Through his actions, Ivan conveyed his love for Alyssa, finally winning her over.

Later, Ivan was welcomed back into the McCartney family. But he never thought of leaving her behind. All it took was her saying, "I want a home," for him to meticulously plan a month-long proposal.

When he slid the ring onto Alyssa's finger, Ivan made a heartfelt promise, "From now on, we are family. I will love you forever, and we will never part."

Those once-beautiful memories had since shattered, the sharp fragments piercing her heart.

Two months ago, she received a friend request on Instagram. After accepting it, she found the person’s timeline filled with photos of a happy couple. At first, she thought the girl was lucky to have such a loving partner. But then she realized that the man in those photos was Ivan.

Without her knowing, Ivan had placed her in the role of his wife while reserving the role of lover for someone else.

What she once believed to be cherished memories now felt like shackles weighing her down.

Alyssa let out a bitter laugh. This diary, which had once been filled with countless moments of their love, now bore her sorrow as she picked up the pen and wrote.

[Ivan has fallen for someone else. I’m heartbroken. This is the first time I’ve forgiven him.]

They had been together for eight years, and Alyssa decided to give him eight chances. Once those chances were used up, she would leave.

Before Alyssa could put the diary away, the door opened, and Ivan walked in.

His forehead glistened with sweat, and he looked visibly anxious. As he approached, a strong, overwhelming scent of rose perfume wafted toward her, making her frown. She couldn’t handle strong fragrances—they gave her headaches.

Noticing her discomfort, Ivan quickly took off his jacket and stepped back. His expression was filled with concern. "Aly, you scared me. I thought something had happened to you. I couldn’t get through to your phone or reach you through messages."

“Or... are you still upset that I couldn’t go with you to try on the wedding dresses? I really didn’t expect the investors to visit the office today. This project is crucial, and you know that.”

Alyssa nodded calmly and showed him her powered-off phone. "I forgot to charge it."

She didn’t expose his lie. In reality, when he had texted her about being stuck at work, she had instinctively checked that girl’s timeline.

There were two new updates.

One read: [I wore rose-scented perfume today, and my boyfriend coincidentally brought me a bouquet of roses, too!]

The other one was, [No need for heating pads when I have my personal heater.] Alongside the heading was a photo of a hand resting on her abdomen. On the man's wrist was a watch that Alyssa immediately recognized as the birthday gift she had given to Ivan during their first year together.

It wasn’t an expensive brand, but it had cost her an entire month’s worth of part-time wages. At the time, he had been overjoyed and promised, "I’ll wear this forever. I’ll never take it off."

Even after returning to the McCartney family, he hadn’t replaced it with a more luxurious watch.

He still cared about her, but not in the same way as before.

Ivan didn’t notice anything unusual about her demeanor. Relieved, he let out a long sigh and smiled warmly.

"How did the wedding dresses look? Why didn’t you send me any pictures? I’ve been waiting all day! Or... was there nothing you liked?" He looked a bit crestfallen, like a puppy left out in the rain, his head hanging low.

Alyssa forced a smile, swallowing her sadness.

"I loved them. Of course, I’d like something you designed yourself. I didn’t send photos because I wanted to save the best surprise for the wedding day."

Ivan’s dark eyes lit up instantly. Sensing that the perfume scent had faded, he stepped closer and pulled Alyssa into a tight embrace.

"Then I’ll have to wait half a month, anxiously anticipating it. It's heart-wrenching, but whatever you decide, I’ll support it." Ivan sighed.

"What’s that in your hand?" His gaze fell on the notebook, a hint of curiosity flickering in his eyes as he reached to open it. However, Alyssa stopped him.

"You can’t see it yet. It’s a surprise for our wedding day," she casually made up an excuse.

Hearing this, Ivan froze for a moment before letting out a wistful sigh. "I’m getting more excited about our wedding every day. I can’t believe I’m about to marry such a beautiful treasure."

Alyssa’s eyes stung with unshed tears, but she held them back, remaining silent.

Once Ivan went to shower, Alyssa reopened the notebook and wrote.

[Ivan broke his promise for another woman. I’m upset. This is the second time I’ve forgiven him.]

'He didn’t know I didn’t even try on the wedding dress. Ivan, will we really make it to that wedding?' she thought.

The next morning, as Alyssa came downstairs, she saw Ivan busy in the kitchen, wearing an apron.

It was a promise he had made long ago after discovering she often skipped breakfast and worried about her stomach. He vowed to make her breakfast every day for the rest of their lives.

Back then, Alyssa believed everything he said. Now, she wasn’t so sure they had a "lifetime" together.

"Alyssa, you’re awake! Breakfast will be ready soon. I made your favorite soup today."

"After we eat, we might need to visit the ancestral family house. Since we’re getting married, my mom has finally compromised. She wants to meet you."

Ivan wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead, watching her expression closely. "If you really don’t want to go, we don’t have to."

