The message came from someone saved in the phone as "Little Fool Pig." The photo showed Grace sitting in a hospital emergency room, looking disheveled but still smiling at the camera, flashing a peace sign. Her caption read: [Take your time on the way here, drive safely. I’ll be waiting for you.]

That was when I realized. I let out a self-deprecating smile. So, that was the reason Daniel out in a haste. I called a local courier service to have his phone sent to his office. Afterward, I went straight to work. 

Since graduating, I'd been working at the McLaughlin Family business. My father wanted to toughen me up, so he made me start at the very bottom as an entry-level employee. Years of hard work and proving myself paid off—I was now the department manager, a position I had earned through my own abilities. As soon as I arrived at the office, my assistant walked up to me, handed me a file, “Good morning, ma’am. Here’s a document that needs your approval. All the processes are complete; we just need your signature to finalize it.”

I took the file and scanned its contents—it was a collaboration with the Rollins Group. Yet, for some reason, I couldn’t recall ever hearing about this project.

“Is everything all right, ma’am? Should we go ahead?” my assistant asked, noticing my hesitation.

“No!” My response was sharp and immediate, causing her to look startled. But she quickly recovered her composure and hesitated before adding, “Didn’t you say that unless it’s a very important collaboration, the first choice should always be the Rollins Group?”

I had indeed given such instructions—back when I was still naively optimistic about my future with Daniel. At the time, I thought our families would eventually unite and whether his company earned more or mine did hardly seemed to matter. I trusted him so completely that I didn’t bother scrutinizing projects that involved the Rollins Group. “Let’s pass on this one. But from now on, we’ll make sure to choose the best option. The company’s interests come first,” I said as I signed the document.

The workday flew by and when I finally finished, I was starving. I had planned to try the new restaurant that had just opened in town. But when I arrived, I found it packed with people. Just as I was about to leave, I heard a familiar voice calling me.

“Ms. McLaughlin, over here!”

I turned around to find Grace and Daniel sitting at a table, beaming up at me. “It’s so nice to see you. Here for their specials too?” Grace leaned forward, her excitement unmasked.

Daniel froze for a moment when he saw me, but quickly recovered. “I was just about to call you and invite you to join us for dinner. What a coincidence that you also came here. This place is packed, come sit with us,” he said, gesturing for the waiter to bring an extra set of utensils. I hadn’t eaten much at lunch and now, my stomach was rumbling. I figured I might as well stay and join them.

“Ms. McLaughlin, I remember you like spicy food,” Grace chimed in. “Let me order some for you.”

I glanced at the table—everything was light and mild, totally not what Daniel and I usually went for. We both loved spicy food. He had once told me that dishes without chili were like lifeless meals. Without spice, it was as if the food had no soul. Of course Daniel didn’t bat an eye, as the fresh meal spread in front of him.

“Hold on, now. I think we both know who's gonna eat the spicy dish,” Daniel said with a teasing grin. He shot Grace a displeased look. “Grace... didn’t you hear the doctor? You need to lay off the spice and stick to lighter food.”

Grace rolled her eyes playfully. “Alright, alright, Mr. Nagging. I won’t order it, jeez. Happy now?”

Watching them bicker, my heart, already battered, didn’t even twitch. It was numb to it all now.

He sighed and shook his head. “You guys go ahead, I need to make a quick call.”

As soon as Daniel walked away, Grace’s smile faded and she shot me a look filled with challenge.

“So, Lenore, right? I have to admit, I’m impressed,” she said, her voice laced with scorn, “You know Daniel just proposed to me, yet here you are, still clinging to him. You sure have some nerve.”

I heard the contempt in her words, but I didn’t flinch. Looking up at her, I replied, “Is stealing someone’s boyfriend something to be proud of? Do you think it’s worth flaunting in front of everyone?”

“You—” She started, her mouth opening in surprise, but before she could finish, a thick cloud of smoke suddenly wafted from the kitchen.

“Fire!”

Someone in the restaurant shout their lungs out. The moment the words rang out, the restaurant descended into chaos. People scrambled to get out, their faces pale with fear as they pushed and shoved, trying to escape the danger.

I quickly snapped out of my stupor and stood up, trying to make my way toward the exit. But before I could take a single step, a figure collided into me, hard. Before I could even steady myself, I heard a familiar, frantic voice call out, “Grace, don’t worry! I’ll get you out of here.”

Daniel didn't miss a step as he rushed to guide Grace out of the restaurant. His heart raced, flooded with relief and in a moment of overwhelming emotion, he hugged her tightly.

“Are you okay? Did you hurt? No? Thank God…” he murmured, his voice thick with gratitude.

Then, suddenly, something seemed to hit him. He turned back, his eyes landing on me, standing nearby, watching them in silence.

His voice faltered, nearly choking as he stammered, “Lenore, I—I was just in a hurry. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help you, I just...”

“I know,” I interrupted coldly, cutting him off before he could continue.

In that moment, as I stood there, watching Daniel’s desperate attempts to explain himself, I realized something that had been brewing inside me for a while. The man who once promised to always protect me—Daniel, the one who said he would stand by me through anything—was no longer the same person. The man I thought I knew had changed.

