On the day the Cole family went bankrupt, Adrian Cole left behind a suicide note and went alone to the snow mountains to end his life.

I chased after him without hesitation, searching for him in the snow for a full ten hours.

Just as despair hollowed me out completely, I saw his secretary, Zoe Bennett, livestreaming Adrian's proposal on social media.

One of his friends joked in the comments, "You're about to be a groom. Aren't you afraid your woman will get mad?"

His reply was icy cold. "I only promised her the title of Mrs. Cole. She shouldn't even think about anything else."

Another comment followed. "She's marrying in with ten billion in investment. Is she really willing to swallow that kind of grievance?"

I could almost see Adrian sneering as he typed, "She got ten billion for the position of Mrs. Cole. She's not losing out. If it weren't for her, Zoe wouldn't have been forced to go abroad. These last few days are my compensation to Zoe."

My fingernails dug deep into my flesh. Calmly, I burned everything that had anything to do with him.

On the day of the wedding, he went mad searching for me everywhere.

In the upscale venue across the street, I had just slipped on a diamond ring given to me by another man, Julian Cross.

Unbeknownst to him, while he was calculating the countdown to our breakup, I was also preparing to marry someone else.

My fingers slid lightly across the screen as I zoomed in, and I saw the diamond-studded wedding dress on Zoe Bennett.

The familiar design and cut pulled me back to countless late nights, to the sight of Adrian Cole hunched over his desk in the study, absorbed in his designs.

Eighteen-year-old Adrian had once sworn with complete certainty, "I will make sure the woman I love wears a wedding dress I design with my own hands."

I had grown up with Adrian; we had been childhood friends for twenty years. When we played pretend weddings as kids, he always liked to grab my hand and say, "Iris, you'll be my only wife in the future. I'll give you the best food, the most fun, and the prettiest things in the world. If anyone bullies you, I'll beat them up and chase them away."

Now, I was his bride.

However, it was someone else wearing the wedding dress he designed himself, while standing deep in the snow-covered mountains, and posing for intimate wedding photos with him.

Exhausted to the bone, I returned home, only to see Zoe curled up in Adrian's arms, crying.

"I know you're marrying her for the sake of your family. Once you two are married, I'll leave on my own."

Adrian gently wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes. "No one can drive you away. She went to great lengths to marry into the family, and even then, she'll only ever be a Mrs. Cole in name."

Zoe wrapped her arms around his waist in a coquettish embrace. "Not long ago, you lied to her and said you were going to kill yourself. Right after that, ten billion in investment came in. I heard she even went up to the snow mountains to look for you for seven whole days. She's really easy to fool."

For a brief moment, Adrian's expression stiffened. He pulled out his phone and turned it on. As expected, the screen was filled with over a thousand missed calls.

Zoe let out a scornful laugh. "Next time, you should switch it up. Terminal illness? Jumping into the sea? Maybe she'll transfer all of the Warren family's assets straight to the Coles."

He smiled casually. "Maybe she would."

Taking advantage of the moment before anyone noticed me, I left the house, dazed and hollow.

When we were eighteen, Adrian had worn a faded, repeatedly washed white shirt and knelt at the entrance of my home, appearing awkward and earnest, as he confessed his feelings.

After graduation, there had never been another woman by his side. He even hired only male secretaries, claiming male assistants were more efficient.

Then one day, out of nowhere, fragile and innocent Zoe Bennett barged into his life and became his secretary.

I knew it. He made exceptions at every turn because Zoe looked exactly like I had at eighteen.

When a lightbulb had broken in Zoe's home, she had cried and told him she was scared. He had rushed over without hesitation, leaving me to undergo surgery alone while seriously ill.

I was the one who set the wedding date. I dove into every detail of the wedding. Meanwhile, he used working late at the company as an excuse to secretly meet Zoe.

Whenever I asked for his opinion, he would impatiently hang up the phone. "We're not even married yet, and you're already checking up on me like this? The position of Mrs. Cole is already yours. What more do you want?"

"Don't think that investing ten billion buys my personal freedom."

I clenched my phone tightly, tears spilling down despite my efforts to hold them back.

The hotel I booked was right next to the company. The next morning, as soon as I stepped downstairs, I unexpectedly heard Adrian's voice.

"For the bridal bouquet, go with Phalaenopsis orchids. My wife likes them."

My nose stung. I remembered when we were eighteen, when he planted an entire estate full of Phalaenopsis orchids to confess his love to me.

For a moment, it felt as if I had forgotten everything that came before. I hurried toward him.

Then I saw Zoe standing in the middle of the sea of flowers, holding the bouquet and spinning in place.

"Phalaenopsis orchids are too old-fashioned. Irises look much better. If I could walk down the aisle holding irises and marry you, I would have no regrets in this life."

Adrian stared at her for a long time, then smiled gently. "Alright. We'll do what you want."

My legs felt as heavy as lead. I could not take another step forward. My stomach churned violently.

Zoe's resemblance to the eighteen-year-old version of me was uncanny. I could not accept that the man I had loved for seven years was searching for traces of me in someone else.

Adrian spotted me first. The tenderness on his face vanished instantly. He said with clear displeasure, "Where have you been these past few days? The wedding planners couldn't find you and dumped everything on Zoe. Is that even appropriate?

"You can see it yourself. Zoe is very capable. After we get married, I don't plan to send her abroad. I'm going to promote her to vice president of the group."

Excitement immediately flared in Zoe's eyes.

I sneered inwardly. Last night, I went back to the office and worked through the night for one reason only—to withdraw the investment.

Adrian was fully immersed in his sweet date with Zoe. He never noticed the messages on his phone.

I looked at him indifferently. "Do whatever you want."