Alyssa hesitated, her thoughts drifting to the year Ivan had fallen out with his family.

At that time, his mother had come to see her. She hadn’t spoken a word, but the resentment in her gaze had been unmistakable.

"It’s fine. Let’s go. I don’t mind." Alyssa felt a twinge of guilt toward Giselle, Ivan's mother. After all, she had occupied her son’s life for so many years. Meeting her one more time didn’t seem like a big deal.

Ivan’s joy was evident. He kissed her cheek, promising, "Don’t worry, I’ve got everything planned. I won’t let my mom make things difficult for you."

Alyssa responded with a simple hummed, and ate the breakfast Ivan had prepared under his watchful care.

When they arrived at the McCartney family home, his mother was already waiting. Ivan placed the gift bag he was holding in front of her and spoke warmly:

"Mom, I brought Alyssa to see you. She personally picked out this gift for you—you’ll love it."

Alyssa sat stiffly to the side, feeling the weight of Giselle’s gaze. She pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

Her hand suddenly felt warm. Ivan had clasped it tightly, as if reassuring her not to be afraid. She tried pulling away a few times but gave up when he didn’t let go.

During the meal, Ivan was attentive to her every need—serving her dishes, peeling shrimp, and handing her napkins.

When she couldn’t answer one of his mother’s questions, he skillfully deflected it with a joke, smoothing over any awkwardness with a smile.

Perhaps seeing his determination, his mother’s attitude softened slightly by the time they were leaving.

She removed a bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Alyssa.

"This is our family heirloom. Since Ivan has chosen you, I won’t object. From now on, we’re family."

Once, Alyssa had longed to hear those words and to belong to a family. But now, they sounded grating to her ears.

She pushed the bracelet back and replied calmly, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam, but it’s too early for me to accept this."

After all, whether the wedding would happen or not was still uncertain.

Alyssa kept this thought to herself.

The atmosphere turned cold, but Ivan didn’t seem to notice. He casually draped his arm over her shoulder and smiled. "Mom, something this important should be given on the wedding day. It’ll make it more ceremonial."

On the way back, Alyssa leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed. She wasn’t tired; she just found it suffocating to be in the same space as Ivan. They used to talk about everything, but now, they had nothing left to say.

She could feel his gaze on her from time to time but chose to ignore it.

Before long, his phone started ringing. He rejected the call at first, but the persistent ringing continued.

Ivan glanced at her before pulling over to the side of the road.

He adjusted her seat position and retrieved a blanket from the backseat to cover her. Only then did he step out of the car with his phone in hand.

Alyssa stayed awake the entire time, though she kept her eyes closed.

She wasn’t sure if he stepped out to avoid disturbing her or if he was guilty and didn’t want to take the call in front of her.

Turning to look out the window, she saw Ivan standing a short distance away, a sweet smile on his face.

Then, it seemed there was something that had been said on the other end which made his brows furrow slightly. He glanced toward her direction and moved even farther away.

It was half an hour before he returned. Seeing that she was awake, his expression flickered briefly with unease before he quickly masked it.

"There was an urgent matter at work," he explained. "I was worried the call might disturb you, so I stepped out."

"Are you uncomfortable? Don’t worry, we’re almost home."

Alyssa shook her head but didn’t close her eyes again.

Ivan tried to start a conversation, but she only gave perfunctory responses, her disinterest evident.

"Oh, right," he said suddenly. "I forgot to mention—there was an issue with the custom rings. They might be delayed by a few days."

"This company is really unreliable," he added with a tone of frustration, carefully observing her reaction. When he saw her calm expression, he let out a subtle sigh of relief.

But Alyssa’s calm was merely a facade. Without hesitation, she opened Monica’s social media feed.

The latest photo was of a large diamond ring on her finger, with a caption, [A little sweet talk, and it’s mine.]

Even through the screen, Alyssa could sense the smugness radiating from Monica as she flaunted her victory.

Alyssa's face turned pale as waves of grief washed over her.

This ring had been her design for their wedding, one she had eagerly anticipated wearing herself. But now, it had been handed over to someone else.

'Ivan, you’re a liar,' she muttered mentally. She no longer wanted the ring—or him.

In her heart, she silently noted. [This is the third time I’ve forgiven him.]

When they arrived home, Alyssa got out of the car without looking back. She hadn’t walked far when Ivan caught up and pulled her into an embrace.

"Alyssa, have I done something to upset you recently?" he asked. "I feel like you’ve been different lately."

He feigned innocence, but his eyes betrayed his probing intent.

Alyssa met his gaze directly. Unwilling to tangle with him any further, she countered with a question of her own.

"Do you understand your father better now?"

Seeing his confusion, she elaborated, "Three years ago, your father left everything behind to divorce your mother for another woman. You were furious then, unable to comprehend how he could betray your mom despite treating her so well. But now?"

The hand resting on her shoulder stiffened abruptly.