Hubert Parker and I had been together since our teenage years.

We went from innocent first love to planning a lifetime together.

But a week before our wedding, he died in a sudden accident.

I cried until I nearly passed out, only to see strange messages flashing before my eyes.

[Can someone please tell the poor female lead he’s not really dead?]

[Hubert’s secret lover ran away after hearing about his wedding. He faked his death that very night and flew overseas to chase her. The female lead’s crying by his grave while the mistress is crying in his bed. This is killing me!]

[What a pity. When he finally came back, she knew nothing and still married him with a smile…]

Half a month later, news spread across Ashford that I was engaged to the heir of one of the city’s most powerful families.

One of Hubert’s closest friends confronted me in disbelief.

“It hasn’t even been that long since Hubert passed, and you’ve already found someone new?”

“He’s gone. I can’t spend the rest of my life in mourning, can I?”

When lines of text started flashing before my eyes, I thought it was just grief making me hallucinate.

But the messages didn’t stop—

[If the female lead goes up to the rooftop now, she’ll realize the male lead isn’t dead at all.]

[She’s barely eaten in two days because of him. How’s she supposed to climb to the rooftop in that state?]

Dragging my lead-heavy legs, I forced myself up the stairs toward the rooftop.

There was only a short flight left when I heard a voice I knew better than anyone—light, teasing, and familiar.

“My funeral’s not even over yet?”

The voice came from the phone of Hubert’s close friend, Ryan Wood.

“Not yet, man.”

“Where’s Rose? She hasn’t figured anything out, has she?”

Ryan replied, “No way. She’s been running herself ragged the past two days. Nearly fainted yesterday from crying too hard. She’s probably still in her room sobbing right now.”

Hubert’s tone was casual. “Make sure you keep comforting her for me.”

Another friend beside him, Sean Smith, chimed in, half-joking, “But seriously, Hubert, you’ve really fallen for that little sugar baby of yours, haven’t you?

“Faking your death and flying all the way to Westin just to chase her. You even made us play along too.”

The messages were right.

I gripped the railing so tightly my knuckles turned white.

Every cell in my body trembled.

I heard Hubert say, “Whether I’ve fallen for her or not isn’t your concern. Just help me keep it from Rose.”

Ryan asked, “So, are you still going through with the wedding?”

“Of course. Once I’m back, everything goes on as planned. But before that, can’t you let me go a little crazy for love?”

“Well, that’s fair.”

“After marriage, I’ll only be allowed to orbit around one person. Might as well enjoy this while I can, haha.”

The three of them laughed in silent understanding.

But my blood froze like ice.

I had prayed countless times that Hubert might still be alive.

But never in a way like this.

The messages popped up again.

[The female lead’s seen the truth! Ahhh, I hope she wakes up soon!]

[Go out there and tear that scumbag apart!!!]

But I didn’t rush out to expose him.

I turned around and quietly walked down the stairs.

After retching over the toilet for a while, I stared at the woman in the mirror.

Her eyes were bloodshot from sleepless nights, her face pale and hollow.

I cupped some water and splashed it on my face.

Then wiped away the traces of tears with a towel.

[As expected, the female lead knows the truth but still chooses to endure it. I’m so mad right now!]

[Of course she does! She loves him too much. And after hearing he’d still marry her when he comes back, she decided to swallow her pain.]

[I think she’s just waiting for the right time to strike back.]

When I stepped out of the room, Ryan handed me two tissues.

His face was filled with feigned sympathy. “Rose, don’t be too sad. Hubert’s watching over you from above. He wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

I looked up at him, taking in the overly solemn expression he was trying so hard to fake.

“Do you think Hubert might still be alive?”

Ryan froze for half a second before quickly regaining his composure.

“H-how could that be? They already recovered his clothes and shoes from the river. You saw them yourself.”

A week ago, Hubert’s car had plunged into the river late at night.

The police concluded he’d been swept away by the current while trying to escape from the vehicle.

I’d stayed by the riverbank all night without closing my eyes.

The rescue team searched for days and only found his jacket and shoes. I’d been so devastated I nearly passed out.

Today was supposed to be our wedding day.

I held our photo and cried until my head throbbed.

And now, to learn all of it was staged by him…

My grief had been nothing but a cruel joke.

[The male lead really outdid himself this time. Cheating and playing the victim? That’s just pathetic.]

[Right? At first, I thought this story was going to be a sweet romance. Turns out it’s just heartbreak served cold.]

[The female lead’s such a stunning socialite from Ashford’s high society. If he doesn’t want her, I’ll take her any day.]

The nausea and ache in my chest eased a little, thanks to those comforting comments.

Ryan spoke again. “Rose, don’t let your thoughts run wild. If Hubert could see you right now, he’d be heartbroken.”

Heartbroken, huh…

What an ironic word.

I had even thanked him for helping me arrange Hubert’s funeral just this morning.

It turned out they were all just the same underneath.

Following the comments’ hints, I searched for the account of Hubert’s mistress on social media.

That was when I discovered she’d appeared right under my nose countless times.

She was a small influencer under Hubert’s media company, named Jenna Song.

Her account was called “ParkerAndJenna.”

