Early the next morning, I rushed straight to the hospital where my father was staying. When I pushed open the door to his room, my heart skipped a beat. His hospital gown hung loosely on his frame. He had clearly lost even more weight, and the sight of it made my heart ache.

My father, however, looked surprised to see me. He then gave a helpless smile, no doubt guessing that one of the neighbors had tipped me off about his condition. Before I could say anything, he turned his phone toward me. On the screen was my pre-wedding photo with George.

“You, my daughter, are so beautiful,” he said proudly. “On your wedding day, you’re going to be the most stunning bride ever.”

There was a lump in my throat, and I couldn’t say a single thing.

Suddenly, he asked, “By the way, did you tell George about the pregnancy?”

I pressed down the sting in my eyes and nodded gently. “I did. He was very happy.”

My father let out a relieved sigh. Then he started giving me careful instructions on what I should eat, how much I should rest, and not to wear high heels for long periods.

My vision began to blur. Afraid he would notice, I turned my face away and made an excuse about going to the restroom to fix my makeup. The woman in the mirror looked exhausted. Even the heavy foundation couldn’t hide it.

I wiped the dampness from the corners of my eyes and took a deep breath. For my father’s sake, I had to hold it together. I had to finish acting out this “happy” play.

…

Three days before the wedding, I told George, “I want to meet Josie.”

To my surprise, he agreed. Maybe in his mind, everything had been settled. So, even if I met her, nothing would change.

The driver took me to a villa compound on the west side of the city. From a distance, I could see elite soldati patrolling the grounds. The security was tighter than at some consulates. So this was how he treated a “burden”?

With every gate we passed, my heart sank a little lower.

When the car door opened, a maid called out cheerfully, “Donna, the Don is here!”

Her voice stopped abruptly when she saw that it was me stepping out of the car. However, I said nothing and simply took in the house around me. It was luxurious, warm, and meticulously maintained. Nothing was neglected. Nothing looked temporary or improvised. It was clear that George had treated her fairly in terms of material needs.

A slender figure slowly entered my line of sight. She was indeed beautiful. Josie Hill walked past me without a glance and wrapped her arms around George’s arm behind me.

“Don, you’ve finally come. I’ve missed you so much.”

He nodded. “The doctor said you haven’t been taking your medicine again.”

His tone sounded neutral, but there was a trace of concern hidden underneath.

“I wanted you to feed it to me…” Josie said shyly.

Only then did George turn to me and introduce, “This is Bella.”

That was it. He didn’t say I was his fiancée or bride-to-be—just a name.

Josie narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked me over, her tone light and pleasant. “Hi, I’m Josie. Come in, don’t be shy. Make yourself at home. What would you like to drink? There’s champagne in the fridge he just bought, or you can try the coffee I made. He said my skills have improved.”

She carried herself like the lady of the house.

I clenched my teeth, feeling my anger rise. To be honest, she didn’t look like the daughter of heroes who had once taken a bullet for someone. She looked delicate, fragile, and almost spoiled.

On the way here, George had told me he’d once tried to send her away overseas for the best medical care, for school, and even just for travel. However, she refused. She only wanted to stay in this vast, empty mansion, clinging to her illness, waiting for George to visit her whenever he could.

…

Before I could say anything, George had lifted her naturally into his arms and carried her toward the couch.

He instructed the maid, “Bring me the medicine the Donna had hidden.”

The maid immediately retrieved it with practiced ease and handed it to him. Josie wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to let go, and George simply continued holding her like that.

I stood there, frozen. I watched as he brought the pills to her lips, poured her a glass of water, and used his thumb to wipe away the moisture at the corner of her mouth.

She held the title of Donna, which should belong only to me, and was shown the tenderness that should only be meant for me. If I had held onto even the slightest illusion before coming here—an illusion that they were only bound by a piece of paper, forced by their families—it all shattered in that moment.

I didn’t want to hurt this girl, but I also didn’t want my child to enter this world branded as illegitimate.

At the thought that the wedding between George and me would be built entirely on lies, I couldn’t stay there for another second.

I stood up, announcing, “I should go.”

George immediately stood up. “I’ll go with you.”

Just then, a servant spoke up. “Don, Ms. Josie’s doctor has arrived. He says he needs to speak with you in person.”

George told me to wait for him before heading toward the study.

The moment he disappeared at the end of the hallway, the atmosphere shifted. The fragile mask on Josie’s face vanished instantly, and the corners of her lips curled into a cold smirk.

“You have some nerve coming here… It seems like I’ve underestimated how bold you are.” She looked at me with disdain and said, “Do you really think you’ll become the Grimadi family’s Donna? As long as I don’t step aside, you’ll always be invisible. You'll be a whore everyone spits on.”

I frowned at how quickly she changed faces. It was almost absurd. However, I had no desire to argue. I turned, intending to leave.

She grabbed my wrist, her nails digging painfully into my skin as she leaned close to my ear.

“I heard your father’s been sending out wedding invitations everywhere? How embarrassing. His daughter’s a mistress, and the family is celebrating it. Aren’t you afraid he’ll die of shame?”

“Shut up!”

