Prologue

At nineteen, Genevieve Miller had it all. She was thin and beautiful with dark brown eyes and deep red hair that went down to her waist. She was in her last year of college, thanks to a combination of genius, focus, and the best tutors money could buy. Of course, she was rich. Her father owned a huge, successful company. And as her father's favorite, she always got what she wanted when she wanted it. But instead of being spoiled, conceited, and despised, she was just the opposite. She knew the value of a dollar, worked hard, and was the nicest person anyone could meet. No one who knew her could say a bad thing about her.

After this description, one might wonder why she was at a roadside diner in the middle of nowhere trying not to cry and failing miserably. It had all started a week ago.

"Why don't you want your mother to meet me?" her boyfriend Ben had asked. She couldn't tell him. If he knew…

"Is it because I'm not a trust fund kid like you? You don't want people to know you're dating someone studying to be a mechanic?"

"No!" She loved him and his lifestyle. How could he think otherwise? And how did he find out…?

The truth was that she had a trust fund worth millions of dollars, which she would have access to when she turned twenty-one. But she was also a successful investor and got a huge allowance. But she had never told him about her money, nor did she hint at it. They had met while volunteering at a nearby soup kitchen, talked for hours afterward, and the subject had never come up. As time went on, it got harder to tell him. All he knew about her family was that his friend Mark was her brother. She wasn't a high-class snob, but her mother was the worst. She was also very loud and outspoken. When she saw something she didn't like, she made sure everyone knew about it. She didn't want to expose Ben to her criticism lest she scare him off. If only she had said that. After their fight, Ben had stormed off. He wouldn't take her calls or return her emails. Then a few days later, her mother had called.

"His name is David Collins. He will be here tomorrow and we will make all the necessary arrangements then." Her mother was obsessed with getting her married to a rich man. Now she had done it. She actually found someone who had agreed to an arranged marriage.

"Mom, I told you. I don't want to get married to someone I don't know." Plus, I already have a boyfriend. Or had. Whatever.

"Nonsense. He is a wonderful man and you would be lucky to have him." She just wouldn't let up. "Genevieve, I will not take no for an answer. If you do not do this, you will be cut off entirely." She would also be cut off if she ever married Ben, but of course that wouldn't stop her. But now, it seemed that that could never be, and she figured she might as well be rich, if she couldn't be happy.

"Fine."

Three days later, she was in a dress shop with her best friend and roommate, Susan, trying on wedding dresses. After trying on the one her mother had chosen, one that made her look like a fairy tale princess, she sat down and started crying hysterically.

"I can't do this. I just can't. David Collins is a pompous, self-righteous creep, and the thought of being stuck with him makes me physically sick. I have to get out of here."

Gen was normally calm and rational, but breaking up with her boyfriend and being pushed into an arranged marriage was too much. An hour later, she had her train pass, a change of clothes, some money, and her laptop, and she was on a train heading far, far away. Five hours later, she found herself at Jack's Diner. She couldn't call anyone. Susan was probably working. Ben wouldn't pick up. Her mother would never understand. Her father might want to help, but he was hesitant to undermine his wife. Her older brother, Mark, couldn't do much either.

Hundreds of miles away, Ben was miserable as well. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to call her. Maybe he had misunderstood. But she had known her mother was in town for a week and never said a thing. He never would have known if he hadn't heard her leave a message on her answering machine. Maybe…

Suddenly there was a banging on his door. When he opened it, he saw Susan and Mark, looking anxious. Well this can't be good. In the next half-hour, they filled him in on what had happened. After leaving the dress shop, Susan had gone to work, and Gen had gone back to the apartment, quickly packed, and left a brief note. Susan found it when she came home a few hours later and called Mark. They also explained why Gen hadn't told him about her family.

"Do you have any idea where she's gone?" Mark asked.

Ben thought back to a few weeks ago. They had been at her apartment. She had made dinner and they watched a movie. She said something about traveling over vacation. Then he knew. She had seen a photo of a rustic-looking bed and breakfast in a magazine and thought about going there. Soon, he was on the train going after her, but not before he went out and bought an engagement ring.

That night, apologies and a proposal were made and accepted, and three weeks later, in early November, the night had arrived. Gen's parents had a grand ball (not a dance, not a party, but a ball) to celebrate her engagement. Susan was invited and brought Ben as her "date" so no one asked questions. When the clock struck nine, Gen, Ben, Susan, and Mark quietly slipped out and went to the church, where they had a small but beautiful wedding. Gen's father had been informed, and after being assured of the young man's love for his daughter, made the couple a wedding gift of one million dollars.