A bachelorette party before the wedding was filled with a game of Truth or Dare. Bibiana Boscardin's male classmate looked me straight in the eye and said, “Bibiana is pregnant. She is mine.”

The whole room burst out laughing, only Bibiana didn't laugh. After the party dispersed, she seemed a little down.

“What Ludovico Pavoni said is true. Don't think too much, he's just my best guy friend. That night at the class reunion, we both got blackout drunk.”

“His family situation isn’t great now. He doesn't plan to get married in the future. He just wants to have a child as a companion. And he'll raise him on his own.”

I nodded. “So what?”

“After all, he's the baby's father. He also wants to witness the growth of the baby during pregnancy. So, I'll be staying at his house on weekdays from now on. But don't worry, I'll be home on weekends.”

“The wedding is canceled for now. I'll make it up to you after I have the baby and everything is back on track.”

I smiled. “That’s pretty good. Sounds like you've thought it all through.”

She clearly breathed a sigh of relief, picked up her suitcase and left without looking back. Wiping the tears from the corners of my eyes, I also began to pack my bags.

The cell phone suddenly rang. The caller was drunk, voice trembling with sobs, “Matthew Barkworth, I like you so much. Please, don’t marry her. Just marry me, okay?”

I paused. “Okay.”

——

I packed my luggage in one go. And I put the engagement ring gently on the dressing table. Looking at the room full of joyful wedding decorations, an indescribable sourness rolled over from the bottom of my heart. 

Three years of secret love, five years of relationship.  In three days, we were supposed to get married. Instead, I was blindsided by her betrayal.

Seeing that the tears were going to come out again, I panicked and closed my eyes. Dragging the luggage just about to go out, Bibiana sent messages for me.

[I forgot to bring my bath towel. Can you help me bring it over?]

[Ludovico's house. You should know where it is, right?]

I tugged at the corner of my lips, of course, I knew. Every month, a few of their classmates would go to Ludovico's house to have dinner, under the pretext of keeping in touch with their classmates.

I was also fortunate enough to be taken there a few times by her. Every time I saw a few women lying on the sofa playing games and watching movies, Ludovico was wearing shorts and bare-chested in the middle of them.

I have also been jealous. I asked Bibiana not to go there again. But she looked dismissive.

“I also need my own social circle. It's impossible to be tied to you all the time just because I'm in a relationship with you. We don't have anything in common. How boring it would be to be with each other all day.”

“Don't worry, Ludovico is just a friend in my eyes. Even if he strips naked and stands in front of me, I won't have any reaction.”

Now that I thought about it, it was just all coaxing me. Seeing that I didn't reply, Bibiana sent the address again.

I obviously wanted to replay [I can’t go], but I typed [I got it] for some reason. The bitterness in my heart spread, but I still wanted to go and see it with my own eyes. How will Ludovico take care of her when she's alone in the same room with him?

In front of Ludovico's house, I clutched the bag containing the bath towel. Ludovico quickly opened the door, wearing only big pants as always, smiling brightly as he pulled me inside.

Before I could react, he had already taken the bag. “You sit down first. Bibiana is taking a shower. I'll take the towel to her.”

The sound of water in the bathroom came to a screeching halt.

“Ludovico, bring me the towel.” Bibiana's voice carried a familiar lethargy.

A few minutes later, Bibiana walked out wrapped in the bath towel. She lowered her head and shook out her wet hair.

Bibiana called out incomparably naturally, “Ludovico, help me blow out my hair.”

Ludovico reaches out and scratches at her head for a while, snorting lightly, “Bibiana, can't you blow it in the bathroom? Look, there’s water all over the floor!”

She replied, “Tsk”.

Bibiana made a move to pinch his waist in retaliation when she suddenly saw me sitting in the shadows. She casually passed the hair dryer towards me.

“Oh, I won't bother you. So, you don't hurt my hair with your hairy hands! My husband is much better at serving people than you can! Right, hubby?”

Hubby? Anyone who looked at them would think Ludovico was the one who looked like her husband.

I avoided her and stood up sharply. “I'm busy now. I'm leaving first.”

She pulled on my wrist. Her face was a bit unhappy.

 “Give me some face, okay?”

“Face?” 

I laughed out coldly. “Bibiana, you're pregnant with your child. You packed your bags and lived in his house. And now you remember to ask me to give you a face? Did you ever consider my feelings when your family of three was having a good time?”

Ludovico laughed and pulled Bibiana away, winking at me. “Matthew, my personality is like this. I like to hang out with the girls, I'm used to being big-headed, don't take it personally.”

“She's staying here because she doesn't want to trouble you to take care of her and the baby. After all, you're also busy with work. I treat her as a brother. She also treats me as a sister. Nothing will happen, even if we sleep in the same bed. It’s just friendship.”

Saying that he suddenly hooked Bibiana's little finger and shook it.

“Why don't you just go back with Matthew? I also want to have an easy time. When the child is born, I will just be the daddy.”

As soon as the words fell, Bibiana suddenly covered her mouth and dry-heaved. Ludovico immediately rushed to bring the trash can and gently patted her back.

She vomited a few times and looked up at me angrily. “Matthew, what the hell do you want? Didn't we talk about this at home?”

My chest felt stuffy, so I turned around and walked out the door. As soon as I reached the elevator entrance, my wrist was suddenly grabbed fiercely.

Bibiana clasped my wrist hard. Her brows locked.

