I gripped the hallway tightly to keep myself from shaking too violently.

Ansel’s impatience was unmistakable.

“Stella, why are you being so unreasonable? Nobody is perfect—where has your tolerance gone?” he slightly raised his tone.

He had witnessed me being driven to the brink of suicide by Elara and her daughter.

Once, he had been willing to argue with them on my behalf, even to the point of furious outbursts.

What on earth had driven him to oppose me and start defending Elara?

I let the pain overwhelm me and told Ansel, word by word.

“Unless she dies before my eyes, I will never forgive her!”

Ansel’s forehead was throbbing and he was visibly about to lose his temper.

This was the same look he had when he used to rage at Elara and her daughter on my behalf.

“Stella! How did you become so bitter after just two years? If you can’t find it in yourself to forgive her, then at least apologize to Elara! I can’t stand the thought of people mocking my fiancée as a spiteful, resentful woman!”

“Your mother’s decision to end her life was her own weakness. If she had considered your youth, your father wouldn’t have had to remarry! Don’t blame all your misfortune on Elara and her daughter. Her mother made mistakes, but she didn’t deserve to die! If you, like your mother, are going to stubbornly wallow in your misery, then it’s no wonder you’re plagued by nightmares!”

He practically spat out the word “nightmares” through gritted teeth.

The revulsion that flashed across his face was clear to me.

So, the person who swore to protect me for life was now clearly fed up with being haunted by my nightmares.

In the end, all my misfortune and pain had become the sword he used to wound me, leaving me scarred and broken once more.

Once, the man who would feel heartache and tear up at the mention of my nightmares no longer held me close and promised.

“Stella, as long as I’m here, no nightmare or monster can hurt you!”

He had once used his love and care to pull me out of the abyss, but now he was the one who had shoved me back in.

For Elara’s sake, he said I deserved it!

Trembling uncontrollably, I could no longer cling to the hallway and staggered backward.

Ansel quickly steadied me, only to see that my knee was swollen and bruised.

He immediately crouched down to inspect the injury.

“How did you hurt your knee so badly?”

“Forget it. If you won’t apologize, I’ll do it for you, but you mustn’t be so disrespectful in the future.”

I wrenched my hand away with all my strength, my face ashen as I pointed toward the door.

“Get out! All of you, get out!”

Ansel, recognizing my vulnerability, tried to soothe me with a comforting embrace.

But Elara, tears streaming down her face, bowed deeply.

“Stella, I’m leaving now. Please, don’t torment yourself over this.”

As she turned to leave, she spun too quickly, crashing into the doorframe and falling sideways.

Ansel instantly released me and rushed to catch her. They both tumbled out into the hallway together.

Despite everything, Elara’s head still struck the doorframe, instantly turning red with a hint of blood seeping out.

Ansel scrambled to his feet, cradling her as he rushed towards the elevator.

“Elara, does it hurt? I’m taking you to see a doctor right now!”

The doorway finally fell silent.

My heart sank to the depths.

After ten years of knowing each other and ten years of love, we had reached this point of estrangement.

I took out my phone and booked a flight for the day of the wedding.

With seven days left, it was just enough time to clear away everything from the past.

Ansel was right; one must look forward.

From now on, I would sever all ties with the joys and sorrows of the past!

I threw away all the wedding supplies I had meticulously prepared.

This house, which was never truly mine, was now devoid of any trace of me.

In the end, only the tickets I had carefully kept as a diary of love remained.

With a moment's hesitation, I threw each one into the fire.

Each ticket consumed by the flames represented a part of me that loved Ansel.

When the burning finally ceased, only a pile of ashes and acrid smoke remained.

It was just like the love I had given over these ten years.

The next morning, the aroma of breakfast woke me up.

“Stella, hurry up and get ready. I’ve already made breakfast.”

“You go ahead and eat. I’ll take breakfast to Elara so you don’t have to.”

“Okay.”

Ansel paused, his hand holding the thermal container.

"Don’t feel guilty. Elara doesn’t blame you."

"After breakfast, let's pick out a new engagement ring for the wedding. The custom one had some issues and won’t arrive in time for the wedding day."

"Okay."

He enjoyed playing the role, so I would just go along with it.

Perhaps sensing my lack of enthusiasm, Ansel hesitantly brought out the first aid kit and applied medication to my knee.

“Stella, we’ve been in love for years. Everything I’ve done is for your good. I don’t want us to have a wedding where you have no family present.”

“You mentioned not finding a maid of honor? I’ve taken the liberty of asking Elara to be your maid of honor.”

“Okay.”

Ansel spoke cautiously, but when he saw my quick agreement, disbelief filled his eyes.

He then took my hand and pressed a warm, lingering kiss on it.

After delivering breakfast to Elara, he didn’t come back.

As I scrubbed my palms with fervor, his call came in.

“Stella, finish eating and come down to the garage. I’ll be waiting in the car.”

When I reached the garage, I instinctively opened the front passenger door, only to find Elara already sitting there.

Without a word, I took a seat in the back.

Ansel glanced at me a few times and seemed quite pleased with my understanding.

“Stella, Elara designs jewelry. With her here, she’ll definitely help you pick out a ring you’ll love.”

I nodded and closed my eyes, pretending to rest.

When I unconsciously opened my eyes, I saw Ansel gently pinching Elara’s cheek.

In the rearview mirror, our eyes met and he quickly started to explain.

“Elara had something on her face, so I was just helping her wipe it off.”

I closed my eyes again and kept them shut until we arrived.

As the three of us entered the jewelry store, the sales associate greeted Elara, who was standing close to Ansel, with great enthusiasm.

“What can I help you with today, sir? Are you looking for something special for your loved one?”

