"Are you sure you want to change the bride's name to Jasmine Shaw, Quinn?"

Quinn Sullivan's voice was resolute. "Yes, I'm sure. Do as I say."

She sat in silence for a long time after hanging up. She recalled what she saw after her engagement party. Her fiancé had his arms wrapped around another woman in a swaying car. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear, looking like he couldn't bear to leave.

Quinn didn't understand. She and Nicholas York had gone through so much to get to marriage. How could he cheat on her?

Well, it didn't matter. She was willing to give him her blessings since he was in love with another woman. He could marry someone else, then. She would give him the wedding of his dreams.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Quinn?"

Quinn Sullivan suppressed the conflicting emotions in her gaze and nodded.

She opened her phone and deleted her name from the electronic wedding invitation she had prepared, replacing it with Jasmine Shaw's.

Upon seeing that, her best friend, Stella Harper, glanced at her worriedly.

Once Quinn was done amending the invitation, she sent it to Stella.

"Have someone send this out the day before the wedding, and replace all the photos and videos with ones of Nicholas and Jasmine. I'll be leaving Heathridge on the day of the wedding," she said.

Once Stella left, Quinn spent some time looking out the window, unmoving from her spot.

She and Nicholas York had just held their engagement party eight hours ago. Amidst the well-wishes of many guests, she had thought that her long-awaited wedding with Nicholas would come quickly.

However, three hours ago, Quinn found that he had gotten into his car with a female celebrity from his company after the engagement party. She witnessed it through her phone, which had been left in his car.

Nicholas said, "I despised you so much when you broke up with me for money back then, Jasmine. But I promised you that I would save my wedding night for you.

"Just this once today, okay? I don't want to spend my first night with any woman who's not you."

His voice carried a slight hint of drunkenness, yet every word came from his heart. He even sounded as if he was about to cry.

Their actions grew more intimate in the car as Jasmine held Nicholas in her arms. She then started kissing his neck.

"I didn't leave you for the money back then, Nicholas. It was because I felt I wasn't good enough for you. I would've never let you go if I knew you'd end up marrying someone like Quinn," she said.

Nicholas was taken aback, but he soon happily pulled Jasmine into his embrace. "You're the only one for me even if I marry her, Jasmine."

Soon, Quinn could only hear their heavy breathing.

She chuckled bitterly as she took off the engagement ring from her finger.

The ring was a creation by Carlos Hued, her favorite designer.

Nicholas had spent more than six months abroad trying to convince Carlos to craft these one-of-a-kind engagement rings—all just to make Quinn happy.

She couldn't understand how someone who had always confessed his love for her could so quickly become involved with someone else.

Quinn spared one last glance at the wedding ring before tossing it into the trash can. She no longer wanted the ring—and she no longer wanted Nicholas the same.

Since he loved Jasmine so much, Quinn would do him a favor and make the wedding, a month from now, his and Jasmine's.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking.

Linda Boston, a household staff member, entered with a glass of hot milk in her hand. "Mr. York called earlier and instructed us to get you a glass of hot milk, Ms. Sullivan. He also mentioned that he has a surprise for you when he gets back, so he asked you not to sleep just yet."

Quinn gestured for Linda to place the glass on the table before dismissing her. The milk was still steaming, just like every night before.

Ever since Nicholas knew she had trouble sleeping at night, he would personally warm up a glass of milk for her daily. He would smile happily whenever she finished the milk.

At the height of his career, he would announce their relationship to the public, telling everyone how much he loved Quinn. He would turn down important deals time and again for her, even if it meant paying huge penalties.

But what moved her the most was the fact that Nicholas, someone who had never set foot in the kitchen, could warm up milk for her every day for years without fail.

The tip of Quinn's fingers touched the glass. It was hot, yet all she felt was the numbing coldness in her heart.

It turned out that grand gestures might not always mean true love. She had never been able to accept betrayal.

Quinn wondered what Nicholas' expression would be when he saw the bride at the wedding in a month's time.

As soon as the clock struck 12, she received a call from Nicholas. He shouted excitedly, "Look out of the window, Quinn!"

Quinn instinctively looked out the floor-to-ceiling window. The sky was lit up by countless fireworks, only stopping half an hour later.

The door burst open, and Nicholas ran over to wrap his arms around her waist. He smiled softly as he asked, "Do you like the gift I prepared for you?"

His love for her always seemed so high-profile, as if he wanted everyone to know about it. Unfortunately, it was all fake.

Nicholas leaned his head onto Quinn's shoulders and nuzzled affectionately.

"It's like I'm dreaming now, Quinn. We really got engaged—this day finally came!" His words were filled with happiness.

