On the day of the wedding, I swapped souls with Vivienne's sworn enemy. When I opened my eyes, Vivienne's body was covered in hickeys. "Don't leave so many marks next time. My husband finds out, he'll kill you." My heart shattered. I told her who I really was, my voice trembling. Vivienne froze. Then she leaned in and kissed me with a smile. "Right. You're my husband. A little husband is still a husband." "Be a good boy and rest up. I've got a wedding to get to. I'll come back tonight and take care of you." At the million-dollar wedding that had been planned for me, she declared her love for someone else in front of everyone. Then she covered the microphone and whispered, "Ethan, for these seven days, you are my husband in the eyes of the world." Rage burned through me. I stormed the stage wearing Marcus's face. "I, Marcus Cole, am Vivienne's side piece!" --- **1** The entire hall erupted. A flash of panic crossed Vivienne's eyes. She composed herself quickly, her brow furrowing. "You've always loved picking fights with me. Spreading lies, hurting people — you'll do whatever it takes." "I've let it go before, but today is my wedding day. Don't push me." Everyone in the city knew Marcus Cole and Vivienne were enemies. Born rivals. If I hadn't lived it myself, I never would have known these two had already been sleeping together. Malicious whispers cut into my ears. I let out a cold laugh. "You have three hickeys on your left chest. Fresh ones." I dropped the bombshell and dared her to take off her dress and prove me wrong. Vivienne knew my personality better than anyone. This wasn't going to end quietly. She grabbed my wrist and warned me not to make it worse — she'd explain everything later. But I didn't want her explanation. I reached out and tore at her wedding dress. The gown, the lining — all of it ripped open. Three fresh hickeys on her left chest, plain as day. The room exploded. "Did Vivienne really cheat? And with Marcus Cole — the man responsible for her family's deaths?" "Impossible! When Dylan was kidnapped, Vivienne threw everything she had into saving him. She said she'd give her life for his." "Nobody in this city would believe she stopped loving Dylan!" Vivienne's eyes went red. She stared at me, silently begging me to back down. I shook her off and opened my mouth to keep going. But Marcus — wearing my face — cut me off with a sharp cry. "Enough! I left those marks. How would you even know that?" "Did you put cameras in our bedroom? What are you after?!" He twisted the whole thing around, making it look like I was the one targeting Vivienne. I was furious. I almost blurted out the whole soul-swap situation right then. But Vivienne shot me a look. Her friend group immediately swarmed me and dragged me into a corner of the venue. They took turns trying to talk me down. "Ethan, didn't you promise Vivienne you'd behave today? She even promised you three months alone with her." "You two have been tangled up for ten years. You're definitely the only husband she has in her heart." I stood there frozen. I couldn't even breathe. "Ten years? She and I — Ethan Walsh — have only been together seven years." The heartbreak curdled into rage. Vivienne's friends started talking over each other, piecing together the history. It started with Vivienne and Marcus running away together on New Year's Eve when they were teenagers. Then their vow at the top of the Pinnacle Tower. Then the expedition they'd survived together on a mountain climb — clinging to life, clinging to each other. The whole wedding became a backdrop. No — the wedding belonged to them too. Before they ran out of things to say, they told me about the day before Vivienne met me. Her parents had been invited on a trip by Marcus's family. A landslide. No survivors. "If that hadn't happened, Ethan, you and Vivienne would've gotten married with your families' blessings a long time ago." "And... Vivienne doesn't hate you. She just... loves you in a way that hurts her." --- **2** I sat there and listened to the whole epic love story between my wife and her affair partner. Then I let out a quiet, hollow laugh. I pressed my palm until the pain cut through, forcing myself to stay sharp. I hit record. "Start over from the beginning. Tell me exactly how much Vivienne loves Marcus." Her friends didn't notice anything was off. They just figured their boy Ethan had snapped. They talked until the sky went dark. Walking out of the venue, I had one thought left in my head: I'm done with her. But I'm getting my body back. I tucked the recorder into my pocket and kicked open the door to the bridal suite. Vivienne was waiting. Exhaustion was written all over her face. "I figured out what happened. Marcus used your family heirloom — the bloodstone — to swap your souls without telling anyone." That bloodstone. I'd retrieved it from the family vault myself to keep her safe. The only person I'd ever told about its power was her. Vivienne paused, then continued. "I've already talked to him. Don't be angry. You'll swap