His Promise Was Never Mine

In Silver Hollow, a girl could not leave her family home as a bride until the groom's family had prepared a complete set of seven silver wedding pieces. For six years, Logan Carney promised me that my bridal set would be ready soon. But every year, one piece was still missing. So I waited. I waited until the girl everyone once called beautiful became the woman people whispered about behind her back. In the seventh year, I emptied my savings and secretly ordered the silver crown myself. It was the most expensive piece, but I told myself it was worth it. I loved Logan, and I wanted to help him. But on the day I went to give him the crown, I stopped outside his door. Inside, I heard his younger brother, Caleb Carney, speaking in a low voice, "Logan, are you seriously giving this year's silver crown to Abbie? You have been giving her one piece every year for seven years. She already has a complete bridal set." Logan laughed softly. "Abbie is different. She's wild, and everyone in town treats her like one of the guys. She is afraid no man will ever marry her, so she wants a full silver set to prove she is still worth marrying. Giving it to her doesn't hurt me." Caleb was quiet for a moment. "And what about Julia?" he asked. "What if she finds out? What if she gets angry and marries someone else?" Logan snorted. "She has waited for me for six years. If she were going to leave, she would have left long ago." Then he said the words that shattered the last of my heart. "Besides, she is already twenty-eight. Who else would want her now? Let her wait one more year. Once she is almost thirty, she will be grateful just to marry me. A woman like that won't dare act proud anymore." I stood outside the door, feeling as though my heart had been ripped wide open. At that moment, I finally understood the truth. For seven years, I thought I had been waiting for my wedding. All along, Logan had been building someone else's. If that was how he truly felt, then it was time for me to find myself a new groom. I dialed a number I had buried for years. The moment he answered, my voice trembled. "I'm getting married in three days," I said. "Will you come steal me from the wedding?" Chapter 1 The Bride He Never Deserved The next morning, Silver Hollow was dressed for a wedding. Lanterns hung from every porch. Drums echoed through the streets. Nearly everyone in town had gathered along the cobblestone road, crowding both sides as they waited to see whether this would finally be the year I became a bride. Before long, Logan arrived with a polished wooden tray in his hands. A velvet cloth covered the tray. The village chief stepped forward with his cane and cleared his throat. "It is time to inspect the bridal silver." The velvet cloth was lifted. Beneath it lay a stunning silver crown. Ninety-nine tiny silver bells were arranged across the crown in delicate layers, catching the morning light until they shimmered so brightly that no one could look away. My younger sister, Lily Jones, covered her mouth. Her eyes turned red at once. "All seven pieces are here," she whispered. "Julia, you can finally get married." A wave of admiration spread through the crowd. "I have not seen a silver crown that beautiful in decades. Logan really spent a fortune this time." "Julia's seven years of waiting weren't wasted after all." Lily nudged my shoulder and urged me forward. "Julia, go accept your bridal set." I stood where I was and did not move. Sure enough, in the next moment, Logan lifted the silver crown from the tray and walked toward Abbie Gardner, who stood on the other side of the crowd. Under everyone's stunned gaze, he placed the crown on her head. "Logan, have you lost your mind?" Lily rushed forward and grabbed his sleeve. "That is my sister's wedding crown. Why are you putting it on Abbie?" Logan pulled his arm free and answered as if he had done nothing wrong. "Abbie saved my life once. We have been through life and death together. She only wanted a silver crown. Why shouldn't I give her one?" Lily trembled with anger and demanded, "What about Julia? She has waited for you for six years." Everyone turned to look at me. They were all waiting for me, the famous firecracker of Silver Hollow, to rush forward, cry, scream, and make a scene. However, I only stood there quietly and looked at Abbie. She had clearly dressed for this moment. She wore a brand-new embroidered dress, and every part of her was covered in silver ornaments. With the silver crown now on her head, her bridal set was complete. Then, I looked down at myself. My wedding dress had been worn and washed too many times over the years. The colors that had once been bright had faded into something pale and tired. I wore no jewelry at all. There was not even a single piece of silver on me. Anyone who