son, a man who had faced down enemies as a Navy SEAL without flinching, sat perfectly still in his chair, hi

ung cancer,

between us, a heavy

e you more time, but we need to be real

chest, a physical ache that made it hard to breathe. He looked at me, his eye

y. "There's one thing... one th

pping the arms of my chair. "A

ant to know you're settled, that yo

Marriage. It had always been a distant idea, something for the future. The

ed to say, forcing a reas

the mantelpiece were photos of us, and of them. Sarah, Chloe, and Emily. The daughters of my father's fallen comrades, the girls he raised as his ow

, I'm going to m

mething more. Now, it was my only hope. I pulled out my phone, my t

ed her

p?" Her voice w

d, the words feeling clumsy. "My dad... he's not well. His dy

could hear the faint sound

"I can't. You know I'm dedicated to my animal rights activism now. I have a protest to organize ne

h dropped

though she didn't sou

mber. She answered on the se

hat do I ow

proposal, the words tast

lly just discovered I have gamophobia. You know, a pathological fear of commitment. My thera

g up. One last chance. Emily. She was the prac

ng," she answered, her voic

thirty seconds." I rushed thr

olicy against personal relationships that could be a distraction from our work. We

ic

s deafening. I stared at the photos on the mantel, at thei

video message from a friend. The caption re

nd on the deck, Sarah, Chloe, and Emily. They were in bikinis, laughing, drinking champagne. With them was Ethan, the son of my family's chauffeur. They

ights activism. A phobia of commitment

he quiet halls of the mansion until I found Alfred, our family's long-time butler, poli

old engagement agreement. The one my grandfather m

on one of complete surprise. He looke

terling was in that terrible car accident last year. She has been

solve didn't waver. A woman in a coma. At least she co

the single word h

erned. "If I may be so bo

irls, the chauffeur's son. He saw the bracelets, the casual intimacy, the blatant betrayal. He was silent for

e said, his voice clipped. "

hday, pulled into the circular driveway. The four of them got out, laughing and laden with shopping bags from high-end boutiques. My eyes imm

. Notifications for charges on my supplementary credit card. One after another, they scrolled past. Ten million dollars. Gone

out, I took a deep breath. I suppressed the inferno of rage build

sed a small, heavy shopping bag in

houghtful gift we

, was a hand-carved crystal watch stand. An accessor

ught, a bitter taste in

carefully constructed mask of c

. Consider it a consolation prize." She then leaned in, her eyes probing mine.

y head, not tr

am, I know you're upset we said no. But we couldn't help it. I've found

ly. "We all have our reasons. Can't

s, taking turns sitting on Ethan's lap, striking seductive poses for a camera. Now they stood before me, drap

the video and watching their faces crumble, I chang

ospital. Can you v

ern faltering for a second. "W

e show, interjected smoothly. "Hold on, Chloe, didn't we agree to hike u

between Sarah and Emily. A cold dread se

n. Besides, Mr. Harrison is a strong ex-SEAL; it's probably nothing serious. There's no

lifted. The four of them then turned and walked off laughing towards the ma

sed them, was less importa

g. A bitter, humorless

-