back in seven days." As for the affair — she never offered a single word of explanation. I looked at her in silence and pressed play. The color drained from Vivienne's face as the recording played. Her knuckles turned white. Her eyes went red. When she spoke, the words came out unsteady. "Ethan, that was the past. I only love you now." "If I didn't love you, why would I have chosen to marry you instead of Marcus?" I found it funny. I actually laughed. Vivienne took that as a good sign and let out a breath of relief. She even lightened up, pushing her luck. "Because of what happened to my parents, I blamed Marcus for years. He went through a lot because of me. This feels like a chance to make it right." "Think of the wedding night as something I owe him. It's still your body, so just pretend it didn't happen. Don't let it bother you." She kept talking like I wasn't even there. I looked at her, flat and cold, and said exactly one thing. "Why should my dignity pay for your mistakes?" Vivienne looked annoyed. She pulled out the old line about being one unit, husband and wife. Then she gave me a disappointed look and said I was being unsympathetic. I didn't bother arguing. "Give me back the bloodstone and my body. And sign the divorce papers while you're at it." "You're the one at fault. Walk away with nothing." Lucky that Marcus hadn't gone public with the soul-swap. Otherwise I never could've gotten Vivienne's friends to hand me evidence of her affair on a silver platter. Vivienne's eyes narrowed. She snapped at me for being reckless. "Forcing the swap back early will hurt both bodies. You can't give Marcus even seven days?" "And Ethan — don't joke about divorce. That would really hurt me." I wouldn't budge. That pushed Vivienne to her limit. She held herself back from lashing out at me. Marcus, though, couldn't stand it anymore. He burst out of the room and came at me. "You've always used the fact that Vivienne loves you as a weapon. You hurt her whenever you want. You don't deserve her. There are plenty of people who would." Vivienne looked genuinely moved. She turned away from me. She was upset now. The whole thing was absurd. I crossed my arms and looked Marcus up and down. "You two deserve each other. She's a liar, you're worse — no wonder you found each other." I don't hold back with words. Never have. Even if Marcus wanted to take a swing at me, I wasn't afraid. But the hand he raised never came down on my face. Vivienne caught his wrist and pulled him into her arms. "Marcus, I know you're angry for me. And you're right — Ethan has always taken me for granted." --- **3** Her eyes, sharp and clear, found mine. There was a cruelty in them that left no room for argument. "Actually, I don't need your permission to do anything." "Ethan, you married me. You need to learn what it means to be my husband. You can't keep acting like a child." A chill ran through me. I stepped back and grabbed the door handle. But she yanked me by the arm and dragged me into the darkened bridal suite. Vivienne locked the door. No light. Just her voice. "When Marcus and I are done, I'll let you out." The bridal suite was Vivienne's design. That room had always been locked. Her ultimate secret. I hit the floor hard. Scraped my palm. I pushed myself up through the pain. Moonlight fell across the walls, and the color drained from my face. Every wall was covered in photos of Marcus. Portraits. Couple shots. Intimate photos. Every single one had a date written underneath. My birthday. Our anniversary. The night we got engaged. Even the day I first visited her parents' graves as her husband. Blinding fury and disgust crashed over me. I started tearing the photos off the walls. And the whole time, Marcus's breathless voice drifted through the walls. "Vivienne, I'm yours. I'll always be yours." Vivienne moaned his name back. Then mine. Back and forth. The moment I remembered that was my body, I bent over and dry-heaved. When I straightened up, my face was blank. I flicked the lighter. The room caught fast. Everything was flammable. The fire spread before I could think. Thick smoke tore through my lungs. I coughed until my chest felt like it was splitting. I smashed the window. I was halfway out when Vivienne crashed through the flames. "Ethan!" She smothered the fire, then wrapped her arms around me in the charred room and held on tight. "Are you out of your mind?