did not know better would have thought Abbie was the bride. I drew in a slow breath and looked at the man I had waited seven years for. "Are you sure you want to give her the silver crown?" I asked. "Without it, my bridal set is no longer complete." Logan nodded without the slightest hesitation. His tone was careless, almost bored. "It is just one silver crown. Wait a little longer. Next year, I will make it up to you with one that is even better and more beautiful." I shook my head softly. "That will not be necessary. I am still getting married today." The moment I said that, the crowd burst into whispers. "Julia must be terrified of waiting any longer. She is willing to marry even without a complete bridal set." "Logan really knows how to handle her. He has finally tamed that temper of hers." "Seven years is a long time. Even the wildest horse learns to lower its head eventually." The corner of Logan's mouth lifted. He could not hide the satisfaction on his face. Abbie rolled her eyes and raised her voice on purpose. "A twenty-eight-year-old spinster is not worth much. At her age, she'd probably marry anyone who would take her." Logan gave a light cough, but the smugness in his voice was impossible to miss. "Since you are so eager to marry me, the wedding will continue as planned." I looked at him coldly. "I said I was getting married, but I never said I was marrying you." Logan only thought I was saying it to protect my pride. He did not take me seriously at all. "Enough," he said. "Stop being difficult. The wedding will go on as planned. Whatever I owe you, I will make up for it after we are married." After that, he walked away surrounded by his friends, looking pleased with himself. I watched his back disappear into the crowd. The obsession I had carried for seven years finally scattered like smoke in the wind. Chapter 2 Nothing Left to Lose Lily's eyes turned red with anger and panic. "Julia," she said, her voice trembling, "after everything he has done, are you still determined to marry him?" I thought of the answer I had received over the phone the night before. Then, I said, word by word, "Yes. I am getting married." … By noon, the news had spread through all of Silver Hollow. Everyone had heard that I was willing to marry Logan even without the full set of bridal silver. That evening, Logan's mother came to my house. She looked me up and down with open contempt, though triumph gleamed in her eyes. "Julia, since you do not want the silver crown, the rest of the pieces no longer make a complete set. I will take them back for now and give them to you later." With a wave of her hand, the people she had brought stepped forward and began removing every piece of silver from the table. Lily's face flushed with rage. She rushed forward to stop them. "Why should you take them back?" she shouted. "Those were promised to my sister!" I reached out and held her back. "Let them take everything," I said calmly. Logan's mother paused, clearly surprised that I gave in so easily. A moment later, her smile grew even smugger. "You are not young anymore," she mocked. "Who knows whether you can still give my son children? How about this? As for the 80,000 we agreed to give as wedding money, we will pay it after you marry into our family and give birth to a son." I looked quietly at her sharp, cruel face. Suddenly, I remembered the winter before, when she had slipped, broken her leg, and needed a rare mountain herb to recover. I had climbed the cliffs in a snowstorm and searched for an entire day and night before I finally found it. Back then, she had held my frostbitten hands with tears in her eyes. "Julia, when you marry into our family, I will treat you like my own daughter." I had believed her. For a long time, I had even been moved by it. Now, when I thought about it, I realized she had probably said words like that to me countless times. During the fall harvest, she had needed someone to help cut wheat. She called me family, and I worked for three straight days without complaint. When their house was being renovated, she told me it would be my future bridal home. Like a fool, I paid 30,000 of my own money to help with the repairs. Even during the spring cleaning festival, she called me over to scrub the house, saying I should get used to my future home in advance. But Abbie was treated differently. Whenever Abbie came over, even if she arrived empty-handed, Logan's mother would bring out the best pastries and snacks. As for me, if I took one extra bite at the dinner table, I would be mocked, openly or otherwise. There were times when I felt hurt and wronged, and each time I went to Logan and poured my heart out. Yet all he ever said was, "My mom treats you like family. That is why she does not bother being polite with you." With that one sentence, he pushed