Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Rosalind's POV

Security rushes through the door.

"I'd like to see you try!" Holden roars, crushing Marlowe against his chest like some feral animal protecting its food.

He turns his head and locks eyes with me. Pure venom.

"Rosalind, this was you, wasn't it? You brought them here on purpose! You can't stand to see Mar happy, so you had to destroy her?"

I look at him. The whole thing is so absurd I almost laugh.

"Holden," I say calmly, "did I force you to take your clothes off? Did I push you two together and make you do this?"

"Shut up!" Holden's face flushes red.

That's when Marlowe suddenly pulls away from him and drops to her knees in front of his parents.

She sobs, the words tumbling out between gasps. Something about how it's all her fault, how she was just trying to test him.

Holden watches her pitiful display, and just like that, his rage melts into concern for her and pure disgust for me.

"Dad, Mom, you heard her, right?" Holden stares at me, his voice ice cold. "Every guy Rosalind's ever dated? Mar liked him first. Rosalind stole every single one of them. Mar gave them up for her so-called best friend."

He turns to Marlowe, eyes soft with pity. "When I heard what she'd done to you, it killed me. You kept stepping aside, giving up everything you wanted so she could be happy. Today had nothing to do with you. I'm the one who couldn't hold back. I couldn't watch Rosalind treat you like garbage anymore. I wanted to make it up to you. And now she's trying to flip this around on you!"

I freeze.

What?

Marlowe's the one who climbed into bed with every guy I ever dated. She ruined every relationship I had.

And now somehow I'm the one who stole her men?

Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley stare at their son, too stunned to speak.

Mr. Kingsley clutches his chest and collapses.

Chaos erupts. Mrs. Kingsley screams for an ambulance. Security scrambles to get them out.

The hallway empties. Just the three of us left.

Holden stares at me, his eyes dead.

"Rosalind, you got what you wanted. The wedding's ruined. My father's in the hospital. Happy now?"

I take a slow breath, swallowing back the nausea.

"Holden, the wedding's off. Let's just end this. You and Mar can live happily ever after."

I turn to leave.

"Stop!"

Holden grabs my collar and slams me against the wall.

"End this? You tore my family apart, drove Mar to this, and now you think you can just walk away?"

He looks back at the security guards, his voice flat and cold.

"Lock her in the walk-in freezer in the hotel kitchen. No one lets her out until I say so."

The guards exchange glances but move toward me anyway.

"Holden, you can't just lock me up like this." I stare at him.

"Watch me." He looks down at me like I'm nothing. "When you admit what you did and get on your knees to apologize to Mar, then I'll let you out."

They drag me into the freezer.

The heavy steel door slams shut.

The cold hits me all at once.

I don't cry. I don't pound on the door begging to be let out.

I just curl up in the corner and feel the warmth drain out of my body, bit by bit.

He did this to me in my past life too. I cried and begged him then. All I got back was his cold laughter.

This time, I don't waste a single tear.

In the brutal cold, whatever I still felt for Holden freezes and shatters.

I don't know how much time passes. My thoughts start to blur.

Then I hear it. A click. The door opens.

Light floods in, blinding.

Marlowe stands in the doorway wearing Holden's suit jacket, smiling down at me like she's already won.

"Cold, Rosie?" She walks in and crouches in front of me, her voice sickly sweet.

I lift my head, weak but steady. My eyes lock on hers, sharp and clear.

I use what's left of my strength to ask, "What do you want?"

Marlowe laughs.

"To see your mom one last time before she kicks it."

The words hit like a knife to the chest.

My eyes snap wide open.

"What are you talking about?"

Marlowe stands, dusting off her hands.

"Oh Rosie, you don't know yet? While you were in here, I grabbed your phone and sent Holden a little text. Told him you'd rather die in this freezer than apologize, and that you were going to destroy his precious Mar."

She leans down close to my ear.

"He lost it. Called the hospital right there and told them to pull the plug on your mom. Cut off the treatment, the life support, everything. She's probably dead by now, that old bitch."

Everything goes blank.

"Marlowe! I'll kill you!"