A few weeks before our wedding, Rodney Luther's stepmother, Jessica Flaine, posts a photo on her social media.

In the photo, she's wearing the wedding dress I picked out, holding a bouquet of red roses, and shyly leaning toward Rodney, asking for a kiss.

The caption reads—"Dreams fulfilled."

I don't call Rodney in tears or throw a fit like I used to. I simply like the post and leave a comment.

"Screenshot sent to Rodney's father."

Not long after, Jessica deletes the post, and Rodney's phone call follows immediately.

"Ivana, you're being so petty! The rest of my days belong to you. It's only today that I'm fulfilling a small dream of Jessica's. Hurry up and explain things to my dad!

"Come on, be good. I've got a gift for you."

A scoff escapes me.

"Rodney, do you hear me clearly? Go explain it to your father yourself!"

It wasn't long after I hung up on Rodney Luther that he rushed home in panic. In his rush, he had forgotten his keys, so he could only pound on the door frantically.

"Ivy, open the door!"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I, Ivana Fletcher, walked over to open the door.

The first thing that greeted me was a vibrant, blooming bouquet of red roses. They were as much a pain to the eyes as they were eye-catching.

Rodney shoved the flowers into my arms the moment he stepped inside and casually placed a gift box on the shoe rack in the entryway.

I knew the roses were secondhand, and curiosity made me check whether the gift was as well.

Sure enough, when I opened it, it was the same one that Jessica had bragged about on her social media not long ago.

I stared at the man standing in front of me, hoping for praise and trying to cover up the fact that he didn't love me anymore.

"Have you given these to Jessica before, too?" I asked bluntly.

But he merely raised an eyebrow and blew out a puff of smoke that made me cough hard.

"The only reason Jessica got drunk and was drugged was because she helped me close a business deal. And my father unintentionally… Ivy, I owe her this much!

"Also, when my grandmother died back then, you didn't come to the funeral. Jessica was the one who stayed by my side through my darkest time."

I smiled as tears welled up in my eyes. "Is that so?"

But what Rodney didn't know was—I had been there that day. I had watched him cry… in her arms.

"And so what if I did? Aren't I giving them to you, too? Also, she's my stepmother now. Her wedding back then had been so rushed—so what if she tried on your wedding dress? You really shouldn't be so petty. Taking screenshots and sending them to my dad? Seriously.

"Why must your thoughts be so bitter and twisted, Ivana?"

Maybe it was because I finally tore down the last shred of polite pretense that drove Rodney, cornered and humiliated, to lash out at me.

Petty? Bitter? Twisted? Was that what he really thought of me?

The truth was—Rodney used to be the one who cared about me the most. He knew I was sensitive and would notice everything, so he had always poured all his affection on me.

But now, he was also dumping all his harshest words on me as well.

A wave of desolation washed over me.

I fell silent for a long while. I didn't cry or make a fuss, but just looked at the man whom I had loved for nearly ten years.

I turned away, no longer bothering with him. After changing my clothes, I grabbed my bag and left.

The next morning, I woke up at my best friend Cynthia Preen's place.

When I turned on my phone, there wasn't a single message. I stared at the blank screen for a very, very long time.

I remembered a time when my phone died, and I couldn't find my power bank. It was about 10:00 pm then, and I had gone to a friend's place.

The moment I connected my phone to a charger, it blew up with texts and calls. Before I could even reply to any of them, Rodney called again.

As soon as I answered, he asked where I was, his voice sharp with panic. He had nearly lost his mind.

Since that day, I had never gone out at night again. Even if I did, I would make sure to keep him updated constantly.

"Should I be grateful, Rodney? Grateful that now that you've stopped loving me, you don't even bother to pretend to care anymore? You've made it impossible for me to lie to myself without feeling pathetic," I murmured to myself.

I went back to the apartment we'd shared for so many years and packed up all my stuff.

Thankfully, even though I had stayed home after graduation, I had built a small following by constantly cooking and posting videos online. I had even signed quite a few ad deals.

So, now that I wanted to leave, it meant that I didn't need to leave with empty pockets or without solid ground to stand on.

However, just as I finished packing and was about to leave, I found that Rodney had returned. He was sitting on the couch, looking irritated as he watched me.

