A flicker of guilt crossed Sigmund’s face.

He pulled her into his arms, murmuring, “I’m sorry, baby. I got caught up and forgot. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

The next day, he took her out, keeping the destination a mystery.

Half an hour later, Michelle found herself standing in a bridal boutique.

When she saw the carefully selected gown Sigmund had chosen, her eyes widened.

“What are we doing here?”

“You’ve always wanted to get married, haven’t you? I thought you could try on some dresses. If you like one, we’ll buy it.”

His tone was calm, almost casual, but Michelle’s heart twisted painfully.

What was the point of buying the gown? To put it on display?

She didn’t understand what he was planning, but she did need to pick a wedding dress for her own wedding.

So, she quietly went along, trying on one gown after another.

Finally, Sigmund pointed to the last one and told the clerk, “This one. Have it wrapped and sent to this address.”

He wrote down the address of the villa, then walked over and wrapped his arms around her.

His breath was warm against her ear, his voice low and husky. “Baby, you look beautiful in this.”

Michelle forced a light tone. “This dress must be expensive. I’ll pay for it.”

“It’s just a dress. I can handle that,” he said, taking her hand, only to realize the silver ring she’d treasured for years was gone.

A strange unease crept through him.

“Where’s the ring?”

Michelle pulled her hand back calmly. “I put it away. I didn’t want to lose it.”

“It’s not worth much. If it’s lost, I’ll buy you another. Baby, just give me a little more time. Once I’ve saved enough, I’ll get you a real diamond ring and propose to you properly.”

Hearing the same lie once was already enough.

All Michelle felt now was bitter irony and cold laughter in her heart.

Sigmund’s fingers brushed over the faint mark where her ring had once been.

He lifted her hand and pressed a soft kiss against it.

Then, glancing past Michelle, his expression suddenly changed.

“Baby, try on a few more dresses. I’ll go grab us something to eat.”

Before she could respond, he let go of her and hurried out of the store.

Sensing that something was wrong, Michelle quickly changed and followed him.

When she finally caught up, her breath caught in her throat.

At the intersection ahead, a terrible crash had occurred.

Emily lay in a pool of blood, and Sigmund—injured himself—was cradling her tightly, refusing to let go.

When the paramedics arrived, both of them were rushed toward the ambulance.

With what little strength he had left, Sigmund gripped a nurse’s hand and rasped, “Save her first…”

Michelle stood frozen as the ambulance sped away, her mind blank.

“I think they were fighting,” a bystander said nearby. “The woman ran into the street out of anger, and the man tried to save her. Looks like he took the worst of it.”

“Yeah, I heard him begging her to forgive him before it happened. Guess they both paid the price.”

Michelle’s head buzzed.

She clutched her chest, bending over as a sharp, tearing pain spread through her heart.

Only then did she understand what it looked like when Sigmund truly loved someone.

A weak smile tugged at her lips—no anger or bitterness, just a hollow kind of irony for the three years she’d spent blind.

Her phone rang. The voice on the other end was steady and detached.

“Miss Lowe, your procedure is scheduled for ten o’clock tomorrow morning. Please arrive at the hospital in advance.”

The moment Michelle was wheeled into the operating room, an unfamiliar sense of relief washed over her.

As the cold instruments pierced her body, tears slid down her cheeks, silent and indifferent.

The memories of the past three years flashed before her eyes like a film reel.

When she suffered from cramps, he would gently rub her abdomen with tender care, whispering, “If I could take the pain for you, I would.”

When she quarreled with her father and got slapped, he saw the red mark on her face and nearly lost control, ready to storm into the Lowe household to stand up for her.

On stormy nights, he had carried her, burning with fever, through the rain to the hospital, soothing her trembling body in her nightmares, murmuring, “Baby, don’t be afraid. I’ll always be here with you.”

Now, Michelle couldn’t tell whether Sigmund had been too good at acting or if she had simply been too blind to actually believe he loved her.

All those gentle words and tender moments—who was he really thinking of when he treated her that way?

She was exhausted. She slowly closed her eyes.

“Sigmund Lloyd, you’ll never know we once had a child, a life that never had the chance to be born.”

When the surgery was over, Michelle dragged her weak body past the recovery rooms and overheard the nurses chatting.

“It’s about the couple who came in yesterday… I heard the man’s rich and powerful. He booked the entire VIP floor so his girlfriend could recover in peace. As soon as he woke up, he went straight to see her.”

“Yeah, and she’s still throwing a fit and won’t forgive him at all. The poor guy’s still injured himself, sitting outside her room, talking to her so gently.

