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."

The next day, Winona somehow got a hold of my contact information and asked to meet me at a café in the city center. Coincidentally, this café was near the bridal shop I had planned to visit, so I decided to swing by.

While I waited, my phone buzzed with a flurry of messages. It was a video from Naomi, shot from a third-person angle by her boyfriend. It was followed by Naomi's ranting commentary.

The background of the video seemed to be from after the party had ended. Several of Heath's old friends were still lingering in the private room.

"Did you sleep with Winona?" one of them asked in shock.

Heath, holding a beer can, responded quietly, "I just can't get over Winona... and we were both drunk. It wasn't intentional. We talked about it afterward, and we agreed to stay friends. Julia won't find out. Even if she does, I'm still her best option. She'll marry me, be part of my family. As for Winona... this is just a pre-marriage fling. A late gift from God."

One of them scoffed. "Man, you're really a jerk."

It seemed like the person filming couldn't take it anymore and left, ending the conversation abruptly.

[Heath isn't worth it.

[Good thing you figured it out! Otherwise, marrying that kind of guy... who knows what kind of trouble you'd get into.]

As I read the texts, I felt someone sit across from me. Winona was suddenly sitting at the table, facing me.

"Ms. Harris, I hope... you'll leave Heath."

I nearly choked on my drink, stunned by her words. I never thought something so cliché, like a plot from a drama, would happen to me.

"What did you say?"

Winona hesitated for a moment, as if gathering her courage. She no longer had the bright, cheery energy from last night; instead, she seemed drenched in self-doubt and vulnerability.

"I wanted to give you and Heath my blessings, but after last night, I realized I just can't do it. Before, Heath's mother looked down on me because I came from a poor family. She forced me to leave. I backed down, unsure of the future. I didn't have the courage to stand by Heath's side. That was my biggest mistake. If I'd been brave enough, the one he'd be marrying..."

She trailed off, but I could hear the unspoken part of her sentence. Essentially, if she hadn't left, she would've been the one standing by Heath, ready to marry him.

"So?"

"So this time, I need to be brave—for myself and the child inside me. So, please, Ms. Harris, cancel the wedding and leave Heath."

I glanced down at the flatness of Winona's stomach, which the table partly obscured, and couldn't help but let out a small, mocking laugh.

"This is the 'just friends' relationship you were talking about? Sounds like you've got it all figured out. You've known even before a test could confirm it."

Winona looked at me, shocked, unable to believe I had seen through her.

"H-how did you—"

I raised my hand to stop her. Of course, I'd checked. My fiancé was cheating, and I wouldn't just let it slide.

A quick investigation revealed they'd met at an auto repair shop ten days ago, and five days ago, they had succumbed to their desires and slept together.

It wasn't until I was setting up a surprise at Heath's house, accidentally falling asleep in his study from exhaustion, that I discovered what had been happening.

If it hadn't been for that coincidence, one day, I might've had Winona, pregnant and demanding her place, confront me after I married Heath.

"Ms. Stone, since this child isn't mine, I don't see why you're asking me for anything. Whoever the father is should be the one you're seeking answers from. I can't exactly make you pregnant, can I?"

I made a subtle gesture toward the coffee in front of her. "By the way, I suggest you stop drinking coffee for now. It might make you too jittery and ruin your pipe dream."

Winona's face turned increasingly pale as I checked the time.

"The wedding dress designer is waiting for me. I'll be on my way now."

I turned to leave, but collided with a hurried Heath. I didn't need to guess who had called him.

I glanced between the two of them and rolled my eyes in silence.

Heath grabbed my wrist, halting my steps.

"Julia, we've picked out the dresses. Are you really going to change it last minute? You say you don't want to marry me, but I see right through you. You're playing hard to get now, huh?"