Chapter 1

On the day of my wedding, I stumbled upon a saved voice message on Joseph Payne's phone. When I played it, a soft and sweet voice said, "Honey, I miss you."

Joseph remained calm in the face of my questioning. "I admit that I made a mistake, but that was just a punishment from a game of truth or dare. It's nothing more than that."

Their chat history confirmed the fact. It was very mundane with nothing inappropriate in it.

But as I read it, tears streamed down my face and soaked my wedding dress. "Joseph, I'm still willing to proceed with the wedding ceremony if you cut ties with her."

We had been together for seven years and were just one step away from the finish line. In fact, I found out that I was pregnant not long ago, so this should have been a double celebration.

But at that moment, a woman dressed like a cleaner suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Then, she looked up with reddened eyes and ran away.

The moment Joseph recognized her, he didn't hesitate to chase after her.

I grabbed his arm. "If you walk away now, then we'll never get married. Think carefully…"

His response was to slowly pry my fingers off before turning around and leaving.

I stumbled, and pain shot up from my ankle.

The train of my wedding gown was long and flowing. I had chosen it with great care. The first time I tried it on, Joseph looked visibly moved. He held me and choked out that he was finally going to marry me.

But now, he didn't even bother glancing at the bride he had wanted when she fell down behind him.

Was he really in such a rush because that woman coughed up blood?

Joseph had abandoned me at such a critical moment, leaving me in front of his parents as well as all our guests and loved ones.

Just five minutes ago, he promised me, "Yelena, I would never betray you. If it bothers you, I'll cut off all ties with her. I'll have Tessa Saunders transferred out of the firm when her internship ends."

Joseph was the top litigation lawyer in the city. He was a partner at a prestigious law firm.

For as long as I'd known him, he'd always been responsible and reliable. He was not someone who lied. So, I decided to take a chance.

But it was clear that I'd lost badly.

Beneath the dress, my leg was scraped and bleeding. Looking at the mirror beside me, I could see my tear-streaked, ruined makeup.

My phone buzzed with messages.

"Tessa didn't seem well. I'm afraid something serious will happen."

"I'll calm her down first and come straight back to continue the wedding."

"Wait for me."

Joseph was trying to explain himself, but it fell on deaf ears.

We had been together for seven years, so he knew how long I had been looking forward to this day.

His work at the law firm always kept him busy, and I was used to him making me wait. He would repeatedly postpone our dates and would come home late when we had dinner planned together. I even had to wait for him to finish his cases on my birthday.

But I never complained, because he said he was working for our future. He swore that he would build a home for me, one that belonged to the two of us.

Our marital home was decorated in the natural wood style that I loved, and the balcony was filled with plants. We would have an adorable child, and my parents lived just a short ten-minute walk away.

Everything had been planned out so well. Our future was well within reach. Happiness would have greeted us naturally if we'd just continued walking forward.

So, why did he suddenly let go of my hand to go chase after someone else?

I didn't reply to Joseph. Instead, I composed myself and wiped away my tears. Then, I walked out and calmly announced that the wedding was cancelled.

The venue erupted in whispers.

Joseph's mother, Mandy Frye, panicked. "Lena, things have already progressed so far. How could you make such a rash decision? There are so many guests here to witness you cancelling a perfectly fine wedding. What are the rest of us supposed to say to them?"

Only my mother, Donna Poole, noticed my ruined makeup. "What happened? Did you and Joseph have a fight?"

My eyes turned red again as I felt the anguish surge back.

She held my hand and tried to comfort me. "Whatever it is, you should talk it through with Joseph. Don't act on impulse. Where is he anyway? He's always been a reasonable man, so why didn't he try to stop you?"

I felt a dull ache in my chest.

In everyone's eyes, Joseph was a good man. He was mature, dependable, and trustworthy.

Yet, a man like that had chosen to do something so absurd.

I said, "He ran away."

Chapter 2

Joseph's father, Frederick Payne, had a heart condition. He couldn't catch his breath and ended up fainting on the spot. It only served to add to the chaos in the scene.

The wedding became a farce, and the guests gradually left.

An ambulance took Frederick to the hospital, and I followed along.

After tending to the scrapes on my leg, I checked on my pregnancy. The pregnancy had come so suddenly that even Mom didn't know about it. When she found out, she was utterly shocked. "Lena, you really need to think this through!"

I gently rested a hand on my belly and smiled wryly. "I was planning to surprise you after the wedding, but now? Forget about it."

Mom couldn't understand how things between Joseph and I had escalated so much. Things seemed perfectly fine last night.

Over the years, our relationship had always seemed strong. Even if we had any arguments, it was always Joseph who would give in first.

Just then, a call came in from an unfamiliar local number.

I had a hunch. And sure enough, I heard Joseph's voice after I went to a secluded corner to answer the phone. He had probably calmed Tessa down and finally remembered me.

"Lena, my phone ran out of power."

No wonder no one had been able to reach him.

