The next morning, I was rudely awakened by the incessant loud ringing of my phone.

I sleepily opened my eyes and answered the call. At once, Archer's loud roars could be heard through the phone.

"Selene! What's your problem? The wedding is going to start. Are you trying to humiliate me in front of the rest of my family?"

It had already come to this, and yet, Archer was still only thinking about his image and reputation.

Nolan Group had invited press and media to attend the so-called wedding that was held just for the sake of it. So, what did that have to do with me, anyway?

"I remember telling you yesterday that I wanted to call the wedding off."

"What's the point of throwing such a big fuss?" Archer demanded, still not letting it go. "If you're unhappy about the wedding gift, then just tell me about it. There's no point in you threatening me in such a useless and roundabout way.

"If you really don't want to marry me, there are plenty more women in the world who can't wait to get with me. Don't think that you're so important that I can't have anyone else other than you.

"You have exactly one hour to get to the wedding venue. If you don't arrive in time, don't you ever dare show your face before me ever again!"

Archer then hung up after the threat without giving me a chance to explain myself or even get a word in.

I stared at my phone in shock. Then, I recalled him when he was younger—he had held my hand under the bright sun and told me in a gentle voice, "Selene, you'll be the only woman I ever want to marry in my life. There's no one else but you. It can only be you."

I was then immediately brought back to the present. Now, Archer only kept reminding me that I wasn't anyone important in his life.

I figured that I should perhaps make it clearer to him that it was over between us.

I put on some dazzling makeup and managed to make it in time to the hotel where our wedding was being held.

As soon as I alighted from the car, numerous paparazzi rushed toward me and started asking me questions.

"Mrs. Nolan! It's your big day with Mr. Nolan today. How do you feel about it?"

"I heard that you both knew each other since you were kids. Is it true that Mr. Nolan has been treating you as lovingly as he did back then?"

I had no interest in answering any of the loaded questions these people threw at me because I heard someone next to Archer say, "I knew you had a chokehold around your wife. She still came crawling back to you after a simple phone call."

Meanwhile, Archer answered, "Women are easy to handle. As long as you don't spoil her too much, she'll know when to get back in place."

However, when his eyes landed on me, he immediately resumed looking at me coldly and disinterestedly.

"So, you still know how to return to me? Don't think that you can walk over my head just because you got pregnant. Let me tell you, Selene. You're practically nothing without me."

I just stared up at him in silence.

"What are you doing, still standing there like an idiot? Waiting for the others to make a joke out of you?"

Archer gave me an impatient look and shoved me along.

I was caught off balance. With that, under everyone's eyes, I fell heavily to the ground.

My ankle started throbbing painfully. I immediately let out a hiss and moaned in pain.

However, Archer just glared at me and yelled, "Stop pretending and get back up! You're humiliating me!"

I just gave him a wan smile and climbed back onto my feet by myself. However, before I'd even managed to dust my dress off, another person "accidentally" shoved me back onto the ground.

It was Jacklyn. She had been carrying an armful of gift boxes when she fell to the ground with me.

"Mrs. Nolan… Ow… I didn't mean to do it on purpose. Are you okay?"

Jacklyn gave me a pitiful look as she pretended to look concerned about me.

Meanwhile, Archer just started yelling loudly at me again, "Selene! Are you out of your mind? Are you done with your stupid acting yet? Can't you see that Jacklyn is carrying a whole bunch of things?"

Then, he immediately crouched down and checked Jacklyn's body for any injuries. He asked her gently, "Are you okay? Are the staff crazy? How could they make you carry so many things on your own?"

Jacklyn just answered pitifully, "I'm fine. It's just that Mrs. Nolan arrived a little too late today, and we didn't anticipate it. That's why we hadn't prepared for it.

"I know Mrs. Nolan dislikes me, which is why I want to do well today and make sure she doesn't hate me so much."

My ankle was already painful enough without taking a second fall. I was in great pain now, and yet, I was still forced to watch them being lovey-dovey with each other.

I couldn't stand it any longer.

"Archer, the press and media are still here. Are you that impatient to introduce them to Jacklyn already?" I asked mercilessly, making him lose his cool.

"Selene, it's because of how filthy you are that you think everyone is as filthy as you. If it weren't for your pregnancy, I would have made you suffer a hundred times the pain Jacklyn is going through now!"

With that, he picked Jacklyn up from the ground and rushed her elsewhere for first-aid treatment, leaving me and the other paparazzi behind.

Perfect! I didn't even have to make any official announcements—I was sure that news of our broken marriage would surely make it to top news the next day.

I carefully got back on my feet and cast a less pitiful smile at the cameras. "Sorry about that."

I'd already suffered years of Archer's mocking insults anyway. One more time wouldn't make much of a difference. After all, didn't Archer think that I'd never be able to leave him because I was carrying his baby?

I was going to tell him once and for all that once I'd made my decision to give up on him, there would never be a second chance for him, ever. I'd never look back.

It wasn't until everything else was in place that Archer finally showed up. Everyone just stared at him in silence. However, he never realized that people were staring at him weirdly.

"Why are you staring? Start the ceremony!"

So, he hadn't even bothered preparing a ring after all.

The officiator had no choice but to start the ceremony without the rings. He asked, "Mr. Archer Nolan, do you, in sickness and in health, take Ms. Selene Larcell to be your lawfully wedded wife?

"Do you promise to love her, cherish her, never betray her, and place her first in whatever you do for the rest of your life?"

I saw a hint of disgust flash in his eyes. However, he still responded, "I do."

The officiator then turned to me. "Ms. Selene Larcell, do you, in sickness and in health, take Mr. Archer Nolan to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

He went through with the rest of the question, and all eyes were on me, including the cameras, waiting for me to respond.

To the officiator, I simply said, "I don't."

There was a chorus of gasps, and all the reporters and paparazzi immediately zoomed closer for their next scoop.

Archer widened his eyes in shock. It was the first time I'd seen him staring at me in disbelief. However, I could still see the hatred and ridicule in his eyes.

Just as he was about to speak, no doubt to humiliate me further in some sort of way, I interrupted him, "I've aborted the baby.

"It's also impossible for us to ever get back together. Since everyone is here today, along with the media, I would like you all to be my witness.

"I, Selene Larcell, will no longer have anything to do with Archer Nolan. We are through."