Fair_Child

When her meticulously crafted marriage to Elijah Rossi shatters on her wedding night with a brutal revelation: "There is no us, Imogen. There never was." 
Imogen is abandoned by her husband and further faces an even crueler twist when her husband refuses a divorce.

With the arrival of Isaac Rossi, Elijah's revenge-driven half brother, Imogen strikes a clandestine deal with her brother-in-law to navigate a dangerous game of deceit, seeking to outmaneuver her indifferent husband. As loyalties are tested, Imogen must decide which brother is right for her. The one she was made for or the one she burns for.

The bride that never was

The bar's dim lights flickered, casting shadows across the sticky countertop. I traced my finger along the rim of an empty glass, the faint taste of bourbon still lingering on my tongue. The clock on the wall read 2:15 PM, but time seemed irrelevant in this hazy sanctuary.

A memory surfaced, unbidden and sharp:

Mom's perfume mingled with the acrid scent of wine as she stumbled towards me, her eyes glassy and unfocused.

"Deborah, do I look happy?" she slurred, swaying slightly.

My tiny hands trembled as I nodded, afraid to contradict her.

She laughed, the sound harsh and brittle. "Of course I look happy," she said, shoving her half-empty glass into my grasp. The liquid sloshed dangerously close to the rim as she staggered to the wine rack.

Happiness is a wine 1