Ivy's party was the next day. As I helped William with his tie, I said, "Let's go to Ivy's party together. I promise I won't get upset with her this time."

William looked a little troubled. Every time I appeared at the same event as Ivy, guests would always whisper about how she'd stolen my fiancé.

But he couldn't find a good reason to turn me down, so he put on a helpless smile and said, "Whatever you say. We'll go together, but the party will be boring. Shall we sneak out partway and go on a date instead?"

I could tell how afraid he was of me ruining Ivy's happiness. He'd always been protecting her in silence, and marrying me was just to keep me out of Ivy's way.

This time, I wouldn't fight her because I was leaving tomorrow. All I wanted was to say goodbye to my friends and family.

…

Ivy's party was lively, and everyone offered their congratulations. She had it all—a thriving career and a happy marriage. It was obvious that she'd won in life.

"Congratulations on making the finals, Ivy! Mom and Dad are so proud of you."

"I heard the violin you used for the competition was a gift from a mysterious businessman. It once belonged to a famous musician, right?"

"Oh gosh, I'd love to see it in person. Ivy, could you play your competition piece for us on that violin?"

After Ivy opened her violin case, she looked up and spotted me in the crowd. Then, her expression fell.

Her eyes carried a wounded look as she glanced at William. "Judy, you're finally here. You haven't visited for so long, and I thought you didn't like me anymore."

I didn't respond as my eyes locked on the violin in her hands. I'd seen that violin in William's auction records and thought he bought it for me.

As Ivy began to play, the first note made my body tremble. The melody was all too familiar. It was the secret piece I'd written for William, and I'd promised I'd only play it for him!

Yet, Ivy was playing the secret piece in front of everyone. Once it ended, the room erupted in applause.

Ivy walked toward me. Her eyes were filled with gentle pity, like I was a defeated loser. "Judy, why are you crying? You must really like the piece I wrote, huh?"

She reached out to wipe my tears, but I coldly blocked her hand.

Before I could question her about the piece, she suddenly stumbled backward as if I'd pushed her violently. Tears streamed from her eyes.

"Judy, why would you push me?"

My parents rushed over to shove me aside. "Get out of the way! Ivy's pregnant; how could you push her?"

Guests shot me judging looks. "Oh gosh. Someone call the doctor!"

"Judy is so harsh. She must be jealous that her little sister won the music competition!"

Amid the angry voices and chaos, I caught one clear, panicked voice. "Ivy!"

It was a voice I knew all so well that I could recognize it instantly. When I turned to it, William had rushed to Ivy's side and looked utterly frantic as if he were her husband.

His usual composure was gone and replaced by fear and panic. He was so flustered that he could barely hide the brimming love and concern in his eyes.

At that moment, I knew that it was over. I shouldn't have left any room for hope.

Perhaps my gaze was too direct because William quickly noticed. Like a seasoned actor, he composed himself and hurried toward me to pull me away from the scene.

He looked visibly furious, and his voice was sharp with accusation. "She's pregnant, so how could you have pushed her? I understand you don't like her, and I told you not to come to the party!"

Seeing my pale, bloodless face, William softened his tone and added, "Thankfully, Ivy's okay. You don't have to worry."

I looked straight at him and said, "Ivy's competition piece is the track I wrote for you."

William's smile disappeared from his face as he calmly explained, "Oh? I didn't notice. There might be some similarities, I guess. A lot of pieces sound alike these days…"

I watched him lie and desperately try to cover it up, but suddenly, none of it mattered anymore.

I'd never played that piece for anyone else. The sheet music was kept in my music room, and only William and I had access to it.

It was a love letter in melody that I'd written just for him, but he gave it away like our love was just as disposable.

I couldn't help but let out a soft, bitter laugh. Oh, perhaps I'd forgotten there was never any love between us. He'd been putting on an act from the very start.

Perhaps my reaction was too calm, and William gently pulled me into his arms. "I know you don't like Ivy, and I told you not to come, didn't I?

"Smile for me. Let's go see the stars, alright?"

"Okay," I said, closing my eyes. I decided to let it slide. Since I was leaving, there was no point in fighting William over something so meaningless.

At the peak of a hill, William held me in his arms and whispered sweetly into my ear.

"It's so nice holding you like this while waiting for the sunrise together. Tomorrow marks our seventh wedding anniversary.

"Having you by my side these past seven years has made me so happy. I've prepared a surprise for you, and you'll see it tomorrow.

"Say… do you think we can watch the sunrise like this 70 years from now? By then, it won't be just the two of us because our children will be here, too."

I looked at him quietly and thought of how we had no future left. The night view was soft and dreamy, and so was he… until a phone call shattered the peace.

William glanced at the screen and looked at me with hesitation. I didn't have to look at him or his phone to know that only Ivy could make him this uneasy.

"Go ahead. I'll be here waiting for you."

William kissed my forehead. "You're the best, honey. I'll be back soon."

Smiling, I watched him walk away as the freezing wind of the mountains kept howling.

William never came back, and I saw Ivy's new post on Instagram instead. "He's my knight, always there when I need him.

"Even when I crave a slice of cake, he'll cross mountains just to get it for me. But he won't let me eat too much and says it's bad for the baby."

In the picture, a man was feeding Ivy cake. They looked perfect together, and the comments were full of voices of admiration. "You have such a great husband. I want one, too."

None of them knew that the great husband they were praising had just left his wife alone on a freezing hilltop. I stared at the watch on his wrist in the picture. It was a birthday gift I'd given William.

Then, I got up and called him, but Ivy picked up the phone instead. "Looking for William? He's in the shower, and I don't think he'll be going back tonight," she coyly muttered.

"I heard that tomorrow's your seventh anniversary, isn't it? It's been seven years, and he still hasn't fallen in love with you?

"I feel guilty for stealing your fiancé, and I really don't want to take your husband, too."

Her words were laced with smugness and provocation, and I expressionlessly hung up before turning to leave. I guessed I wouldn't be waiting for William anymore.

As I made my way down the hill on foot, each memory of the past churned in my mind. Each step I took felt like walking on cutting glass.

William had turned down every other woman and got on his knees to propose to me. He rarely smiled at others, but he was always gentle with me.

No matter what I wanted to do or eat after marriage, he'd always been patiently and lovingly there with me. It'd been seven years, and leaving him felt like losing my life. But I knew that his kindness and affection were all a lie.

He was the most devoted lover but never loved me, so I had to leave.

…

By the time I reached the foot of the hill, the sun was rising. I looked back at the peak and recalled that he'd promised me a grand surprise at sunrise.

I called him one last time, but all I heard was a cold, automated voice that said, "The number you have dialed is currently unavailable."

I decided to leave him a voicemail and record our final call. Then, I tapped into several social media platforms and scheduled the release of a video that would end Ivy's music career.

With that, I removed my SIM card and threw it away. Then, I got in a cab and headed to the airport.

…

Meanwhile, William finally seemed to remember me. He rushed out of Ivy's ward and said, "I promised Judy I'd spend our seventh wedding anniversary with her."

Ivy grabbed him and refused to let him leave. "But I'm scared. Please don't leave me."

"I'm sorry, but she's waiting for me."

Just as he stepped out of the ward, his lawyer came running up. "William, Mrs. Sterling just sent a divorce agreement to my email.

"I've been trying to reach her, but she's gone. When I looked up her flight today, I noticed the plane she was on crashed."