Sean Benson and I have been betrothed since we were kids. But the older we grow, the further he stays away from me.

On the day of our engagement banquet, he's found to be making out with Selena White, the heiress of the White family, backstage.

This time, I no longer break down in tears. Instead, I just close the door properly for them before returning to the banquet hall silently. After that, I rip the pregnancy report that's pressed beneath a gift box into shreds.

On our wedding day, all the guests are all smiles. Sean, however, is the only exception. He maintains a stormy expression the whole time, seemingly not wanting to marry me at all.

I know that if it's not the fact that he gets to secure the position as the Benson heir, he will never make any wedding vows with me in the church.

But no one expects me not to show up at all, even though the wedding ceremony is already starting.

Sean calls me on the phone impatiently afterward. "Where the hell are you? If you don't show up soon, I'm going to cancel the wedding right away!"

I merely chuckle softly without saying anything. Then, I throw my phone aside and accept the wedding bouquet that's passed to me.

What Sean doesn't know is that my unborn child will be calling another man "daddy" soon.

It was the day of the engagement party.

"Louise Rowley, I'll ask you one last time. Are you really going to marry him?" Noah Clark's drunken voice sounded on the other end of the phone. He tried to hold it together, but I could still hear the tremor.

I looked up at the figures tangled together backstage at the party, then said softly, "I'm not marrying him. Noah, you once said you'd only ever marry me in this lifetime. Do you still mean it?"

There was a brief pause. The haze of drunkenness seemed to clear instantly, and he blurted out, "Of course."

He answered quickly. But I lowered my gaze, my voice barely audible. "What if I'm already pregnant?"

The line went silent for two seconds. I didn't rush him or try to explain. I just waited quietly.

A moment later, Noah spoke again, his tone more serious than I had ever heard before. "Louise, I never go back on my word."

Hearing that, my eyes stung. I forced my emotions down and smiled. "Okay. We'll get married in three days."

"Three days?"

A low male voice suddenly came from behind me. I hung up immediately.

Sean Benson had appeared at some point, his collar slightly open, traces of lingering desire still evident in his expression. He looked at me, brows slightly furrowed. "Wasn't our wedding set for a week from now? You changed the date?"

I gave a small nod, my expression calm. "The venue got booked by someone else. We had to move it up."

Sean's frown deepened.

Just then, Selena White stepped out from behind him. In a sarcastic tone, she said, "Louise, no one in the entire city of Astonville would dare take a venue from the Benson family. If you want to marry Sean sooner, just say so. Why lie?"

The way Sean looked at me shifted slightly, but all he said was, "Send out new invitations. Take care of the wedding arrangements."

Then, he turned to leave. Before going, he casually draped his coat over Selena's shoulders. "It's cold out. Don't catch a chill."

I stood there as the cold wind seeped through my thin blouse, making my lower belly ache. Only after they were completely gone did the tears I'd been holding back all night finally fall.

Sean hadn't always been like this.

When we were 18 years old, he had trapped me by the window, his eyes red as he said, "I don't want you as a sister. I want you to be my wife, my one and only lover."

I believed him.

For a period of time, he gave me an endless amount of passion and happiness. All the embraces, kisses, surprises, and gifts made me certain that he truly loved me.

But in the past few months, he had grown colder and colder. He was the one who proposed, yet he now acted like an outsider, indifferent to everything.

I kept telling myself he was just busy and tired. Until not long ago, I saw him with my own eyes, outside a jewelry store, putting a ring on another woman's finger.

I hid on a street corner, watching them take shelter from the rain under the eaves. They were kissing in the rain, professing their love.

He said, "Don't worry. Once I marry her and secure the inheritance, I'll find some excuse to divorce her. Selena, leaving you back then when I loved you most was my mistake. I'll spend my life making it up to you."

That day, I walked home drenched in rain. I crouched by the roadside, retching until I could barely breathe. Even now, just recalling it made my chest ache unbearably.

Seeing my pale face, a passing server couldn't help but ask, "Ms. Rowley, are you alright?"

I forced a shake of my head and made my way back into the banquet hall. Sean was raising a glass, socializing. Not far away, Selena, wearing his coat, was exchanging flirtatious glances with him.

I kept my head down as I walked in. As I passed by Selena, she suddenly let out a scream.

Red wine splashed across her face, staining it like blood, making her look utterly disheveled.

"Selena!"

Sean rushed over, immediately pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the wine from Selena's face.

"I'm fine, Sean," she said, eyes red as she fought back tears. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have said those things and embarrassed Ms. Rowley."

Hearing her choked voice, Sean's eyes filled with concern. His breathing grew heavier, anger beginning to show. "It's not your fault. You didn't say anything wrong."

He then looked up at me coldly. "Louise, are you done causing a scene? This is an engagement party, not a place for your tantrums. Ms. White is a guest I invited, not someone for you to vent on. Apologize to her."

Apologize? I almost laughed from exasperation. The pain I'd just suppressed began to rise again.

"Sean." I forced myself to stay calm, though my voice still trembled slightly. "I didn't touch her at all. So, I will not apologize. And since she deliberately framed me, she should be the one apologizing to me."

Sean froze for a moment at my stubbornness, as if he had never seen this side of me before.

Just then, Selena suddenly pushed him aside and struggled to her feet. "Sean, don't argue with Ms. Rowley because of me. I was being insensitive and ruined your engagement party."

As she spoke, she took off his coat and placed it into my hands. "Louise, don't misunderstand. I've always been frail since I was young. That's why Sean takes extra care of me."

At that moment, Sean seemed to realize something. His expression darkened completely as he said, "It's just a coat. You went so far because of that? Louise, I don't even know who you are anymore."

