“Why not?”
“Because you already lost the only thing that mattered.” Phoebe looked at Graham.
“Your husband knows what you did.
Your son knows what you did.
Every person in this room knows what you did.
You can keep your money.
You can keep your name.
But you’ll never have their respect again.
And that’s worse than anything I could take from you.”
Vivian’s face crumbled.
For the first time, she looked old.
“You think you’re so noble—”
“No.
I think I’m tired.
I think I loved your son and he tried to sell me.
I think I trusted this family and you turned my wedding into a business deal.
And I think I’m done standing here explaining why that’s wrong.”
Phoebe turned to Daniel one last time.
“Daniel.”
He met her eyes.
“I want you to know something.
When I met you, I had already decided I didn’t need money to be happy.
I had already decided I wanted a simple life with a good man.
I chose you because I thought you were kind.
I thought you were honest.
I thought you were the one person who would love me without needing to know what I was worth.”
Daniel’s chin trembled.
“I was wrong.” She held his gaze.
“And that’s the one thing I’ll never forgive you for.
Not the money.
Not the prenup.
Not the humiliation.
But for making me wrong about who you are.”
Daniel’s knees buckled.
He caught himself on the altar rail.
“Phoebe, I’m begging you—”
“Don’t.” Her voice was quiet but final.
“Don’t beg.
Don’t call.
Don’t write.
Don’t send flowers.
Don’t show up at my office.
Don’t have your mother call mine.
Just don’t.”
She set the prenuptial agreement on the altar.
“Keep it.
Frame it.
Hang it on your wall.
Let it remind you of the day you had everything and threw it away because you listened to poison instead of trust.”
Daniel picked up the document.
His hands were shaking so badly the paper rattled.
“I’ll spend the rest of my life regretting this.”
“I know.” She turned away.
“That’s your punishment.
Not from me.
From yourself.”
Phoebe walked toward the exit.
Her grandfather was waiting.
Graham Crawford broke away from his family and hurried toward her.
