“But Senior Carter isn’t with her. Should we go ask? I heard they’re secretly married. Maybe we can even score some wedding candy.”

“Forget it. Didn’t you see her face? Let’s go. Don’t mess with her mood.”

Their voices faded into the distance, leaving only a heavy silence behind.

Bitterness welled up in my chest, so sharp it was hard to swallow.

He had been the older boy next door, my so-called childhood sweetheart.

From the earliest memories I had, he was always running after me.

As kids, we used to play house. He once fought off an entire group of children just to make me his pretend bride.

To make me smile, he even stole Aunt’s heirloom ring, claiming it was our token of love.

He told me one day he’d use it to propose for real.

For eighteen years, we had never been apart.

After the college entrance exams, his family wanted to send him abroad.

He knelt in the pouring rain for a full day and night with no food, no water, just to fight it.

In the end, they gave in and let him stay.

On university entrance day, it happened to be my eighteenth birthday.

At the opening ceremony, he had bribed the entire student body. Every student held up a banner that read. [Easton and Avery forever, never to be parted.]

I could never forget that moment.

The principal and teachers wore darkened expressions as drones lit up the sky, spelling out my name.

Right beside me stood Easton, holding my hand, filled with determination.

That burning gaze of his made my heart skip a beat.

Overwhelmed, I leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

That marked the beginning of our four-year whirlwind love story.

Our relationship was posted on the school forum and remains pinned there even now.

But after graduation, he was still sent abroad.

Before he left, he held me close, his eyes red as he lay beside me in the hotel bed.

We didn’t cross any lines, but the longing in his gaze was too deep, too sharp. I couldn’t even keep my eyes open.

He whispered gently in my ear. “Avery, wait for me for two years. When I come back, I’ll marry you.”

“Don’t marry anyone else.”

When I closed my eyes, he didn’t see the smile tugging at my lips, sweet, full of hope.

But soon after he left the country, everything collapsed.

That night, I lost everything: my family went bankrupt, my parents died, and even my freedom was stripped away.

I was taken abroad, forced into a marriage I never chose, and lived through three years of unbearable torment.

I had thought of running. I had thought of ending it all.

And just when I was about to give up, he appeared.

With one contract worth hundreds of billions, he shattered that man's control.

The divorce papers were signed swiftly, without hesitation.

On the plane home, I traced his features in my mind with trembling fingers.

He hadn’t changed, still just as handsome, just as unforgettable.

I thought my nightmare was over.

I thought happiness had finally returned to me.

But the moment I stepped into the villa, I was met with shelves of childish dolls.

And standing before me, in a revealing nightgown, was her.

He panicked.

“She’s my sister. Adopted from an orphanage. She looked pitiful, so I took care of her for two years.”

But I didn’t miss the flicker of pain in her eyes.

As a woman, I saw it clearly. Her feelings for him ran deep.

After I returned to the country, she had been sent away from the Carter house.

Back then, I thought it was just a one-sided crush.

But now, it seemed the one who didn’t belong was me.

By the time I got home, it was already past one in the morning.

The villa was dark, with not a single light on.

He sat alone on the couch, looking like he’d been waiting for hours.

The moment the door opened, he rushed over, eyes filled with worry.

He pulled me into a tight embrace, his voice trembling as he spoke, “Avery, where did you go? Why didn’t you tell me before leaving?”

“Do you have any idea how worried I was? I was scared that he came back and...”

Scalding tears landed on my shoulder, seeping through my clothes.

“Promise me you won’t vanish again, alright? I’m begging you, Avery.”

“I can’t afford to lose you a second time.”

His voice trembled with such sincerity that it almost made me believe him.

Ever since I came back to the country, he had messaged me every hour whenever he left for work.

Checking if I was still at home, making sure the man from abroad hadn’t appeared again.

Last month, I went to the supermarket and didn’t see my phone in time.

He abandoned a hundred-billion project just to rush home.

The moment he saw I was safe, his eyes welled up with tears.

His hands trembled as he clutched me, just like now.

“Avery, thank goodness you’re alright...”

From that day on, five bodyguards followed me wherever I went.

Only when I finally complained about the inconvenience did he pull them away.

I used to believe that was love.

But now I understood that it was never about protection.

Those men were likely stationed not to shield me from danger but to prevent me from crossing paths with Addison to keep the truth hidden from me.

The love had once been real.

But now, the absence of it felt just as real.

I forced a faint smile and gently pried his hands off me.

“Sorry, I went out shopping. My phone died. I didn’t see your messages.”

A moment later, the living room lights flickered on.

Soft light poured over the rose petals scattered across the floor. The three-tiered cake on the table, and the wedding ring clutched tightly in his palm.

Just as three years ago, he got down on one knee; his expression was solemn and reverent.

“Avery, marry me, will you?”

“The wedding I promised is three years late. Before, I was afraid you hadn’t healed. Now, I want to make it up to you properly.”

I was just about to ask, ‘Are you really ready to marry me?’

When his phone vibrated violently.

“President Carter, something’s wrong. Addison had a bleeding ulcer and was rushed to the hospital. The surgery needs a family member to sign…”

The voice didn’t even finish.

