After my third dive in search of my missing boyfriend, I suffer a miscarriage.

When I wake up in the hospital and find out he's still alive, I rip out the IV and drag myself home.

But as I approach the house, I overhear Beck Wilder talking to his friends.

"Maren had a child with her ex-husband. Who knows if she's really over him?

"I can't go through with the wedding without being sure. I'd rather set a trap to see if she'd risk everything for me."

Someone hesitates.

"What if she finds out you lied? She might get furious and leave you."

Beck chuckles confidently.

"She's a breeze to manipulate. I'll make her sign the marriage papers and host a lavish wedding. She'll be as meek as a kitten."

Two weeks later, I leave the miscarriage report on the wedding dress and walk away.

The once-proud heir of the Wilder family is left in tears, scouring every inch of Larkspur in desperate search of his runaway bride.

I woke up in the hospital to a nurse telling me that I had suffered a miscarriage. Ignoring the pain radiating through my body, I grabbed my phone and scrolled through the messages from the police.

Beck Wilder hadn't drowned. His location tracker confirmed that he was at Rosehill Villa. The tension in my chest finally eased.

I didn't wait for the IV drip to run its course. I ripped out the needle and rushed out to hail a taxi.

By the time I reached the villa's entrance, I could hear Beck inside, laughing with a group of young elites.

"Maren had a child with Emmett Olson. Who knows if she's really over him?"

My hand froze in mid-air.

I stepped quietly to the window and watched Beck slowly swirl his wine. He let out a weary sigh. "I had my pick of decent women to marry, but I chose to be engaged to her. I gave too much of myself, and now all I carry is a bitterness I can't let go of."

Someone asked, "So, Mr. Wilder, did you pretend to drown just to see how much Maren cares about you?"

Beck took a sip of his drink. "Maren's terrified of water, yet she went through the effort to get a diving license for Emmett. After their divorce, she never went diving again. Even when I begged her to go snorkeling with me in Sanmore, she flat-out refused.

"It's just thalassophobia, isn't it? If she could overcome that fear for Emmett, why won't she do the same for me? That kind of double standard is impossible to overlook. Doesn't it just prove that she still cares for her ex?"

A ripple of murmurs spread across the room.

Without warning, someone pulled out their phone and shoved the screen in Beck's face.

"Mr. Wilder, check this out. It's drone footage from yesterday. Doesn't the woman in the black wetsuit on the shore look just like Maren?"

Beck studied the screen intently, his expression shifting from gloom to amusement. "It looks like she's got a conscience after all."

"Mr. Wilder, aren't you worried she'll catch on to your little trick and maybe even call it quits?"

Beck casually fiddled with the engagement ring on his finger, a sly grin creeping across his face.

"What's there to worry about? She's easy to coax. After all, she risked her life diving in to save me. The least I can do is return the favor and make it official. Believe me, she'll move past this soon enough."

The room exploded with laughter and jeers.

"Seriously, Mr. Wilder. Only you could keep Maren so tightly under your control."

"Keep in mind, she's been pregnant before. A woman like her should count herself lucky to marry you. She ought to know her place and be completely devoted."

Beck kept sipping his wine, saying nothing in response to the harsh words aimed at me.

His silence was deafening. It was a quiet betrayal that twisted the knife deeper, leaving my heart raw and bleeding.

I glanced down at the hospital gown clinging to me.

Holding my aching abdomen, I brushed away the tears streaming down my face and slipped away without making a single sound.

I felt like a clown, shuffling offstage after a bitter, humiliating fall.

As I lay in the hospital bed, memories came crashing back.

Before my family's downfall, both Beck and Emmett had pursued me romantically. I picked Emmett and bore him a daughter, only to lose her prematurely.

Soon after, my family went bankrupt.

My former mother-in-law resented me for no longer being able to support Emmett's business and began making my life unbearable. She even threatened to take her own life just to force Emmett to divorce me.

With nothing left and no one to rely on, I endured a long, exhausting struggle simply to survive.

One day, Beck entrusted me with a flower shop. He gently tucked a sunflower into my hair and said, "Maren, may you always grow toward the light."

It was then that I truly noticed him. He had been protecting me quietly all along.

After a year together, I realized what I felt wasn't just gratitude or loneliness. It was genuine love. So when he confessed his feelings, I accepted them.

We spent three beautiful years together, and I loved him deeply.

Six months ago, we got engaged. Beck opened up about his wish for us to have a child together. Driven by that hope, I went through endless rounds of fertility treatments. I had planned to give him the news of my pregnancy as his birthday surprise.

But now, there was no longer a reason to.

…

Three days after I was discharged from the hospital, I returned to the home Beck and I now shared.

I found him in the kitchen, calmly cooking at the stove, wearing an apron.

When he saw me, Beck pulled me into a tight embrace and whispered, "I'm so sorry, babe. My leg cramped while swimming, and I lost consciousness after being rescued. I was out the whole time, which is why I couldn't contact you. I even made a full spread of your favorite dishes as my way of apologizing. Please don't be upset, okay?"

I broke down, collapsing against his shoulder in uncontrollable sobs. My thin frame and pale face would have shattered anyone's heart.

