A month before the wedding, my fiancé had an unexpected encounter at an auto repair shop with his ex-girlfriend, the one he had broken up with regretfully. The suppressed emotions quickly spiraled out of control. He took her back to his place to celebrate, from the couch to the balcony, and finally to the bedroom.

He told all his friends that this was the best gift life had given him before the wedding.

"I may not be able to forget Winona, but Julia's family background is more suitable for me. She'll never know what happened between Winona and me. We're going to get married. She loves me, and I'm the best choice for her."

His voice was full of confidence, as though nothing could change his mind.

But he was never my top candidate.

After a serious illness, I followed my family's wishes and switched to a new groom.

"Heath, I want to have a child with you. I know I'm not good enough for you, and I'm not willing to settle for anyone else. Let the child be my companion, someone to walk through the rest of my life with."

I slowly woke up in Heath Grant's study, the soft murmurs of a woman's playful tone and a man's heavy breathing in the air.

Through the half-open door, I saw beer cans scattered on the floor, and two people on the couch. One of them was my fiancé, Heath.

The scene seemed frozen in time, and I couldn't tell whether I was filled with anger or shock. My feet wouldn't move an inch.

Heath had just torn open the packaging when his hand froze. He whispered, "After we're married, I'll still see you."

"But it won't be the same as now, will it? This is my last wish, Heath… Can you fulfill it for me? Just this once... let's leave each other with one last memory."

The woman bashfully kissed Heath's lips, a tear slipping from her eye, as if unwilling to let go.

Then I realized who she was: Winona Stone, Heath's first love.

A loud, deafening noise exploded in my head—it felt like something had collapsed inside me.

Since the moment I met Heath in college, I knew there was a pain in his heart that could never be erased. It was the heartache from his breakup with Winona, his high school sweetheart.

Because of their differences in family background, Winona had disappeared after high school.

Heath went through an emotional collapse after their breakup, almost giving up on everything. It was only when he met me that he began to recover.

But Winona had always been a pain he couldn't let go of.

Who didn't have a past they couldn't talk about? As long as he loved me now, that was enough.

Our family backgrounds were a good match, and our relationship had gone smoothly.

But because my father didn't approve of Heath, I had been engaged and preparing for marriage for seven years.

During those seven years, Heath respected my wishes and never crossed the line. He always said he would wait until after the wedding.

But now, a month before the wedding, I caught him cheating.

"Heath, did you ever love me?" Winona asked, choking as she embraced him.

Heath almost immediately returned the embrace. "Yes."

"Between me and your fiancée, who do you love more?"

"She's not like you."

The conversation reached my ears, and a loud buzzing filled my head. Anger and sadness took over my every thought.

I felt like rushing out, slapping them both, and leaving with dignity.

But in the end, I silently collected the surprise I had prepared in the study.

I didn't remember how long it took, but after they moved from the couch to the balcony, then to the carpet in front of the study door, I heard the sound of a hand gripping the doorknob. Winona was carried into the bedroom.

I pushed open the study door, stepping over the scattered clothes and beer cans, and left Heath's house.

I couldn't remember how I made it home, only that I had a high fever once I arrived.

The family doctor and my mother stayed by my side for three days.

"Sweetheart, have you thought this through? Do you really want to marry Heath? There are better options for you... Your father doesn't really approve of him..."

"Mom, I don't want to marry Heath anymore. We'll maintain the wedding date, but I'll follow Dad's wishes and choose a different groom. As long as it's not Heath."

News of the canceled engagement and broken business partnership reached Heath all at once.

He thought it was just a joke, a childish stunt.

I was absentmindedly flipping through a childhood photo album that the maid had dug out for me when his call came through.

The moment I answered, the sound of wind rustling and a girl's laughter filled my ear.

"Julia, I know you've been sick and feeling down these past few days." Heath's voice was warm, almost apologetic. "But you can't just joke around like this. Your dad's company is in financial trouble. Without the Grants' help, you wouldn't have been able to maintain your family's status. I've been busy with preparations for our wedding, but once that's done, I'll come to see you."

Heath continued speaking as if everything was fine, pausing only to wait for a response, but he never hung up the phone.

Then, I heard Winona's voice, as clear as day, coming through the speaker.

"Heath! Let's go one more round. This time I'll beat you for sure!"

It was almost like she was taunting me. Heath quickly ended the call, and the sound of the busy signal echoed in my ear. I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

If I had heard this lie three days ago, I might have believed it.

But now, who would believe it? Heath was busy with the wedding? No, he was busy riding bikes with Winona.

After my mocking thoughts, I received a message from a friend about our school's annual reunion. She asked if I was going.

I considered avoiding Heath, but then thought—why should I? I hadn't done anything wrong. I wasn't the one hiding anything. Plus, if Heath was busy with Winona, there was no guarantee he'd even show up. Why should I shrink away just because of their little drama?

By the time I arrived at the reunion, Heath barged in unexpectedly, holding a motorcycle helmet.

And beside him was Winona.

"Winona's here to join us!"

"Hey everyone! I'm Winona, Heath's high school classmate. I heard about the reunion and thought I'd come check it out. Don't mind me!"

