---- down my face. All the pain and hurt came crashing out at once. I collapsed into my grandmother's arms and sobbed uncontrollably. She gritted her teeth, her voice heavy with regret. " When Simon came begging for your hand, he looked at you with nothing but love. I was so blind, sending you straight into the pits of hell myself. "T was terrified when I saw John bring you back covered in blood..." Her words stopped me cold. "John? I don't really know him. Why would he save me?" My grandmother's brow softened as she handed mea marriage contract. "I almost forgot. John said he loves you and wants to marry you. "Simon is no good for you. You need to divorce him as soon as possible and end this nightmare." ---- My head buzzed with confusion and unease. John Austin had never gotten along with Ryan and Simon. His asking to marry me now was clearly a move against the Schumans and Barkers. But at this point, I don't seem to have any other choice. Although Natalie would help me with the divorce, I'd been married once and had an abortion. In all of Rivenport, no one else was likely to marry me except John. Taking a deep breath, I recalled the rumors. John had stayed single all these years, grieving for a lost love who had passed away young. If that were true, then a marriage of convenience might not be so bad. I lowered my head and squeezed my grandmother's hand tightly. "Okay, I'll marry him. " ---- After I settled into my parents' home, I arranged for the divorce papers to be sent to Simon's house. I heard that Simon went into a rage when he saw John carry me away in public that day. He kicked out the people I sent in a fury.