One month before the wedding, I accidentally overheard my fiancé plotting to escape the marriage.

However, his best man tried to talk sense into him. “For Zara’s sake, you’re planning to reject Adeline at the wedding? Both families will be there. If you humiliate her like that, aren’t you afraid of breaking her heart?”

My fiancé sneered. “She’s easy to coax. She never gets angry. Did you forget her birthday last year? Her parents were there, and I made her kneel and apologize to Zara, and she still did it.”

“This time, Adeline is using pregnancy to force me into marriage. That shattered Zara’s heart, so I’ll make sure to punish her properly.”

I stood frozen at the doorway, my thoughts in chaos, forcing myself to act as if I had heard nothing as I quietly walked away.

At the wedding, when the priest asked us to raise our hands and speak our vows, I looked at the groom, who thought his scheme would succeed, and I spoke first.

“I don’t.”

——

Leaning against the wall outside, I steadied myself, forcing every breath to remain silent.

Inside, the conversation carried on with Conrad Lewis’s voice.

“Tatum, I think you should reconsider. If things explode, it won’t end well. What if Adeline Buckley truly turns her face this time…”

Tatum Bernard let out a disdainful chuckle.

“Turn her face? Last time at the NBA game, when the couple cam caught us, I shoved her away and refused to kiss her in front of everyone. Didn’t she stay quiet and endure it?”

He sighed, as if weighed down by false troubles. “I can’t ignore Zara’s feelings. She’s sensitive, insecure. I have to coax her well to feel at ease marrying. I owe her this.”

“If only we were in ancient times. I’d marry Zara and still not wrong Adeline.”

Conrad seemed choked by his twisted reasoning, and after a long silence, he asked helplessly, “Since you can’t let go of Zara Clements, why not break up with Adeline and marry Zara instead? Wouldn’t that be fairer to both of them?”

Tatum clicked his tongue, his voice dripping with self-righteousness.

“That won’t do! No one loves me more than Adeline. She’s hopelessly devoted to me, I know that better than anyone. If I lose her, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

He glanced at the baffled Conrad.

“You don’t understand. These two women are like flesh growing on the tip of my heart. To cut away either one would be like cutting away my life. Isn’t this situation perfect as it is?”

His tone even carried a hint of intoxicated satisfaction.

Conrad fell silent for a while before sighing heavily. “Ah, I fear you’ll play with fire and end up losing them both, left with nothing.”

The words struck Tatum’s sore spot, and his voice flared with anger. “Stop cursing me. And remember, keep your mouth shut!”

I could no longer bear to listen. Supporting myself against the wall, I forced my body to move stiffly away.

So the wedding I had spent three months preparing was nothing more than a staged performance.

What did he take me for?

The years of love lodged in my throat, neither able to be swallowed nor spat out.

A while later, Tatum returned. He naturally came over and wrapped his arm around my waist.

“Adeline, you’re just in time. I reviewed the guest list again. I think we can invite even more people! Besides both families, let’s add old colleagues and classmates too, make it lively! Oh, and I plan to invite the entire company!”

My eyes trembled, my heart sinking into horror.

He wanted to stage this carefully crafted betrayal in front of every person I knew, in front of his entire circle? To make me the heroine of a cruel joke?

I pressed down the lump in my throat, forcing my voice into steadiness.

“But… the venue we booked before might not be big enough. It won’t fit so many people.”

At this, Tatum pinched my cheek roughly, pretending it was affection.

“Silly girl, is that even a problem? Leave it to me, I can book a bigger venue at once! I’ll give you the most magnificent wedding, let everyone witness your happiness!”

His smile remained as dazzling as ever, but to me, it carried only a cold chill that seeped into my bones.

I looked at him, then slowly nodded. “Okay.”

Just then, Tatum’s phone rang.

“Zara? What’s the matter? Don’t cry, take your time… Don’t do anything foolish! Wait for me, I’m coming right away, be good!”

He ended the call and hurried toward the door. Then, as if remembering something, he stopped and turned back to me.

“Adeline, it’s Zara… her depression flared up again, her emotions are unstable. I’m afraid she’ll harm herself, so I must go to her. As for the wedding, I’ll leave it to you to arrange. Don’t worry about money, make everything the best.”

I looked at his performance of ‘helplessness’ wrapped in ‘ardent care,’ and nausea twisted in my gut.

I stayed silent, only nodding faintly.

Soon after, Zara’s Instagram Story updated, her location tagged at a sunlit resort abroad.

She posed in a bikini, smiling radiantly, fingers raised in a V-sign. Behind her, the half-shown profile of a man was unmistakable: Tatum, who had just claimed he rushed to “save” her.

A few minutes later, Tatum’s message came.

[Adeline, there’s an urgent project at the company. I need to travel for five days. The meetings are highly confidential, so contact may be difficult. Don’t worry, I’ll be back before the wedding. Love you.]

