Seeing his panicked expression, Sylvia took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. “It’s nothing. I was just talking nonsense. I won’t be free that day.”

She turned to leave, and Nathaniel instinctively stepped forward to follow her.

Sylvia stopped him in his tracks.

“You’re here to accompany your friend for her check-up. Leaving her alone wouldn’t be very considerate, would it? I’ll head back on my own. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Nathaniel hesitated but then turned back to watch Sylvia walk away. A pang of pain hit his chest as he watched her retreating figure.

Vivian, noticing his concern for Sylvia, crouched down beside him. “Nathaniel, I’m in so much pain. My whole body hurts. Will you take me home?”

Irritated by Sylvia’s cold demeanor, Nathaniel’s frustration boiled over. He brushed Vivian off sharply. “Know your place. Stop provoking her.”

Back at home, Sylvia resumed packing.

She couldn’t stand staying in this place any longer.

Thankfully, she didn’t have much to take.

Soon, she had filled a single suitcase with her belongings.

When she was done, she carried the suitcase downstairs. As she reached the table, her eyes landed on the roses Nathaniel had given her the day before.

With a cold smile, she grabbed the bouquet and tossed it straight into the trash.

A housekeeper noticed and asked in confusion, “Miss Garner, wasn’t this the bouquet Mr. Sinclair gave you? Don’t you want it anymore?”

Sylvia replied with an expressionless face, “I don’t want things that belonged to others.”

“But these flowers look perfectly fine. How could they have belonged to someone else?” the housekeeper asked, clearly confused.

Sylvia didn’t bother to explain. She went back upstairs and packed all the clothes and bags Nathaniel had gifted her over the years into a large bag.

“Throw these out.”

“Throw them out?” The housekeeper hesitated. “Miss Garner, you used to treasure these things. You wouldn’t even wear them because they were from Mr. Sinclair.”

“Did you not hear me?” Sylvia said coldly, turning to grab her jewelry as well. “Donate them.”

“These are all gifts from Mr. Sinclair, and they’re worth a fortune!”

“I said donate them.”

The housekeeper didn’t dare argue any further and hurried to carry out Sylvia’s instructions.

Once everything was sorted, Sylvia took out her phone and booked a plane ticket.

She was going home. She’d be gone by tomorrow.

After booking her flight, a notification popped up on Sylvia’s phone.

It was a message from an unknown number.

Curious, she opened it, only to be greeted by an explicit photo of Nathaniel and Vivian locked in an intimate embrace.

The message that followed was laced with venom:

“Sylvia Garner, if you’re not a fool, you should already realize that Nathaniel and I are more than just friends. Are you wondering why we ended up at the hospital? It’s because things got a little too heated between us at the bar, and we accidentally hurt ourselves.

“Oh, and by the way, I’m getting married next month on the first. The groom isn’t just anyone—it’s your boyfriend, Nathaniel Sinclair. I’m his first love, the woman he truly cares about. You’ve been nothing more than a placeholder, a stand-in for the five years I wasn’t around.”

Every word was a deliberate provocation.

Staring at the photo and message, Sylvia felt her heart twist with pain.

How could five years of their relationship mean nothing?

Her hands trembled as she gripped the phone, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

At that moment, the front door opened.

Nathaniel was back.

He slipped his arms around her from behind, his voice low and tender. “Sylvia, why are you crying again? I’m home now. There’s really nothing going on between me and her. I didn’t make it back last night because I drank too much with the guys.

“As for Vivian, she’s just a friend. She just got back from overseas, and I ran into her this morning. Don’t overthink it, okay?”

Sylvia wiped her tears, quietly shutting off her phone.

“I understand.”

She pushed him away and studied his face. It was still as clean-cut and bright as it had been five years ago—handsome, charming, and deceptively pure.

But his heart?

His heart had completely changed.

Sylvia couldn’t hold back any longer. Her hand struck Nathaniel’s face with a resounding slap.

Caught completely off guard, Nathaniel froze.

But instead of anger, his heart seemed to settle, oddly relieved.

