On the wedding day, the bridal car arrived, only to pick up the wrong person. Instead of me, it carried my fiancée’s first love straight to the venue.

Left with no other choice, I hailed a taxi. I arrived just a few minutes late, but by then, he had already taken my place, standing beside her, reciting vows that were meant for me.

Anger burned through me, but my fiancée shot me an impatient glare before I could speak.

"Who told you to mess up something as simple as arranging the bridal car? Do you expect me and all our guests to sit around and wait for you?"

"He was just trying to help. Walking through the wedding process is exhausting; if you won’t even thank him, how can you turn around and blame him instead?"

I met the smug gaze of her first love and, at that moment, I understood. This wasn’t a mistake. It was orchestrated.

But unlike before, I didn’t argue. I didn’t lash out. I simply turned around and walked away.

What they didn’t know was that her company had run into trouble. And only I could save it.

This time, I wouldn’t.

——

"If you hadn’t messed up the wedding car arrangements, why would I have let River take your place?"

Her voice was cold, devoid of regret. Even under layers of exquisite makeup, the disdain in her eyes was unmistakable.

"I gave you a chance, but you didn’t cherish it."

I opened my mouth, ready to explain that this wasn’t my fault.

For the past few days, I stayed up late, pouring every ounce of energy into finishing a business proposal.

Yet, despite the exhaustion, the wedding had always been my top priority. Weeks ago, I had meticulously planned everything, reviewing each detail three times to ensure nothing went wrong.

But this, this wasn’t a mistake. It was deliberate. River Mitchell clutched Eulalie Montclair’s hand with feigned weakness.

"Eulalie, I’m feeling a little unwell. My head is spinning."

"Don’t be mad. Brother-in-law must not have done it on purpose."

A few words, just a few and he had twisted the blame onto me.

I met his gaze, and in that instant, I knew. He had orchestrated all of this.

"I—"

I barely got a word out before Eulalie cut me off, her voice dripping impatiently.

"Can’t you see how much River has gone through for you? So what if the wedding is ruined? We can just hold another one later."

"We still need to greet the guests. Just go back to where you came from. Don’t stand here being an eyesore."

With that, she turned away, leading River upstairs, her expression filled with concern for him.

I stood rooted to the spot, watching as River glanced back at me, a smirk tugging at his lips.

At that moment, I couldn’t even describe what I felt. It was as if every ounce of love I had for Eulalie had drained from my body.

I should have reacted the way I always did, rushing up to defend myself, fight and argue.

But this time, I didn’t.

But instead, I stood there, detached, pressing a hand to my chest.

Thousands of words swirled in my mind, yet in the end, all that remained was an unexpected sense of relief.

For months, I had poured everything into this wedding. I carefully handled every detail: the decorations, the seating arrangements and even Eulalie’s wedding jewelry. At the same time, when her company faced trouble, I fixed it.

Four hours of sleep each night, meals eaten on the go, exhaustion weighing down my every step. And yet, the one thing that ruined everything wasn’t my effort or my neglect, it was a bridal car mix-up that delayed me by mere minutes.

And that was all it took. By the time I arrived, Eulalie had already chosen someone else to stand beside her.

Even now, she still blamed me.

She would never love me. She would never cherish me.

And if that was the case, then there was no reason for me to keep holding on.

I hailed a cab, headed home alone and started packing my things.

During my time with Eulalie, I had owned little.

A few pieces of clothing, a set of office equipment, that was all.

Silently, I stepped into her room, intending to retrieve the engagement ring I had given her. But the moment I opened the wardrobe, I froze.

Inside, everything was neatly arranged, but none of it was mine. Rows of men’s suits and trousers filled the space, all two sizes too small for me.

I didn’t need to check further. I already knew whom they belonged to.

In the corner of the wardrobe, half-hidden beneath the pristine folds of River’s clothes lay the ring box I had once placed in her hands.

Tossed aside. Its edges were chipped, its paint peeling.

River’s belongings were carefully placed, while my ring, the symbol of our supposed future, had been discarded without a second thought.

At that moment, there was nothing left to misunderstand. Love and indifference had never been clearer.

The door creaked open behind me, followed by Eulalie’s sharp voice.

“What are you doing here? Who let you into my room?!”

She stormed in, flustered, furious.

“I told you to go home! I never said you could touch my things!”

Before I could react, she snatched the engagement ring from my hand.

She glanced at the open wardrobe and faltered, her anger momentarily subsiding. Her voice softened as she explained, almost hesitantly, “The dry cleaners near River’s place broke down, so I brought his clothes here to wash them.”

A rare explanation. But it meant nothing to me.

I gave a slow, indifferent nod, barely sparing her a glance before turning toward the door.

She frowned and quickly stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? I already explained!”

“Are you still upset about the wedding?”

I towered over her and from this angle, I caught the fresh mark she had tried to conceal on the back of her neck.

A deep shade of red. Newly made.

