My fiancé was the CEO of a powerful financial conglomerate, and to the outside world, he adored me beyond measure.

A week before our wedding, I found out I was pregnant with triplets. I had planned to tell him the joyful news in person.

But instead, I witnessed him in bed with other women. Not with just one.

It felt like a knife had carved into my soul, cutting so deep I lost all hope, all trust. My tears begged for release, but I held my head high, forcing myself to stay strong.

For him, I had given up everything—my pride, my family, my career.

Yet he chose to share our love with others.

All those vows to love me and only me for a lifetime had been lies.

Our so-called future, our wedding—it was all a cruel joke.

He was no longer the man I once loved. He had become tainted.

I would not endure his betrayal. He no longer deserved to be the father of my children.

So I made my decision—to disappear, to fake my death and start over, to give myself and my babies a chance at a free, unburdened life.

But I never imagined he'd become obsessed and start searching the world for women who resembled me, all while declaring I was the only one he ever loved.

Too little, too late. His affection now is worth nothing.

This time, I'm not looking back.

"Lisa, are you serious about faking your death and erasing your identity?" A friend's voice came through the phone, asking me once again.

"Yes. Please arrange everything for me," I replied without hesitation.

After hanging up, I stared blankly out the window at the light drizzle, my thoughts muddled and my heart heavy.

My fiancé was the CEO of a powerful financial conglomerate, and to the outside world, he adored me beyond measure.

A week before our wedding, I found out I was pregnant with triplets. I had planned to tell him the joyful news in person.

But instead, I witnessed him in bed with other women. Not with just one.

It felt like a knife had carved into my soul, cutting so deep I lost all hope, all trust. My tears begged for release, but I held my head high, forcing myself to stay strong.

For him, I had given up everything—my pride, my family, my career.

Yet he chose to share our love with others.

All those vows to love me and only me for a lifetime had been lies.

Our so-called future, our wedding—it was all a cruel joke.

He was no longer the man I once loved. He had become tainted.

I would not endure his betrayal. He no longer deserved to be the father of my children.

So I made my decision—to disappear, to fake my death and start over, to give myself and my babies a chance at a free, unburdened life.

I rested a hand gently on my abdomen. There were moments when I thought about getting rid of them, but I couldn't. They were my flesh and blood.

I had dreamed of giving them a complete family. But to bring them into a world where their biological father was a cheater… What kind of cruelty would that be? It would torment me and an insult to their very lives.

I didn't want them to grow up in his shadow.

Leaving was the only way to set us all free. It was the only way to give them a healthy start.

Just then, I heard a familiar name on the TV.

The entertainment news was showing Wall Street's most powerful CEO, Cole Gates, and his upcoming marriage to the woman he loved in a grand ceremony.

Cole's business empire was legendary. That he would marry a woman from the slums made headlines everywhere.

But once I vanished, the wedding would be over too.

My mind drifted to the day Cole proposed. He got down on one knee at a concert, in front of tens of thousands of people. His hand holding the ring trembled. His eyes were filled with nervous anticipation as he looked at me.

Only when I said yes did he finally breathe again.

I cried tears of joy. He kissed them away and held me tightly in his arms.

It had been a beautiful, moving moment. But now, it was just a memory, something that belonged to the past.

"Wow! Cole must be so in love to marry a poor girl like her."

"She's insanely lucky. I'm so jealous."

"How did a girl from the slums manage to snatch up such a rich, handsome, and devoted man?"

"She used to be a nobody, but once she marries Cole, she'll instantly enter the upper class."

"..."

Outside the door, I could hear the maids chatting enviously.

I let out a bitter laugh. The irony stung.

Everyone believed Cole loved me deeply, believed I was the luckiest woman in the world. After all, he was willing to defy convention and marry a woman with nothing. Wasn't that proof of his undying love?

But no one knew it was all an illusion. A role he played perfectly.

In truth, he had countless women outside. He indulged himself without restraint.

There were so many, I'd lost count. He even bought a house for a young actress he was recently supporting.

Every time he said he was "busy," he was in bed with another woman.

My phone was filled with photos of him tangled with them.

It was like he held a knife and kept slicing open my wounds, again and again, until I was left bleeding and numb.

Memories of our past surfaced without warning.

At a networking event, no one would come near me because of my humble background. Everyone avoided me like the plague, except him.

He came and spoke to me.

Back then, he encouraged me, saying, "No one is born inferior. You work hard. I believe you'll change your fate. One day, you'll shine bright like a diamond."

When everyone else doubted me, only Cole stood by my side.

When someone tried to hurt me, he was the one who protected me.

Even when the media spread false stories, claiming I had schemed to seduce him, he didn't hesitate to speak up, publicly declaring that it was he who had pursued me, regardless of his lofty status.

