ck. The doctor' s words echoed in the sterile

. The stress was too muc

tle word for it. Betra

ce, usually a mask of sweet innocence, was twisted with a cold, triumphant sne

ipping with venom. "It' s Ryan' s.

the man whose endless medical bills I had paid without a second thought.

me to your room right after I finished with Ryan. We planned it all. The tearful g

er, her words t

ou touched me, I felt sick. But the money was goo

my own idiocy. My billions couldn't buy love, but they had bought me the most elaborate,

, no

ing sound of a college football crowd.

on one

ight. Before me stood Jennifer Smith, her eyes wide with perfectly feigned

ng, a wall of sound at my back.

t moment from my past life. The grand, pub

, looked over at Ryan, who stood near

the tailgate party. "I love you. I do. But...

iece of tragic sacrifice.

thick with emotion. "He can give you

. A wave of murmurs

that jerk,

an' t buy

eaking up

rced the bracelet onto her wrist, blind

slept together less than an hour ago. I knew this was all a carefully s

usted off the knees of my designer jeans an

Jennifer,

ting through the drama. "You' re absol

from my hand. It hit the aspha

to the stunned crowd, "Ryan' s knee is fine

ce behind me. Jennifer and Ryan stood frozen, their