The Love I Burned Away

I had spent ten years of my life quietly in love with the boy next door.

The night the Sinclair family went bankrupt, Chloe Sinclair spent twenty-four hours on her knees outside the Miller estate, begging for mercy. I was terrified that Mike would let his heart soften for her lies, so I made up an excuse. I told him it was my birthday and begged him to take me to the pier. I led him away to the bright lights and the loud music of the carnival, anywhere far from her.

The next morning, the headlines broke. Chloe Sinclair had been driven to the edge by her creditors; shed jumped from the roof of a high-rise.

Mike didnt say a single word. He was a ghost, a hollow shell of a man as he handled her funeral arrangements in absolute silence. Then, with that same haunting silence, he agreed to marry me.

On our wedding day, the chapel was swallowed by an inferno. Everything we were supposed to be turned to ash in that sea of fire. He saved mehe dragged my body through the smoke, risking his life to pull me outbut he didnt survive the heat.

With his final ounce of strength, he reached out and shredded our wedding portrait, his fingers clawing at the canvas until his nails bled.

"Meeting you," he wheezed, his eyes burning with a hatred I had never seen, "is the only thing I regret about this life."

It was in that moment, as the life left his eyes, that I finally understood. He didnt just resent me. He hated me.

After he was gone, I became the pariah. I was the "black widow," the woman who had brought nothing but bad luck to the Millers. At his funeral, his relatives didnt hold back; they kicked and screamed at me while I sat in the dirt. Even his parents, who had always treated me like their own daughter, looked at me with nothing but icy indifference.

"If it weren't for you, Mike would still be alive," his mother whispered, her voice like a knife. "Your existence was never anything but a burden to him."

I wandered the streets like a soul without a body until a truck sent me over the side of a bridge. I died the moment I hit the water.

But then, I opened my eyes.

I was back. One week before the wedding.

This time, Im letting go.

Inside the high-end bridal boutique, Mike Miller sat on the velvet sofa in his tuxedo. There wasn't a flicker of groom-to-be excitement in his eyesonly a cold, simmering resentment.

"Are you satisfied now, Grace?" he asked, his voice dripping with venom. "I never realized that when my parents took you in out of pity, you were actually plotting to force your way into my bed. You think a ceremony is going to make me love you? Youre dreaming."

I looked down at my phone. The date was exactly one week before the wedding.

The Sinclairs hadn't officially filed for bankruptcy yet. Chloe was still alive, still haven't reached the point of no return. There was still time to fix everything.

A wave of phantom pain from my past life washed over me, but I pushed the bitterness down. I looked at him and forced a small, tired smile.

"I know," I said softly. "I know your heart belongs to someone else."

I took a breath. "This time, Im letting you go."

He blinked, a flash of genuine surprise crossing his face before he let out a harsh, mocking laugh.

"Letting me go? What is that supposed to mean? The invitations are out, the venue is booked. You think saying that now changes anything?" He stood up, towering over me. "I used to think of you as my sister. I looked out for you. I even let you into the inner workings of the company. But you? Youre a two-faced snake, Grace. It makes me sick."

He stepped closer, his shadow swallowing me. "If you hadn't poisoned my parents' minds against Chloe, they wouldn't have such a prejudice against her. You got exactly what you wanted. Dont start acting like a martyr now."

He didn't wait for an answer. He stormed out of the boutique and stood on the sidewalk, lighting one cigarette after another.

I looked at my reflection in the three-way mirror. The white lace felt like a shroud. I called the attendant over and gave her a new set of measurementsChloes measurements.

Then, I called the wedding planner and told them to change the brides name on everything to Chloe Sinclair.

My phone wallpaper was still a photo of us from ten years ago. Back then, my parents had just died in a tragic accident, and my world had ended. Mike was the one who pulled me out of the wreckage. Our parents had been lifelong friends, and it was Mike who begged his parents to adopt me so I wouldn't be lost to the foster system.

He protected me from every bully at school. He kept me tucked under his wing, day and night. When classmates teased that I was his "little shadow," hed just offer a soft, indulgent smile.

When a group of older boys tried to corner me once, Mike didn't hesitate. He fought them until his knuckles were raw and his face was smeared with blood. I stood there, sobbing in terror. He took my hand, pulled me close, and covered my ears.