His face seemed to relax when he saw that I wasn’t angry, but there was still a tension in his posture. He immediately offered to drive me home.

“I’m good. I don’t need a lift. She, on the other hand, could use your help—shaking like a leaf. You better help her first, drive her home.” I spoke with a tone of finality, not bothering to look at him again.

The following days passed and I didn’t contact Daniel. Instead, I focused on preparing everything for my wedding. The designer had sent me a message, asking me to come by during lunch to pick up the custom-made wedding dress. It was supposed to be for my engagement to Daniel, for that moment when he proposed—but fate had taken a different turn and that moment

As fate would have it, as soon as I walked into the boutique, Grace followed closely behind me.

She saw the gift box in my arms and gave me a haughty look, turning to the designer. “I want to try on that wedding dress.”

The designer replied politely, “I’m sorry, Miss, but this dress was specifically made for the lady here. It’s a custom-made order.”

Grace sneered. “A custom wedding dress, huh? You’re acting like you’re about to get married…”

At that moment, it seemed like she realized something and her face twisted with rage. “Wait, are you going to wear that dress and run to crash my wedding?!”

I rolled my eyes, uninterested in her outburst. “You’ve got something wrong with your head. You should get it treated. Don’t come here and act crazy.” With that, I turned to leave, holding the wedding dress box in my arms. But just as I moved, she lunged at me, grabbing the box from my hands. Before I could react, she ripped open the packaging and began violently tearing at the wedding dress.

That wasn’t enough. She ran to the counter, snatched a pair of scissors and started cutting at the fabric.

“Lenore, don’t even think about ruining my wedding! I’ll destroy your dress and let’s see how you try to sabotage my wedding then!” she screamed, her voice shrill with fury.

“Grace, are you insane?” I shouted, furious, as I tried to grab the dress back from her. In the chaos, the scissors grazed my arm and blood started seeping out.

Grace froze, her eyes wide with shock. Then, after a long, tense pause, she too began slicing her own arm with the scissors, her face twisted in a manic expression. She collapsed onto the floor, softly sobbing, clearly out of control.

I was stunned, unable to comprehend her erratic behavior. I hadn’t even had the chance to speak when Daniel suddenly burst through the door, running towards the scene. His eyes immediately took in the scene—the dress shredded, Grace on the floor and me standing there, bleeding. His face twisted with fury.

“Lenore!” he roared, his voice filled with anger and disbelief. “What have you done?!”

His gaze softened as it shifted to Grace and his expression filled with concern. He rushed to her side, carefully lifting her into his arms. Grace, ever the performer, played weak and try coax Daniel.

“Daniel, don’t blame her. It’s not her fault. She didn’t mean to hurt me. It was an accident.”

“You think I’m going to believe it was an accident?” Daniel snapped, turning to me with venom in his voice. “If Grace is hurt because of you, Lenore, I swear I’ll make you pay for this.”

As Daniel stormed out of the boutique with Grace in his arms, his steps were firm, decisive. Had he bothered to glance up, he would have noticed the security cameras capturing every moment of their heated encounter.

The designer, fidgeting in her place, hesitated before speaking. “Miss McLaughlin, should I step in and explain the situation to him?”

I managed a small, grateful smile. “That won’t be necessary.”

It was better to end things this way. Sometimes, it’s better to leave things unsaid, to let the final threads of connection fray and fall away completely.

Time flew by. Before I knew it, the day of my wedding had arrived. It was also the day I met my soon-to-be husband for the first time.

Frederick Cortez was thousand times more handsome than Daniel.  His strikingly refined features carried a certain aloofness, an unapproachable edge. But when his gaze fell on me, there was a softness—subtle, yet unmistakable.

In that moment, uncertainty feeling about the future crept in, clouding my thoughts.

Frederick seemed to pick up on my hesitation. His voice was calm, steady, as he said, “Don’t worry, I’ve learned everything about this. Just do what I do and you’ll be fine.”

With practiced ease, he guided me through the formalities: greeting his family, participating in the tea ceremony. His poise and grace put me at ease—he knew exactly how to handle every situation, never once making me feel uncomfortable.

When it came time to get into the wedding car, his attentiveness continued. He made sure everything was in order, ensuring I was settled before stepping in himself. As the car’s engine roared to life, the anxiety that had gripped my chest began to ease.

Meanwhile, in another wedding car, Daniel couldn’t hide his agitation. It was his wedding day, yet there had been no word from me—not a single message, no updates. His phone might as well have been glued to his hand as he scrolled and rechecked his notifications for what felt like the hundredth time.

Nothing.

By the time he arrived at the hotel, the unease in his chest had grown unbearable. He scanned the bustling wedding venue, his mind racing. Turning to his groomsmen, he issued a firm order.

“Make sure Lenore doesn’t show up here to cause trouble.”

His command was met with a stifled laugh from one of the groomsmen.

“Relax, Daniel,” he said, grinning. “Lenore’s not coming to crash your wedding—she’s busy with her own. She’s getting married today, too. Right about now, she’s probably in the middle of the ceremony at another hotel.”