All that remained was the sight of his back as he rushed out.

He didn’t even bother checking the ring size; he just shoved it roughly onto my finger.

Then he threw on a coat and left without so much as a glance back.

“Avery, something urgent came up at the company. Wait for me to come back.”

I looked down at the diamond ring digging into my skin, the metal slicing open my flesh. Blood slowly seeped out, staining the stone.

Tears slipped silently down my cheeks.

As if under a spell, I grabbed my still-damp coat and ran after him.

At the hospital’s emergency entrance, I saw a side of him I had never seen before: frenzied, furious, completely out of control.

“Didn’t I tell you to watch her? How could you let her drink herself into a stomach bleed?”

“What the hell were you doing?”

His friend looked like a scolded child, head hung low in guilt.

“There was nothing I could do! I can’t control your wife, can I? She was upset and insisted on drinking with me. What was I supposed to do, leave her there alone?”

“Anyway, they’re still waiting for someone to sign the surgery papers. Stop yelling at me and go sign already.”

Easton scribbled his signature with a fury that nearly tore through the paper, his voice sharp and ice-cold.

“Remember this: Addison is my legal wife. Her surgeries don’t need my approval. Next time, all of you are fired.”

The surgery lasted for an hour. He remained outside the whole time, motionless.

His friend, not wanting to get dragged any deeper, muttered some excuse and slipped out of the hospital.

When Addison was wheeled into the room, Easton’s eyes reddened.

“How could you be so reckless? Don’t you know your own limit?”

Addison burst into tears, her voice trembling with grievance as she collapsed into his arms like a wounded rabbit.

“But I missed you. Today is our anniversary. I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be like this, but I really can’t share you with Sister Avery.”

"Easton, how much longer are we going to keep doing this?"

His back stiffened instantly, and at that moment, my breath stopped, too.

My nails sank deep into my palm, tearing the skin open. Drops of blood fell quietly onto the floor.

In the silence of the corridor, his sigh came, helpless, low.

"You know I can’t leave Avery. You're my wife. You should understand."

"In the future, I’ll spend more time with you. Please, stop hurting yourself. Even if not for me, at least for the baby inside you."

My heart cracked. Darkness closed in. And just like that, I lost all consciousness.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital room.

The doctor’s voice was blunt and cold.

"Two months pregnant, and you didn’t know? Why were you out in the rain? If you don’t want the child, just have the surgery early."

Pregnant?

I froze, unable to speak. Tears slid down uncontrollably.

During those three years abroad, my body had already been pushed to the edge.

After returning to the country, Easton had even arranged a check-up for me.

The diagnosis was cruel: after two miscarriages and delayed treatment, I would likely never bear children again in this lifetime.

That day, Easton fell silent for a long, long time.

Then he brought in specialists from all over, doing everything he could to save what was already slipping away.

For three years, I never stopped taking medication, even when I had already given up.

But Easton kept comforting me, again and again. "It’s okay. Even if you can’t have children, we’ll adopt. I’ll never blame you."

And now, the child I had waited three years for had finally come, just at the wrong time.

A selfish thought took root in my heart.

I wanted to keep this baby. Raise it on my own.

I had no family and no friends.

This child was the only reason I still wanted to live.

But before that, I had to leave Easton.

I gently placed my hand over my still-flat stomach and whispered, "Baby, don’t blame Mommy..."

At dawn, Easton sent a message. [Something urgent came up. I’m going on a business trip. I'll be back in seven days.]

[Don’t worry, I’ve already asked the staff to arrange the wedding. Once I’m back, I’ll take you to see it all.]

[Avery, take care of yourself. Don’t make me worry.]

The nurses often whispered about the VIP ward on the top floor.

I knew Easton was there.

Taking care of Addison.

Not wanting to stay a moment longer, I completed the discharge procedures.

In the entire seven days that followed, I didn’t receive a single word from him.

Wedding decorations piled up in the villa like mountains. Delicate. Beautiful. It was clearly expensive, but there was not a trace of sincerity in any of it.

In those seven days, I quietly canceled my official documents.

Booked a one-way ticket out of here.

And erased every piece of myself I had left behind.

Three years was a long time.

The gifts he had given me filled the walk-in closet, everything except the Carter family’s heirloom ring.

I sold it all at auction.

Donated the proceeds to mountain villages.

And just as I finished the last of it, Easton came home.

The moment he stepped through the door, he rushed toward me, eyes glowing with excitement.

He pulled me into his arms.

"Avery, the wedding venue is ready. The invitations are out. Let’s go try on your dress, okay?"

"Avery, I’ve waited five years for this day. Thank you for fulfilling my dream."

Before I could even say no, he had already taken me to the car.

On the way there, he spoke in vivid detail about our dream wedding. His eyes were sincere, his tone filled with longing as if he had cherished this moment all along.

I turned my head to the window, letting silent tears fall.

Panicked, Easton leaned over and gently kissed the tears from my cheek.

"Why are you crying? Avery, please don’t cry. It hurts me when you cry."

"Three days from now, we’ll be family. We’ll never be apart again."