Ava Blake Ethan NovelWearing My Rival's Ring

The seventh time Blake asked me to marry him, he told me to wear the dress. The white one. And the ring.

I waited from sunrise to sunset at City Hall, a bride with no groom, only to find my humiliation broadcast across the city by a swarm of drones.

I saw him then, his arm slung around Chloe, his childhood friend. He gestured back at me, a smirk playing on his lips as he addressed their friends.

See? Told you shed do whatever I say. Pay up. A hundred bucks each.

Then his eyes, full of a familiar, malicious glint, found mine.

Ava, its just a joke. Youre not mad, are you? he called out, his voice dripping with false concern. Chloe needed an idea for a story, a little social experiment. We just wanted to see what would happen.

He let out a low chuckle. I didnt realize you were this desperate to get married. But then again, with your family bankrupt, who else is going to take you?

The group erupted in laughter and began to drift away.

I managed a small, tight smile and raised my phone, dialing the number of his sworn enemy.

City Hall closes in an hour. Feel like getting married?

1

The breath on the other end of the line hitched. A moment later, a low, masculine voice, laced with amusement, rumbled through the speaker.

You sure you have the right number? Little Ava, this is Ethan Grant. Not your precious Blake.

I glanced over at Blake, who was now laughing, utterly delighted with himself as Chloe clung to his arm. The pain in my chest was so sharp it had become a dull, constant ache. Ever since Chloe had moved back from her overseas assignment three years ago, the Blake I knewthe one whose world once revolved around mehad vanished, replaced by this cruel stranger. He used her career as an excuse, a shield for his increasingly twisted games.

This was the seventh time. It would be the last.

This time, I was the one leaving.

I know who you are. Are you in, or not?

Fine, he said, a note of finality in his tone. Stay put.

The moment I hung up, a drone zipped down, its camera lens hovering inches from my face. The sound of Blake and his friends jeering laughter washed over me like a tidal wave.

Oh, look, shes still keeping up the act!

Get the camera right on her. Lets see how good her performance is.

Wow, shes a natural.

Blake sauntered over, feigning annoyance as he stepped between me and the camera. Alright guys, thats enough. He turned to me, his voice a stage whisper. I mean, shes wearing the dress and everything. Itd be a shame not to let her finish the scene, right?

The group roared.

I stared at him, my body trembling with a rage so profound it left me speechless. He had insisted I wear this dress, and now he was using it as the punchline to his joke.

His gaze dropped to my hand, and he snorted. No way, Ava. You actually bought a ring? God, youre desperate. He grinned. Hey, Ive got an idea. We can make you famous today. Well call you the Desperate Bride. You should thank Chloe. Without her story, youd never get this kind of exposure.

Chloe linked her arm through mine, her expression a mask of gentle reprimand. Oh, Blake, stop it. Dont tease her. Theres nothing wrong with Ava wanting to marry the man she loves. She gave my arm a squeeze. Ava, dont mind them. Theyre just boys being boys.

This was all for my story, you see, she continued, her voice soft and earnest. Just a social experiment. I told him it might be hard on you, but he insisted my work was more important. There was nothing I could do.

With a few placid words, she absolved herself, framing my public humiliation as a necessary sacrifice for her career. Blake hadnt just played me for a fool at City Hall; hed turned it into a city-wide spectacle, complete with a live drone feed.

The old Blakethe boy who once tore through the city in the dead of winter to find me a specific kind of candy from our childhood that they didnt make anymorewas gone. Hed been gone for three years.

I pulled my arm from Chloes grasp.

I just never said I was here to marry him.

Oh, Ava, stop trying to save face, Blake sneered. Your fathers in jail. Youre not a princess anymore.

2

You know what? Ill tell you what well do, Blake continued, a cruel grin spreading across his face. Gus can marry you. Yeah. That way, we can all still hang out sometimes. Keep you from going crazy when you cant see me.

He shoved a short, heavyset guy with a face full of acne forward. Hes a man, isnt he? You should be grateful anyone wants you. Stop pretending you have options.

He watched me then, his eyes alight with a sick curiosity, waiting for my reaction. So, he knew. He knew how I felt, and he was using it to wound me.

I recognized the manGus. One of Blakes sycophants. Hed just gotten out of jail a few days ago, served a few years for what he did to that girl from state college. And Blake, in some twisted attempt to prove his loyalty to Chloe, was trying to pawn me off on him.

My fists clenched at my sides.

No, thank you. My fianc is on his way.

For a second, they were all stunned into silence. Then, a wave of derisive laughter broke over the plaza. Gus laughed so hard that tears streamed down his pimpled cheeks, looking at me like I was a lunatic.

Blake waved the drones closer, directing them to focus tightly on my face. Everyone get a good look! Remember this face. This is our citys one and only Desperate Bride. He shook his head, feigning pity. Ava, are you delusional? Has wanting to get married finally broken your brain?

I saw Gus holding up his phone, the camera pointed at me. A live chat was scrolling rapidly on his screen, a torrent of digital venom.

[OMG, this is so cringe. Showing up in a dress and ring to force a guys hand?]
[Anyone in the chat wanna claim her? If you like em easy, heres your chance.]
[This kind of girl is too much drama. Pass. Maybe for 100 bucks a night to help her out since her familys broke lol. Support small business!]

Gus grinned, flashing a set of yellowed teeth as he read the comments aloud.

The humiliation was so public that even my father saw the news from the county jail. He called, his voice a furious rasp through the phone.

Our family would rather starve to death than pull a stunt like this! What is wrong with you, going to City Hall and making a spectacle of yourself? Have you lost your mind? he yelled. Chloe has a real, respectable career! What do you have? How dare you even think you can compete with her!

Ill admit it. At first, my reason for wanting to marry Blake was tied to my familys situation. Thats why I had let him humiliate me, time and time again. Even when I knew his marriage proposals were just ploys to appease Chloe and give her material for her sensationalist stories, I kept showing up.

In the beginning, I would get angry.

Its just a joke, Ava, hed say, his eyes cold. Dont be so sensitive.

Eventually, I just went numb.

I always knew his friends looked down on me, saw me as a desperate clinger. In the past, Blake would have defended me, ready to fight anyone who said a bad word. Now, he was the one leading the charge, orchestrating my mockery for Chloes amusement. And this time, as if the private cruelty wasn't enough, hed invited the whole city to watch.