As Dad lies on his death bed, he rasps to me that his only wish is to watch me get married.

I keep crying to the point that my sobs come out silent. My entire family turns to look at Whitney Pearson, who stands behind me.

She lets out a small sigh before wiping my tears away for me gently. Then, she leads me out of the ward.

But as soon as the door is closed behind us, Whitney's expression turns icy.

"Joseph, we've been dating for seven years. You of all people should know very well that I hate getting coerced into doing something the most.

"Love is all about going with the flow. We shouldn't let others determine how our relationship should progress."

Then, she caresses my cheek reassuringly.

"Let's not rush our marriage. We'll talk more about this once things settle down after my company goes public. What do you think?

"Anyway, I still have a meeting to get to tonight. You should deal with your family as you see fit. I'll bring a gift for you when I come home later."

Before I can say anything, Whitney spins on her heel and leaves with her secretary, Kaiden Xavier.

The moment both of them disappear into the elevator, I witness Kaiden bending over slightly to brush Whitney's hair from her face for her.

She makes no move to stop him at all.

After drying my tears, I return to the ward and take Dad's hand with a smile.

"Don't worry, Dad. I'll get married in three days. In fact, I'm still waiting for you to do my tie for me before the start of the ceremony."

Joseph's POV

When my family heard me say I would be getting married in three days, the whole hospital room breathed a collective sigh of relief.

With eyes welling with tears, my dad choked out a shaky "Good" over and over.

That night, after I drove my mom home, she called me into the study for a private talk.

"Joseph, there's something I've been holding back for a long time, but I really need to tell you."

She hesitated, looking at me with heartache in her eyes.

"On your birthday last month, Whitney came by to drop off a gift, but she didn't even stay five minutes before claiming she was too busy and had to leave."

Mom's expression hardened, and she continued, "But half an hour later, a friend of mine spotted her at a private bar in Southvale. She was lounging in a corner booth, having drinks with a man who looked exactly like her secretary, Kaiden…"

She slid a photo across the table to me.

In the photo, Kaiden Xavier was dressed in a trendy, high-end suit. He looked completely at ease, smiling as he said something to my supposed fiancee, Whitney Pearson.

Whitney sat right beside him, head bowed, listening intently. The admiration and dependence in her eyes practically spilled out of the frame.

Even without any physical intimacy, they looked bound together by some invisible thread, utterly absorbed in each other and oblivious to the rest of the room.

At the sight of this side of Whitney, my mind went blank for a moment.

There was a time when she looked at me with that same intensity and ardor, her every emotion tied to my joys and sorrows.

She was nothing like the woman she had become—the one who, before my tears had even dried, would coldly demand that I be sensible and look at the big picture instead of burdening her with my problems.

"Joseph, you've been with Whitney Pearson for so many years and proposed more times than I can count. If she truly wanted to marry you, she'd have said yes long ago."

Mom hesitated before continuing, "I'm just worried that forcing her hand the way we did today will only cause problems later. Maybe it'd be better to—"

Before she could finish, I cut her off, my voice flat. "Mom, yes, I'm getting married. But who said I'm marrying Whitney?"

…

By the time I got back from my parents' place, it was well into the night.

When I pushed open the door, I was surprised to find Whitney still awake. Dressed in her loungewear, she sat on the couch, monitoring the US stock market.

When she saw me walk in, she closed her laptop, took off her glasses, and gave me a questioning look.

"What kept you out so late tonight?"

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. I wanted to retort that she had spent far more late nights out than I ever had, but the words died in my throat. It all felt pointless now. Instead, I brushed it off with a casual answer.

"It's nothing. I just stayed a bit longer to talk with Mom."

Whitney nodded. She picked up a brilliantly gleaming watch from the jewelry box on the table, stood up, and walked over to me.

"Joseph, thanks for taking the pressure off me with all this marriage talk."

Joseph's POV

"You know I've always seen marrying you as part of my future. Now just isn't the right time. I still have so much to achieve, and I'm just not ready to start a family," Whitney explained, as if that settled everything.

As she spoke, she reached for my hand the way she always did, meaning to fasten the watch around my wrist.

Ever since we started dating, whenever Whitney did something that hurt me, she would buy me a gift to make up for it.

But in the past, no matter how expensive the gift was, she would always look at me with genuine guilt. She'd offer it carefully, sincerely admitting she was wrong, and would hope to coax a smile back onto my face.

She had never been like this before—so composed and detached, her eyes holding nothing but the cold certainty of someone completely in control, without a trace of real tenderness.

This version of her felt like a complete stranger.

I turned my head away, avoiding her hand and stepping out of her reach before she could pull me into an embrace.

"Whitney, you don't have to do this anymore," I said coldly. "We're done. Let's just end this."

Whitney's expression darkened instantly.

"Joseph Gibson, you've never been this impulsive. Is this all because I refused to get married right now? Did you scheme with your family to corner me like this?"

I looked up and met her furious gaze with absolute calm. "I'm not forcing you into anything. I just don't want to be with you anymore."

Her expression grew even colder. "We've been together for seven years. Nobody knows how you feel about me better than I do. Stop playing hard to get. I'm not falling for this."

She was convinced I was just throwing a tantrum, certain I was using my dad's illness to pressure her into giving in and agreeing to marry me on the spot.

Looking at her, I was suddenly struck by how absurd it all was.

I laughed at myself for holding on for all these years, and for being so blind that I only now saw how cold and selfish she truly was.

