Chapter 5

I shut off my phone and tucked it under my pillow, then slept soundly for two days and two nights without opening my eyes.

For two days, I slept more peacefully than I had in the past seven years.

I was still in a daze when the police broke down the door.

"Ms. Juniper? Your husband, Mr. Carlisle, called to report that he couldn't reach you. He asked us to check if you're safe."

The policewoman's professional tone snapped me awake, but hearing Dashiell's name felt like a blow to my head.

My husband? Dashiell dared to call himself that?

As if he deserved to.

After the police left, I turned on my phone. The first thing I saw were over a hundred missed calls, texts, and 99+ messages from Dashiell on WhatsApp.

Mixed in were a dozen messages from Aria and a few scattered ones from my dad.

I opened my chat with Dashiell: "Juniper, are you fucking alive or dead? Answer me, dammit! What's with this disappearing act?"

"You're a grown-ass woman playing hide and seek? Not responding to messages? Is that fun for you? Making everyone worry sick about you - does that make you happy?"

"Okay, I admit I was wrong. I shouldn't have left you to be with Aria. Will you please message me back?"

"Juniper, are you alive or dead?"

"I know I messed up. I promise I'll never run away from our wedding again. I'll stand there and be your obedient groom, doing whatever you want. How's that?"

"Juniper, answer me, damn it! Don't be so stubborn!"

...

There were a few more frantic messages, all saying pretty much the same thing. I couldn't be bothered to scroll up and read them again.

Aria's messages, on the other hand, were much more entertaining. They ranged from calling me a conniving bitch to praising my cunning.

The last message was a tearful voice note from Aria: "Juniper, you're such a player. Dashiell's on his way back to you now. Are you happy, you manipulative witch?"

She thoughtfully included a photo. It showed Dashiell crouched in front of a suitcase, packing his things, while Aria's makeup and skincare products were strewn all over the floor. The room was a complete mess.

It was clear they'd gotten into a physical altercation.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Who would've thought the day would come when Dashiell would actually lay hands on his precious little childhood sweetheart?How interesting.

I just came across a message from my dad asking me to come home for dinner, along with a photo of my fiancé Fintan.

He's so handsome it makes my stomach growl.

Just as I was engrossed in looking at it, Dashiell's call came in. I hesitated before answering.

"Juniper, you finally decided to pick up the phone?"

Dashiell said through gritted teeth. I didn't respond, giving him the cold shoulder.

"Is it fun playing disappearing acts? Is it fun deceiving me?"

"Juniper, now you're even using new tactics to trick me into going back to marry you. You've really got some nerve."

Dashiell's voice on the other end was full of mockery and sarcasm, sounding terribly unpleasant.

I let out a scornful laugh, "Dashiell, I've never deceived you. All of this is just your own imagination."

"And about marriage, every time wasn't it you begging on your knees for me to marry you? Have you forgotten?"

There was silence on the other end, followed by a sudden bang as the call was abruptly ended.

If I'm not mistaken, the phone has probably been smashed to pieces.

Dashiell is still the same, saving his tenderness for others and leaving his temper for me.

I patted my head and sighed. Forget it, I'll just pretend Dashiell is dead.I turned to get ready and dress up to meet Caelan, my real fiancé.