He asked, "How's the situation over there? You should be able to handle it, right? Even if you can't, it's okay. I'm heading back right now."

He spoke so casually, as if he hadn't even considered how much pressure I was left to shoulder alone, with the groom running out in the middle of the wedding.

How was I supposed to come up with a convincing enough excuse for his absence?

I bit my lip, and I started to taste blood. "Joseph, it's been five whole hours. It's already dark outside. What makes you think I'd still be standing there waiting for you like an idiot?"

There was a long silence on the other end, followed by a helpless sigh. "I know I'm in the wrong, but it was an urgent situation. You know how to explain things to our parents, right? Just don't drag Tessa into this. She's innocent."

My grip on the phone tightened. So this was what it felt like to have your heart shattered.

I said, "We're done, Joseph. Don't ever contact me again."

After I hung up, I covered my face and crouched down in the hospital hallway. Then, I broke out into sobs.

I tried to muffle the sounds since I was afraid I would disturb the others in the hospital, but my shoulders shook as I cried so hard that I was gasping for air.

Then, I got a notification on my phone.

Through my blurry vision, I saw that someone with a pink profile picture had followed me on Instagram.

The message read, "I'm so sorry, Yelena. I never meant to cause you to misunderstand Mr. Payne and me. I want to explain and apologize."

I wanted to decline her request, but my tears had dripped onto the screen and made it unresponsive. I accidentally hit "Accept", and a photo was sent to me the next second.

It was a photo of a glass window in a hospital room, reflecting two people in an embrace.

The taller figure was Joseph. I recognized his silhouette in an instant.

The next moment, the photo was deleted.

Then came the message.

"Yelena, I've always admired Mr. Payne, but nothing's going on between us. I just had a bad bout of gastritis, so he brought me to the hospital to take care of me. He didn't abandon you on purpose. Today's your wedding day. Please don't get jealous of me and ruin your big day."

I silently tapped into her photos.

One post from last week caught my eye. "This dumb man forgets that he should be feeding me more sugar since I'm on my period."

Attached was a photo of Joseph pouring her a glass of warm water.

In the seven years we'd been together, Joseph had seen me through countless periods. He would usually make me hot, calming tea.

Perhaps I should be glad that he still treated me better than her.

But it was during that very moment last week that he hung up on me with him being busy as an excuse. I'd wanted to tell him then that my usually punctual period was delayed for a long time and that I was probably pregnant.

Someone suddenly said, "Lena, what are you doing here? Didn't we agree I'd come back to finish the wedding?"

I looked up and locked eyes with Joseph. I hadn't expected him and Tessa to be at the same hospital.

My breath caught for a moment, and I instinctively tightened my grip on the pregnancy report.

Chapter 3

Joseph's brow twitched at my silence. He asked cautiously, "Could you have been following me and Tessa the whole time?"

The hallway was dead silent.

I could hear the hoarseness in my voice from crying for so long. "Joseph, don't you think it's ridiculous for you to even ask that?"

He didn't say anything. He probably realized how absurd his question sounded as well.

After a long pause, he reached out to pull me up from the floor. Only then did he notice the paper in my hand. "What's that?"

Just then, Mandy suddenly appeared. She said frantically, "You little brat! Do you even realize you almost killed your father?"

When he heard that Frederick had been hospitalized due to his heart condition, Joseph frowned and looked at me unhappily. "Yelena, you know my dad can't take this kind of shock at his age. This was between us. Why did you have to involve my parents?"

He added, "Also, how could you tell everyone without even verifying the facts? Do you realize how this will affect Tessa's reputation in the future?"

His scolding tone stung me. It was as if a heavy pressure was lodged in my chest, suffocating me.

I said slowly, "Mr. Top Lawyer, you should face the consequences of any mistakes you make. Or do you commit perjury for your clients in court, too?"

That line was a direct jab at Joseph's professional ethics, which caused his expression to darken instantly.

Mandy shoved Joseph. "Who is this Tessa you're talking about? Hurry up and apologize to Lena! Even if it was for work, you can't just leave a woman alone at the altar! That's completely outrageous! Your father and I were furious."

Joseph froze and looked at me in surprise.

Of course, I knew Frederick had a weak heart. The fact that I chose to refrain from exposing Tessa was the last thing I was willing to do for our relationship.

Naturally, Mandy had assumed that Joseph left the wedding for work. After all, he had always been known as a workaholic.

No one would ever guess that he had lost all sense of judgment over a woman he'd only known for less than three months. In fact, she was an intern who hadn't even passed the bar exam.

Joseph's face instantly turned pale. He said hesitantly, "I'm sorry, Lena. I…"

Then, Tessa stepped out on her own. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Payne. I shouldn't have snuck in and disrupted the wedding. It's all my fault."

Tessa started to sob as she held her IV drip pitifully.

"So you're Tessa?" Mandy finally pieced things together and was just about to explode when Joseph quickly cut in.

He said, "That's enough, Mom. Don't blame Tessa. She's a good person."

It was clear that he was trying to protect Tessa.

