Chapter 1
On the day of graduation, Daniel was nowhere to be seen.
My friends and classmates looked at me with complex expressions, hesitating to speak.
I felt something was wrong, so I called Daniel countless times on my phone, but no one answered.
Until I saw a post that a friend had reposted.
[Don't call him anymore. He's getting married.]
With an attached address.
I thought he was joking with me, or maybe he was proposing to me in the latest way.
The closer I got to the destination, the more uneasy I felt.
Until I saw the panicked expressions of Daniel's friends at the door.
And the question, "Amber, why are you here?"
All these confirmed my uneasiness.
I pointed at the tightly shut door and asked in a trembling voice, "Who's married inside?"
Daniel and I were childhood lovers.
We were inseparable from childhood, from kindergarten to primary school, to high school, and even to university.
Even our loving relationship was a natural progression.
Everyone who saw us would say were a perfect match.
That's what I thought too.
Daniel had told me more than once that we were destined to be soulmates.
He said I was sent to him early because God was afraid that he would take too long to find me and would be lonely by himself.
Every time he said this, I would giggle uncontrollably, but I wouldn't say anything.
I would respond in my heart that if God hadn't sent me to him, I would have been alone until I died.
But the reality was a slap in the face.
The one who said we would get married as soon as we graduated was with another woman on the last day of university...
I pushed away everyone and walked into the gate, watching Daniel in his wedding suit and Winni toasting guests.
He looked at me, his face changing drastically. He tried to say something, but Winni spoke first.
"Amber, I'm dying, so Daniel is marrying me to fulfill my wish."
Daniel looked at me coldly, "It's not the time for nonsense now. I'll explain to you after I help Winni fulfill her wish."
I shook my head, "No need."
I raised my hand and slowly removed the engagement ring that Daniel had given me, throwing it out of the window.
My heart seemed to have been torn open, and blood mixed with pain flowed out.
"I wish you a happy and lasting marriage, and many children."
After saying that, I turned and left.
Without the slightest hint of regret, Daniel wanted to chase after me, but he stopped when he heard Winni's heart-wrenching cough.
"Cough cough cough...
"Daniel, go chase after Amber before Don't let her get the wrong idea."
In the end, Daniel didn't come out either.
Chapter 2
Daniel's friends who were standing at the door looked at me and tried to persuade me to stay.
"Amber, there was a reason for this. Don't hate Daniel."
"Amber, Daniel and that woman are innocent, you..."
"Amber, wait for Daniel to explain to you," they said.
I pushed away their hands that tried to stop me and looked at them with indifference.
"From now on, I am no longer Daniel's girlfriend. We are not officially together. Just treat me as a stranger when you see me. I can't afford to be Daniel's girlfriend."
It's actually quite funny that they kept it from me along with Daniel until now, even though I had known them no less than Daniel.
But they would rather hide such an important thing from me with Daniel, rather than letting me know.
Did they want me to be a naive fool and continue to be trapped in the love fantasy that Daniel has created?
There was nothing worth cherishing in this relationship.
After getting into a taxi, I slowly opened my bag and found a pregnancy test lying quietly inside.
My baby with Daniel had been more than a month.
I had planned to tell him about it today, but it was no longer necessary.
There were already signs of what Daniel had been doing.
A month before graduation, he often came back late at night.
I was often the only one left in our rental apartment.
Even at school, I couldn't see him. When I called him, it was always noisy on his end. However, his excuse was always the same.
"Amber, the company's been making us work overtime lately, so I've been pretty busy...
"Once I'm done with this, I promise to make up for it by spending quality time with you."
It now seemed that he was not busy with work but preparing for his wedding with another woman!
That afternoon, I scheduled an abortion appointment.
I never expected it to be so coincidental that the doctor was Daniel's good friend, Nelson Fox.
He was one of the few friends I hadn't seen at the wedding today.
He looked at me with a complex expression.
"Does Daniel know?"
I shook my head and asked him in return, "And do you know Daniel is getting married?"
Nelson sighed and had a knowing expression.
"I tried to talk him out of it. He knew your personality better than anyone. You would rather break yourself than compromise, but he still felt that fulfilling Winni's dream was more important.
"Winni has liked Daniel since high school, and her love for him has lasted until now. She even confessed to him many times in secret, but Daniel turned her down.
"Until a few months ago, she said she had cancer and was dying soon, and hoped that Daniel could fulfill her wish. Daniel's attitude changed then.
"Her last wish was to have a wedding with Daniel, but..."
Nelson didn't finish his sentence. He didn't expect Daniel to agree to it so readily.
Weddings were not games. For any girl, it was extremely important. However, Daniel was so careless in marrying Winni.
He took the things he had promised me and gave them to others ahead of time.
He didn't even give me an explanation.
I couldn't think of any other reason except that he no longer loved me.
