Chapter 1

That day marked the 52nd wedding ceremony between Damien Thornwell and me. This time, I invited no one—only our families gathered to witness it.

Although I was suffering from a fever, I forced myself to go over the final arrangements with the wedding planner, who barely spared me a glance.

In the groom's dressing room, Damien was busy massaging Astrid Monroe's leg. She was an intern who had rushed over after spraining her ankle.

My parents shook their heads at the scene before them, clearly heartbroken for me.

"After everything you've endured, has he ever once shown that he truly cares about you?"

Everyone knew how much this day meant to me and how badly I wanted it to be perfect. Yet, just moments before the ceremony was to begin, Damien called it off once again.

I hurried to leave, but he grabbed me firmly, halting me in my tracks. He said, "Astrid's leg isn't improving. I need to take her to the hospital.

"Looks like today's ceremony will have to be called off again. Next time, I promise I won't back out at the last minute."

Without waiting for my reply, he stepped back and helped Astrid into the front seat of his car.

After five years together, this was the 52nd time Damien had called off our wedding because of Astrid.

The old me would have caused a scene, desperate to understand why he kept walking away every time. But now, I simply stood to the side, a smile on my face. "It's okay. Astrid's injury can't be ignored," I said.

Damien paused, surprised by how quickly I agreed. "It's good that you understand. I'll bring you that strawberry cake you love tonight," he said.

"Okay," I replied.

But as soon as he rolled up the window and drove away, the smile I'd been holding on to vanished completely.

He had forgotten that I hated strawberries and had never cared for cake. The person who loved strawberry cake simply wasn't me.

Once, he bought me a strawberry cake to lift my spirits. Not wanting to hurt his feelings, I forced myself to take a bite, even though it made me feel sick. It wasn't until later that I finally confessed how much I truly disliked strawberries and cake.

When Damien heard this, he quickly pulled out his phone and jotted it down, promising he would never forget. But less than a year later, that promise was nothing but a distant memory.

The scorching sun beat down on me, making my skin burn, but my heart remained frozen.

A bitter laugh escaped me. After announcing the wedding's cancellation, I ripped apart the wedding dress I had worn 52 times.

It was time to finally let go of the love I had held onto for five years.

Chapter 2

In the end, it was my parents who stayed behind to comfort me.

"Why don't you come back to Pemberly with us?" It wasn't the first time they'd made the offer.

I sank into the chair, meeting their hopeful gazes.

They were the founders of Pemberly's most prestigious law firm, and it was their influence that led me to pursue a career in law.

I was originally meant to train at their firm after graduation. But everything changed when I met Damien during my graduate studies. I decided to follow him to Aberton instead.

Damien came from a rural background and harbored resentment toward those born into privilege. Aware of this, I chose not to reveal my own privileged upbringing.

For five years, he believed I was just another person who'd clawed their way up from the countryside.

During those years, I advanced from a junior lawyer to a trusted and respected attorney. For three consecutive years, Damien and I earned the firm's top bonuses, and we became known as the company's most formidable power couple.

Things were finally starting to look up, and I often believed that Damien wouldn't mind if I finally told him the truth. But the right moment never came.

Now, looking back, I couldn't help but let out a sigh. I no longer needed to tell him.

"…Alright," I murmured at last. "I'll come back home."

My parents' eyes lit up as they clasped my hands tightly. "That's the spirit. We'll book your flight right away. We won't let you stay here and keep getting hurt."

After helping them settle in, I headed back to my place. The house was just as silent and empty as ever.

I quickly cooked a batch of boxed mac and cheese and launched my Instagram app, only to see a post from Astrid. She was wearing a tight athletic outfit, posing playfully with Damien.

"I tricked Mr. Thornwell out of his wedding just so he'd play tennis with me. He was a bit annoyed at first, but once I mentioned dinner at my place afterward, he brightened right up!"

I felt a pang of disgust. Damien wouldn't be coming home that night, just like every night before.

Fortunately, we never legally tied the knot. So I no longer had to sacrifice my own happiness.

The next morning, I walked into the firm with my suitcase in tow, ready to hand over my resignation. Because of my strong performance, my supervisor, Hilda McCarthy, immediately tried to convince me to stay. We were still in the midst of a discussion when Damien appeared, carrying a stack of papers.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the love marks on his neck and noticed the sweet scent of peaches lingering around him. It didn't take much to guess what kind of night he'd had.