I spun around, my sharp gaze freezing on her face. I could tolerate insults directed at me, but I would never allow anyone to insult my family.

Josie lifted her chin slightly, malice flashing in her eyes.

“Am I wrong? Having raised such a vile daughter as you, I’m sure he wishes he was dea–”

Smack!

The sharp sound of my slap echoed through the room. I didn’t hold back. Her head snapped to the side, her cheek instantly flushed red.

“How dare you hit me?” she shrieked.

George rushed in at the noise. His eyes swept over Josie’s swollen cheek, and his expression darkened.

“Bella, Josie is a benefactor of the family. How could you bully her like that?”

I glared at her, my entire body shaking with anger. “Why don’t you ask her what she just said to me?”

Josie’s face turned pale. Tears fell the moment she willed them to, making her look pitiful and fragile.

“I didn’t… I would never…”

She performed flawlessly, and it almost made me laugh.

“She said I’m your mistress,” I said coldly. “She said my father should be ashamed of having a daughter like me and that he should die because of it. This is your ‘sweet and kind’ Josie.”

George ordered the servants to call a doctor. Disapproval filled his eyes.

“Even if she said something harsh, you can’t hit her. Her health is poor. What if something happens to her?”

As I observed the way he shielded Josie behind him and the undisguised bias in his words, my heart went cold.

“George,” I said evenly, my voice calm to the point of indifference, “I understand now. There’s nothing left for us to talk about.”

A flicker of unease crossed his face. “But our wedding–”

“The wedding will proceed as planned,” I cut him off.

Once, I had longed for a wedding with George more than anything. Now, I found myself grateful that it was nothing more than a performance. When the curtain falls, I’d finally be free.

On the day of the wedding, the sky was an almost blinding blue.

My father forced himself to come. His best suit hung loosely over his thin frame, the fabric draping off his shoulders. Still, he stood straight, greeting every guest with a proud smile.

“Yes, I’m the father of the bride. I’m so happy she’s found such a wonderful man…”

No one could blame him for approving of George. For seven years, George had been flawless. Every time he visited my family, he brought expensive gifts. Sometimes, he even put on an apron and cooked in our kitchen like an ordinary son-in-law.

I used to think he was God’s answer to every quiet prayer I had ever whispered. If not for the lies and the betrayal… today, I should have been the happiest bride in the world.

The ceremony began. On the stage, George stood in a black tuxedo, smiling as he waited for me.

With his fingers trembling slightly, my father gently adjusted my hair as he said, “You’re so beautiful. Go on now. Stand beside your husband.”

Everything was going perfectly until the pastor asked my father to take my hand and place it into George’s.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out. Everyone turned toward the sound. A pale young woman had collapsed onto the floor, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

“George… It hurts…”

Before she could finish, her body went limp, and George instinctively stepped forward.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my father’s smile stiffen. My heart dropped. I couldn’t let him be disappointed. I couldn’t let him find out that the son-in-law he was so proud of had been deceiving us all along.

I grabbed George’s wrist tightly and pleaded in a low voice. “She’ll be fine. There are doctors right here. Just let my father hand me over to you. Let him believe you’re the man he thinks you are. Please. Just finish this part.”

He stared at me as if I had lost my mind. “Are you crazy? Josie needs to be tended to right now, and you want me to stand here acting in some ceremony for your sake? When did you become so selfish?”

Those words hurt more than anything he had said before.

The next second, he shook off my hand so violently that I fell to the ground. As gasps rose from the crowd, he strode over, lifted Josie into his arms, and turned to leave.

“George!” Clutching my abdomen against the sudden, twisting pain, I shouted at him. “If you walk out today, we’re over!”

The entire hall fell silent.

He paused for only a fraction of a second before saying, “Suit yourself.”

Then, he left without looking back.

The heavy ache in my abdomen grew sharper. Cold sweat soaked my back as I curled into myself. Slowly, a glaring red stain spread across the white of my wedding dress. At the same time, another scream pierced the crowd.

My heart jolted. I turned my head and saw my father fall straight to the ground.

“Dad!”

I tried to crawl toward him, but my body felt like it was filled with lead. Fear and pain consumed every part of me before my world went dark.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Josie had been examined.

The doctor removed his gloves and said, “She’s fine. She just has mild hypoglycemia. The blood came from biting her lip.”

Stunned, George paused before asking, “That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Hypoglycemia was nowhere near life-threatening, yet he had left his own wedding because of it. He had abandoned the woman he had sworn to marry, leaving her kneeling on the floor. For the first time, his usual certainty wavered.

Sensing the change in his expression, Josie coughed softly, her eyes reddening.

“George, I just wanted to see you. I’m sorry. My useless body ruined your wedding with Bella, but I didn’t mean to…”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he walked into the corridor, already holding his phone, scrolling through his contacts for my number as he moved.

At that moment, a group of medical staff rushed past him, pushing a stretcher at full speed. A white sheet covered the patient completely. Only one corner of a snow-white wedding gown peeked out, studded with tiny diamonds. Dark red blood had soaked through the lace at the hem, dripping slowly onto the floor.

When George’s gaze brushed past it, his steps came to an abrupt halt.