With that, he tossed the coat onto me in front of everyone. "Since you want it so badly, take it. Wear it as long as you like." Then, he pulled Selena into his arms and strode away, ignoring the crowd.

All the guests turned to look at me. Some expressions were curious, some were mocking. But I felt nothing anymore. I simply took the coat in my arms and casually tossed it into a nearby trash can.

The night wind was cold, cutting straight through my skin. But I didn't want to shed another tear over him. For the sake of my child, who hadn't even been born yet and didn't deserve to feel this pain with me, I would be strong.

After the party ended, chaos broke out in the Benson family. The day's incident quickly reached the ears of Sean's father, George Benson.

George called Sean into his study and gave him an earful. "If Louise's father hadn't gone to prison in my place back then, do you think you would still be the respectable Mr. Benson that you are today?"

Sean's eyes were bloodshot as he yelled back, "That was your debt! Why should I be the one to repay it? Do you know how heartbroken Selena was the day we broke up? At that moment, I wished Louise would just die in an accident so all of this could end…"

Bang!

George grabbed a cup and hurled it at Sean. "Say that again if you dare! When you were kids, you followed Louise around everywhere like a lost puppy. And now, you're cursing her to die because of another woman?

"I'm warning you one last time. Go make things right with Louise. Otherwise, I can have you replaced as the Benson family heir at any time."

I stood outside, leaning against the wall. When Sean came out, blood was trickling from his head, and his eyes were red. There was a hatred in his gaze that I had never seen before.

So, all this time, being close to me was so painful for him. I let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Don't worry, Sean. It won't be long before I give you back your freedom.

Not long after I returned to my room, Sean knocked on the door and handed me a gift box. "I was impulsive today," he said in a flat tone, not even looking at me.

I gave a soft "Mmm" in response and took the box.

Seeing my indifference, he hesitated, then asked, "Have you changed the wedding invitations?"

I nodded. Only then did his expression ease slightly. He told me to get some rest before turning to leave.

I opened the box. Inside was a one-of-a-kind necklace—extremely valuable. Beneath it was a card that read, "Happy birthday, Selena."

I tossed the box aside. Then, I began drafting new wedding invitations. I changed the date and also the groom's name.

Just as I was about to send the invitations to friends and family, a notification suddenly popped up on my phone. It was a call from a bartender, saying Sean had drunk himself unconscious at a bar.

I hesitated for a moment, then braved the cold and rushed over.

But when I pushed the door open, Sean looked perfectly sober. A crowd had gathered around him. Standing among them, I saw Selena deliberately raise her voice toward me. "Sean, you should head back. If Ms. Rowley finds out you're here with me, she'll be upset again."

Sean didn't even look up. He said impatiently, "I'm not going back."

The others immediately burst into laughter. Someone couldn't help asking, "Sean, Louise grew up with you. You really don't feel anything for her at all?"

I stood at the entrance, staring at him through the crowd, waiting for his answer. This was the question that had been knotted deep in my heart all along.

Sean was silent for a moment, then let out a chuckle, his eyes turning cold. "She's just a woman who takes advantage of an old favor to force someone into marriage. What kind of feelings do you think I should have for her? It's good enough that I don't hold a grudge against her, considering the past."

At that moment, I finally understood. Sean had always thought that I was the one who pushed for this engagement. But the truth was, I hadn't known anything.

The others chimed in one after another.

"George is too soft-hearted. Repaying a favor is one thing, but he actually sent her straight into Sean's bed."

"No wonder she's clinging so tightly. After all, if she missed this chance, she'd never make it into our circle again."

Sean listened quietly, not rebutting.

Suddenly, someone laughed. "Sean, how about this? Once you get the shares, let us have some fun with her. We'll help you take care of her."

Sean slammed his glass onto the table and shot that man a cold glare. "I don't share my women."

The atmosphere instantly turned tense.

Sean looked away, then added casually, "If you really wanted her, you should've gotten to her before I did. It would've saved me a lot of trouble."

In that instant, the last thread holding me together snapped. But I didn't cry. I couldn't cry.

I simply pushed through the crowd. Under everyone's stunned gaze, I grabbed the bottle from Sean's hand, then smashed it hard against the floor.

Meeting my reddened eyes, Sean's expression darkened. "Louise, were you following me?"

For a second, I thought I had misheard. I hurled my phone at his chest. "The bartender called and said you were drinking yourself to death. That's why I came!"

Sean glanced at it. Then, the next second, he laughed mockingly and handed the phone to the person beside him. "Frankie, since when did you become a bartender?"

I froze. It was only then that I realized that I had been played again.

The man named Frankie looked at me with disdain, then said, "Ms. Rowley, I only called to say I couldn't make it to the wedding. When did I ever say Sean was drunk? A bartender? Your imagination is really something."

With every word he spoke, Sean's expression grew colder. He tossed the phone back to me. "The wedding is right around the corner. I don't have time to keep entertaining your shenanigans."

After that, he looked away, as if even sparing me another glance was too much.

The room fell into a tense silence.

Just then, Selena suddenly stood up, picked up a glass of red wine, and walked toward me. "Louise, it's normal to feel insecure before a wedding. But don't worry. I have no interest in someone else's husband."

She raised her glass and smiled faintly. "Here's a toast to you. Let's put all misunderstandings behind us."

Selena paused, then glanced at Sean, her tone soft beyond belief. "But you really shouldn't keep following Sean. He's been under a lot of pressure at work lately, and you…"

I poured the wine straight over her head and blurted, "Selena, are you done pretending?"