"It's okay, Gracie. Big brother is going to protect you forever."

He had kept that promise for a long time. Once I joined the company, I was his only "plus-one" at every gala, every event. Everyone whispered that the cold, arrogant Mike Miller only had a soft spot for his little sister. The rumors grew so loud that I started to believe them myself.

When his parents found the journals where Id poured out my teenage pining, they started pushing us together. But that fire in the chapel... that fire taught me the truth.

I was never his heart. I was just a weight around his neck.

I changed back into my street clothes and walked out of the shop, keeping my face carefully blank. The dress was handled. Now, I just needed the rings.

"Mike," I said, catching him as he blew out a cloud of smoke. "I want to pick out the rings. Come with me."

He knew Chloes taste better than anyone. He was busy staring at his phone, a faint, rare smile touching his lips as he typed a message. When he looked up at me, his gaze turned back to ice.

"The dress wasn't enough? You need the rings today, too? My god, Grace, youre desperate to lock this down, aren't you?" He checked his watch. "I don't have time. Chloes family is having a crisis. I need to go to her."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and reached out to open his car door for him. "Go. Go to her. Ill tell your parents there was an emergency at the office. Ill cover for you."

Mike paused, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "What's wrong with you today? Usually, if I even mention Chloe, you turn into a brat. I guess now that the wedding is a week away, you finally feel like shes not a threat anymore?"

I didn't answer. I just gave him a sad, tight smile. He didn't wait for a response; he peeled away from the curb without looking back.

I walked through the biting wind for hours before I finally headed home. When I walked through the front door, his parents saw the look on my face and immediately knew something was wrong.

"Oh, Gracie, honey, don't look like that," his mother said, rushing over to pull me into a hug. "Mike is just being difficult. Hell settle down once youre married."

"Look," his father added, trying to cheer me up. "He says he doesn't care, but he sent over these ring designs this afternoon. Pick whichever one you want. Don't worry about the priceit's on us. We're going to make sure our Grace has the grandest wedding New York has ever seen."

They thought he was just being stubborn. They thought his heart would eventually follow his duty. But I knew better. Mike was only doing this to maintain the familys image. If the fire hadn't happened, we would have lived a life of polite, chilling distance. Everything would have been perfect on paper, and completely dead inside.

I looked at the designs and pointed to the most extravagant, ornate diamond in the collection. It was exactly Chloes style.

When word got back to Mike about the choice, my phone immediately buzzed with a call.

"So the act is over?" he snapped as soon as I picked up. "You picked the most expensive one, of course. Let me make one thing clear, Grace: after the wedding, you can spend all the Miller money you want, but stay the hell out of my personal life."

I tilted my head back, staring at the ceiling to keep the tears from falling. "Okay. I promise."

The line went dead.

A few minutes later, the family chauffeur sent Mike's father a GPS notification for the Maybach. His fathers face turned a deep, angry red.

"That boy... is he at the Sinclair house again?" He slammed his fist on the table. "Don't you worry, Grace. We're going to handle this. I'll break his damn legs if he doesn't start treating you with respect!"

But before Mike even made it home, the corporate lawyers sent a frantic alert. Mike had breached ten major contracts and diverted company funds to bail out the Sinclair familys failing business.

It was a blatant display of favoritism. His father was livid, shattering a teacup against the floor. His mother looked devastated, but she still tried to hold it together for my sake.

I looked at these two people who had loved me like a daughter. They had done everything to give me the life I thought I wanted. But love isn't a choice you can force someone to make. It isn't a habit you can grow.

I knelt at his mothers feet, leaning my head against her knee like I used to when I was a little girl.

"Mom... I don't want to get married anymore."

She froze. "What are you saying, sweetheart?"

"Youve both been so good to me. You gave me a home when I had nothing. But I can't do this. I know he loves Chloe. If we get married, it will be a cage for both of us. I've already applied for a graduate program abroad. This time, I need to make my own path."

Tears welled in her eyes as she pulled me into a tight embrace. "Is this because of what he said today? Honey, weddings are stressful. Hes just confused by that girl. Hell wake up. If he didn't care about you, he wouldn't have knelt before us all those years ago, begging us to take you in."

His father sighed heavily. "Shes right, Grace. The Sinclair business is built on sandits going to collapse anyway. Mike just can't see it yet. You've never been away from us. How can we let you go halfway across the world?"

