Anybody But You

Scarlett Montgomery had convinced I was her future husband, chasing me relentlessly for a whole decade to get me.

But the night before our wedding, I overheard her talking to a friend.

So you're just marrying Julian Chase? What about that secret boyfriend you've been seeing?

Scarlett was silent for a moment.

"He's just a stand-in, how could he compare to Julian?"

"If he doesn't make a fuss, I might keep him around. Julian's very understanding, he wouldn't mind."

The very next day, her little boyfriend crashed the wedding.

As he shoved me hard off the stage, Scarlett threw herself in front of him without a second thought.

All because he'd pressed a shard of glass to his own throat, his voice raw with desperation.

"Choose! Him or me?"

Scarlett panicked completely.

She kicked my injured body aside and snarled,

"Get out of the way! I need to get him to the hospital! If anything happens to him, I swear I'll make you pay!"

In that moment, my heart shattered.

That night, I bought a one-way ticket out of the country and left her behind.

...

"Julian Chase, can't you just sign your own damn surgery consent form? You called me multiple times for this?"

"Is it just because Ryan got hurt that you had to go and break your leg too? I'm exhausted, stop making things harder for me!"

Scarlett's voice crackled through the phone, laced with barely contained anger and impatience.

Since Ryan had stormed the wedding, she'd vanished with him for half the day.

This was my twentieth call to her.

The first nineteen had been hung up on without a word.

Her icy tone made me pause, but I pleaded anyway.

"Ryan pushed me."

"The doctor insists a family member signs. Since you're already at the hospital, could you just come over for a few minutes?"

Scarlett's answer was to hang up on me, forcefully.

Facing the expected outcome, I sighed.

"Bring me the consent form. I'll sign it myself."

The doctor hesitated.

"Sir, maybe try calling Miss Montgomery again? Perhaps she didn't hear you clearly?"

"Just yesterday, she had all our doctors on standby, saying if Ryan showed up at the wedding and hurt you, we needed to treat you immediately."

"If she knew you were fractured, and that Ryan did it... she'd be furious. You mean everything to her."

I used to think I was the one she loved most too.

But now, it didn't seem that way.

After my insistence, the doctor finally handed me the form, and I signed it myself.

Right up until the moment they wheeled me into surgery, I was still giving Scarlett a chance, waiting for her to come see me.

All I got was a notification for Ryan's Instagram story.

A GIF showed Scarlett holding a steaming bowl of soup, carefully blowing on it before feeding Ryan, then gently tucking his blanket around him.

The caption read:

"You said three years by your side was your greatest luckand you'd promise a lifetime to match my heart."

Ryan looked blissfully happy.

Hard to believe that just days ago, he'd been drowning his sorrows over Scarlett ghosting him.

Drunk off his ass, he'd even shown up to scream in my face.

"I was Scarlett's secret boyfriend for three years, I gave her everything! She never even let me touch her, just saying you, Julian Chase, were her one and only future husband. Why do you get her special treatment?"

"I tried making soup for her like you do, and Scarlett slapped me! Said I couldn't compare to you anywherenot as good-looking, not as charming, told me to stop embarrassing myself."

He was practically vibrating with rage.

"She even said I was just a distraction until you came back, that she'd dump me when you returned. Julian, why did you have to come back? Why couldn't you just rot overseas?"

Back then, Scarlett had been furious at his insult towards me.

She slapped him hard across the face and threw him out.

Her eyes were full of disgust.

"We're done. Don't ever come near me again. Daring to curse Julian? You're insane! If you want to die so badly, do it yourself."

"Julian is the love of my life. There's no room for anyone else in my eyes."

But today, at our wedding, she'd run straight to Ryan without hesitation.

The fracture surgery was quick.

When the anesthesia wore off, I was lucid.

Suddenly, Scarlett burst through my hospital room door.

I thought maybe her conscience had kicked in, that she'd come to see me.

Instead, her first move was to yank my IV hand out from under the blanket, roughly inspecting it.

Not finding what she wanted, she demanded, furious.

"Julian, where's your wedding ring?"

"Give it to me now!"

Her sudden pull made the IV needle dig painfully into my vein.

But I didn't answer immediately.

