His friends crowded around the two of them, egging them on.

"Nobody does it like you, Jude. Three years ago, when Alma found out you'd cheated, she pulled the whole act—slit her wrists, wanted a divorce so bad she'd rather die."

"You really toughed it out, man. Not only did you get Bridget to have the abortion, you stashed her out in some little town for three whole years. Had to sneak your monthly taste of her every time you went back to visit your folks."

"And to keep Alma sweet, you tattooed her name on your stomach, strapped on an electronic tracker wired straight to her phone so she could check your location anytime she wanted."

"And you still went and broke that stubborn streak of hers, didn't you?"

The group burst out laughing, still heaping praise on Bridget and Jude.

"Our Jude's the richest man in Harbor City now. If I were her, forget just having a man with someone on the side—even if he came home a new groom every single night, I'd be the one showing up at his door with a fertility kit."

"She's got some nerve making a scene. Should've kicked her out with nothing and let her clear off, made room for our Bridget already!"

"Don't talk like that... I don't care about titles anyway."

That was what Bridget said, and yet the smile on her face was pure smugness.

Beside me, my best friend had gone white with fury, her fingers clamped around her glass, shaking with the force of it.

Something in my chest sat somewhere between relief and a dull ache.

So that was it. For three years he'd made the long trip home every single month.

I'd taken it for devotion. Turned out it was all for Bridget.

And the joke of it was, his own parents had gone right along with him, keeping it from me too.

Jude wasn't laughing. His face was dark,

throwing back one glass after another, some restless thing he couldn't name pressed down behind his eyes.

Finally someone caught on that something was off.

"How come you're still not happy? Alma's stopped making trouble, Bridget's pregnant—doesn't this mean you finally get to run both households out in the open?"

"Home fire still burning, banners flying outside too. There's men who'd kill for that and never get it."

Jude set his glass down hard on the table, his voice cold.

"Something's wrong."

The booth went quiet for a beat.

Jude let out a bitter laugh.

"You know what Alma said to me?"

"She said she'd be happy to wait on Bridget through her confinement!"

"I pushed her on it, said if she's so big-hearted, why not just move Bridget into the house to have the baby—and she agreed to that too!"

By the time he said it, his chest was heaving.

"She's out of her mind! Why isn't she angry?"

His friends traded glances, clearly not expecting him to blow up like this over the fact that I'd backed down.

Bridget's little face paled, and she bit down on her lip.

Someone ventured a careful laugh.

"Maybe she just came to her senses once she got pregnant."

"I mean, she's carrying a belly that big now. If she actually divorced, who's going to take on secondhand goods like her?"

"Women, right? However tough their mouths are, the second they've got no way out, they learn to be scared."

Jude shot him one cold look, and the man shut up instantly.

He leaned back into the couch, tapping his knuckle against the glass, one beat after another, his voice low.

"Alma's not that kind of woman. She's hiding something from me."

"This isn't going to just slide by. I'm going to keep testing her. I don't buy that she really feels nothing."

"I want to see what exactly she's up to."

His friends exchanged looks, their expressions turning a little odd.

Someone laughed it off, awkward.

"Never figured you actually cared this much about Alma, Jude."

"Thought you didn't have any feelings left for her at all."

"The hell are you talking about."

Someone beside him cut in at once.

"You know who Jude loves most, don't you? Bridget, obviously!"

By now Bridget couldn't force out a smile at all, her eyes red, her whole face full of resentment.

Jude said nothing, just drank, one glass after another.

Delia frowned and muttered a curse under her breath.

"That worthless piece of trash. Acting like he ever cared about you. If he cared even a little, he wouldn't have cheated on you twice while you were pregnant!"

I had no interest in watching any more of it. I just pulled her up by the hand.

"Come on. Let's go home."

The next morning, at first light, Jude—who hadn't come home all night—pushed open the bedroom door and hauled me straight out of bed.

His voice was cold.

"I'm going to give Bridget the wedding she deserves."

"She's trying on gowns today and getting the reception ready. It's her first time dealing with any of this, so she has no experience. You'll go and be her assistant."

His grip left my wrist throbbing, and whatever sleep was left in me was gone.

Last night he hadn't found the breakdown he'd wanted on my face, so today he'd switched to a new way to cut me.

When I walked into the venue, a flicker of triumph crossed Bridget's eyes.

Jude said flatly,

"She's your assistant today. Anything dirty or exhausting, hand it to her."

Bridget looped her arm through his at once and cooed,

"Jude, this train is too long. I really do need someone to hold it up for me."

Jude looked at me.

"Didn't you hear? Go hold her train."

I bent over my belly, and the second my fingers touched the fabric, Bridget took two steps forward.

I gritted my teeth and went after her, and she quickened her pace again as if by accident, keeping me chasing the train in circles with one hand braced on my stomach.

After a few rounds, cold sweat beaded on my forehead and the color drained from my face.

The stylist beside us couldn't stand it and said quietly,

"Mr. Gilbert, why don't I take over? Mrs. Gilbert is pregnant, after all."

Jude turned a hard look on her.

"She's willing to do it herself. Who asked anyone to interfere?"

