1 Chapter １

It's Christmas time, and I'm freezing as I stand on the street corner, holding my suitcase. The snow flurries around me and I shiver in my jacket that's way too light for this kind of weather.

I'm outside Haute Couture, looking in the frosted window at a gorgeous dress on display. It's red, of course. Everything is red at this time of year. The dress displays the mannequin's cleavage in a sexy yet tasteful fashion, and the mannequin herself stares at me and silently mocks my plain outfit as I shake in it from the bitter cold.

It was here, on this very spot, standing outside Haute Couture with Percy last year, when he grabbed my hand and pointed to last year's sexy festive mannequin and told me, "You'll marry me in this dress next Christmas."

Someone walks past me, bumps against me with their elbow as they speak into their cell phone. The phone drops out of his hand and onto the icy sidewalk.

"I'm sorry!" he says, bending to pick the phone up. But the phone has slid between my feet, so I pick it up for him and hand it over with my own apology.

Before he takes the phone, I get a look at the image he's using as a background. I recognize the woman in the photo. Her name is Estelle Devereux, and she's the daughter of a wealthy property tycoon. In the picture she's standing beside Percy. They're getting married soon.

I clutch the phone and my hands hold it against my chest without my control. The man gives me an angry look and grabs the phone before storming away and apologizing to whoever he was speaking with.

The suitcase at my feet stares at me in the same mocking tone as the mannequin, and I collapse in front of the shop window and break down into tears.

I wipe the tears from my eyes, trying to pull myself together, then stand up to leave this horrible place. Before I can leave, I see my friend waving at me.

I don't want to be with her, don't want to see her or talk to her. I hurry away in the opposite direction, hoping she'll think I didn't notice her. But she chases me, and I hear her shoes slap against the cold pavement as she tries to catch me.

I turn down a small alley and hide behind a trash can. Shortly after me comes my friend, and with her I can hear the voice of her boyfriend.

"You must have mistaken someone else for her," says the boyfriend. "Didn't you say your friend is going to marry a rich businessman? Why would she be here?"

My friend says to him, "I heard from some friends that her boyfriend tricked her father into going bankrupt, and then he dumped her and kicked her out of their apartment."

They leave. I cover my mouth and cry silently until I can't hear their footsteps anymore. Suddenly my feet are numb and when I try to stand I lose my balance.

Someone reaches a hand out and I grab it out of reflex. I look up to see a well-dressed man, who makes sure I'm alright before being on his way once more.

From across the street, my friend sees me again and runs over.

"What are you doing here?" she asks me. Her eyes go to the luggage that I try hiding behind me. "What is that?"

"I'm here to pick up my Haute Couture dress," I tell her.

"We've been best friends since high school," she says. "You'll ask me to be your maid of honor at your wedding with the rich gentleman, won't you? I remembered you said the last time we met that the wedding would be around Christmas."

I hide my emotions behind a happy face. "It's been postponed."

Her boyfriend calls her from across the street and she gives me a wave, saying, "I'll wait for your invitation!"

Not wanting to leave while my friend and her boyfriend can still see me, I go into Haute Couture, dragging my suitcase behind me, and hide. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see them leave.

A man in a tailored suit approaches me, and I apologize and try to leave. But the man grabs me and drags me into a nearby changing room, pulling the curtain closed. He pushes me against the wall as I try to escape and puts a finger on my lips.

"Shh…"

The man pulls the curtain back an inch, and I can see that my friend who was across the street is now in the store. My face turns a deep red, and when I hear my friend exit the door of the shop I push the man away and leave the store.

There's a fancy car parked on the side of the street. A man in an elegant coat stands beside me and holds out a hand.

"Hello. I'm Sterling."

I'm reluctant to take his hand but feel awkward if I don't.

"Victoria," I say. I'm shivering uncontrollably. Sterling takes off his scarf and hands it to me, and I take it.

"Thank you," I manage to say through chattering teeth, and wrap the scarf around my neck.

"Can I give you a ride?" Sterling asks me, looking at the pumps I'm wearing. "No, thank you."

He writes his phone number on a card and hands it to me. "Call me if you need any help."

"It's okay, I'll be fine."

He smiles brightly. "At least call so you can return the scarf."

I watch him drive off, then my heart stops when I see Percy and his fiancee in the distance. I leave my luggage on the sidewalk and run after them through the traffic. They walk into a jewelry store.

I try to go inside but two security guards stop me. "I'm sorry, Miss. We're booked today," one of them says.

"I know the gentleman who just entered," I tell him, nodding toward Percy who still hasn't seen me. "I'd like to meet him."

One of the guards stays outside with me while the other goes inside. I see him speak with Percy. Percy looks at me through the front window.