"What do you need my ring for?"

That ring...

I designed it myself, spent months crafting it by hand.

It was a symbol of our commitment.

"Ryan likes it. He wants matching couple's rings."

"Just let him have it for a bit. It's just a cheap ring anyway, barely any diamonds, it's worthless!"

As she spoke, she spotted the ring on the corner table. Without hesitation, she snatched it up and turned to leave.

I lunged to grab it back, forgetting my leg was in a cast.

My hand clamped down hard on the ring.

"Give it back!"

Scarlett looked at me, utterly disappointed.

"Julian, I remember you used to be so generous. How did you become so petty? Arguing over such a trivial thing?"

"If you insist on taking it, then we're done."

Scarlett froze.

She dropped to her knees, staring at me in disbelief.

"What did you say?"

Her voice shook.

"Ten years... you'd just throw away ten years like that?"

"Don't you know I couldn't live without you?"

"I won't allow you to break up with me!"

I looked at her coldly, a chill settling in my chest.

"But Scarlett, you were the one who abandoned me for Ryan first."

Scarlett threw herself against me, clinging tightly.

"No, it's not like that! I only felt sorry for Ryan! He was threatening to kill himself, I had no choice but to calm him down!"

"Once he's better, I'll come back and we'll have our wedding, I promise! Believe me!"

Looking at Scarlett's agitated face, I nodded.

"Okay."

She let out a long sigh of relief and left soon after.

But she took the ring.

She didn't give it back.

I touched my bare ring finger, then picked up the phone and called an former colleague overseas.

"Could you ask the Professor if there's still a spot in the lab? I want to come back and continue my research."

He sounded thrilled.

"Really? The Professor was devastated when you left. He'll be over the moon! I'll ask him right now."

"But weren't you getting married? Won't it be difficult being apart from your wife?"

I almost started making excuses for Scarlett, then found it laughable.

So I said,

"She's dead. She won't affect my work anymore."

After hanging up, I booked an early flight back overseas.

Then I discharged myself and went home to recover.

Ryan flooded Instagram daily with loved-up posts.

I saw Scarlett buying him designer watches, sports cars.

Saw their hands clasped, Ryan wearing the ring he'd snatched from me.

Saw them taking multiple sets of wedding photos.

Ryan captioned one:

"Three years in the shadows, finally able to love openly."

Scarlett reposted it, then deleted it instantly, probably afraid I'd see.

As if to cover, she reposted an invitation to her mother's 60th birthday celebration.

Before the wedding, Scarlett had specifically mentioned her mom's birthday, telling me I had to be there, to celebrate as her husband.

Mrs. Montgomery had warmly invited me as well.

Even though the wedding hadn't happened, I still went to her mother's house with a gift.

But pushing the door open, I saw something unexpected.

The party was in full swing, all the relatives were there.

Scarlett and her mother sat with an empty seat between them, and the person they were fussing over was Ryan.

Mrs. Montgomery put a shrimp on Ryan's plate.

"Ryan dear, this is for you, eat more."

Scarlett shot her mother a look.

"Mom, he's high maintenance. He won't peel his own shrimp. I have to do it for him."

Even as she said it, Scarlett picked up the shrimp, peeled it, and fed it to him herself.

I stood there alone, feeling utterly isolated and awkward.

Suddenly, someone noticed me.

"Julian?"

Scarlett whipped her head around, her face paling.

"What are you doing here? I don't think Mom invited you!"

Not waiting for an answer, she grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door.

I was on crutches from the fracture, and her tug nearly sent me sprawling.

I wrenched my arm free.

"Don't pull me. I can walk."

Scarlett's voice was cold.

"Julian, I don't know what you're trying to pull coming here today, but no one asked you to my mother's birthday."

"If you think this is your chance to stake some claim and upstage Ryan, you're not welcome!"

I was stunned.

"You told me to come."

Scarlett opened her mouth, a flicker of guilt crossing her face.

"I don't remember that. Who knows if you're lying."

Mrs. Montgomery followed us out.

"Julian, honey, Ryan hasn't been feeling great lately, so Scarlett brought him over. Could you maybe leave? We don't want him getting upset seeing you."

