However, I never thought that the love I firmly believed Ariana had for me would burst like a bubble and disappear all at once as soon as her so-called first love and ex-boyfriend, Ivan Hatfield, returned home.

As it turned out, I really was just a substitute for someone else after all.

I inhaled deeply and cast my gaze upon the broken plaque that was now lying on the floor in a mess. The words on it said "Best wishes to Zack and Ariana", and I found it simply too much of an eyesore.

There was a huge crack running down the center of the plaque, as if representing the broken, shattered love that was left between Ariana and me.

I closed my eyes and calmed myself down for a moment. Then, I opened my eyes again. My gaze was now clear and determined.

I didn't want a love that was so shaky and rickety anymore. Ariana also wasn't worth any of the affection I had for her anymore.

…

It was almost 10:30 pm by the time I got back to the home that Ariana and I shared. I was just about to enter the bedroom when I suddenly saw what was going on inside.

I instantly felt a sharp pain in the left side of my chest.

Ivan was hugging Ariana intimately in bed.

"Didn't you say that you didn't love me anymore? Then, why are you still interested in me?"

Ariana didn't reply to him at once. Her eyes just turned redder as she kept kissing him all over.

"Hold up. If you want to get back together with me, then you're going to have to break up with that man first," Ivan said, stopping her just as they were getting to the good part.

There was a hint of a smile in his eyes as he mocked, "I refuse to be the 'other man' in someone else's relationship."

I saw an unfathomable look flash in Ariana's eyes. Her voice was hoarse as she agreed with him. "Fine. I'll do what you say."

Ivan hugged her tightly again afterward, and the door was suddenly slammed shut. The loud bang gave me such a start that I instantly snapped back to my senses.

Ariana's answer kept playing in my head. A wave of bitterness surged within me as it spread to all other parts of my body.

What was I to her, then? And what did the past six years of our relationship mean to her?

I sat on the couch in a daze the entire night, eventually running out of tears to cry.

Early the next morning, I pulled myself together and knocked on the bedroom door.

Ariana opened the door and looked both guilty and panicked to see me.

"Zack? Why did you come back?"

I said, "I live here. Why shouldn't I come back?"

She went silent for a bit.

"No, I mean… You didn't come back last night. I thought you'd have spent the night elsewhere. Should we… Should we go out for breakfast now?"

She stood in the way, refusing to let me go in. I could feel the bitterness in my heart again as I gave her a wan, bitter smile.

"Are you hiding something in that room from me?"

I then barged into the room, making instant eye contact with Ivan, who'd just stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist.

He sat down blatantly in the middle of the bed, looking like he owned the place, and said, "Oh, look who's here? It's the substitute. Don't you feel the least bit ashamed when faced with the real deal here?"

"Don't overthink things, Zack! I-I only brought him home because he didn't have anywhere else to stay. He stayed the night last night. That's all."

Ariana's face was deathly pale as she weakly defended herself.

"You think I'm blind, don't you?" I asked sarcastically, pointing at the marks and hickeys littered all over her body.

Ivan still looked arrogant as ever as he gave me the side-eye.

"If you know how to read the room, then get out of here. Do you want to know what Ariana told me about you last night?"

"Shut up, Ivan Hatfield!" Ariana exclaimed anxiously, interrupting him at once.

"What? Why are you still trying to protect him? You weren't like this when I was inside of you last night!" Ivan growled. His eyes burned with rage as he glared at her.

He suddenly jumped to his feet and began pointing at the things outside the door while screaming at the top of his lungs.

"See that carpet over there? I got someone to custom-make a vintage pattern for me! You can't buy it anywhere else at all!

"And that chandelier? I went to at least a hundred lighting shops before finally locating the perfect one that lights up the whole house with a subtle, gentle glow!

"And the record player and limited-edition vintage records in the study? I spent nearly half my lifetime collecting them all! Every single one of them is very precious to me!"

Then, he grinned mockingly at me. Disdain was evident in his eyes. He looked at me like I was nothing but a jester in his court.

"Do you still not get it? This house, the very one you'd both been living in for six years, has traces of me everywhere! She might have been living with you, but all she ever thought of was me! Are you still going to try fighting me for her love now?"

At that moment, I heard a loud ringing in my ears. My mind had gone completely blank, and my hollow eyes darted across everything he pointed out in the house.

No wonder Ariana had always refused to let me upgrade or replace any of the decor in the house, citing that nostalgia was her reason. I thought that it was because she was used to it and preferred the decor this way.