“I’ve never seen a man love someone like that. It’s like something out of a drama, only this feels more real.”

Michelle froze, her heart sinking as she made her way toward the VIP floor.

From one of the rooms came a voice she knew all too well.

When she turned, she saw Emily in Sigmund’s arms, crying as she accused him.

“Sigmund, are you still angry that I insisted on leaving for school back then? I’ve regretted it every single day for the past three years.

“I wish I’d come back sooner. I told you I’d make it up to you, but why did you lie to me?”

Sigmund gently wiped away Emily’s tears, his voice soft with affection. “Emily, I didn’t lie to you. You’ve always been the only one in my heart.”

“Then what about Michelle? You took her to try on wedding dresses. Were you really planning to marry her?

“Her father even tried setting her up with other men. Did you actually start to fall for her?”

“Emily, listen to me,” he said, his tone pleading.

“She was with me for three years. I just wanted to give her a proper goodbye, make her happy one last time, and end things cleanly.

“She never did anything wrong. I just thought we could part on good terms. But I never forgot my promise to you. Emily, I’ll only ever marry you.”

Tears streamed down Emily’s face, her sobs soft and delicate.

“Then break up with her now. I don’t ever want to see you with her again. You belong to only me.”

Sigmund pulled her into his arms, patting her back and whispering gently, “Alright. Whatever you say, I’ll do it.”

Just a few steps away, Michelle watched with a faint, weary smile.

Perfect.

Lovers reunited at last.

She didn’t look any longer and quietly turned away, stepping into the elevator.

When she got back to the villa, she packed up the last of her belongings.

Then her father called.

“Your flight to Westbridge is at ten tomorrow morning. The Shaws will meet you at the airport.”

“I understand. I’ll arrive at the airport on time.”

No sooner had she hung up than Sigmund walked in.

“What airport? Where are you going?”

Michelle’s voice remained calm. “It’s nothing. Just a business trip out of town.”

Hearing Michelle’s answer, Sigmund let out a quiet sigh of relief.

He quickly packed a few clothes and explained, “I found a new part-time job. I’ll be away for a few days for training. Baby, I’m going to miss you while I’m gone.”

Michelle only gave a faint “mm” in reply. He was probably just going to stay by Emily’s side to take care of her.

When she walked into the dressing room, she saw rows of clothes and gifts she had bought for him over the past three years.

The few things he’d ever given her barely filled a single shelf.

That night, she signed the final papers to sell her villa, leaving all follow-up matters to the real estate agent.

On her last night before leaving, she met a few old friends for drinks. Halfway through, her head started to ache, and she stepped outside for some air.

She looked down from the second-floor terrace.

The courtyard below had been elegantly decorated, clearly reserved for a proposal.

The place was draped in romantic lights and scattered rose petals.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Sigmund.

He was dressed in a black custom-tailored suit, distant and dignified like someone from another world.

Emily stood before him, her eyes red as he approached.

The proud and handsome man lowered himself to one knee and offered her a bouquet of flowers.

“Emily, will you marry me?”

Tears streamed down her face as she nodded amid the cheers of the crowd.

Sigmund slipped a glittering diamond ring onto her finger, then stood and kissed her deeply.

Moments later, a thousand drones lit up the night sky over the river, forming words of devotion that ended with one dazzling phrase—Emily, marry me.

It was Sigmund’s proposal.

Michelle had once imagined countless times how he might propose to her.

And now, she was watching it happen, just not to her.

“Baby, wait for me. Once I can afford a diamond ring, I’ll propose to you.”

“Baby, when I’m capable enough, I’ll marry you and give you a home.”

“Baby...”

Those sweet promises still echoed in her ears.

Back then, Michelle truly believed she’d live to see that day.

The truth was, he could have saved her but instead, he’d stood by and watched as she was forced into an arranged marriage.

His eyes were cold, his heart utterly unmoved.

She wanted to ask him, just once, if there had ever been a moment when his feelings for her were real.

But there was no point anymore.

Michelle gave a faint, self-mocking smile and turned back into the private room.

She partied until dawn, then dragged her suitcase straight to the airport.

Her phone buzzed.

It was Sigmund.

“Baby, what time’s your flight? Text me when you land, okay? Don’t make me worry.”

Even now, he was still pretending.

Michelle stared at the message for a moment, then deleted his number and blocked every way he could reach her.

As the plane lifted off, her memories shattered like glass in her mind.

Three years of misplaced love was just a dream.

And now that she’d woken up, she was going to marry someone else.

“Goodbye, Sigmund Lloyd.”

This lifetime, they would never meet again.