Damien always hated it when I left kiss marks on him, saying it could cause problems at work. So even during our most intimate moments, I held myself back, clutching the bedsheets instead.

It turned out he didn't mind a hickey, just as long as it wasn't from me.

As soon as he walked in, Hilda let out a weary sigh. "Perfect timing. Can you talk some sense into your girlfriend? She's thinking of quitting. Did you two have a fight?"

"It has nothing to do with him."

"You're resigning?"

Our voices rang out together.

From the corner of my eye, I sensed Damien's gaze fixed on me, his lips drawn tight in a thin line.

"So that's what this is about. You're mad I canceled the wedding yesterday, aren't you?"

Sensing the shift in the room, Hilda quietly excused herself.

As the door clicked shut, Damien stepped forward, his voice sharp with accusation. "I've already told you that the wedding was canceled because Astrid injured her leg. Why are you blowing this out of proportion?"

I forced myself to stay composed and looked him in the eye. "I'm not upset," I said. "I'm just tired and could use a break. Maybe a vacation would help." But that wasn't the truth.

Damien crossed his arms, his brow knitting together in suspicion. "If you want a vacation, why not just use your annual leave? Quitting suddenly will make people think you have problems with Astrid. She's just a young woman. How is she supposed to keep working here if rumors start flying?"

He seemed to have forgotten entirely that I'd already exhausted all my annual leave this year, taking time off every time he canceled a wedding. But that didn't matter to him. All he cared about was how Astrid would cope at the firm.

A wave of sorrow washed over me.

My gaze returned to the hickey on Damien's neck, but I said nothing.

"It's just a mosquito bite. Don't read too much into it," he mumbled.

I was surprised he didn't get defensive. Instead, he stumbled through an awkward excuse. His words felt forced, but if I were still the person I used to be, I might have believed him.

I just nodded quietly, choosing to say nothing.

Damien exhaled in relief, convinced I'd finally calmed down. He smiled casually before draping his arm over my shoulder.

"That's more like it. It takes real magnanimity to be a great lawyer.

"Don't be so quick to quit. Tonight, I'll take you to The Gilded Fork for dinner. Think of it as my way of making it up to you."

I kept quiet, and he mistook it for agreement. I wanted to bid him a proper farewell, but the words lodged in my throat. By then, I couldn't bring myself to tell him I was leaving for Pemberly.

"Mr. Thornwell!" Without so much as a knock, Astrid suddenly burst into the room.

Startled, Damien instinctively pulled away from me.

She offered a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry to interrupt your little date, but I'm stuck on this case and just can't figure it out."

Without glancing back, Damien walked up to Astrid and took the documents from her hand, reading them carefully. He lowered his head and patiently asked her where she was having trouble.

Astrid leaned in deliberately, their whispered conversation unfolding right before me, creating an unspoken barrier between us. She slipped her arm through his, and they made their way toward the exit.

Just before the door shut, she turned and flashed me a smug smile. The silence in the room was broken only by my steady breath.

Suddenly, the emerald bracelet slipped from my wrist and smashed against the floor. Damien had gifted it to me on our first anniversary. He told me that he wished our love would be as perfect and lasting as that bracelet.

I remained silent for a long while. Despite the sting of fresh cuts, I carefully gathered the shattered pieces. With them, I threw away the last traces of what we once shared.

Chapter 3

After submitting my resignation to Hilda, I returned to my desk to wrap up the last of my tasks.

Audrey Winslow, the colleague who would be taking over my responsibilities, had always been on good terms with me. When she heard the news, her disappointment was evident. She asked, "Nora, are you seriously quitting?

"I swear, I'm going to be stuck watching those two lovebirds show off their relationship every single day!"

Following her gaze, I saw Damien explaining a case to Astrid.

Astrid looked visibly annoyed after Damien's reprimand. Trying to ease the tension, he pulled out a Corvella bracelet and handed it to her. Her eyes immediately lit up as she slipped it onto her wrist.

When Damien's gaze met mine, he jumped to his feet, clearly taken aback.

"Nora, nothing is going on between Mr. Thornwell and me. It's just a plain bracelet!" Astrid's denial immediately drew everyone's attention, their eyes shifting between her and me.

After five years together, Damien had never once given me anything expensive. Just like him, everyone assumed I was a country bumpkin who didn't know the first thing about luxury goods. They all felt sorry for me.