They thought I was just hurting. They thought they could fix it by taking my side. In my last life, I believed them. And in the end, I lost everythingincluding my relationship with them.

I stood up and led them both into Mikes bedroom. I pointed to a dusty pile of boxes tucked away in the far corner of his walk-in closet.

"Those are every gift Ive given him over the last ten years," I said quietly. "He never even opened half of them. But look at his nightstand."

There sat a cheap, tacky little glass figurine Chloe had bought him at a flea market years ago. He kept it right where he could see it every morning.

"Im not a child anymore," I told them. "I know the difference between obligation and love. Thank you for everything, truly. I will always be grateful. but I won't let my gratitude turn into his misery. He wants her. Im letting him have her."

His mother was sobbing now, shaking her head. His father tried to argue, but I cut him off.

"If we go through with this, Mike will be miserable for the rest of his life. We have one chance to fix this before its too late. I don't want to be the reason he hates his own life." I gripped their hands. "Please. Let me just be his sister. Thats a bond that can actually last."

Seeing my resolve, they finally stopped fighting me. His mother pressed a black credit card into my hand, whispering through her tears for me to take care of myself.

"Don't tell him yet," I pleaded. "Lets give him a 'surprise' on the wedding day."

I went back to my room and tucked the card away. I spent the evening packing up every memento, every photo, and every gift Mike had ever given me. I hauled the boxes down to the backyard, intent on burning them and leaving no traces behind.

As the first flame licked at the corner of an old polaroid, a pair of designer heels appeared in my peripheral vision. Chloe Sinclair kicked the box over, the glass of a framed photo shattering against the patio.

Before I could even react, she snatched up a jagged shard of glass and dragged it across her own wrist.

As she screamed, Mike came charging out of the house. He didn't even look at the fire. He swung his hand and caught me across the face with a stinging slap.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Have you lost your mind?"

"Mike, I"

"Chloe came here to talk business, and you pull this? You psychotic freak!"

I stood there, my cheek burning, stunned into silence. Chloe slumped into his arms, weeping pathetically.

"I'm so sorry, Mike... I just wanted to come by and wish you both a happy marriage... I didn't think Grace would snap like this..." She looked up at him with watery eyes. "I know she hates me. I should just go. I don't want to be the reason you fight."

Mikes face was a mask of cold fury. "Is this how its going to be? Now that the wedding is close, you don't have to pretend to be the sweet little sister anymore? Poisoning my parents wasn't enough, so now youre physically attacking her? Ive known you for ten years, Grace, and I never knew you were capable of being this disgusting."

He shook her slightly. "Tell me the truth. Did you have something to do with the Sinclair bankruptcy?"

I stared at him, a hollow laugh escaping my lips. "Her familys mess has nothing to do with me. I told you Id let you go. I meant it."

Mike glanced down at the scattered photos in the dirtphotos of us smiling, younger and happier. His expression hardened.

"Burning these? What is this, another one of your pathetic games? Playing hard to get? You think this is going to make me love you? It just makes me want to vomit." He grabbed my arm, his grip like iron. "You're coming to the hospital. If anything happens to her, I swear to God, Im done with you."

He didn't give me a choice. He threw Chloe into the back seat and dragged me into the front. He drove like a maniac to the ER, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.

In my last life, Chloe died because of her creditors. In this life, because of Mikes help, she had survivedbut she had found a new way to hurt me. I watched him pace the hallway, frantic with worry, and I felt the final strings of my heart simply snap.

Once the doctors announced she was out of danger and moved her to a private room, Mike finally exhaled. He looked at me, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

"Since this was your fault, youre staying here to watch her tonight. I have things to handle at the office. Don't leave."

He left without looking back.

I stayed. I sat in the chair by the window and watched the sunrise. I didn't sleep.

The next morning, Mike returned with a thermos of homemade porridge. He glanced at the dark circles under my eyes, and for a split second, I saw a flicker of something that looked like guilt.

"Did you sleep?"

"No."

"Thanks," he muttered, looking away. "For staying."

I let out a soft laugh and stood up, moving out of his way so he could sit by her bed. It was the first time in a long time Id heard him say 'thank you.' It was far too little, and far too late.