One after the other, they seemed to have forgotten every promise they'd ever made to me.

Fine. If I wasn't welcome, there was no point staying.

I nodded and turned to leave, but Ryan came out.

He actually tried to stop me.

"Mom, Scarlett, you're overreacting. I'm not that petty."

"Julian came all this way on a busted leg. Let him stay!"

I pretended not to see the triumph in his eyes.

"No, thanks. Appreciate the thought."

But Scarlett stepped in front of me, blocking my path, annoyed.

"You're staying."

"Ryan doesn't mind you crashing, he's giving you an out. Don't be ungrateful and embarrass him!"

"If you walk out that door today, the wedding is off. Don't forget you quit your job overseas for me! Leave me now, and you've got nothing!"

I froze.

Scarlett had chased me for ten years.

I hadn't planned on being with her.

Until that truck came barreling towards us, and she shoved me aside without a second thought, putting herself in its path.

Before the ambulance took her away, she'd clutched my hand.

"Saving you... worth any price. Just... give me a chance next life?"

That was when she truly won me over.

I quit my research job overseas and came back to marry her.

And now, that act of love had become her leverage against me.

I took a deep breath.

"Fine. Cancel it then."

And I walked out without looking back.

I didn't see the flicker of confusion in Scarlett's eyes.

That night, I packed all my bags, ready to head to the airport first thing.

I didn't expect Scarlett to show up in the middle of the night.

She froze seeing the half-empty apartment.

"Where's the photo wall? The pictures I took of you on our trips?"

I shrugged.

"Fell down and broke. I tossed them."

Scarlett wrapped her arms around me from behind.

"Why won't you look at me? Are you mad?"

She sighed.

"Honestly, why can't you just bend a little? All those relatives were there, I'd already introduced Ryan, and then you show up? Awkward."

"You could've just dropped the gift and left. Avoided all this drama."

Suddenly, I felt her grab my hand, sliding something onto my ring finger.

A man's ring, but not mine.

"Stop sulking. I'll keep my promise. We'll have our wedding tomorrow. Ryan won't bother us again. Promise me you'll be there on time, okay?"

She leaned in to kiss my cheek.

I turned away.

Scarlett's expression darkened. Before she could speak, Ryan's special ringtone blared.

She scrambled up immediately, rushing out of the room to answer.

A moment later, she called out,

"I have to go out. Remember! Be at the venue tomorrow!"

The door slammed shut.

Another sleepless night.

I had no intention of going to the wedding, but I went anyway.

Just to return the ring to Scarlett.

But arriving at the venue, I stopped dead.

Because the groom wasn't me. It was Ryan.

A huge banner proclaimed Ryan's name. He stood there in a white tux, holding flowers, beaming as he greeted guests.

Seeing me, he grinned.

"Julian Chase! You didn't actually think this wedding was for you, did you?"

"Scarlett promised me this wedding ages ago. I just said I wanted you to witness it, so she invited you."

"You should thank me. Otherwise, you wouldn't even be on the guest list."

Then, a nasty smirk twisted his lips.

Alarm bells rang in my head, but it was too late.

He hurled the thorny rose bouquet straight into my face. Long, deep scratches opened up instantly.

Blood dripped. My vision swam red.

Scarlett saw it happen and sprinted over, shoving me aside violently.

She stared at me, eyes full of crushing disappointment, rage boiling over.

"Julian Chase! I invited you here as a guest! Why would you attack Ryan?"

"I already gave you a ring! What more do you want?"

"I was even going to marry you properly! But you just ruined that chance yourself!"

Her face grim, she pulled Ryan away.

Through the haze of blood, I saw Ryan's triumphant smirk.

Dragging my injured leg, I struggled to stand.

Trembling, I placed an envelope and the ring he'd given me by the entrance.

Then I turned and headed straight for the airport.

Scarlett and Ryan reached the altar.

Ryan slid the ring onto her finger.

"Will you marry me?"

Scarlett, eyes shining, opened her mouth to answer when someone burst into the ceremony.

A security guard rushed in, waving the envelope and ring I'd left.

"Miss Montgomery! It's Mr. Chase! He's gone! He booked a flight overseas, it's leaving soon! Forget the wedding, go after him!"