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My Fiancé Left Me, So I Married His Best Friend
Novelix
Completed
The night before our wedding, my fiancé took a dare and left with the woman he swore was only a friend, telling me to keep busy with a failing project. Three years later, Grant finally came back, convinced I'd spent all that time losing weight, building a career, and waiting for him. He was wrong. I turned that dying project into a successful company, married his best friend, and built a life that had nothing to do with him. Grant still thought my success belonged to him. So I gave him back exactly what he'd left me and watched him prove how little he could do without me.
Chapters (2)
第1章
Three years ago, Grant Holloway left his fat fiancée the night before our wedding because Vanessa Quinn, the woman he always insisted was just a friend, dared him to.
That fat fiancée was me.
It happened in the bachelor-party group chat.
Nathan Reed started the game.
“Grant, you keep telling everyone Serena's smarter than half your executives.”
Then:
“Dare you to prove it. Give her Phoenix.”
Project Phoenix was a disaster.
A multimillion-dollar smart-home division bleeding money so fast the board was preparing to shut it down.
Grant answered in less than a minute.
“Why not?”
Then another message appeared.
“It'll give my future wife something to do.”
I still remember how excited I was.
Back then, I worked in product design.
I knew almost nothing about finance, operations, manufacturing, or corporate strategy.
But Grant had finally trusted me with something important.
At least, that's what I thought.
I immediately typed into the group.
“I can learn. I'll do my best.”
Before I could send another message, Vanessa Quinn replied.
Vanessa had been Grant's closest friend since college.
She traveled with him.
Partied with him.
Hung off his arm whenever she drank too much.
And every time I said their relationship made me uncomfortable, Grant told me I was being insecure.
That night, Vanessa sent:
“My turn.”
“Grant, I dare you to postpone the wedding and come with me for a week.”
The group exploded.
“No way.”
“Do it, Holloway.”
“Don't tell me you're scared of your fiancée.”
Grant hated one thing more than losing.
Looking afraid.
His reply came almost immediately.
“Done.”
I stared at the screen.
For a few seconds, I genuinely thought it was a joke.
Then Vanessa tagged me.
“Sorry, Serena.”
“Your groom lost.”
“We're leaving tomorrow.”
Grant followed with a laughing emoji.
Then:
“Don't make this dramatic, babe.”
“It's one week.”
“We'll move the wedding.”
And finally:
“Besides, you've got Phoenix now. Keep yourself busy.”
“Even if you screw it up, I won't blame you.”
That was the last conversation I had with my fiancé before he got on a plane with Vanessa.
One week became a month.
A month became six.
Six months became three years.
Grant never came back.
I did exactly what he told me to do.
I kept busy.
Three years later, I'm standing in the arrivals hall when Grant Holloway walks back into my life.
He sees me immediately.
Then stops.
His suitcase nearly rolls past him.
His eyes move slowly from my face to my body.
I know what he sees.
Three years ago, I was fat.
I wore oversized dresses because photographers at Holloway events loved catching the worst possible angle.
He would put an arm around me and say,
“I don't care what anyone thinks. I love you for who you are.”
At twenty-six, I thought that was romantic.
At twenty-nine, I know better.
Grant's eyes are already red.
“Serena?” Grant says.
He walks toward me like he's seeing a miracle.
“You look…”
He stops.
His gaze drops to my waist.
Then my face.
“Jesus.”
I say nothing.
“You lost so much weight.”
“I knew you could do it.”
I almost laugh.
He looks at me like he's proud.
Like my body is another project he assigned three years ago and has returned to inspect.
Then he sees my left hand.
The wedding ring.
Grant freezes.
His eyes lock on it.
For one long second, he doesn't breathe.
“Serena…”
He smiles.
“You kept it.”
I look at him.
“You actually kept the ring.”
He steps toward me, arms opening.
“I knew you'd wait.”
I move back.
He stops.
His smile falters.
“Serena?”
“I think you've misunderstood something.”
“No, I haven't.”
His gaze falls to my body again.
“You lost the weight.”
“You kept our ring.”
“You built a whole career while I was gone.”
His voice goes thick with emotion.
“You spent three years becoming the woman you always wanted to be.”
He reaches for me.
“For us.”
I step back again.
This time, his face changes.
“Grant.”
I raise my left hand.
The diamond catches the airport light.
“First, I didn't lose weight for you.”
His brows pull together.
“Second…”
I turn the ring slightly around my finger.
“This isn't our ring.”
His expression goes blank.
I meet his eyes.
“And I wasn't waiting for you.”
“Come on, Serena.”
“I'm married.”
His smile disappears.
第2章
“Married?” he laughs.
“Serena, seriously?”
A familiar voice comes from behind him.
“I told you she'd still be pissed.”
Vanessa Quinn appears pushing two suitcases.
She looks almost exactly the same as she did three years ago.
Perfect hair.
Tiny dress.
Expensive sunglasses pushed onto her head.
She walks straight to Grant's side like that's where she belongs.
Then she sees me.
Her steps slow.
Her eyes move over my body once.