She might have thought everything that happened in the car was just her imagination if it weren't for the faint jasmine scent on him.

Quinn got up and pushed away Nicholas' hand. As she looked at him, she happened to notice the necklace on his neck.

He had been wearing it ever since they first met. On the inside of the necklace, a white flower was engraved.

Quinn used to be curious about it, but Nicholas explained that white was his favorite color, and the flower design was something he picked at random.

It was only now that she realized the white flower symbolized Jasmine.

Worry flashed across Nicholas' face when he saw the neglected glass of milk on the table. "Why didn't you drink it? Was it because I came back too late? I'll warm up another glass for you."

He soon returned with another glass of milk while explaining, "The reason why I came back late was because I was preparing the fireworks for you. But I might be busy for the next few days, so you don't have to wait for me if I come back late."

Quinn accepted the glass of milk, yet she did not drink it.

Nicholas never came home late in the past—until one day when he hadn't returned all night. All her calls couldn't go through, and she spent the entire night looking for him.

When he returned the next day, he explained that he had been caught up with a project. He had fallen asleep in a nearby hotel after finishing the deal.

Back then, Quinn had naively believed that Nicholas was really working—she even felt sorry for him for a long time.

It wasn't until two days ago that she learned that it was the same day Jasmine had joined his company.

Before this, Quinn was only aware that Nicholas used to love his first love a lot, but she ended up leaving him for money.

He had been stuck in that past relationship, unable to move on, until he met Quinn. From then on, he became obsessed with her.

Quinn felt that Nicholas did not fit into any of the qualities she was looking for in her ideal partner.

However, she gradually began to waver under his passionate and persistent pursuit. She even gave up her research career for him.

And yet, Nicholas dealt her a crushing blow at the point when Quinn loved him the most.

Looking at his gentle smile, she felt as if she was suffocating. She only felt better when she averted her gaze to look out the window.

"What's wrong, Quinn? Are you feeling unwell?" Concerned, Nicholas grabbed her hand, only to realize that her ring was missing. "Where's your ring?"

Quinn was about to explain when her gaze fell on his hand. She chuckled softly and retorted, "Where's yours?"

Nicholas only noticed that his ring was missing then. He tried to hide his hand in a hurry, looking pale as he started explaining. "It might have been stolen during the party with so many guests around."

"Is that so?" Quinn thought his excuse was flimsy and ridiculous. She wondered if he truly thought she was a fool.

She used to love and trust him, willingly being kept in the dark. But she no longer wanted to be that fool anymore.

"Who knows, it might have been left in the car instead," Quinn said.

Nicholas suddenly felt diffident when he met her gaze.

Quinn did not want to press on the matter further. Just as she was about to sleep, Linda came knocking on her door.

"Haven't I told you guys not to disturb Quinn at night no matter what?" Nicholas said.

"Jasmine said that something urgent came up, and she has to see you tonight, Mr. York," Linda replied.

Nicholas' hand trembled slightly upon the mention of Jasmine's name. He glanced at Quinn, about to explain himself.

However, Quinn interrupted him and said, "You should go. She probably really wants to see you."

Seeing his anxious gaze, she then added, "Her rising fame might come crashing down if something really happened to the company."

Nicholas visibly relaxed upon hearing her words. He gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and said, "You can head to bed first, I'll be back soon."

Shortly after he left, Quinn received an anonymous message. It read: "Look out of the window. Mr. York has prepared a visual treat for you."

She walked to the window. Instead of looking up to the sky, she looked downward.

Jasmine was holding onto Nicholas from the swing in the garden, kissing him repeatedly.

That spot wasn't visible from anywhere else, but Quinn could see everything clearly from her room.

Jasmine hugged Nicholas before pushing him down to sit on the swing. She then stood up and glanced upward, meeting Quinn's gaze.

At that moment, Quinn knew that Jasmine was doing it on purpose—she was the one who sent Quinn the message.

Nicholas seemed anxious, wanting to comfort Jasmine and get her to leave. However, she took out his ring from her pocket.

He reached out for it, but she put the ring onto her own finger. She then took a photo of it.

Soon enough, Quinn saw the photo on Jasmine's social media. The caption read: "It seems like he'll never refuse a request from me."

She continued to scroll up and came across a photo posted ten days ago. The caption read: "A glass of hot milk before bed—truly a bad habit someone has spoiled me with."

A wave of bitterness spread across her heart. What she had thought was care from him was once a privilege enjoyed by Jasmine.

Quinn's heart throbbed painfully. She steadied herself by grabbing onto a chair but ended up falling onto the ground.