all my pain and resentment back down my throat. And like a fool, I believed him. For years, I mistook exploitation for closeness and disrespect for affection. When my thoughts finally returned to the present, I looked at Logan's mother and spoke calmly. "The wedding money, the silver pieces, all of it. Do whatever you want with them. I do not care." After all, I was not marrying into her family. Her face lit up at once. "Hurry," she called to her relatives. "Move everything out. Take it all back." One wooden tray after another was carried away. The soft ringing of the silver bells grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared completely. Lily stood in the doorway, tears falling down her cheeks. "Julia," she whispered, "you have nothing left." I wiped her tears away and asked, "Who said that? Everything other brides have, I will have too." … That night, I sat beneath the lamp and altered the groom's wedding suit. The original groom's suit had been made to Logan's measurements, but the man who would actually wear it was taller, broader through the shoulders, and built nothing like him. The size was completely wrong, so I took the fabric apart, piece by piece, and began sewing it again. The sewing machine clicked steadily in the quiet room. Before I knew it, my eyelids grew heavy. Then something cold touched my cheek. I jolted awake. When I opened my eyes, I saw Abbie standing in front of me with a paintbrush in her hand. The bristles were soaked in purple gromwell flower dye. She was laughing so hard that she nearly bent over. "Logan, look at her," she said. "Does she not look like a pig?" My heart tightened. I grabbed the mirror beside me and lifted it to my face. A crooked pig's head had been painted across half of my cheek. Everyone in Silver Hollow knew that dye made from purple gromwell flowers lasted for days. Once it stained the skin, it would not fade for at least three days. Worse still, my wedding was the day after tomorrow. Rage ignited in my chest. I shot to my feet and slapped Abbie across the face. The sound rang sharply through the room. Abbie covered her cheek and froze. Logan rushed over and shoved me away. I stumbled backward and slammed into the corner of the table. Pain shot through my lower back. Logan stood in front of Abbie and glared at me. "Abbie was only joking," he snapped. "Was there any need to hit her?" My voice shook. "A joke? Then, why did she not draw it on her own face?" Abbie rolled her eyes and lifted her chin. "Fine. I will draw it on myself. Unlike some women, I do not make a huge scene over nothing." She said the words boldly, but the brush in her hand did not move. I stepped closer and challenged her, "Go on. You sounded so brave a second ago." Then, I reached for her wrist. Before I could grab her, Logan knocked the brush out of Abbie's hand and turned on me. "That is enough," he said sharply. "It is just a small thing. Why do you have to keep making trouble? After you marry into my family, you will have to get along with Abbie. You should learn to be more generous instead of always stirring up problems." I caught the strange meaning in his words and froze for a moment. "What do you mean by that?" Chapter 3 The Man Who Waited for Me Logan's eyes flickered away from mine. "Abbie had a fight with her parents," he explained, stumbling over his words. "She is only staying at my place for a few days." Logan's house had only three bedrooms. One belonged to his mother, and one belonged to Caleb. That left only one room. I gave a cold laugh. "Do not tell me you are planning to let Abbie stay in the bedroom we were supposed to share after the wedding." "You are overthinking it," Logan said quickly. "She's only staying for two days. She'll definitely move out before the wedding." I said nothing. I only looked at him coldly. He stepped closer and lowered his voice, trying to coax me. "I promise nothing will happen between Abbie and me. In my eyes, she is practically one of the guys. I am not attracted to her." The moment he said that, Abbie punched him lightly in the arm, pretending to be offended. "Who are you not attracted to?" she snapped. "You big idiot. Other than that face of yours, what do you even have going for you?" Logan dodged her with a grin. "You talk like you have seen everything else." Abbie lifted her chin. "Who says I have not? Last time, when we went to the hot springs together…" The two of them laughed and teased each other as if I was not even there. Logan let her make a scene, and there was still a smile on his face. I had seen moments like this countless times over the past seven years, and every single time, they had made me uncomfortable. Before, I held myself back for Logan's sake. Now, I had no reason to endure it. "If you two want to flirt, go do it at your own house," I said