Looking at her feigned indignation, a wave of nausea swept over me.

“Don’t you think you’re being hypocritical?”

Eulalie froze, her expression shifting for the first time, confusion flickering across her flawless features.

“Let’s break up. This is pointless.”

She stood still as if the words hadn’t fully registered.

Eulalie was born privileged, wealthy, well-educated and effortlessly beautiful.

She had never lacked admirers. Someone like her, with such high standards, would never tolerate humiliation.

Yet, surprisingly, she didn’t throw a tantrum this time.

Silence stretched between us until she finally spoke, her voice unexpectedly gentle.

“Are you sick? Or just feeling unwell? I think you’ve been overworked lately. Get some rest at home and stop overthinking. Our engagement is a matter between our families. You can’t just call it off on a whim.”

At the mention of “engagement,” something in me snapped back into focus.

I met her gaze, a trace of mockery flickering in my eyes.

For a fleeting moment, I had actually thought she cared.

How laughable.

She wasn’t worried about me, only about what she stood to lose if our engagement was broken.

A quiet, bitter chuckle escaped me.

How foolish of me to believe, even for a second, that I mattered.

To her, the only thing that ever mattered was my money.

“No—”

Just as I opened my mouth to refuse, she suddenly bolted out of the room.

“Something happened to River! I have to go back right now!”

“You stay home and rest. I’ll be back later.”

With that, she threw the door open and disappeared.

And just like that, the words I hadn’t finished saying were swallowed whole, left hanging in the empty air.

In her haste, the ring box slipped from her grasp, tumbling to the floor before rolling to a stop at my feet.

I bent down and picked it up.

The pink diamond, the size of a pigeon egg, gleamed under the light, a gem I had personally flown overseas to bid for at an auction. The design alone had taken painstaking effort and the production had stretched over three long years.

Yet, despite everything, she never cherished it.

Just like how she had trampled my love beneath her feet without a second thought.

Without hesitation, I tossed the ring into the trash, along with the last remnants of affection I had for her.

Before leaving, I contacted the company’s legal team and had them draft a contract to formally dissolve our engagement.

With everything settled, I walked out of the house I had spent years in, never once looking back.

That evening, a friend sent me a message inviting me to a gathering.

I accepted without a second thought.

In the past, I had never bothered socializing, always reserving my time for her. But whenever River called, she would drop everything and leave without hesitation.

Now, I no longer had to consider her.

The gathering was in full swing, the air thick with laughter and conversation. Amid the lively crowd, Claudette Graham caught sight of me and raised a brow in surprise.

"You’re not with your fiancée tonight?"

I shook my head, my tone light. "No, we broke up."

My words sent a ripple through the crowd, curiosity flickering in their eyes. I knew what they were thinking.

For years, my love for Eulalie had been no secret. We had finally gotten engaged, only to have it all fall apart so suddenly.

Who wouldn’t be shocked?

But Claudette was quick to recover. Without missing a beat, she poured me a drink, her lips curling into a smirk.

"Forget it, then! If it’s over, it’s over. I have no doubt you’ll find someone even better."

Laughter and chatter soon resumed, the tension dissolving as the atmosphere turned lively again. Perhaps they feared I would linger on heartbreak, wallowing in regret.

But I simply smiled. I wasn’t grieving.

After a few rounds of drinks, I stood up, heading for a short break in the restroom.

Yet, just as I reached the doorway, I froze.

Standing right there, so close I could hear her breath hitch, was Eulalie.

And leaning heavily against her, his face flushed as red as a ripe apple, was River.

She simply smiled indulgently and patted his head as if soothing a child.

I had no intention of lingering. I was about to turn away when River suddenly called out my name.

"President Everly, what are you doing here?"

His voice wavered and the moment the words left his lips, he shrank back timidly.

"Eulalie has been out socializing all night. How do you have time to be here enjoying yourself?"

Just like that, the air tensed. Eulalie’s face darkened in an instant.

"I told you to stay home and rest! Why did you follow me here?"

A rest day. No business obligations.

Who exactly was so important that she needed to spend the night drinking with them?

I didn’t even need to think about it.

It was just another excuse.

My gaze flicked between them, the way he leaned into her, how she held him so naturally.

The sight was enough.

A cold laugh escaped my lips as I turned away, unwilling to waste another second on them.

I had barely taken a step when Eulalie’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

"Who said you could leave? Come back here!"

Before I could even acknowledge her, the private room door swung open.

Claudette stepped out.

Her gaze flickered from me to them and a knowing glint flashed in her eyes.

She leaned in slightly, her voice carrying an amused lilt.

"Why are you still standing here?" she teased. "I’m drunk already."

Even as a joke, she kept a respectful distance, something neither of them seemed capable of.

A small smile tugged at my lips. "It’s fine, I’m coming back now."

It was a simple exchange. Nothing more. Yet, in the next instant, Eulalie’s expression twisted with fury.

"Larkin! Who is she?"