A Message From My Future Husband Set Him Free—So Did I Chapter 08

Skylar was six years old when her mother took her hand and walked into the Cross family’s yard.

“This is Mrs. Cross. Mommy’s best friend.” Her mother crouched down and smoothed Skylar’s collar. “After Mommy’s gone, she will be your mommy.”

The door opened. A boy ran in, holding a popsicle. Sticky juice dripped down his fingers.

He saw her and stopped. He walked over and held out the popsicle. “Here. You can have it.”

She took it. The sweet juice stuck to her fingers. It felt cool.

From that day on, she called him Julian.

Mrs. Cross said, “Skylar’s mother and I were best friends. Skylar is like a daughter to me. You two should be like brother and sister.”

He nodded, smiling, and tapped her nose.

She decided right then, Julian was her salvation.

When she was fifteen, she saw him walking with another girl for the first time.

They came out of the school gate side by side. His backpack hung off one shoulder, and he tilted his head to listen to her talk.

That night, she took his razor into the bathroom. The water in the tub slowly turned pink.

The door flew open. His voice was shaking.

She learned that if she bled, he would hold her. If she bled, he wouldn’t leave.

So she did it many more times after that. She thought that as long as she kept bleeding, he would stay.

The year Amelia appeared, Skylar was nineteen.

Julian brought her to meet Skylar. He said her name was Amelia.

Skylar smiled and said, “Nice to meet you,” in a sweet voice.

But inside, she was burning.

That night, she sat in the bathroom for a long time, holding the razor.

She told herself it was just a date. He would come back, like all the other times.

But Julian didn’t leave Amelia. He proposed to her instead.

The jealousy drove her crazy.

When she heard Amelia wanted a pink diamond, she clenched her fists.

She spent a lot of money to get it first.

When the ring slid onto her finger, only one thought filled her mind: No one can take what’s mine.

She begged Julian to let her have her dream wedding. She was betting he would say yes.

She was right. Julian went behind Amelia’s back and agreed to a secret wedding.

Before Skylar could even scheme to reveal it, Amelia found out on her own.

They signed the divorce papers.

On the wedding day, Skylar stood on the steps in a white gown, her arm linked through Julian’s.

Her dream had finally come true.

Then she saw Amelia standing in the crowd. The happiness faded.

There was one more obstacle.

A thought popped into her head.

“I lost my ring!”

She watched Julian force Amelia to hand over her ring.

She watched him pry Amelia’s fingers open, one by one. Watched the blood drip on the floor.

She looked at the sapphire ring in her hand and nearly lost her mind with joy.

Then Amelia left. Julian followed her to the island.

So Skylar followed too. She stood in front of him, holding his sleeve, begging.

Then Amelia walked by and said she didn’t love him anymore.

Skylar thought she had won. She screamed it out, her voice sharp and shrill.

But Julian slapped her.

“Even if she doesn’t love me, I’m not choosing you.”

She finally understood, to him, she was just a burden.