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.

Early the next morning, Beck returned with a bag of funnel cakes in hand. He said, "Babe, I brought your favorite breakfast. I stood in line for over an hour to get them."

Just like he did in the early days of our relationship, he took one out and tried to feed me. I was tired and hungry, so I didn't refuse.

Midway through the meal, the furniture craftsman we had arranged arrived to begin the installation.

While Beck stepped away to supervise, I took the chance to unlock his phone. His password was the date we first became a couple.

I had trusted Beck completely. His love seemed so real that I never thought to check his phone. But now, the truth struck me like a sudden blow.

In a chat labeled "Katie Cuddle Bug", the messages were shockingly explicit. There were bold invitations from the previous night, and a message from just ten minutes ago.

"Hey, sweetie, I made these funnel cakes myself. They're filled with all my love. You had better eat every last one."

The funnel cake slipped from my fingers. Suddenly, it felt impossible to swallow. I spit it into a tissue and tossed it in the trash.

Scrolling through the woman's social media, I discovered that she had been involved with Beck for six years. It was an affair that had never stopped.

Whenever Beck claimed to be working late or away on a business trip, they were in fact lost in passion at the villa.

At that moment, I felt like the other woman. My anger toward Beck surged, reaching a breaking point. I put the phone down and went out to find Tonya.

I asked, "What do I do? I can't keep pretending. I have to confront him."

When Tonya discovered that Beck was keeping a mistress and hadn't ended it despite our wedding being so close, she was even angrier than I was.

"He's nothing but a filthy scumbag! I swear, I want to rip him apart and see if he still has the nerve to be horny!"

After venting her anger, she held me tightly and reassured me, "Just hold on for two more weeks. I've booked your flight abroad and arranged a job for you at my brother's company. Once you're there, you'll be far away from this place that's brought you nothing but pain."

…

When I arrived home, Beck was still not back from work.

I stared at the wedding dress hanging in the closet. Without a second thought, I grabbed a pair of scissors and tore it to pieces.

By evening, Beck finally returned.

I took out the wedding invitations and handed them to him. "Go ahead and write these yourself."

"Babe, there are over 200 of them. How long do you think that'll take? Maybe the assistant should handle it, don't you think?"

"Are they too much trouble for you? Then maybe we shouldn't get married at all."

Beck's expression instantly stiffened. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, holding me like I was something precious he couldn't afford to lose. "Don't say that, babe. I've waited ten years for this day. Marrying you is the greatest dream of my life."

He kissed my forehead gently, his eyes full of tenderness. "How about we register our marriage tomorrow? Two weeks is too long. I can't wait any—"

"You're acting all nervous. Did you screw something up and now you're scrambling to fix it?" I teased.

Beck's grip on me suddenly tightened. His entire body stiffened, and his eyes darted away uneasily. "How could that be? I love you more than anything. Oh no, I need to finish writing these invitations. The ink's already drying out."

But inside, I was filled with bitterness and disappointment.

On the vibrant invitation, golden letters shimmered with the words, "Together forever, never apart."

Beck glanced up at me, a smile playing on his lips. "Babe, days like this feel like a dream. I really can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Let him dream. It would only make the fall that much harder.

By 2:00 am, the final invitation was finished.

With a contented sigh, Beck set them aside and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

I silently pulled one invitation from the stack. I was ready to deliver an unforgettable surprise at a wedding where the bride had no intention of showing up.