The pain in my heart lasted too long, and I felt numb.
Nelson sighed and said, "Are you really sure about this?"
I nodded and said, "Don't try to convince me. Just do the surgery."
When cold liquid was injected into my body, I felt like the world was empty. My body felt light, as if I had gone back to my childhood.
After being dismissed from kindergarten, I came home.
My mother was sitting alone in the living room, stroking her stomach and crying. I bounced up to her, and she hugged me tightly.
Mom said, "Amber, would you be okay if Mommy didn't have more baby siblings?"
I didn't understand why she would say that.
Just a few days ago, she had told me that I was going to be a big sister.
But how could she change her mind so quickly?
I didn't understand, but I respected her.
One day, Mom went out, and when she came back home with Dad, I saw Dad looking lost and depressed.
Mom threw her phone at him and said in a cold voice that I had never seen before, "What are you doing back here? Aren't you supposed to be choosing a ring for your girlfriend?
"I'm not a persistent person, and the divorce agreement is already drafted. We can get divorced right away. Amber will come with me. Anyway, your mother doesn't like her," he said.
Dad cried bitterly and tried to hold on, but Mom carried me to the suitcase and left without looking back.
She told me, "Once a man cheated you, he was likely to do it countless times.
"Amber, I hope you will always be happy and find someone who loves you, but I hope even more that you are the person who was loved."
Chapter 3
It was hard for a single mother to raise a child.
But my mom never took out her struggles on me.
Whenever she felt like giving up, she would just kiss my cheek and rest her forehead against mine, saying, "As long as I have my Amber, I am not alone."
Children without fathers were often bullied by their peers.
Many rumors spread, saying that I was the child of a mistress.
Children's notions of good and evil could be quite straightforward.
After hearing what the adults said, they would band together to bully me and give me nicknames.
There were too many people around, so I didn't dare to fight back, but I remembered the faces of those who had bullied me.
When those children were playing alone, I would sneak up behind them and corner them to give them a beating.
Even though they were taller and stronger than me, I was able to inflict the same amount of harm on them, making them realize that they could not touch me again.
After just finishing a fight with a fat boy, I was hiding alone in a corner when a little boy came up to me.
He held a bottle of iodine and a cotton swab, looking at me with a helpless expression.
"Why is a girl acting so impolitely? How can you be so good at fighting?
"My sister said that girls should stay out of fights, but I think if you get hurt, you should take care of your wounds," he said.
He looked so delicate, and his action of disinfecting me was so light that I didn't resist.
By the time I realized it, the wounds on my face were no longer painful.
He told me his name was Daniel Evans.
After that, whenever I got hurt fighting with other kids, he would come to clean my wounds. Over time, we became familiar with each other.
From kindergarten to elementary school to junior high school...
By then, my mom had already earned some money, and it was easy for her to support me. She didn't stop me from getting close to Daniel.
Our two families became familiar with each other, but no one tried to stop us, as if they were just waiting for things to naturally progress.
After high school graduation.
He gave me a silver ring to wear, and his eyes were filled with love when he looked at me.
He promised, "When we graduate from college, we'll get married. I can't wait to bring you home as my wife."
I nodded in agreement.
The summer breeze blew, causing cherry blossoms to fall.
It was a beautiful scene, but it was forever frozen in time.
The effects of the anesthesia slowly wore off. I slowly opened my eyes, looking at Nelson's worried expression. My brain finally came to its senses.
I reached out and touched my cheek, feeling as if I had cried.
Nelson suggested that I stay in the hospital for a few days to rest, but I refused.
Compared to the cold hospital, I wanted to go back home more.
Back to home with my mom.
After that, I would give up everything and start over.
Just as I went to the hospital window to pick up my medication, I ran into two acquaintances.
Daniel looked very tense as he held Winni by the arm, afraid that she would bump into something. He treated Winni as if she were a fragile doll!
Maybe my gaze was too obvious. The two of them noticed me immediately.
Daniel's expression froze, and he awkwardly said, "How come you're here too?"
I sarcastically twisted my mouth into a smile, "I'm sorry for interrupting your romance. I'll leave right away."
Daniel held my wrist and took a deep breath, trying to speak to me in a soft voice, "That's not what I meant. I came with Winni to get a check-up, and her condition is quite serious."
I nodded randomly and pulled my hand out, remaining calm and distant.
"Don't hold hands, Mr. Evans, you're already married. You should be more mature.
"Oh, I should also remind you. Since you're married, block me out. It feels weird to have a married man around, and you should give your other half absolute security."
I looked at Winni and smiled, "Do you agree, Miss Wood?"
Winni's face stiffened. She dared not look at me. She put her hand on her chest and moaned in pain, but this time, Daniel did not immediately come to her side.
He still wanted to hold my hand, but he only caught a handful of air.