coldly. "Don't bring it into mine." Logan's face darkened. He was just about to speak when Abbie suddenly cried out. She stumbled sideways as if someone had pushed her. The scissors in her hand swept across my wedding dress. In an instant, a long tear split through the delicate embroidery. The air went still. Abbie pouted and shoved the scissors into Logan's hand. "This is your fault. You pushed me." Logan glanced at the ruined dress and waved it off like it was nothing. "It is just a tear. Just wear the old one if you have to. It will be fine." The anger I had been holding back finally exploded. I pointed toward the door and shouted, "Get out!" "Julia…" Before Logan could finish, I grabbed the sewing basket from the table and threw it at him. "I said get out!" Abbie immediately pulled him away. Once they were gone, the room fell silent. I ran my fingers over the long tear in the fabric, and tears slipped down my face before I could stop them. I took out my phone, snapped a photo, and sent it to him. 'I am sorry. The wedding outfit was ruined.' A short while later, he sent back a photo. A wedding outfit was spread neatly across a bed. The silk was a brilliant shade of blue, embroidered with butterflies that seemed to shimmer in the light. His message followed right after. 'Silly girl. I had yours ready seven years ago.' Chapter 4 The Pit Beneath the Shrine Early the next morning, according to Silver Hollow tradition, the bride and groom were supposed to visit the Old Oak Shrine before the wedding. There, they would hang a love knot together and pray for a blessed marriage. I stood in front of the mirror and looked at my reflection. The ugly pig Abbie had painted on my face was now covered by a blooming iris. The deep purple ink framed my eyes instead, making my face look brighter and even more striking. … When I walked downstairs, Logan was already waiting in the yard. The moment he looked up and saw me, surprise flashed through his eyes. "Julia," he said softly, "you look beautiful today." Abbie stood behind him. Jealousy flickered across her face. "It is just a flower painted on her face," she muttered. "She really thinks she is something." I ignored both of them and walked straight ahead. Logan stepped in front of me and blocked my way. "Last night, we found a snake den behind the hill. We can make good money from it, and I already promised Abbie I would help her catch them." He took out a crooked, poorly woven love knot and handed it to me. "You will have to go hang the knot by yourself," he said, softening his voice as if he was doing me a favor. "Once I catch the snakes, I will pick a good fat one and make snake stew for you." At the words "snake stew," goosebumps rose across my skin. When I was a child, I had almost been bitten by a venomous snake while resting beneath a tree. Ever since then, I had been terrified of snakes. However, Abbie loved eating snake. Every time we gathered for a meal, she would order a huge bowl of it. Whenever I was so frightened that I hid to the side, she would mock me for being dramatic and cowardly. "No, thank you," I replied flatly. "I've never eaten a snake." Logan froze for a second. Then, he gave an awkward smile. "Then, what do you like to eat? I will bring you something else." I almost laughed from anger. I looked straight at him. "Seven years, Logan. After seven years, you still do not know what I like to eat?" Abbie immediately cut in, "Why are you being so difficult again? Logan is a grown man. How is he supposed to remember tiny things like that?" "Yes," I retorted coldly. "He cannot remember what I like to eat, but he remembers when your period starts. He remembers that you do not eat garlic or ginger. He remembers your birthday, down to the exact minute." I looked at them with disgust. "Logan, the way you play dumb, pretend to be innocent, and try to have it both ways is honestly sickening." Logan's face darkened at once. "Julia, you used to be gentle and easy to get along with," he said. "Why have you become so unreasonable? If you keep acting like this, maybe this wedding does not need to happen." "Fine by me," I replied. Logan choked on his words, his chest rising and falling with anger. I, however, had no interest in wasting another second on either of them. I took the love knot that the man from the phone call had rushed over to me and went to the Old Oak Shrine alone. After I finished my prayer and stepped out of the shrine, a sudden force struck me from behind. I pitched forward, rolled down the hillside, and crashed hard into a deep pit. Pain shot through my body. Before I could fully gather myself, two familiar voices came from above. "Julia," Logan growled coldly, "Abbie is right. You have been far too difficult lately. You need to be taught a lesson." Abbie let out a sharp laugh. Then, she turned