Winona had her hair tied up in a high ponytail, and her figure was accentuated by tight leather pants and a short vest. She looked confident and radiant, her smile as bright and bold as ever.

Heath didn't even notice me sitting in the corner, chatting with Naomi Walker. He pulled Winona right to his side, his long arm wrapping possessively around her waist, claiming his space.

The others in the room were clearly uncomfortable. No one knew what to do or how to react.

"Uhm, Heath, weren't you busy with wedding preparations? What are you doing here?"

"The invitations are mostly handled by Julia. Winona's never been to something like this, so I'm just showing her around. Don't mind us."

Naomi, who overheard their conversation, ignored me as I tugged at her sleeve. She slammed the bottle down onto the table, making a loud clink.

"Heath, you've really outdone yourself! Julia's been bedridden with a fever, and you're out here riding bikes and attending events with Winona? Everyone knows Winona's your ex-girlfriend. Just because Julia loves you, you think you can flaunt your affair in front of everyone?"

Naomi stood up, and all eyes in the room turned to her. Heath and Winona quickly realized I was sitting next to Naomi.

Heath's gaze froze for a moment as it landed on me. "Aren't you still sick? Why would you come to a place like this? Let Naomi take you home." It almost sounded like an order.

I smiled softly, the sarcastic edge sharp in my voice. We were at a bar, and I was perfectly fine to come here on my own.

If he could bring Winona here, why couldn't I come?

I looked around before focusing on him. "Aren't you busy with wedding preparations? Are you here… for some sort of inspiration?"

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, the question hanging between us. Heath furrowed his brow slightly but didn't answer.

Winona, sensing the awkward atmosphere, let out an awkward laugh and extended her hand toward me.

"Hi, you're Julia, right? I'm Winona," she said, her voice overly cheerful. "Don't get the wrong idea. Heath didn't tell you the truth because he didn't want you to misunderstand. We're just friends now."

Looking at her pale, delicate hand, a wave of disgust hit me, and I felt the familiar sensation of nausea rise in my throat. The foul memories of that night resurfaced like a sharp sting, and I could almost smell it again, the revolting odor that filled my senses.

I couldn't help but remember the image of those hands, crawling on his back, asking him to give her a baby.

When Winona noticed my silence, she reached for my arm, attempting to be friendly, but I quickly slapped her hand away.

"Don't touch me."

She stood there, looking helpless, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she glanced toward Heath behind her.

"Julia, calm down," Heath said, his voice tinged with irritation. "You're overreacting."

He didn't understand why I was upset. He stepped forward and tried to pull me up from the couch, clearly intending to have me apologize to Winona. I grabbed my bag off the nearby table and swung it to keep him at a distance.

"Don't touch me. You're filthy. I can't stand it."

I cast a cold glance at their intertwined hands, fighting back the urge to vomit. I kept my expression blank as I spoke with flat contempt.

After hitting them with those words, I realized I couldn't stay in this room for another moment. I turned and left without another word.

But Heath wasn't done. He called after me, his tone menacing.

"Julia! You've crossed a line. If you don't apologize to Winona, the funding from Grant Enterprise to Harris Corporate and our wedding will be indefinitely postponed."

"Enough, Heath," Winona intervened, her voice soothing as she tried to placate him. "Ms. Harris probably just thinks the environment at the auto repair shop isn't the best. You can't blame her for not wanting to be around that. It's understandable."

I scoffed, dismissing her attempt.

"Good riddance. You can marry whoever you want."

Heath didn't know it, but even without the supposed financial backing from the Grants, the Harrises would still be fine. I had lied about the company's financial troubles to get my father to give Heath a chance to show his worth. Whether the Grants pulled out or stepped in to help was irrelevant to us.

As for the wedding Heath kept talking about delaying, it had been called off ages ago. I would not marry him.

The Harris family was planning a wedding—my wedding—but not with Heath.

"Julia, I'll be waiting for you to come back and beg me."

I turned on my heel and walked out, though Winona seemed like she wanted to say something more. However, Heath dragged her into his lap before she could speak.

Naomi followed me out, intent on making sure I got home safely. Before we parted, I handed her the custom-made invitation I had prepared earlier that afternoon.

"I didn't have a chance to give this to you inside, with all the noise. Consider this an official invitation for you to be my maid of honor next month."

Naomi took the invitation with a resigned look, barely holding back her eye roll. "You've got to be kidding. What's so great about Heath? Look at him. And you're still thinking about marrying him?"

She opened the invitation and immediately stopped talking when she saw the names printed on the card.

Bride: Julia Harris

Groom: Flynn Turner

Her mouth hung open in shock, widening like she was trying to swallow a whole egg.

"Flynn Turner? The Turners, who are in politics? Not Heath?"

I nodded, unable to suppress a bitter laugh.

"Seven years spent chasing a dream... I've woken up. When there's no more love, it's all about a business arrangement. The Turners are a better fit than the Grants. Besides, Flynn and I grew up in the same neighborhood, climbing trees together. Our families know each other well. Honestly, he's a far better match than Heath ever was."