The next day, sunlight streamed through the curtains into my room. What used to be my most anticipated event—trying on my future wedding dress—was now nothing more than a farewell ceremony.

It was a way to give all those tumultuous years a perfect ending and ensure I had no regrets. I used to wish I could wear a beautiful gown and stand next to the man I loved, walking down the sacred halls of marriage.

I waited for Sebastian at the villa entrance. In the distance, a luxury car slowly approached. I walked toward it, only to discover after Sebastian got out of the car that my designated passenger seat was occupied by Gina.

"Gina said she wanted to come along and look at wedding dresses. She promised not to disturb us."

Gina rolled down the window, smiling sweetly. "Mia, I want to help you choose your wedding dress. After all, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event."

I pressed my lips together, accepting her reason without saying anything more.

Throughout the journey, Sebastian was extremely attentive to Gina, constantly asking if she was tired or needed to rest, as well as carefully adjusting her seat to make her more comfortable.

Every word was like a knife, stabbing viciously into my heart.

When we arrived at the bridal boutique, Sebastian had me select wedding dresses first while he sat on the couch, keeping his eyes fixed on Gina, afraid she might have a mishap.

"Mia, you have the perfect figure, so you'll look good in anything. Go ahead and pick whatever you like."

I casually selected a few dresses and walked to the fitting room entrance, only to find that Gina had followed me over.

She pointed at the wedding dress in my hands and said coquettishly, "Mia, that wedding dress is so beautiful. I want to try it on too."

Sebastian looked over when he heard this. Seeing Gina's expectant expression, he hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Mia, Gina just wants to try it on. Uh, do you mind letting her have it first?"

I gripped the wedding dress tightly in my hands, feeling a sharp pain in my heart, but I still obediently handed it to Gina. "Okay."

Gina triumphantly smiled and took the wedding dress into the fitting room. I watched her retreating figure, my heart filled with mixed emotions.

Sebastian remained oblivious to how each act of favoritism cut deeper into my heart. I had dreamed of wearing my favorite wedding dress for him and having him see me at my most beautiful. However, he had stripped away even that simple wish.

Gina had been trying on the dress for quite a while and had not come back out. Sebastian grew worried and called out to me, "Mia, go in and check on Gina. What's taking so long?"

I pressed my lips together, pushing down the bitterness in my heart, and turned to walk into the fitting room.

Gina had just finished putting on the wedding dress and was admiring herself in the mirror. When she saw me enter, she curved her red lips into a smile. "Mia, look. Doesn't this wedding dress suit me perfectly?"

I ignored her and turned to leave, but she suddenly grabbed a row of mannequins beside her.

Crash!

A row of mannequins fell down together, tumbling straight toward me. Gina screamed and rushed outside, but before leaving, she gave me a hard shove.

Bang!

I was pinned under a pile of mannequins. My right leg was trapped under their weight, causing me to gasp in pain.

I desperately protected my stomach, afraid that the baby inside would be harmed.

Sebastian heard the noise and rushed in. Seeing Gina looking injured, his face changed dramatically. He hurried over, scooped her up in his arms, and ran outside. "Gina, don't be afraid. I'll take you to the hospital."

He did not even glance at me.

"Sebastian, save me! My leg is trapped..." I desperately called for help, but they still left.

I gritted my teeth, trying to push the mannequins off me, but they were too heavy. I could not move them at all. I could only arch my back to protect the child in my womb.

Sharp pain shot through my arms and back, but none of that pain compared to the heartache I felt at that moment.

I curled up on the ground, my tears flowing freely, and slowly closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, I was already in the hospital. The doctor examined me and breathed a sigh of relief. "The scrapes on your body aren't serious, and the two babies in your womb are fine."

"Two?" I was a little excited. I was already happy about having one baby, and I was not expecting twins. The news made me feel even more distant from Sebastian.

I instinctively touched my lower abdomen. It was very flat, yet it was nurturing two new lives.

"Yes, fraternal twins. They're very healthy."