Nicholas came rushing up shortly after he heard the loud commotion. Tears welled up in his eyes as soon as he saw the bleeding cut from the glass shards on her arm.

He cried out, "You're hurt, Quinn! Let me get you to the hospital!"

Jasmine was nowhere to be found once Quinn went downstairs.

Nicholas frowned as he looked around. He was somewhat distracted not seeing Jasmine around. He kept glancing at his phone even when they were in the car, accidentally running the red light a few times while his mind was elsewhere.

He looked at Quinn diffidently after running the red light for the third time and narrowly avoiding an accident. He started explaining, "I'm rushing to go to the hospital because I'm worried about your injury. I hope I didn't scare you."

She looked away and stared ahead. She then replied indifferently, "I'm alright, so just drive safely and stop running the red lights."

Nicholas noticed that something was off with her attitude. He was about to ask about it when his phone buzzed.

A brief flash of joy flickered in his eyes. The worry and tension on his face finally faded after he read the message.

…

As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Nicholas left the ward under the pretense of buying supper for Quinn.

The doctor, Margaret Snyder, checked her condition once he left. She frowned while asking, "Do you have any heart-related issues?"

Quinn nodded, a bitter taste rising in her mouth.

She'd suffered from heart disease since she was young. But nothing serious had happened over the years as she had always taken good care of herself.

It was only in recent months that she had started staying up late to wait for Nicholas' return. It seemed to have contributed to the worsening of her condition.

That was why she had collapsed when she saw Jasmine's post earlier.

"You need to rest more. You might need surgery if this keeps up," Margaret advised, treating her wound before leaving the ward.

The empty ward was silent except for Quinn's breathing. She looked up at the ceiling and suddenly recalled the way she would always stay by Nicholas' side whenever he was sick in the past.

But now, he had left her alone in the ward for another woman.

Quinn's phone chimed with a notification, and she saw yet another new post from Jasmine. It read: "He always remembers what I like. I still remember that the first dish he made for me was beef stew."

Her hand trembled involuntarily as she gripped her phone. It turned out that Nicholas even cooked for Jasmine personally.

…

Nicholas only returned to the ward an hour later, wearing a faint blush on his cheeks. Quinn noticed the fresh love bites on his neck as he leaned down to open the food container for her.

"The traffic was bad outside, that was why I came back late," he said.

A hint of mockery flashed across Quinn's face when she saw the beef stew, now cold.

Nicholas said, "You can eat up while I check with the doctor about your condition."

Quinn received a call from him no sooner after he left. However, Jasmine's voice was heard on the other end of the line.

"She's still in the ward—shouldn't you be taking care of her now?" Her voice was tinged with evident jealousy.

Nicholas chuckled and said, "Are you jealous? Aren't you supposed to be happy now that I've left her to come find you?"

Jasmine asked, "Can you stay with me tonight? For some reason, I feel uneasy whenever I remember that you'll be marrying someone else."

"It'll be daytime soon. How about I stay with you for the whole of tomorrow instead?" Nicholas replied.

"Can you kiss me for now then—" The line was cut off halfway through Jasmine's words.

Although Quinn couldn't manage to hear the rest of the conversation, she could imagine what would happen.

When he saw the beef stew remained untouched on the table, he ran over to her bedside worriedly and grabbed her hand. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Quinn shook her head and replied, "No, I just don't have any appetite."

Nicholas panicked as soon as he heard her words. He ran out to get Margaret to come perform a series of checks on Quinn. He only relaxed when he had confirmed that she was alright.

He took note of every instruction Margaret gave without any hint of impatience. Once she left, he took Quinn's hand and smiled gently.

"Don't worry, I remember everything the doctor said, Quinn. I won't let you get hospitalized again. Is your injury hurting you now? It's all my fault—this wouldn't have happened if I'd taken the glass out earlier," Nicholas said.

He even started tearing up, and the guilt and heartache in his gaze seemed all too real.

Suddenly, Quinn couldn't tell if Nicholas' concern for her was genuine or not.

If it was genuine, why would he bring her Jasmine's leftover beef stew? But if it wasn't genuine, why then was he so concerned about her now?

Nicholas continued to talk, but Quinn no longer had the heart to listen to him.

He hurried to tuck her in when he saw her shutting her eyes. He then sat on the edge of the bed, resting his chin in his hand while he stared at her face.

Nicholas said, "You're so beautiful, Quinn. I can't take my eyes off you. Sometimes I really think I'm lucky to have met you before you fell for someone else."

Upon hearing his words, Quinn opened her eyes and looked at him.

She wanted to ask him—who exactly did he truly love?