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She must have smelled the smoke and come running. Her clothes were still half-undone. Not even the smoke covered the smell on her. I shoved her away. Before I could say anything, she grabbed my arm. "You burned yourself? Do you know how much Marcus cares about his skin?" "Just because it's not your body, you think you can trash it? That's a twisted way to get back at someone." Vivienne's expression went cold. She forced me to the hospital to get skin grafts done on Marcus's body. I fought her the whole way. It didn't matter. I stood there helpless while Marcus used my body to sign the consent forms. Eyes shining with tears, he clutched Vivienne's sleeve. "Vivienne, I'm worried there are other injuries he's hiding." Vivienne understood immediately and ordered a full examination — the works. I told them through gritted teeth that nothing was wrong. They pushed me into the exam room anyway. The doctor came back with results. "The patient's eyes were exposed to intense smoke and heat. The corneas have been damaged. Vision has significantly deteriorated." Marcus sobbed into Vivienne's arms. "I knew he was hiding something. Is he trying to make me go blind for the rest of my life once we swap back?" Vivienne shot me a withering glare. Then she turned back to Marcus and spoke gently. "Don't worry. We'll have him sign a cornea donation form. After the swap, we'll do the surgery — same time as the skin grafts." My eyes went wide. "There's nothing wrong with my eyes right now!" Marcus had bribed the doctor. He wanted my eyes. I needed to prove I could see. I read out every word in sight, one after another. Vivienne hesitated. Marcus's expression flickered. Then he put on a wounded look and started whimpering. "You could see when you came in. You probably just memorized everything then." Fury surged through me. I laughed, ice cold. "So you want to be blind that badly. Fine. I'll make it happen." I raised my hand and drove it straight toward my own eyes. --- **4** Marcus stared at me in disbelief, stunned that I'd actually snapped. Vivienne's pupils contracted. She lunged and grabbed my wrist. Her face had gone pale. She growled at me under her breath. "What are you doing? Do you have any idea how much it hurts to poke your own eye? Is it really worth destroying yourself like this?" I looked at her, genuinely confused. It's just pain. What's the big deal? They thought the swap wouldn't happen for seven days. But that was outdated information. The bloodstone could only hold the connection for three days. In three days, I'd be back in my own body — and I'd catch them completely off guard and leave. Nobody would be able to force skin grafts or cornea donations on me after that. Vivienne didn't know any of this. She swallowed her anger. "Stop making a scene. You cause the damage, you deal with the consequences." She called the doctor over and had the cornea donation form brought in, all business. Marcus signed two names on it and shot me a satisfied look. I said nothing. Let him sign. If he signed and I wasn't around to collect, what was the point? Vivienne softened her voice. "Ethan, don't be scared. Even if you can't see, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life. You don't have to be afraid." "Just rest for these seven days. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you." Guilt had made her generous. Vivienne offered me three requests. On the first day, I asked for the bloodstone back. Marcus hemmed and hawed and refused to hand it over. After I pushed him hard enough, he admitted he'd sold it. That same day I ransacked his place and listed everything he owned for sale online — including his used clothes. On the second day, I asked for a divorce. "Transfer the bridal suite to my name. I'm selling it." I wasn't in my own body yet, so pushing a clean split was difficult — I just needed her signature on the divorce papers first. Vivienne's face went cold. She pressed her lips together. Under pressure from Marcus, she nodded. On the third day, I asked for seven years' worth of dividends back. A divorce fund. Something to fall back on. Vivienne had no objections. Marcus did. He shot me a resentful glare. "Finance only recognizes Ethan's face. Come with me." The window for the swap was closing. I couldn't tip my hand early. I figured he wouldn't try anything, so I got in the car. I was wrong. Halfway there, everything went sideways. Several black SUVs came out of nowhere and rammed us. Marcus screamed in terror. I clenched my jaw and hit the emergency contact button on the phone. The next second, the phone was ripped away. My hands were tied. By the time Vivienne arrived, Marcus and I were both barely conscious on the concrete floor. "Ethan! Marcus!" I forced my eyes open. Fury simmered in my chest. Marcus, you idiot. Your emergency contact wasn't 911. It was Vivienne. The kidnappers grabbed us both by the hair and grinned. "Ms. Vivienne, Mr. Reid needs a transplant. Both of your men are a match." "Out of respect for you, he only needs one. Your choice. Who lives?" My mind was running fast, calculating every angle. Marcus was sobbing. "Vivienne, save me. Please save me." Vivienne's face was a wreck. Her fists were clenched so tight the veins stood out. She tried to speak several times. "I — I choose—" The kidnappers ran out of patience. They raised a solid steel pipe, aiming at both of our heads. Right before it came down — Vivienne raised her hand and pointed. "Him. I choose him." Ethan Walsh's body. Marcus Cole's soul. I was about to die. I was smiling. Three. Two. One.
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