Mandy had never imagined that her normally calm and always-reliable son could be so irrational when it came to his emotions. Her hands trembled in fury. "And what about Lena? You two were about to get married!"

I quietly looked down at my belly, which was still flat. Then, I said softly, "We're not getting married anymore."

Joseph had a disapproving look on his face. "Yelena, you shouldn't say these things out of anger. I already told you I'd transfer Tessa away after her internship. Everything's been arranged, so what more do you want?"

The tiny life in my belly seemed to flutter for a moment.

Or maybe it was just my imagination.

"Where do you plan to transfer her?" I asked Joseph.

"To the branch at Southwest End," he replied.

"And how is that supposed to be any different?" I shot back.

I didn't even blink. Strangely enough, I didn't even feel a shred of disappointment.

"That's the farthest branch from the headquarters! Yelena, do you want to force her out of the city before you're satisfied? She's just a fresh graduate!" Joseph argued.

The man who would once stand protectively in front of me, unwilling to let me be hurt in the slightest, now stood so hostilely on the other side.

Just like that, seven years of love were completely ruined.

Suddenly, I felt completely drained. I had cried enough.

If he couldn't bear to make Tessa leave the city, then I would leave the city myself.

Chapter 4

The next day, I went to our marital home to pack up my things.

The wedding decorations were still stuck on the windows. In a corner, deflated balloons lay abandoned. Even our wedding photo was still hung on the wall.

Everything in sight showed that the place was once meant to be filled with warmth and joy.

I sniffed and began packing.

Joseph appeared by the doorway. "Yelena, how long are you going to keep this up?"

I didn't bother to answer him. My hands paused when I came across a photo album. Right at the front was a faded class graduation photo.

Our eighteen-year-old selves were so full of youth and passion. At the time, we had promised each other that we would be in love forever.

Yet, things had changed.

"Yes, what happened yesterday was my fault," Joseph said in exasperation as he rubbed his temples. "To make it up to you, I bought two tickets for a honeymoon trip to Frosia. We'll stop in Northern Auliese on the way and have time to explore it."

He probably thought I'd be thrilled. After all, seeing the sights of Frosia and skiing in Aulises had always been a dream of mine.

"Cancel it," I said, clearly catching Joseph off guard with my answer.

I continued, "We didn't even get married, so why are you even talking about a honeymoon?"

Joseph's expression stiffened. He walked forward and hugged me from behind. "Lena, I know you're angry and upset, but that's enough now, okay?"

Joseph rarely acted this soft and submissive. It was something that I used to fall for all the time.

He said, "I've already contacted the hotel about rescheduling the wedding for when we return. I'll explain everything to the guests."

I shoved him away with all my strength. "Joseph, I told you what would happen if you walked away yesterday. I've made it clear that I'm not marrying you, so what's the point of all this?"

Joseph stared at me with a heavy and unreadable expression. "Marrying you is my responsibility and duty. After all, you've been with me for seven years. It's what I should do as a man."

So, time had worn down the love he felt for me until marriage was merely a responsibility.

I laughed at myself and turned to leave, but just then, last week's prenatal checkup report slipped out of my bag.

Joseph picked it up, and his stunned look quickly turned into one of tremendous joy.

On one hand, he was genuinely happy about the baby. On the other hand, he naturally assumed that no matter how mad I was, I couldn't possibly leave him now.

"Lena, take a few days to calm down first. I'll come pick you up later." He shoved the plane tickets into my hands, then left for work at the law firm like nothing had happened.

When Joseph's parents heard I was pregnant, they came by with nutritional supplements, but they were sent away by my mom and dad.

Yet, things were not meant to be. A few days later, there was a mishap with the baby, and I was rushed to the hospital.

Coincidentally, Mandy had brought Frederick to the hospital for a heart checkup and ran into me.

She begged me to make sure the child was safe. "The child is innocent. Make sure you do what's best for the child, and we can talk things through later, okay? You've been with Joseph for seven years, and he's always loved you deeply. Tessa will never take your place in his heart."

I said nothing as Mandy called Joseph in front of me.

But instead of the anxious concern she expected, Joseph's tone was filled with exasperation. "Is Lena still not done causing trouble? Fine. I'll come over later. I'm cooking for Tessa at the moment since she still hasn't recovered."

Mandy was utterly stunned. "Your own child might be gone soon! Why are you still cooking for that woman instead of coming over?"

Joseph was silent on the other end for a while before he said coldly, "Lena's just bluffing. She loves kids, so there's no way she would let anything happen to ours. I know what I'm doing, Mom. Just stay out of it."

Then, he hung up.

When Mandy tried to call back, the line was busy.

Right at that moment, I got a new notification on my phone stating that an order for 999 pink roses had been confirmed. It was probably Joseph's latest gift to attempt to win me back.

I didn't even flinch as I was pushed into the operating room, ignoring Mandy's tearful pleading.

Three hours later, Joseph finally arrived with the bouquet.

His face was pale as he asked, "Lena, what happened to the baby?"