“If hitting me makes you feel better, go ahead. I don’t mind, as long as you’re not upset.”

So loving. So disgusting.

Sylvia didn’t hesitate and slapped him again. After all, he’d invited it.

“Nathaniel, do you remember what I once told you? I can forgive anything but if you ever betray me, I’ll marry someone else.”

Nathaniel’s expression darkened instantly.

“Sylvia, what nonsense are you saying? You know I’ve always seen you as the one I’ll grow old with. I love you and only you. My feelings will never change!”

He claimed to love her the most, yet he had ended up in the hospital after fooling around with someone else.

He claimed she was the only one he loved, yet he postponed their wedding to fulfill another woman’s dying wish, leaving Sylvia with scraps.

Sylvia looked up at him, her gaze piercing, as if trying to see into the depths of his heart and understand what he was really thinking.

In the end, she just nodded, saying nothing.

“I understand.”

Nathaniel pulled her into an embrace, but Sylvia pushed him away with a flick of her hand. That was when he noticed the suitcase at her side.

The relief he had felt moments ago was gone, replaced by fresh panic.

Grabbing her arm, he asked, “Whose suitcase is that? Where are you going?”

“Oh, my mom said that since the wedding is coming up, I should go back home for a bit.”

“Really?”

Nathaniel exhaled in relief. “I get it. Some people say it’s bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding. Even though ours is postponed, it’s fine if you want to spend a few days with your family.”

“Mm.”

Sylvia smiled faintly but didn’t say anything more.

She grabbed her suitcase and started heading for the door.

Nathaniel, still reluctant to let her go, picked up her suitcase and offered, “Let me take you home.”

She gave him a wry smile. “That’s not necessary. Don’t they say men should let loose a little before the wedding? Nathaniel, maybe you need that too.”

There was a time when she had truly believed in him.

But now, all she could think was, as soon as she walked out the door, would he bring Vivian into this house the very same night?

“Do you think I’m that kind of man?” Nathaniel protested, his voice full of conviction. “Sylvia, I’d never do anything to hurt you. After you leave, I’ll keep to myself until the day we get married.”

He was still lying!

Even now, as she was about to leave, he couldn’t stop deceiving her.

Sylvia felt utterly drained. The last shred of hope she’d clung to had completely dissolved.

She lowered her head slowly, letting out a deep, weary sigh. It was the sound of someone giving up entirely.

“Fine. Take care of yourself. I’m leaving.”

Pushing him away, she walked out without looking back.

When she finally arrived at her parents’ home, they were thrilled to see her. They immediately pulled her aside, bombarding her with questions.

“You’re finally back! The Cooper family has already agreed to the wedding on the first of next month. But weren’t you supposed to marry Nathaniel that day? Why the sudden change in grooms?”

“Yes, sweetheart. Marriage isn’t something to be taken lightly. You should marry the one you love. You know we’re not the kind of parents who would force you into anything.”

Sylvia was too exhausted to respond. She didn’t want to explain and revisit the pain.

“Mom, Dad, I’m really tired. I just want to go to my room and rest.”

Seeing her so worn out, her parents exchanged a worried glance but didn’t press her further.

“Alright, then. Get some rest. Before the wedding, we’ll find some time for you to meet Bennett, okay?”

“No need. I’ll meet him on the wedding day.”

It didn’t matter anymore. She had already made up her mind to go through with the wedding—whether she met him or not was irrelevant.

Back in her room, Sylvia lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over, streaming silently down her face.

For five years, she had never imagined a day when she and Nathaniel would break up. She had never thought she would marry another man.

But in just a matter of days, everything had changed.

Her phone buzzed beside her, snapping her from her thoughts.

Picking it up, she saw new messages.

“Sylvia, guess where I am?”

The message was from Vivian, accompanied by several photos.

It was pictures of her and Nathaniel’s home.

Then came more—intimate photos of Vivian and Nathaniel entwined together on the very bed that was supposed to be for her and Nathaniel.