"I'm not playing hard to get. Whitney, you're just too wrapped up in yourself. You've only ever cared about yourself, your company, and your pride. You haven't given a single thought to me, or to what my family wants."

It was as though I had hit a nerve. Her face contorted with rage, and her voice rose sharply.

"I work myself to the bone, giving everything I have to take the company public. Isn't that all just to build a better future for us? I only wanted to delay the wedding so we could step into this next chapter of our lives on our own terms."

She pressed on. "Joseph, why can't you show me a little understanding for once, instead of always trying to force me into things I'm not ready for?"

Understanding?

A sharp sting burned behind my nose.

Hadn't I been understanding enough?

Not long after we got together, she told me again and again that I was too abrasive. So I learned to smooth out my rough edges, constantly swallowing my pride and backing down.

All these years, even though I badly wanted to get married, I kept giving in to her endless excuses, convincing both myself and my family to keep waiting.

Even now, because I loved her, I kept swallowing my pain whenever she grew too close to Kaiden, deluding myself into believing she still loved me.

I was so pathetic that even I was disgusted with myself, let alone anyone else.

"Whitney, whether you believe me or not, I'm completely done. I'm done waiting for you. I'm done planning my life around your schedule, and I'm tired of watching you and Kaiden cross the line."

At the mention of Kaiden, a flash of guilt flickered across her eyes before rage instantly swallowed it again.

"I've told you a thousand times that he's just my employee. Stop being so paranoid and making a scene over nothing."

She snapped, "Marriage isn't up for discussion until my company goes public and everything settles down. No amount of throwing fits is going to change that!"

After delivering her ultimatum, she tossed the watch she was holding onto the couch, spun on her heel, and stormed out.

The door slammed shut with a deafening bang. The vibration shook a framed picture of us right off the entryway wall, and it shattered into pieces the instant it hit the floor.

Joseph's POV

We bought this apartment during our third year together. I oversaw the entire renovation myself, pouring my heart and soul into every corner, filling it with the future I had once envisioned for us.

But now, all that warmth was gone, leaving behind nothing but hollow disappointment.

I opened the closet, took out my clothes, folded them one by one, and packed them neatly into the suitcase I had prepared earlier.

Then I moved to the study, gathered only my essential documents, and left everything else untouched.

Once everything was packed, I called a courier to ship the suitcases to the apartment I had already rented.

When it was finally done, I sat on the couch, staring blankly ahead—until my phone suddenly buzzed twice.

A notification popped up.

Kaiden, whom I had once marked as a priority contact, had posted an update.

"Working overtime and starving, but someone cooked me a midnight snack. Pure bliss."

The attached photo showed a kitchen.

A slender woman in a designer suit, but wearing a teddy bear apron over it, stood at the stove with her back to the camera.

Even without seeing her face, her relaxed posture was unmistakable. It was a side of Whitney that stood in stark contrast to the coldness she always showed me.

In the past, whenever Kaiden threw these petty provocations at me, I would lose my composure and demand an explanation from Whitney.

But now, I simply tapped the screen, liked the post, and blocked them both.

…

Not long after, there was a knock at the door. It was a delivery for me.

I opened it to find a pristine white wedding invitation with intricate gold foil detailing.

At the same time, a message from Clara Jensen popped up on my phone.

She was the daughter of an old family friend, introduced to me by our parents. She was grounded and dependable.

Three days ago, when I brought up setting a wedding date, she agreed without hesitation.

"Joseph, did you get the invitation? It's the design you picked out. Take a look at the sample and see if it's what you envisioned."

I was taken aback. I hadn't expected her to be so efficient and thorough. This sense of mutual effort—of tackling things together—was something I had never felt with Whitney.

I snapped out of my thoughts and texted Clara back a quick "yes".

Then I looked down at the date printed on the invitation again.

Three days left. That was more than enough time.

…

Early the next morning, I went to the office, wanting to wrap up my remaining projects.

The moment I walked into the bullpen, I caught hushed whispers nearby.

"Did you guys see Kaiden's post last night? Ms. Pearson personally made him a midnight snack."

"The whole office is talking about it, and Ms. Pearson didn't even try to deny it. She's basically making it official."

"Honestly, I think Kaiden and Ms. Pearson make a great couple. They look so good together."

I froze for a second. In the past, Whitney had always insisted that office romances were bad for business, which was why we had kept our relationship a secret. So now, she just didn't care anymore?

When a few colleagues spotted me, their conversation ground to a sudden halt, their faces flushing with panic and awkwardness.

Before Kaiden came along, everyone knew that Whitney and I had co-founded the company right after college, and they used to ship us.

Understanding their discomfort, I offered a reassuring smile to ease their concerns. "Don't worry about it. They really do look great together."

No sooner had the words left my mouth than a furious voice boomed from behind me.

"Joseph Gibson!"

Whitney stormed over, radiating a chilling aura, her face grim as her gaze swept across the surrounding coworkers.

Everyone instantly ducked their heads, not daring to make a sound.

"In my office. Now."

She turned and marched into her office, and I followed her in.

Once the door shut, Whitney spun around and stared at me in silence for a long, tense moment.

"What was that 'like' you left on Kaiden's post last night supposed to mean? And why the hell did you block me?"

I leaned against the door, looking completely unbothered. "The 'like' was a sincere blessing. As for blocking you—we broke up, so there's no reason to keep each other's contact info anymore."