As it turned out, she was just keeping Ivan alive in her memories!

At first, I thought I was coming back to pack. However, now, everything in the house made me want to throw up, and I couldn't bear to stay there for one second longer. I just wanted to get out of this house of lies as quickly as I could.

"Stop spouting nonsense!" Ariana shouted at Ivan in a fluster, shoving him back into the room before turning around anxiously to look at me.

There was an exhausted yet faux calm look on her face as she began explaining herself to me.

"He's a little cuckoo in the head. You can't believe everything he says. You're the one I love, and I will only marry you."

She said it with such confidence, but moments from the past six years we spent together suddenly began flashing in my mind like a movie reel.

She had suddenly been very interested in visiting all sorts of upscale, overseas art exhibitions, often appearing at private exhibitions that were only open to top private collectors. She'd even liked and commented on all of Ivan's works and thoughts on his own work on social media.

Now that I thought of it, everything fell into place, and I realized how stupid I'd been to miss everything.

Yet, Ariana was still babbling nonstop, trying to salvage the situation.

Just then, a ruthless idea popped into my head and began manifesting in my chest.

Since she had embarrassed and humiliated me like this, I was going to make sure that she was going to have the most unforgettable "wedding" of her entire life!

I nodded gently at her while my thoughts raced. I spoke in a light tone. "I believe you."

Ariana's frown dissipated at once, and she looked completely relieved. She ran up to me and hugged me tightly, exclaiming eagerly, "Thank you for your understanding, Zack. You're the only person who knows me so well!"

…

A few days later, after learning that the wedding was going to proceed as planned, Ivan came looking for me while Ariana wasn't around. He began jeering at me.

"You're such a lapdog! Ari obviously doesn't even like you, and yet, you're still clinging to her like this!"

I looked at him calmly and smiled, saying, "So what if she doesn't like me? She's the one who agreed to marry me after all. And as long as I'm still here, you will forever be the 'other man' who has to hide in the shadows for the rest of your life!"

Ivan paled first before turning purple with rage. He glared fiercely at me and said, "This wedding will never happen! Just watch and see, Zack Norman!"

I looked at his angry silhouette as he stormed off before reorganizing the evidence I'd gathered so far. He could go ahead and make as big a fuss as he wanted to. It was all part of my plan, after all.

The wedding happened a week after the engagement party, just as planned.

As a newly emerging entrepreneur in the jewelry industry, Ariana was determined to carve out a niche for herself in the fiercely competitive market. Naturally, she had to take advantage of her wedding as an opportunity to socialize.

She planned the wedding as meticulously as she could, inviting numerous industry veterans and prominent figures from investment companies, hoping to expand her network and broaden the business empire for her jewelry brand.

The soft melody of our wedding soundtrack echoed gently in the hall. I wore my pressed and pristine wedding suit as I sat in the changing room, waiting for time to pass. When I checked the clock, there was still precisely one more hour till the wedding.

I took off my wedding suit without any hesitation and changed into my everyday clothes.

Then, with the help of my best friend, Jason Flemington, I got into a waiting car that took me straight to the airport.

Jason sighed in relief in the car. He exclaimed happily, "Thank goodness the plan's going smoothly so far! I thought you were going to turn into a lovestruck idiot again and get cold feet for the escape plan."

I chuckled happily and said, "Why would I do that? Mom and Dad always taught me that I had to love myself first before I loved anyone else. Ariana has already betrayed me once. How could I possibly stay with her anymore?"

"You're right. You're such a smart and brilliant person after all, Zack. It's her loss for losing someone like you!"

Jason wouldn't stop mumbling under his breath while cussing Ariana out, and I felt the warmth spreading in my chest watching him grumble on my behalf.

Back when my uncle, Dmitri Norman, learned that Ariana's ex-boyfriend had returned, he told me, "Ariana is not the kind who'd cheat on you. You've been with her for six years, and her career's so successful now. It would be a pity for you to leave her over that man!"

Everyone thought that Ariana was only in love with me, and everything she did with other men was just for show, and thus not a big deal.

Only Jason was the one who truly felt indignant on my behalf.

After bidding goodbye to him at the airport, I hopped onto the plane heading toward the south, and four hours later, landed in Seafare City.

I'd only just switched my phone back on when I immediately got a phone call from Jason. He was shouting at the top of his lungs.

"You should have seen how interesting the wedding turned out to be, Zack! I'm sorry you missed everything. You were right—that Ivan was nothing but a lunatic!"