“As soon as you left, Nathaniel couldn’t wait to bring me here. He even told all the staff not to say a word to you! Your bed is really comfortable, by the way. I heard you picked out the sheets yourself, didn’t you? The lovebirds on them look just like me and Nathaniel, don’t they?”

The mocking tone of Vivian’s words and the photos that came with them failed to stir any emotion in Sylvia.

She quietly scrolled through the messages, then turned off her phone.

It didn’t matter anymore. She would never go back there again.

In the following days, Sylvia’s parents were busy making arrangements for her upcoming wedding.

She was just as occupied, spending her days being dragged around for fittings, shopping trips, and endless preparations.

As for Nathaniel? She learned about his every move through Vivian.

Every day, Vivian sent her photos and updates, detailing her life with Nathaniel as if to taunt her.

Sylvia simply treated it as entertainment.

She saved every photo, screenshot every text, cataloging them one by one.

Nathaniel also tried to reach out to her daily. He called her repeatedly, but she never answered. He sent gifts and delivered them straight to her house, but she didn’t even open the boxes before throwing them away.

Finally, on the eve of her wedding, Nathaniel started to sense that something was wrong.

At his bachelor party, he vented his frustrations to his friends.

“Lately, Sylvia hasn’t been responding to me or answering my calls. Do you think she’s figured something out?”

“Come on, how could she? We’ve kept this under wraps perfectly. There’s no way she knows. Just focus on your wedding to Vivian tomorrow.”

“Exactly. Spend some quality time with Vivian while you can. She doesn’t have much time left. Once you get through this month, Sylvia will come right back to you like nothing ever happened.”

Nathaniel still felt uneasy, but the day of his wedding with Vivian had arrived.

At this point, there was no turning back.

…

The next morning, Sylvia sat in front of the mirror in her bedroom while her mother combed her hair, tears streaming down her face.

“My little girl… you’re getting married today.”

“Mom, it’s a happy day—I’m getting married. Why are you crying?”

“How could I not cry? I’m going to miss you. But at least we know the Cooper family well. Bennett seems like a great guy. I’ve met him a few times. He just got back from the capital, and I heard he’s a high-ranking officer in the military. Handsome too, and definitely on par with Nathaniel.”

Her mother reached for her phone. “Here, let me show you a photo of him—”

Sylvia gently stopped her. “There’s no need, Mom. I’ll see him in person soon enough.”

She glanced at the clock. It was already 7 a.m., and it was time to head to the hotel.

Nathaniel had likely left for his wedding by now.

It was time to let everyone know her decision.

Taking out her phone, Sylvia posted a simple message to her social media:

“Getting married today. Wish me luck.”

Comments flooded in almost immediately, all filled with congratulatory messages:

“Congratulations! Five years together, and now it’s your happily ever after.”

“Finally tying the knot with Nathaniel? So envious of you two!”

“Wishing you and Nathaniel a lifetime of happiness together!”

Sylvia read through the comments, her lips curling into a faint, bitter smile.

Look at that.

Everyone assumed she was marrying Nathaniel, but he was about to wed his first love, and she was set to marry a stranger.

That morning, Nathaniel couldn’t shake a sense of unease.

Something felt wrong, though he couldn’t put his finger on it.

His friends brushed it off, telling him he was overthinking things.

He reluctantly got into the wedding car, picked up Vivian, and headed to the hotel he had originally booked with Sylvia.

As soon as they arrived and stepped out of the car, a few old acquaintances approached them, grinning.

“Congratulations, Mr. Sinclair! Finally tying the knot!”

“Yeah, but where’s Sylvia? Haven’t seen her yet.”

“Sylvia?” Nathaniel’s face stiffened, and he forced a smile. “Actually, she’s not the one I’m marrying today.”

“What? You’ve got to be kidding!” one of them exclaimed, stunned. “Sylvia posted on social media this morning, saying she’s getting married. Isn’t it with you?”

Another chimed in, equally confused. “That can’t be right. The hotel and date are the same. How could she not be marrying you? Mr. Sinclair, stop joking around!”