The latest video showed a street in Westin, where two people held hands and embraced like they’d finally reached the end of a long journey.

And I could recognize that small mole on the man’s hand.

The caption read: “In the year of purest love, he left behind the fiancée his family had chosen for him and crossed more than ten thousand kilometers to find me, all the way from Ashford to Westin.”

The video went viral, and the comment section was filled with praise for their ‘beautiful love story.’

“It’s like a real-life forbidden romance! A billionaire chasing his lover across the world—so romantic!”

“This plot feels familiar. The ‘billionaire-chasing-his-runaway-lover’ story just came to life for real! Ahhh!”

“Rich men really are hopeless romantics. Where can I find a sugar daddy?”

Then the messages appeared again.

[Are these commenters even real? This isn’t romance, it’s an affair scandal.]

[Fiancée his family had chosen for him? Please. Stop glorifying the cheater. The fiancé the female lead’s family set her up with before was literally supposed to be the story’s main villain!]

Hubert and I weren’t in an arranged marriage.

We met back in high school.

By then, my parents had already chosen a match for me.

He was Liam Park, the heir to one of Ashford’s most powerful families.

But I didn’t want to marry him.

My parents’ marriage had been built on interests, not love.

Growing up, I watched them act affectionate in public, only to bring different lovers home in private.

The rare times they were together always ended in shouting and blame.

I was tired of that kind of hollow, broken relationship.

So, I rejected the idea of marrying for convenience.

During my second year of high school, Hubert was assigned the seat behind me.

When I was at my lowest, he came into my life like a ray of sunshine—warm, persistent, and impossible to ignore.

Saying yes to his confession felt completely natural.

We grew together from high school sweethearts to a couple planning our wedding.

Not long ago, we even returned to our old school to give a talk.

Everyone envied us as the perfect match.

People said our story was a school romance come to life, and I believed them.

I truly thought I’d found real love.

I never realized that the one person I thought would never betray me had already found himself another woman.

In her videos, the girl called him “honey” in a sweet, clingy voice.

She posted clips titled “Little Moments with My Sugar Daddy,” and countless followers kept urging her to upload more.

Hubert would hold her in his arms, filming trendy couple dances together.

Even though his face never appeared, it was obvious he was enjoying every second.

All those business trips he talked about, he took her along each time.

And every night I thought he was working late, he was actually in someone else’s arms.

Once, I told him not to push himself so hard.

He smiled and said, “I just want your parents to respect me. I also want to earn more, so I can give you a wedding everyone envies.”

Five minutes before the “accident,” Hubert sent me a message: “No matter what happens, I’ll always love you.”

Every time I read that text, I cried all over again.

And now, it all felt like a bubble that had burst into nothing.

[The male lead even had his fake-death story all figured out—swept downstream, rescued by some kind family, and conveniently struck with amnesia.]

[The worst part? The female lead actually believed him, married him, and lived a miserable life, trapped in a cycle of forgiveness until she died broken-hearted. Why are authors still writing this kind of toxic old-school drama?!]

[But hey, the story’s taking a twist now. The female lead found out the truth early. Please let her not repeat the same mistake this time!]

I went downstairs.

On the living room couch sat Hubert’s mother, Susan Parker.

When she saw me, her eyes, red and swollen from crying, narrowed sharply.

“If you hadn’t insisted he come back, my son wouldn’t have driven into that river. You’re the reason he’s dead. His blood is on your hands.”

Hubert had been on a business trip out of town.

The day after Hubert’s “accident” was supposed to be the day we tried on our wedding outfits.

He’d lost control of his car that night and plunged into the river.

When I first received the news of his death, I forced myself to stay calm and comfort his mother.

But she shoved me hard and screamed, “You jinx! You’re the reason my son’s dead!”

[The female lead should run while she still can. A house without blessings isn’t worth stepping into.]

[She won’t. A few days ago, the male lead’s mom called her a curse and said she doomed her husband to die, and she actually blamed herself. After being tormented by that old witch, she’ll just end up getting tortured again when the male lead comes back from his fake death.]

Susan and I never got along.

Before the accident, he’d promised me that after our marriage, we wouldn’t live with her.

But lately, out of guilt, I let her take out all her anger on me.

Now, watching her clutching Hubert’s photo, I suddenly found the sight almost comical.

Before I realized it, a laugh slipped out.

Susan exploded instantly. “What the hell are you laughing at?”

She jumped to her feet, about to slap me.

Sean rushed over to hold her back. “Please, ma’am, calm down. Rose is just heartbroken and not thinking clearly. Don’t take it to heart.”

Ryan added, “Rose, just apologize to her, okay?”

I slowly walked over to Susan.

She turned her head away, thinking I was about to comfort her.

“No matter what you say, I’ll never forgive you. You and my son were only engaged, not married. Don’t even think about getting a penny of his inheritance.”

But I only leaned closer.

Whispering in her ear, I said, “Your son got exactly what he deserved. When are you going to join him, you old hag?”

She gasped, clutching her chest, and collapsed onto the couch behind her.

[Hahaha, the old witch finally got what she deserved! Team female lead all the way! Let’s see who dares to mess with her now!]