped a coworker from giving me some. He'd remembered then. Now he'd had two bouquets delivered to our apartment. I put on a mask, bagged the lilies and vases, and took them to the dumpster. By the time I got back, the rash had spread from my arms to my neck. My skin burned and itched. I took two loratadine tablets and lay back on the couch, waiting for them to work. When the rash eased, I went into the bedroom. Only a few things were left in my closet. I packed them into two suitcases and booked one last move. By nine, everything was at my new place: a tiny room I'd rented for $800 a month, forty minutes from Oakwood Place. It had only a bed and a closet. Still, I felt more at ease on that hard mattress. Hiram called. "Where are you? You're not home." "At a friend's. I'm staying tonight." He paused. "What's your problem now? The wedding's in three days. How does it look, you running off?" "Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to hang out with a friend." "Emma, stop sulking. Come home and get ready for the wedding. Don't make me say it again." Like marrying him was some gift he was giving me. "Okay." That was all I said. I hung up, and then I blocked his calls and texts. He couldn't reach me anymore. I set my phone beside my pillow and stared at the yellowed ceiling light. When he was trying to win me over, he'd said, "Emma, I'll never let you face anything alone." Now that promise was in the dumpster, right beside those two bouquets of lilies. *** Third-Person POV The Wren's ballroom was packed on the wedding day. Hiram arrived in a custom suit, Chloe on his arm. In her pale pink dress, she looked like she was hosting. He scanned the room. No Emma. The bridal suite was empty, the vanity lights off. He frowned and called her. The call wouldn't go through. Figuring she was sulking, he had Tyler try. His call went straight to voicemail, too. Embarrassed, Hiram asked the emcee to entertain the guests and buy him some time. Just then, the hotel manager hurried over with a document. "Mr. Lanford, I need to confirm something with you." Hiram glanced at him impatiently. "What? The wedding's about to start." The manager held out a cancellation receipt, the date and details clearly printed. "Mr. Lanford, Ms. Erven canceled the wedding a week ago. The deposit was nonrefundable under your contract."