Thanks for Not Marrying Me Chapter 1

After three years in a long-distance relationship, I went straight to the courthouse as soon as my flight landed, ready to marry Willow Payne.

Instead, she showed up holding a newborn baby.

Without a trace of guilt, she placed the baby in my arms.

"This is Rachel, my daughter with Preston. You can raise her from now on."

My mind went blank. Standing beside her, my childhood friend, Preston Webb, burst out laughing.

"Willow and I got drunk one night, and one thing led to another. We ended up sleeping together. Your time working out of town is finally over, and now you get to come home and be a dad. Hell of a surprise, right?"

I stared at them. "Do you seriously think this is funny?"

Preston only grinned wider.

"Willow and I made a bet about whether you'd cry when you found out she had my baby. I said you wouldn't. So I won. Willow promised to travel the world with me until I get bored and feel like coming back."

Willow gave him an amused look, then turned to me like she was doing me a favor. "My daughter is your daughter, too. Take good care of her. When I get back, I'll marry you."

She took Preston's hand and walked away with him.

I looked down at the baby in my arms. Her skin and the whites of her eyes were so yellow that even I knew something was wrong.

I called after them, but neither one looked back.

Three years later, Willow showed up at my workplace.

"Michael, I'm here to keep my promise. Let's get married.

"But Preston and I have a daughter together. We thought it would be better for her if her parents were legally married, so Preston and I got married.

"I can't legally marry you anymore, but I can still give you the wedding."

She pulled out a wedding band and reached for my hand, trying to slip it onto my finger.

I knocked her hand away and stepped back.

"I already have a wedding ring. My wife gave it to me."

* * *

Willow Payne froze for a second. Her eyes dropped to my bare ring finger, and the confidence in her expression only grew.

"You're still the same as ever. Always saying things just to get back at me when you're mad. Come on. Don't be like that. I'm back now, aren't I?"

Her tone turned coaxing as she reached up and brushed her fingers against my cheek like she used to.

I turned my face away and stepped back.

"Willow, we broke up three years ago."

Inside, I cursed myself for rushing out that morning and leaving my wedding ring by the sink.

Willow's hand stopped in midair. Then she gave me a helpless smile.

"I know you're still upset about Preston, but what happened happened. All I could do was find a solution that worked for everyone."

The way she said it, like she was being thoughtful and reasonable, almost made me laugh.

I scoffed. "And your brilliant solution was to marry him legally and have a wedding with me?"

"Of course. Preston and I have a daughter together. She deserves to have married parents." Then she added, "But we can't have a big wedding either. It wouldn't be fair to him if you and I had one and he didn't."

Her ridiculous logic actually made me laugh, though there was nothing funny about it. "You're really that sure I'd wait around for you to come back and marry me?"

She mistook my laugh for happiness, and the confidence in her eyes only grew.

"You loved me enough to risk your life for me. I just lost my way for a little while. There's no way you'd ever leave me."

Willow was talking about our graduation trip, when she fell into a ravine while messing around near the water. Search and rescue teams looked for her all day and through the night.

Just as they were about to call off the search, I ignored everyone's warnings and went downstream to look for her myself.

I found her unconscious on the riverbank.

I carried her out on my back. At one point, I slipped, and when I tried to keep her from getting hurt, I hit my head on a rock and ended up unconscious for three days.

When I finally woke up, Willow hugged me with tears in her eyes.

"I know you love me, but you shouldn't have risked your life like that."

Later, during the three years I worked out of town, I used my vacation days to come back and marry her, but she stood me up every single time.

Once, I asked her, "Aren't you afraid I'll leave you?"

She stroked my cheek with a smile. "You love me more than your own life. I know you'd never leave me."

So that was it.

I loved her so much that she convinced herself she could do whatever she wanted, and I would still be there, waiting for her.

I looked at her coldly, ready to tell her exactly who my wife was.

Before I could say anything, Preston Webb pushed open the door and walked in.

As if he had completely forgotten everything he had done, he opened his arms and walked straight toward me.

"Michael, I'm back. Miss me?"

I stepped aside.

His smile faded, and he dropped his arms. "Come on, man. I even left Rachel with you. Are you still pissed at me?"

I used to hate both him and Willow for betraying me. Now, I just thought they deserved each other.

They hurt me, then acted like they had done me some huge favor, and thought I was the unreasonable one for not being grateful.

"Come on, I even brought you something. Are you still holding this against me?"

As Preston spoke, he pulled several watches out of his bag.

I recognized them immediately. They were all promotional watches he complained about online, calling them cheap and outdated.

Willow bought him the expensive ones herself and never seemed to think twice about spending money on him.

I once bought a watch from the same brand, only for her to tell me it was too flashy and impractical.

When I stayed quiet, Willow immediately started scolding me again.

"Michael, what's with the attitude? Preston brought you gifts, and you can't even say thank you?"

I frowned and opened my mouth to respond, but Preston grabbed my wrist first.

"Forget the gifts. Michael, where's my daughter? I want to see her."

At the mention of Rachel Webb, a flicker of pain crossed my face.

I didn't want to waste another second arguing with either of them, so I pulled my hand free.

"I haven't seen her in years. Go ask Willow's mother."

The moment the words left my mouth, Willow gave a cold laugh.

"You haven't seen her in years? Then who's that?"