over the bulging cloth sack in her hands. More than a dozen snakes dropped into the pit and landed all over me. They slid across my arms, wrapped around my neck, and coiled against my legs. Terror seized me in an instant. I thrashed wildly and screamed until my throat burned. "How dramatic," Abbie sneered from above. "Their fangs have already been removed, and she is still putting on a show." Logan's voice was completely without warmth. "Stay in there for one night and think about what you have done. I will come get you tomorrow morning." The light above the pit slowly faded. I clawed at the dirt walls again and again, trying to climb out, only to slide back down each time. By the time I finally crawled out of the pit, my nails were ripped, my palms were bloody, and my whole body shook with fatigue. I stumbled back to the village just as dawn began to break. My mother and Lily had been searching for me all night. I patted their hands and tried to comfort them, but my eyes were filled with a burning rage I could no longer hide. "Do not worry. Everything they owe me, they will pay back." Chapter 5 He Came With the Police I went back to my room to wash up and was just about to treat my wounds when my phone suddenly buzzed. Abbie had sent me a video. In the video, Logan and a group of his friends were sitting around the fire pit. Empty liquor bottles were scattered across the ground. One of his friends teased him, "Logan, you are getting married tomorrow. What if you have no experience and your bride is not satisfied?" Another man laughed. "Exactly. Shouldn't you find someone to practice with first?" Someone pointed straight at Abbie. "There's someone right here." Abbie raised an eyebrow and gave a careless smile. "Sure. I don't mind." Logan laughed and cursed under his breath. "What are you talking about? Abbie is like family to me. I am not interested in her." The moment those words left his mouth, she grabbed his hand and shoved it under her top. Logan froze. For a long moment, he did not pull his hand away. Abbie looked into the camera with a challenging smile. "Hurry up. Do you still want to know what to do with your wife tomorrow night?" The video ended there. I turned off my phone, but my heart did not even ripple. Seven years of love had already been worn away, piece by piece. Whether they crossed another line or not no longer had anything to do with me. … At daybreak, I changed into my wedding dress and sat quietly in the main room, waiting for the groom's party to arrive. A thin blast of wedding horns sounded outside. Logan came to pick me up with only a few scattered friends behind him. "Julia," he said, "I am here to marry you." When he leaned closer, the smell of liquor and herbs rushed over me. There were also several suggestive red marks on his neck. I avoided his outstretched hand and said coldly, "I told you already. The man I'm marrying is not you." Logan looked at me with his usual contempt. "Stop making a scene. Other than me, who in Silver Hollow would still marry you?" Before he could finish speaking, the village chief called from outside. "Julia, come out. It's time to inspect the bridal set." Seven pieces of silver ornaments were arranged neatly in front of everyone. Each piece had been carefully crafted, but the silver crown in the center was the most breathtaking of all. Fine strands of silver had been woven into flowers, delicate and bright enough to show just how much care had gone into it. Logan froze. "I thought you said you did not want the bridal set," he asked. "Where did all this come from?" Abbie immediately raised her voice, her face full of mockery. "She paid for it herself, obviously. The owner of the silver shop already said she spent every last bit of her savings on that silver crown. Preparing her own bridal set, eh? How desperate does a woman have to be?" Logan seemed to relax at once. Then he looked at me with a smug expression. "So you really have been dying to marry me? You even prepared all of this without telling anyone." As he spoke, he reached out as if to pull me into his arms. I shoved his hand away. "Get lost! Don't touch me with your filthy hands!" Logan froze for a second. Then, somehow, he still thought I was only playing hard to get. Just as he tried to step closer, another hand clamped firmly around his wrist. Logan's face twisted in pain. The man beside him turned to look at me, and the frost in his eyes softened. "I'm sorry. I'm late." Logan stared at him suspiciously. "Who are you?" Leo Howard's mouth curved into a cold smile. "Instead of worrying about that, you should start thinking about what you are going to tell the police." Behind him, several officers pushed through the crowd and surrounded Logan and Abbie. "You are both suspected of assault," one officer said. "You need to come with us."