He seemed unsettled by my reaction. "Look, once Chloe is discharged, Ill take you to the bridal shop again. We can pick a different dress. The one you chose before was... plain. And about yesterday... I was stressed. I shouldn't have snapped. But this thing between us has nothing to do with Chloe. Don't take your anger out on her."

I looked down at the floor, thinking about the one-way ticket to London Id booked for the morning of the wedding.

I looked up and gave him a bright, empty smile. "There's no need. Im just happy to be marrying you. The dress doesn't matter."

"Mike," I added, "I hope you get everything you want."

He started to say something, but Chloe stirred on the bed, let out a soft moan of pain, and he was immediately gone, leaning over her, blowing on a spoonful of porridge to cool it down for her.

While he was preoccupied, I slipped out of the room and went to finalize my visa paperwork.

Later that afternoon, Mike sent me a text. He had actually invited me to a movie premiere.

Youve been wanting to see this one forever. Ill pick you up at seven.

It was a romancea story about childhood sweethearts. I had mentioned it to him a dozen times over the last year, trying to hint at my feelings. Back then, he had just rolled his eyes and told me it sounded boring.

I knew what this was. This was his apology. But the apology was for a girl who didn't exist anymore.

I typed back a quick reply: Don't worry about it. You don't owe me anything.

He saved me, he gave me a home. I was paying him back by taking care of his true love. But Mike was stubborn; he insisted we go.

I went to the theater. I sat in the lobby for forty-five minutes. He never showed up.

Instead, my phone pinged with a local social news alert. CEO of Miller Corp hosts 'Hospital Banquet' for mystery woman.

Chloe had wanted a candlelight dinner, so Mike had ordered a five-star hotel to cater a full meal in her hospital suite. In the photos, the candlelight flickered across his face, showing a tenderness and warmth I had never been the recipient of.

I watched the movie alone.

When I got home, there was a text from him.

Sorry, something came up at the office. Ill make it up to you tomorrow. The dress was delivered to the house, make sure it fits.

The dress was already altered for Chloe. There was no reason for me to put it on.

I ignored the ache in my chest and started packing my final suitcase. I texted him back: Its fine. I heard its bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding anyway. Im going to stay at a hotel for the next few days to get ready.

He didn't reply. But two minutes later, my phone rang. It was the hospital.

Mike had been in a car accident on his way back from the hospital. There was a shortage in the blood bank, and he was heading into emergency surgery.

I didn't call his parents. I grabbed my coat and caught a cab to the hospital.

As the needle slid into my vein, the world seemed to blur. I saw eighteen-year-old Mike again. I saw him in that alleyway, surrounded by those boys, his face covered in blood, yet he was still using his jacket to shield my eyes.

"Wait for me, Gracie. Big brothers got you."

He had protected me for ten years. This was the last time Id protect him.

When the surgery was over, I sat by his bed until he opened his eyes. He looked at me, his expression unreadable.

"Thank you."

"Grace," he croaked, his voice weak. "As long as you leave Chloe alone... Ill keep you safe. Like I always have."

So, he still remembered those promises. I looked at his pale, exhausted face and smiled the same way I did when I was a girl.

"Okay. Thank you, Mike."

His injuries weren't life-threatening. The wedding would go on as scheduled. I felt a wave of relief. I hired a professional nurse to stay with him, went home to grab my bags, and checked into a hotel near the airport.

Over the next few days, his parents sent me a flurry of messages. Mike was sending over jewelry sets, honeymoon itineraries to the places Id always dreamed of visiting. Hed remembered everything. They were terrified I wouldn't show up, begging me to change my mind about leaving.

Then I saw Chloes latest Instagram post. A photo of her hand intertwined with his in the hospital bed. On her finger, the ornate diamond ring I had picked out.

I smiled and turned off my phone.

On the morning of the wedding, as I was heading to the airport, one final message came through from Mike.

Are you ready? Im on my way to get you.

I didn't answer. I deleted his contact and blocked his number.

In the bridal suite of the church, Mike stared at his phone, a cold knot of dread forming in his stomach. He turned to his parents.

"Is Grace still in hair and makeup? Shes been looking forward to this for yearswhy is she being so slow?"

Before they could speak, his assistant burst into the room, his face white as a sheet.

"Sir... it's Grace. She booked a flight out of the country this morning. That plane... it just went down."