“I've already explained that Ludovico is my best friend! He just wants me to give birth to this child safely.”

“Think about it, if this was in ancient times, Ludovico would have to be responsible for me to the end and would have to marry me. You should be glad now that Ludovico didn't even want to marry me!”

“He is just an illegitimate son of the Pavoni family, but he's got more class than you. You are the eldest son of the Barkworth Family and the future heir to the Barkworth Family, do you only have this kind of tolerance?”

I lowered my head and glared at her, my voice unable to stop shaking, “Bibiana, do you think this is? You're still talking about ancient times? What does this have to do with class or tolerance?”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I bit my lip. “You are a top student in the Department of Finance and a famous investment consultant in Luxembourg, I can't say anything to argue with you.”

After a pause, I lowered my head and said in a frustrated tone, “Let's break up.”

Tears fell on my hand, one after another. Bibiana was obviously stunned. She released her hand that was holding me.

Bibiana said somewhat helplessly, “How about this, I'll take three days a week to be here at Ludovico's place and go home for the remaining four days, okay?”

Saying that she aggravated her tone. “Matthew, this is my last compromise. Don't push it too far!”

I took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the churning emotions and calmly said, “There's no need to be so troublesome. After the breakup, you can be with him every day, so don't waste your time on my side.”

She stared at me in the face and issued a final warning, “Are you sure?”

I turned my face away from her and raised my hand to press the elevator button. 

She suddenly sneered and pushed me violently, “Keep acting, see where it gets you!”

I was caught off guard and pushed back. My back slammed heavily against the wall and I let out a breath of cold air in pain. Bibiana glanced at me in disgust and turned around to walk back.

Ludovico stood in the doorway, deliberately raising his volume on purpose, “Bibiana, can't you talk nicely? A man is a little petty only when he really cares about you. You have to coax him and not yell at him. Do you understand, Sister?”

Bibiana naturally put her arm on his shoulder. “Let him be, he is thick-skinned. You are not unaware that when he was chasing me for three years, I couldn't drive him away no matter how cold my face was. And how I scolded him. He just likes to be abused.”

As he said that, he pinched his arm and raised the corner of his mouth. “Men are so much trouble, but sisters are better.”

Ludovico immediately made a show of straightening his chest muscles. “I hate it, I'm obviously a guy, otherwise how can I let you get pregnant and carry a baby well.”

Bibiana said, “Huh!”

She deliberately put her hand on his neck. “Do you have an Adam's apple? You're still a man!”

The two of them laughed and joked and closed the door with a “bang”.

The world seemed to have been silent, leaving only the sound of his rapid heartbeat, each of which was like a heavy hammer hitting the chest. My whole body was shaking.

The elevator finally arrived. I panicked and pressed the door close button. The door slowly closed, but the elevator did not start.

At that moment, Bibiana's mom, Tabitha Maccarthy, called suddenly.

“Matthew, I know all about Bibianan and Ludovico. It's true that Bibiana was indeed wrong in this matter and I've already scolded her severely. Don't take it too personally. There's no such thing as a married couple that doesn't have its ups and downs. Some things should be let go, as long as she still has you in her heart, this day can still be lived.”

“Ludovico also said to me that he will not separate you. When the child is born, you don't have to worry about it. I as a grandma will help take care of it. You just pretend that nothing happened.”

I pursued my dry lips, “Auntie, it's better to forget it.”

Seeing that I did not listen to her kind words, her tone immediately changed and said, “Why are you such a deadbeat kid? Although you have a low education level and are only an undergraduate, you are far behind our Bibiana, but you should understand the basic principles, right?”

“She made one mistake and confessed it to you. Why do you want to kill her with one stick? Don't you feel tired of being so stubborn?”

I clutched my cell phone. My knuckles are turning white. 

“Auntie, I'm not stubborn. Since you have always disliked my low education level and my family is in business, I am barely good enough for your daughter. Now I’m stepping aside, your daughter deserves better.”

Without waiting for her to respond, I directly hung up the phone. The Boscardin family was full of leaders in the education field.

Every time there was a family gathering, the elders would always pretend to be concerned and ask, “What is Matthew's education? Which university did he graduate from? What’s his major?”

After I told them the name of the school, they exchanged glances, shook their heads and sighed. “This school will probably lower the average education level of our Boscardin Family. It's also good that the child's IQ is mainly inherited from the mother, otherwise, our Boscardin Family will have a hard time in the future!”

And Bibiana just sat on the side, with a smile at the corner of her mouth, never saying half a word to me. She also disliked me.

I remember the first time I confessed to her, she looked at me with contempt. “Matthew, my boyfriend should at least score 700 points or more on the college entrance exam. Your score is just above the undergraduate line, right?”

Later she reluctantly accepted me, probably only because I stalked her for three whole years.

In the elevator, I slid down the cold wall and sat on the floor. My breathing was becoming more and more rapid.

I didn't know how long it took, but the elevator finally started to go down. The moment the doors opened, a slender figure stood against the light.

I couldn't see her expression, but I knew she must be frowning, just like every time she saw me being wronged. She raised her hand and gently wiped away the tear tracks on my face with her fingertips and then hugged me.

“Matthew, don't ever get yourself into a state like that again.”

The strong smell of alcohol hit my face. How much alcohol had she filled up? This person who had never been gentle and elegant had just burst into a foul on the phone.