Hearing the doctor's words, I breathed a sigh of relief. The joy of surviving the ordeal surged in my heart. Thank goodness the children were okay.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the adjacent hospital room, and my whole body tensed. It was Sebastian.

I covered my wound and stumbled out of bed, walking down the corridor to the door of the next room. The door was slightly ajar, and through the crack, I could see the scene inside.

Gina lay on the bed, pale-faced with bandages wrapped around her wrist, looking pitiful. A group of doctors surrounded her, helping her with various examinations.

Sebastian sat by the bedside, tightly holding Gina’s hand, his eyes incredibly gentle. "Gina, don't be afraid. I'm here."

Gina leaned against him, nodding weakly. "Sebastian, I'm so scared. I'm afraid I'll never see you again."

"Don't talk nonsense. We'll always be together."

Sebastian comforted her gently, softly patting her back. The intimate scene burned my eyes. Sharp pain shot through my heart, and I quickly turned my head away, refusing to look at them.

This was what it felt like to watch the man you loved with another woman. It was unbearably painful.

I covered my mouth and staggered back to my room. Despite the nurse's attempts to stop me, I insisted on completing the discharge procedures.

Back at the villa, I continued packing my luggage. I took only my passport, documents, and a few changes of clothes.

After finishing packing, I took down the photo of the two of us from the bedside table. I stared at myself in the picture, smiling like a blooming flower, and stayed silent for a long time.

Finally, I crumpled it into a ball and threw it in the trash.

Sebastian Sterling, we would never see each other again.

I dragged my suitcase and left the villa without looking back. After getting my visa, I tied up all my loose ends, bought the next one-way ticket to Astora, and bid my final goodbye to this heartbreaking place.

As the plane soared into the sky, I looked down through the porthole. The familiar city became smaller and smaller, finally turning into a tiny dot before disappearing completely.

I closed my eyes, my heart filled with a mix of emotions. Goodbye, Sebastian.

…

Meanwhile, after comforting Gina, Sebastian finally remembered me and hurried to find me. He pushed open the door to the ward, only to find it empty.

A nurse happened to be coming in to change the IV drip, so he quickly grabbed her. "Where's the patient who was in here?"

The nurse was startled and explained, "She was just discharged."

"What?"

The nurse continued, "Since you're a family member, remember to remind the patient to take her iron and calcium supplements on time. Her body needs nutritional supplements more than ever now that she’s three months into the pregnancy, especially since she’s carrying fraternal twins. Her body will be working very hard."

Sebastian felt like he had been struck by lightning, standing frozen in place.

"Mia was pregnant? Why did she not tell me?" he wondered.

The veins on his forehead bulged as he turned and rushed out of the hospital, speeding all the way back to the villa.

"Mia!" he called out, but no one responded.

There was no one in the living room, no one in the kitchen, and no one anywhere in the house. Sebastian's heart sank as he pushed open my bedroom door to find it completely empty. All my belongings were gone.

In the trash can lay the photo I had torn up, resting quietly. Beside it was the box I had packed of all the gifts he had given me.

Sebastian stood frozen, an ominous feeling rising in his heart.

He pulled out his phone and dialed my number, but only the cold automated message of the receiver’s phone being turned off came through.

"Mia, answer my call! Where are you?"

He called again and again, but no one answered. Sebastian slumped to the floor, panic flooding his heart for the first time.

"Mia, have you really given up on me?" he mumbled.

Just then, his assistant Marcus Carpenter's phone call suddenly came in.

Sebastian grabbed it like a lifeline, answering urgently, "Did you find Mia?"

Marcus was silent for a moment before speaking in a trembling voice, "Mr. Sterling, I found Ms. Shaw, but..."

"But what?"

Sebastian's heart rate accelerated, and he felt inexplicably uneasy.

Marcus took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and revealed the cruel truth. "I just checked the flight’s information. Ms. Shaw boarded a plane heading overseas, but that plane... just crashed."