Elara and Ansel both blushed.

Ansel swiftly pulled me closer.

“Why are you standing so far away? Come over and pick out a ring!”

The sales associate blushed deeply and quickly brought out the rings for me to choose from.

But Elara took the lead, inspecting each one with a critical eye.

“This one’s not big enough.”

“This one’s color isn’t right.”

...

None of the other rings measured up when compared to the one Elara was holding.

The sales associate glanced at me, visibly uncertain of how to proceed.

Elara, however, acted as if she hadn’t noticed and ultimately chose a rather plain ring.

“Stella, let’s settle for this one for now. It’ll work for the wedding. I’ll design a better one for you later,” she said.

The sales associate, clearly uncomfortable, awkwardly praised Elara for her “exceptional” taste.

Elara, with a hint of pride, thrust her hand in front of me.

“It has to be beautiful. It’s custom-designed by my fiancé.”

Ansel stood quietly beside her, watching her flaunt the ring without stopping her or showing any sign of discomfort. His smile, however, seemed to bloom with the spring breeze.

“Then we’ll go with the one Elara picked!” he said.

Skipping even the try-on process, Ansel paid for the ring immediately.

He took out the ring and, with a blank expression, slid it onto my finger.

There was no kneeling, no roses, no proposal.

This time, the ring was small, barely fitting.

I knew, without a doubt, that Elara had done this on purpose.

As a jewelry designer, Elara could accurately gauge the ring size at a glance. Such a significant mistake was impossible.

I didn’t bother pointing it out and simply removed the ring.

The sales associate kindly suggested that I choose a different style, but I declined.

“Let’s just buy this one and get it over with. No need to make it more complicated.”

Ansel, hearing this, was clearly displeased with my tone.

“If you’re not happy with it, we don’t have to buy it. Elara can help you get a custom one later,” he offered.

I shook my head and refused.

“No, this one is fine.”

Elara, however, looked deeply remorseful, her eyes brimming with tears once again.

“Stella, I’m going straight to the studio to work on the design. I’ll make sure you have a perfect wedding!”

With that, she quickly left.

No matter how much Ansel shouted after her, she didn’t stop.

“Stella, what’s the matter with you? It’s just a ring—why are you making such a fuss?”

I was taken aback.

“What am I making a fuss about?”

He pressed his lips tightly together and pulled me out of the store.

“I have work to attend to. We can take the wedding photos later.”

“Or, you could take your solo photos first and I’ll have the designers Photoshop my suit onto them for the wedding.”

“Okay.”

Ansel’s explanations got caught in his throat.

He looked at me for a long moment before gently embracing me.

“Stella, once I’m done with work, I’ll take you on a honeymoon trip and we can do a travel-themed bridal photoshoot.”

To me, his dismissive promise of a honeymoon felt like an insult.

He had no time to visit me in Lunaria, but he had plenty of time to accompany Elara to Glaciara to see the penguins and to North Tundra to watch the northern lights.

Seeing his location and profile picture hurrying towards Elara’s studio, I went back into the store and returned the ring to the sales associate.

As I expected, Ansel didn’t come home for two days.

He was accompanying Elara to the seaside for their wedding photos.

And indeed, he had someone Photoshop our faces onto their wedding pictures.

Determined to avoid the wedding, he’ll probably only come back for my parents' anniversaries.

I went to the cemetery with two bouquets to visit them.

I also added the caretaker on TalkaTo to manage things in the future.

“I’ll cover the management fees for my parents from now on. Just refuse any payments from Mr. Stormvale.”

The caretaker was taken aback after checking the system.

"Miss, the management fees for your parents' graves have been overdue for six months. We've tried contacting the family, but the phone has been unreachable."

Realizing that I had changed my number after going abroad, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated with myself.

Ansel no longer cares about me; how could he remember my deceased parents?

I paid the outstanding fees and also prepaid for ten years, then left feeling dejected.

But just as I was walking out of the cemetery, I heard a voice I’d never forget in this lifetime.

“Ansel, it’s impressive that you remember today is Elara’s real dad’s memorial day! If the old man knew you came to keep him company for a drink, he’d probably be floating up from the grave.”

I turned around stiffly and saw Ansel, flanked by Elara and her mother, climbing the steps.

“Auntie, this is what I should be doing.”

“Don’t be silly, call me ‘Mom’ in a few days!”

Ansel chuckled heartily and, without hesitation, called her "Mom."

With tears in my eyes, I quietly went to meet my friends.

I got straight to the point and told them that the wedding was canceled.

They exchanged glances and then cautiously asked me,

“Stella, you already know?”

I was puzzled why they also knew.

In a fit of indignation, they pulled out photos of Ansel and Elara together at the hospital for their pre-marital checkup.

“Stella, we support your decision to escape the wedding. I’d love to see what a wedding without a bride looks like—Elara showing up to steal the wedding will be a huge joke!”

Their words made me somewhat look forward to it.

The day before the wedding, Ansel came home with a brand-new pair of running shoes.

I asked him calmly, “Aren’t you the one who hates running shoes?”

He paused for a moment, then patted my head.

“Tomorrow, I’ll need to run fast with the bride on my back!”

The bride he mentioned isn’t me.

The smile that suddenly appeared on his face wasn’t because of me either.

It seems that making me the center of a public wedding theft to prove his love for Elara made him quite happy.

The next day, I had walked around the wedding venue.

Gigantic posters had magnified every trace of photo-editing on the wedding pictures.

I had pulled out a pair of scissors, cut out my youthful, radiant face and then took a cab to the airport.

When the flight attendant reminded me to turn off my phone, Ansel’s calls had started flooding in.