"Ivana, can you stop with the tantrum? There's nothing going on between me and Jessica. Also, we're about to get married. What do you think you're doing by running away like this? People will think we're a joke."

Running away? A joke? Ha. Even now, Rodney still thought that I was just throwing a tantrum.

I didn't want to argue anymore, so I just grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door.

He stepped forward, reaching to grab my hand, but I instinctively sidestepped him. Maybe my avoidance had been too obvious, but Rodney flew into a rage and kicked the coffee table.

I turned around and walked off, not thinking about looking back. However, just as I opened the door, I heard Rodney shout behind me in frustration.

"I hope you find someone better than me!"

I felt as if there was a rough stone lodged in my throat, causing me sharp pain.

"You're the one who wanted someone better than me, Rodney. I'm only fulfilling your wish right now," I murmured.

…

Before I left Alluel, Cynthia organized a farewell gathering.

After all, everyone knew that I would likely not return to Alluel again after leaving.

Just as we wrapped up our goodbyes, I suddenly ran into Jessica, her arm looped through Rodney's.

For the first time, I looked at her properly. She was young and full of life, and when she smiled, she had dimples on both cheeks. She had a great, curvy figure, and her skin was fair—especially contrasted against her long, black hair.

She was definitely the type people would've had a crush on back in school.

From the looks of things, they had just finished dinner, too. Her cheeks were flushed, and her whole body was leaning against Rodney's.

I grabbed my phone and snapped a photo before sending it off.

When Jessica saw me, she stiffened for a second, then tightened her grip on Rodney's arm.

Likely sensing her sudden change in behavior, Rodney followed her gaze and spotted me, then stormed over.

"Ivana, what is going on with you exactly? You don't answer your calls or your messages. Do you know how worried I've been about you?"

Worried? I let out a soft scoff.

I might've believed that he truly was worried about me—if not for the bite mark on his ear.

"Rodney, let's break up."

Finally, I said it. I was choosing to let go.

Truthfully, I should've said it long ago.

But… he was Rodney Luther, after all.

He was the one who bought me roasted candied nuts from two streets away. The one who brought me heating pads and chocolate when I got period cramps. And the one who would tell me, "It's on the way," even when the destination was on the other side of town.

So, I thought I'd just wait for a little longer. Maybe he'd turn around and come back to me.

But all that patience and indulgence were only met with unrestrained cruelty, time and time again.

Perhaps I looked especially resolute this time, and Rodney somehow felt as if something was slipping away from him. For once, guilt, panic, and helplessness flashed in his eyes.

"Ivana, you're about to become my wife in a month. So come home with me, okay?"

It was clear from his tone that he wanted me to stay.

Rodney came from a well-off family, and they had already arranged a marriage for him long ago. But Rodney, who usually played by the rules, defied his father.

His father called him a disgrace and had him get on his knees. Then he took out a cane.

But even when the cane had torn apart the skin on his back, Rodney still held his ground.

"I'm going to marry Ivana Fletcher."

The crack of the cane only got louder after that.

I had been held protectively in his arms back then as I cried and cried. I cried so much that I could barely catch my breath.

Through sobs, I choked out, "Rodney, I won't marry you anymore. I won't."

But he just looked me straight in the eyes before he leaned in and kissed me fiercely. Stubbornly, he held my hand as he kept repeating, "I'm going to marry Ivana."

Now, as I raised my head to look at him, I called out his name with absolute sincerity. For a moment, it was as if I could see the Rodney from back then—the one who had been adamant about marrying me.

"Rodney, I won't marry you anymore. I won't. Cancel the wedding. I don't care anymore."

When Jessica saw how lost and despondent Rodney looked, a flash of something cruel crossed her eyes.

She deliberately walked straight up to me so I could clearly see the red marks on her collarbone.

"Ivana, if you want to blame someone, then blame me. I saw your beautiful wedding dress, and it made me think of how small and pitiful my wedding had been. I didn't even have a wedding dress. That's why I begged Rod to try it on. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at him."

Wow. What a fake-ass vixen.

I smiled widely at her.

"Sure. But don't say it to me. All your pain and grievances—go tell it to your husband."

The words had just left my mouth when a man dressed in a suit walked straight toward us.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"