The amusement in Bridget's eyes deepened. Then she said she was thirsty and sent me to fetch water.

I carried the glass over to her, and she let out a little shriek and threw the whole thing over me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. My hand slipped."

The hot water soaked through my clothes.

Under all those mocking, contemptuous stares, I curled my fingers into my palm,

clenched my jaw, and said, "It's fine."

Seeing that I was still holding it in,

Jude's brow furrowed, and he ordered, "Bring over the gift I prepared."

The moment the box opened, both Bridget and I froze.

Inside lay a somewhat worn wedding gown and a ring whose color had long since dulled.

One look, and my eyes went hot.

This was the wedding gift Jude had given me.

That year, I sold the house my mother left me and used the three million to clear the Gilbert family's debts.

We'd agreed we would go get married the moment the debts were paid, but Jude disappeared for three months.

Then, three months later, he showed up at the door of our rented apartment, covered in dust,

holding this exact gown and this ring in his arms.

Only then did I learn he'd been hauling bricks at a construction site by day and washing dishes at a restaurant by night, saving up bit by bit for this wedding gift.

Jude decorated the rented apartment with a few strings of cheap balloons, knelt on one knee by the peeling wall, and slid the ring onto my finger.

His eyes were red as he said,

"Alma, you've already given up so much for me. When it comes to our marriage, I want to give you the best I possibly can."

"Wait for me a little longer. Someday I'll replace this gown and this ring with better ones."

I waited three years, then another three.

And what I got instead was coming home early from a prenatal checkup to find him tangled up with his newly hired secretary in my bed.

Seeing my eyes redden and my hands shake beyond control, the darkness on Jude's face lifted in an instant.

Bridget pouted and complained,

"Why is it this cheap piece of junk? I don't want it!"

Jude coaxed her lazily.

"If you don't like it, just tear it up and throw it in the trash. I'll have my assistant order you whatever you want later."

Then he looked at me.

But I didn't say a word.

Eyes red, I picked up the scissors and cut the wedding dress to shreds, then dropped it, along with the ring, into the trash like garbage.

I lifted my head, looked him straight in the eye, and asked, "Are you satisfied now?"

Jude's face went livid in an instant, his chest heaving, but he couldn't get a single word out.

Bridget took a jade bracelet out of the box and said with a smile,

"Is this a gift for me too?"

My expression changed all at once, and I stared at Jude in disbelief.

"You gave her my mother's bracelet as a gift? You know perfectly well this is the last thing my mother left me!"

Jude looked at the bracelet, his brows knitting tight.

"How did this end up here…"

I ignored him and rushed straight over to grab it back from Bridget's hand.

Bridget startled, her grip loosened, and the bracelet hit the floor and shattered into pieces on the spot.

Her face went white. "I didn't do it on purpose. You came at me so suddenly, I couldn't hold it."

Only then did Jude snap back to himself. He stepped in front of her at once, frowning at me.

"It's just a bracelet. It broke, so I'll pay you back for it. Isn't that enough?"

I roared through my tears.

"It's my mother's keepsake!"

"Jude, I've already backed down this far, and you people still treat me like this!"

"You told me to be her assistant, and I came. You told me to hold up her train and pour her tea, and I put up with it."

"You took my wedding dress and my wedding ring and gave them to her, and when she said one word about not liking them, you destroyed them. I did that too!"

"Why? Why do you have to drag out the only thing my mother left me and let her ruin it too?"

Jude's expression shifted slightly, and he instinctively raised a hand to wipe the tears from my face.

I threw his hand off, snatched the dinner knife from the edge of the table, pointed it at them, and screamed,

"Jude! I've had enough! Today Bridget is going to kneel and apologize to my mother's keepsake! Otherwise I'll make sure this wedding never happens! Push me too far and I'll drag you both to hell with me!"

Bridget's face was ashen. She clutched her belly and bent over. "Jude, my stomach hurts so much."

Jude hurried to hold her up, his eyes full of conflict as he looked at me.

"Alma! Calm down! You're still pregnant! Bridge didn't mean to…"

"Shut your mouth!"

I shrieked hysterically and lunged at them with the knife raised.

Jude quickly ordered the bodyguards at the door,

"Take Mrs. Gilbert back now. She is not to leave until the wedding is over."

I struggled with everything I had, loud enough for everyone outside to hear.

"Jude, you bastard! I hate you!"

The bodyguards dragged me out of the dressing room, took me all the way back to the villa, and finally threw me into the bedroom and locked the door from the outside.

The moment the footsteps outside faded away, the grief vanished from my face.

Unhurried, I wiped away the tears and sent a message to my future self.

【Done. This wedding has nothing to do with me anymore.】

【Good.】

My future self replied with a sneer.

【To rake in more money, Bridget handed the wedding over to her parents to arrange. And to save money, her parents bought cheap bulk whiskey online, poured it into champagne bottles, and served it straight at the wedding.】

【After Jude and Bridget finished the champagne tower, they insisted on doing the couple's toast. One cup down and they foamed at the mouth right there. Dead before they even reached the hospital. Honestly, it's hilarious.】