Audrey stood by my side, her eyes burning with indignation on my behalf. "You're still his girlfriend, right? They're totally making a fool out of you!"

I squeezed her hand and shook my head, silently asking her to calm down. Turning to Astrid, I said, "That bracelet is beautiful. It really suits you."

When I didn't get upset, Astrid cautiously continued, "Nora, it's really nothing more than an ordinary bracelet. Please don't be mad."

A wave of confusion washed over me. I didn't see a point in getting angry. After all, I had plenty of bracelets like that back home in Pemberly.

Damien stood up, his brow furrowing. "Nora, please don't make a scene," he said sharply.

I sighed and shook my head. "I'm honestly not upset. You should stop assuming things about me."

My calm demeanor seemed to catch him off guard. He let out a cold snort. "You had better mean that."

Without saying another word, he pulled Astrid down to sit beside him.

Audrey couldn't help but ask, "Are you really just going to let them off that easily?"

I shrugged and turned back to my files. "That's right. As far as I'm concerned, my relationship with him is already over." After 52 failed wedding attempts, I had nothing left to give.

Later that evening, Damien unexpectedly showed up at my desk, offering to help me pack.

"Come on," he said. "I've got us a reservation at The Gilded Fork for 8:00 pm. If we head out now, we'll make it just in time."

As his gaze fell on my bare wrist, he paused, clearly caught off guard. A flicker of panic crossed his face. "What happened to the bracelet I gave you?" he asked.

"I was worried I'd break it, so I took it off and left it at home."

He let out a sigh of relief, a faint smile forming on his face. "You used to wear it every day. What made you start being more careful with it now?"

Before I could come up with an excuse, Astrid rushed over and stopped beside us. "Mr. Thornwell, I'm done packing my things!"

Damien's focus shifted to her immediately. He gave a nod and gestured toward the car.

I watched as she headed straight for the front passenger seat.

Throughout our five years together, I had never once sat in that seat. Damien always said it was meant for his future wife, and that it would belong to me only after we were married.

Meeting Astrid's provocative glance, I lowered my eyes in silence. By then, my heart felt utterly numb.

At the restaurant, Damien and Astrid sat side by side, ordering their meals without sparing me a single glance.

I embraced the quiet, resting my head on my hand as I stared out the window. Tomorrow would probably be the last time I saw this view.

The dishes arrived soon after. To my surprise, Damien peeled a shrimp and placed it on my plate. "The shrimp here is really good," he said.

I looked up and caught his gentle smile. In a moment like this, I hadn't expected him to still care.

Astrid couldn't help but jump in. "I'm the one who recommended this place to Mr. Thornwell! Last time we came, he polished off three whole plates!"

Damien's cheeks turned red with embarrassment. "You didn't have to say that in front of Ms. Lennox…"

Astrid chuckled, covering her grin with her hand, her eyes sheepishly meeting mine. "Sorry, Nora. I hope this little slip doesn't affect how you think of Mr. Thornwell."

They laughed together, completely ignoring me.

I looked down at the shrimp on my plate, feeling my appetite vanish. After forcing down a bite, I pushed the plate away without taking another bite. "I'm not a fan. You can have it."

Their playful teasing finally quieted. "Are you upset?" Damien asked gently.

I shook my head. "No. The shrimp's too fishy. I'm just not used to it." It was just like them—off-putting and impossible to swallow.

After dinner, Damien took the drunken Astrid home, leaving me to close the door behind them.

The moment they were gone, I called a taxi and headed straight for the airport.

Damien kept messaging me on WhatsApp, already planning our next wedding. Maybe it was guilt, but this time, he insisted on managing everything on his own.

"Trust me. It's really happening this time. No one's going to get in the way."

"Okay," I typed back, my face blank. But deep inside, I knew the truth. Like all the others before it, this wedding was destined to be canceled once again.

Just moments before boarding the plane, another message from him came through.

"Astrid drank too much, and her stomach's acting up. I won't be coming home tonight. Take care of yourself."

A quiet, bitter laugh escaped me. I'd been expecting this.

"Fine. Stay at her place, then. I've already moved out. There's nothing left between us anymore.

"Goodbye forever, Damien."

After texting him that, I blocked and removed his contact.

As the plane lifted off, I stared out the window, watching Aberton's shimmering lights dissolve into the darkness below.

On the other side of the screen, Damien sat frozen, utterly caught off guard.