The surprise on her face disappears quickly.
“Wow.”
I say nothing.
“You really did lose a lot of weight.”
Grant gives her a look.
Vanessa smiles.
“What? It's a compliment.”
Then her gaze drops to my ring.
She laughs.
“Oh my God. You're really doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Pretending you got married.”
Grant sighs like he's already tired of my behavior.
“Serena, I know you're angry.”
“You should be.”
“I left the day before our wedding.”
“But this?”
He gestures toward my hand.
“Making up a husband?”
Vanessa snorts.
“Who would she even marry?”
Grant doesn't answer.
He doesn't need to.
Vanessa looks at me.
“You worked nonstop for three years.”
“Everyone said you practically lived at the office.”
“When exactly did this mysterious romance happen?”
I smile.
“You seem very interested in my schedule.”
“I'm interested in reality.”
She steps closer.
“Three years ago, you barely went anywhere without Grant.”
“You didn't date.”
“You didn't even like parties.”
“And now I'm supposed to believe some guy just appeared and married you?”
Grant finally speaks.
“Vanessa.”
She shrugs.
“I'm just saying what you're thinking.”
Grant looks at me.
His voice softens.
“Serena, she's being rude.”
“But she has a point.”
Of course.
He steps closer again.
“You don't need to lie to punish me.”
“I'm not punishing you.”
“You are.”
His tone becomes almost gentle.
“I know how badly I hurt you.”
I stare at him.
For one second, I wonder if he's finally going to admit what he did.
Then he says,
“But look at what came out of it.”
There he is.
“What?”
Grant smiles.
“Look at you.”
“You're confident.”
“You're running a division.”
“You look incredible.”
His eyes move down my body again.
“You finally lost the weight you were always struggling with.”
“You used to tell me you hated being photographed.”
“Remember?”
“You said you wanted to lose weight before the wedding.”
He smiles like he's remembering something sweet.
“I knew you'd get there.”
I cross my arms.
“Grant, I didn't spend three years transforming myself for a wedding you abandoned.”
His smile fades slightly.
“That's not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean?”
He exhales.
“You've always been emotional.”
Vanessa laughs under her breath.
Grant ignores her.
“The point is, I was there before all of this.”
He gestures at me.
“Before the title.”
“Before the clothes.”
“Before people started taking you seriously.”
Then his voice drops.
“Before men started looking at you like they do now.”
Grant steps closer.
“I loved you when you were fat, Serena.”
He says it like a gift.
Like he's handing me proof of his goodness.
“The guys noticing you now?”
“They wouldn't have looked twice at you three years ago.”
“I did.”
Vanessa smiles.
“Exactly.”
Grant continues.
“I never cared about any of that.”
“I cared about you.”
I look at the man I once planned to spend my life with.
For years, I thought those words meant safety.
Now all I hear is:
You should be grateful I wanted you.
Grant mistakes my silence for surrender.
“Come home with me.”
“What?”
“My parents are expecting us.”
“We need to talk about the wedding.”
“There is no wedding.”
He frowns.
“Serena.”
“I told you. I'm married.”
“And I told you to stop.”
His voice hardens.
Not much.
Just enough to remind me how quickly his tenderness disappears when I stop agreeing.
“You've made your point.”
“You're angry.”
“Fine.”
“I deserve some of that.”
Then he adjusts his cuff.
“But don't take it too far.”
Vanessa folds her arms.
Grant looks at me like we're discussing a delayed meeting instead of the relationship he abandoned three years ago.
“Anyway, I heard Phoenix is doing well.”
“Very.”
“I also heard you're running the division now.”
“I am.”
He smiles.
“See?”
I already know what's coming.
He spreads his hands.
“I gave you that project.”
“You left me a division six weeks from shutdown.”
“And you saved it.”
He nods approvingly.
“Exactly.”
I stare at him.
Grant's smile widens.
“You went from a designer who couldn't read a balance sheet to running one of the company's most important businesses.”
“That's what opportunity does.”
“You should be proud.”
Then:
“So should I.”
I almost admire the audacity.
“You think my career belongs to you?”
“I think we don't need to divide everything into yours and mine.”
His tone becomes patient.
“We were supposed to be married.”
“We still can be.”
He checks his watch.
“I'm exhausted.”
“I don't want to fight in an airport.”
“Tomorrow morning. Nine.”
I blink.
“What?”
“My office.”
“Bring the Phoenix numbers from the last three years.”
“I want revenue, margins, licensing, manufacturing, all of it.”
Vanessa smiles.
Grant continues.
“Now that I'm back, I need to see exactly what you've been doing.”
“And if everything looks good…”
He pauses.
“I'll make sure you still have a meaningful role after we get married.”
I look at him for a long second.
Then smile.
“Nine o'clock?”
“Yes.”
“Fine.”
He thinks I've given in.
“Good.”
I turn away.
Behind me, Vanessa laughs softly.
“I told you. She's still the same Serena.”
Grant answers,
“She just needed time.”
I keep walking.
Tomorrow morning, Grant is going to learn exactly how much can change in three years.