I stared at the word “love” and let out a faint, bitter laugh. What greater mockery could there be?

I gave no reply. Instead, I opened the stack of wedding invitations, filled them out carefully, and mailed them, both to those close to me and to those I barely knew.

“…No cash gifts required, no presents required, your presence is earnestly awaited.”

Soon, my phone brimmed with blessings and RSVPs, buzzing with constant activity.

I reached out to the wedding planner again.

“I want to upgrade the previous plan. Add three more camera angles, and make sure there’s drone footage for the entire event.”

I thought the farce would drag on until the wedding day, when suddenly Tatum’s phone rang.

“Adeline! Come to St. Catherine’s Hospital right now, hurry, someone’s about to die!”

I rushed to the ER, where Zara lay pale and frail on the bed.

Tatum ran over and gripped my arm so hard I staggered.

“Adeline, help me, save her again.”

I looked at him, my voice steady and cold.

“How do you want me to save her?”

Tatum gripped my hand nervously.

“She just needs a small bone marrow transplant… You matched before; there won’t be a problem.”

I slowly lifted my eyes to his anxious face and reminded him, word by word, “Tatum, you forgot, I’m pregnant.”

He froze, his expression faltering for a moment before his gaze hardened again.

“Adeline, we can have children later. You’re still young; we can have more anytime. But Zara has only one life! I can’t stand by and watch her die!”

I looked at him and let a faint smile curve across my lips.

“Are you serious? For her, you would sacrifice our own child?”

He avoided my gaze, his voice low yet cruel.

“I feel heartbroken, too, but there’s no other way. Be good, close your eyes… it’ll be over soon, and then you won’t be afraid anymore.”

His hand reached out to stroke my hair.

I stared at him for a few seconds and, in the end, obediently nodded.

“Okay.”

Relief and satisfaction immediately spread across his face. Everything was unfolding just as he wanted; it seemed I was still the same well-behaved, compliant woman.

The doctor beside us could no longer hold back and interjected.

“Mr. Bernard, a pregnant woman isn’t suitable for bone marrow donation. Why don’t we try looking for Zara’s family members instead?”

With the words “family members,” Zara broke down and started crying even harder. After all, her parents had long since passed away.

Tatum turned back to her with heartache, tightened his grip on my arm, and said firmly to the doctor, “Adeline is her family. She can do it. She will donate!”

The doctor looked helplessly at me. I met his eyes and nodded with calm resolve.

“Go ahead. I agree.”

The surgery was long and unbearably cold.

When I finally woke, Tatum was nowhere in sight. I knew, of course, he must have been with Zara.

I called softly for the doctor.

“Doctor, please… also, help me with the abortion while you’re at it. So I won’t… have to come again later.”

Afterward, I lay on the hospital bed, drained, unwilling to move.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated; it was his mother, Violeta Bernard, calling.

“Adeline! What’s wrong with you? You couldn’t even keep the child! Do you know how long we’ve been waiting for this?”

Her words were sharp with blame, without even pausing to ask why. I opened my mouth, but no words came.

At that moment, Tatum snatched the phone from my hand, his tone suddenly soft.

“Mom, don’t get worked up. Adeline just had surgery; her body is still weak. She needs rest. Don’t scare her.”

As he spoke, he strolled toward the balcony outside the ward, casually pulling the glass door shut behind him.

Through the faint barrier, fragments of words drifted in.

“…it wasn’t on purpose… maybe she was just too tired from the wedding preparations, didn’t rest enough… her body has always been weak… don’t blame her…”

He shifted all responsibility onto me, brushing himself clean of everything.

Just then, the wind pushed the glass door ajar, and Tatum’s voice mingled clearly with his mother’s.

“Son, I thought Adeline was virtuous and proper, but now this wedding has turned so extravagant. You really need to talk to her!”

“Mom, don’t say that. I was the one who set the high standards for the wedding. I have my reasons, you and Dad don’t need to worry.”

“As for Zara… she must be compensated somehow. I’ve decided that the ten percent of company shares I had prepared as Adeline’s dowry, I’ll give them to Zara instead. That’s what I owe her.”

Violeta paused for a moment.

“Those shares were promised to Adeline as her dowry. You already said it aloud. Are you certain you want to change it?”

Tatum’s tone was firm, without hesitation.

“Adeline marrying me is already the greatest blessing she could ever have. She shouldn’t be so greedy.”

“Zara is different. She has no one to depend on; I must think of her.”

Though my heart had long been numb, his words still stirred a dull ache in my chest.

I pressed down the surge of emotion and reminded myself.

It no longer mattered. The wedding had been a sham from the beginning. These hollow promises had never truly belonged to me.

When Tatum ended the call and returned, his face once more wore that practiced mask of gentleness.