"You idiot! I searched the ocean for you for three whole days. I was terrified you'd been dragged out to sea… or eaten by sharks…"

Beck gently caressed my back, comforting me repeatedly. "This is my fault. I never should have put you through this. I promise I won't go snorkeling anymore. From now on, I'll always stay by your side."

I kept sobbing, struggling to steady my breath. Without thinking, I let out a secret he hadn't known.

"Emmett was the one who took me diving back then, which caused me to give birth prematurely and lose my daughter. From that moment, I promised myself I'd never go near the sea again. But when I believed you were in trouble, I didn't hesitate to jump in. Do you know how freezing that water was? How terrified and powerless I felt?"

Beck's body stiffened.

Once the shock faded, his eyes grew heavy with guilt. All the accusations of double standards he had leveled at me were never because I didn't love him.

Overwhelmed with regret, he held me close through the night. For the next few days, I remained close to him, my eyes heavy with longing.

My display of love touched Beck deeply. It only strengthened his resolve to make amends.

"Babe, the 28th is supposed to be a lucky day this month. Why don't we bring the wedding forward?"

Perfect. The fish had taken the bait.

While I was in the hospital for those few days, my best friend, Tonya Lindstrom, came to see me. When she found out that Beck had deliberately set me up and caused my miscarriage, her fury blazed like wildfire. She unleashed a torrent of oaths, cursing his entire family.

She asked, "Do you want me to rough him up before you walk away for good?"

"No," I replied. "Bruises fade. I want him to live with this!"

"The worst punishment is to take everything from a man the moment he thinks he's untouchable," Tonya advised. She continued, "You'll return the day after tomorrow and reveal your scars. Make sure he feels every bit of guilt and regret. Help him choose his suits, plan the wedding, and send out the invitations.

"In short, give him the perfect wedding he's been hoping for. Then, on the day itself, walk away and throw the recording in his face. I guarantee that it will destroy him."

I followed Tonya's advice and agreed to Beck's sudden request to move the wedding up. I spent the whole day by his side, navigating every street and alley of Anderville.

He said, "Babe, it's just a suit. They all look the same. I've already tried on more than 20. Can't we just pick one and—"

"No way." I cut him off, slipping a white custom suit with diamond-encrusted cufflinks into his hands.

I looked up at him, my eyes full of affection. "I love you, and I want to show the whole world just how much you mean to me. I want everyone to know my groom is truly one of a kind—someone worthy of nothing but the very best."

Beck's ears flushed bright red. He wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled his head into the hollow of my neck.

"Babe… What's with the sudden confession? It's cheesy, but honestly, I kind of like it."

I smiled before gently prying his hands apart. With a few casual words, I nudged him toward the fitting room.

A minute later, he stepped out wearing the suit.

White was traditionally associated with purity and innocence. But on a hypocrite like him, it was nothing less than sarcasm.

Still, I was too worn out to even care. After a full day of pretending to be the doting bride-to-be, all I wanted was to go home and rest.

Swallowing my disgust, I forced out a few empty compliments and let him cover the bill.

…

Night settled in.

After his shower, Beck slipped under the covers and pulled me close. His fingers traced the edge of my nightgown, slowly undoing the buttons.

"Babe," he whispered, "let's make a baby."

His words struck me like lightning.

I threw off the covers and bolted to the bathroom, retching violently over the sink.

When I finally rinsed my mouth and looked up, Beck was standing at the door, clutching a pregnancy test. He offered it to me, his eyes full of hope. "Babe... Do you think you might already be preg—"

"No way." I cut him off, my voice cold and sharp.

The mere mention of pregnancy brought back the memory of the baby I lost, a casualty of Beck's bitter jealousy.

Beneath my calm exterior, anger, guilt, and sorrow twisted like a storm ready to break. My sudden coldness and resistance left Beck frozen in place. His expression shifted, darkening noticeably.

Without saying a single word, I brushed past him and slid back under the covers.

Minutes later, he seemed to have composed himself. He returned and wrapped his arms around me once more.

"Babe, I'm not trying to rush you into having a child. It's just… watching you endure all those fertility treatments made me worried. If you're pregnant, maybe it could bring you some relief."

Before I could answer, a message notification shattered the moment.

Beck glanced at his phone and swallowed hard. He said, "Babe, there's an emergency at work. You should get some rest. Don't wait up for me."

With that, he quickly slipped on a shirt. After throwing on a pink tie, he hurried out the door.

Something didn't feel right. Without a second thought, I jumped into a taxi and followed him at a distance.

About two miles later, he stopped at a gated community.

As soon as Beck stepped out, a woman dressed as a bunny girl ran straight into his arms.

I stood frozen as I watched them kiss passionately. Beck tore off his pink tie and looped it around the woman's wrists, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he pulled her inside.

The nausea I had barely held at bay surged back with full force. I stumbled toward a tree and leaned against the trunk, my stomach twisting like I might be sick all over again.

Tears welled up, blurring everything into a watery haze.

The suffocating midsummer heat clung to my skin, yet a cold shiver ran down my spine, chilling me to the core.

"Oh, Maren… Is this the 'perfect ending' you believed in?" I whispered to myself.

My heart broke into pieces. Perhaps the past ten years of care, loyalty, and love were nothing but a well-polished lie.