Under Adrian's furious stare, I turned and walked away, dialing a number. "Uncle, withdraw the ten billion investment for the Coles. And do you remember the marriage candidate you arranged last time? I want to meet him."

……

On the eve of the wedding, the bride was required to return to the Cole family estate to observe a longstanding family rite.

I had already decided to call off the engagement. Nevertheless, Adrian's parents had always treated me very well. His mother, Mrs. Ophelia Cole, was a close friend of my own mother's. Something as serious as breaking off the engagement had to be conveyed to them in person.

Mrs. Cole held my hand, joy nearly overflowing from her face. "Sweet child, I've hoped since you were little that I'd have a daughter-in-law like you. Tomorrow, it will finally come true.

"Don't worry. After the nonsense Adrian pulled before, Hubert and I have already taught him a lesson. He was just temporarily bewitched by that little fox. Once you two are married, his heart will naturally come back to you."

Mr. Hubert Cole, usually stern, also wore a rare smile. "Iris, I've prepared a whole table of dishes you love. When Adrian gets back later, we'll have him apologize to you properly, alright?"

Seeing their kind, affectionate smiles, I found it hard to say no.

The warm, harmonious scene seemed to stir Adrian's memories. When he looked at me, there was rare tenderness in his eyes.

He sat down beside me and pushed a jewelry box toward me. Inside was a dazzling diamond necklace.

"I wasn't in the right mood before, so I went out of my way and picked out a necklace to make it up to you."

I let out a long sigh and did not take it. "Adrian, are you sure you actually put thought into choosing this?"

Inside my jewelry box lay three identical necklaces, all apologies from the years whenever Adrian had angered me.

The first time I received one, I thought the necklace was filled with his love for me.

The second and third times, I managed to lie to myself, telling myself he was just too busy and had forgotten.

In the end, I could not fool myself.

Adrian frowned impatiently, about to speak, when Mr. Cole shot him a look to silence him.

His tone softened immediately. "I have neglected you these past days. Wasn't all of it for the wedding preparations? We're getting married tomorrow. After the wedding, I'll make it up to you properly, alright?"

From the time I was eighteen, I had been waiting to marry Adrian.

Even after making up my mind to call off the engagement, feelings like that could not be severed overnight.

I was just about to speak when the front door was pushed open. Zoe burst in, crying. "Mr. Cole, Iris's wedding dress got stained during transport by accident… The wedding is tomorrow. What should we do?"

Adrian could never stand seeing Zoe cry. He pulled her into his arms, full of concern. "Well, if it's dirty, then change it. It's nothing serious."

"I happened to pick a simple one for Iris. I'm not sure if she'll like it."

I looked at the wedding dress in her hands. The fabric was cheap, hanging loose and shapeless.

I could not help mocking, "Is that a wedding dress, or clothes for mourning?"

Leaning against Adrian's chest, Zoe's face slowly drained of color. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have decided to change the wedding dress on my own. Don't worry. Even if I scrub my fingers raw tonight, I'll wash the dress clean for you."

Adrian barked sharply, "Enough!"

He turned his gaze to me, his eyes cold. "I promised you the position of Mrs. Cole, and I've already delivered. And now you're going to make things difficult for Zoe over a wedding dress?!"

He spoke with righteous indignation, as if I were the one who had stained the dress. He just crushed the very last trace of hope that had just ignited in my heart without any mercy.

I gave Mr. and Mrs. Cole an apologetic smile. "Mr. and Mrs. Cole, I don't think I can stomach this meal today."

Mr. Cole flew into a rage and strode forward, slapping Adrian hard across the face. "If you don't draw the line with this woman, then everything belonging to the Coles will have nothing to do with you!"

Adrian looked at him coldly. "If it weren't for the Coles, would I even need to get married?"

My chest tightened in pain. So I had long stopped being the person Adrian wanted to marry.

Zoe cried as she rushed forward. "This is all my fault. I'll leave. Please don't argue because of me."

Her words only ignited Adrian's protectiveness even more.

Just as I was about to stand and leave, my eyes accidentally landed on the emerald bracelet around Zoe's wrist. I rushed forward and demanded, "Where did you get that bracelet?!"

Unfortunately, before I could reach her, Adrian yanked me back. My lower back slammed into a marble memorial table, and burning ash scattered over me.

He paused, his face dark enough to drip water. "It's just a bracelet. Is this really worth making such a scene?"

I realized it all at once. "You stole it from my jewelry box and gave it to her, didn't you?"

A flicker of hesitation flashed through Adrian's eyes before he resolutely stepped in front of Zoe. "This was originally the Coles'. Who I give it to has nothing to do with you."

I stared at Adrian for a long time, my eyes full of disappointment.

Mrs. Cole was so furious she could barely speak. She pointed at Adrian and scolded him, "You unfilial son! This bracelet is something our family passes down to our daughters-in-law. How could you casually give it to an outsider?!"

He knew exactly what that necklace meant.

I met Adrian's silent gaze and suddenly smiled. "Since Miss Bennett likes it, then let it return to its rightful owner."

Adrian panicked instantly and grabbed my arm. "What do you mean?"

Beside him, Zoe suddenly cried as she tried to take off the bracelet. "I'll give it back to you. Please don't be angry, okay?"

She moved too quickly, red marks instantly appearing around her wrist.

Adrian rushed over at once, stopping her and tightly holding her hand. When he looked at me again, his gaze was filled with undisguised disgust. "Look at her. Zoe is a thousand times more sensible than you. If it weren't for your Warren family using investment to demand repayment of favors, why would I ever marry a woman like you?"

I looked at the bracelet, still sitting securely on Zoe's wrist, and suddenly felt utterly exhausted.