Once, when a thug tried to attack me, Cole beat him within an inch of his life. He was seriously injured in the process, but still shielded me with his own body.

And yet, the man who once loved me so deeply… suddenly stopped loving me.

Everything that once felt like happiness had vanished.

Cole might have forgotten. Or maybe it never mattered to him in the first place.

Back when we were together, I'd once told him, "If you ever stop loving me, just tell me. I won't cling to you. But if you deceive me, I'll leave. And after that, we'll never see each other again."

"Lisa, what are you doing just standing there? The dresses are here. Come try them on."

The door opened and Cole walked in, grasping my hand and leading me toward the living room.

I followed him, but then… I saw a faint smudge of lipstick on his collar.

I stopped walking.

He turned to look at me, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

My eyes searched his face. He looked so innocent, so unaware. I gave a small shake of my head.

What would be the point of saying anything? To argue? To cry?

No. I didn't want that.

I just wanted to leave quietly.

In the living room, the staff were waiting, holding three wedding dresses. All custom-made. All beautiful.

I tried on each one. None of them fit.

Cole lost his temper and lashed out at the assistant.

"Idiot! What's going on with the sizing? Don't you even know her measurements?"

The assistant lowered his head and stayed silent.

I stared at Cole and for the first time, he felt like a stranger to me.

He rarely got angry. He was always composed and measured. This was the first time I'd ever seen him explode like this.

Watching him now, using rage to cover his own carelessness, I felt a kind of bitter amusement.

Did he really think I was that naïve?

Did he think I couldn't tell who'd made the mistake?

If he truly cared, how could he get the size wrong?

He used to spoil me endlessly. Every piece of clothing he gave me fit perfectly. Mistakes like this were unthinkable in the past.

Still, I didn't call him out. Instead, I smiled.

"Forget it, Cole. Don't be angry. It's just a ceremony. Any dress will do."

He let out a long breath, relieved. "Sorry. I just wanted you to have a one-of-a-kind gown."

I shrugged. "It's fine."

So he handed me a tablet to choose a different design.

I scrolled through the options.

Next to me, he was on his phone.

Something caught his eye. His gaze lit with intense desire.

"Madam, which one do you like?" the assistant asked.

I didn't answer. I was watching Cole.

He must have felt my stare, because he put his phone away and glanced over with a faint look of guilt.

"Lisa," he said, "there's an emergency at work. I have to take care of it. Just pick whatever dress you like. I'll buy it."

Without waiting for a reply, he rushed out the door.

My expression dimmed. I smiled bitterly.

A message came. I opened it. It was a photo of the three wedding dresses that didn't fit me. All three, exactly the same.

So Cole had the wedding dresses made—for his lover.

So much for a one-of-a-kind gown.

I was never his only bride.

How greedy he'd become. He wanted a proper wife at home, but still kept mistresses outside.

There was no point in choosing a dress anymore.

It didn't matter. Because I was never going to marry him.

On the day of the wedding, the only bride who'd show up would be a dead one.

I dismissed Cole's assistant.

A while later, my phone lit up again. It was another photo.

Cole was in bed with the rising young actress, Kai Orwin. Their bare bodies were tangled together, lost in each other's touch, kissing deeply.

The way he looked at her—possessive, hungry—was the way a man looks at a woman he wants to claim.

Kai's exposed skin was covered in red marks, proof of how fiercely he'd kissed her.

I thought I'd grown strong enough. But the image still cut deep.

The pain crawled into my bones and began devouring reason, piece by piece.

Tears came. I couldn't stop them.

Kai was relentless. Determined to make me suffer, she sent a video next, taunting me.

In the clip, Cole looked like a man starved of touch, devouring her like it was his first time.

The scenes were graphic and disgusting. Watching them made me nauseous. I barely made it to the bathroom in time.

Kai then sent a series of voice messages.

"Lisa, he's crazy about me. He's never been like that with you, right?

"By now, you should realize he's never really loved you. To him, you're family. An obligation, nothing more.

"If you're smart, you'll walk away. Otherwise, things won't end well for you."

I listened to her voice with numb detachment.

Then I opened my photo gallery.

Photo by photo, moment by moment, I watched our time together pass before me, then slowly began to delete each one.

Everything about him… had to go.

'Cole, I'm done with you,' I swore inwardly.

That night, he came home.

He still carried the faintest trace of someone else's perfume. It was subtle, but I noticed.

"You're still up?" he asked when he saw me sitting quietly in the dark.

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"It's windy by the window. You're in short sleeves. You'll catch a chill."

I turned my head to look at him, reached up and touched his face.

I could feel his warm skin, but my heart felt like ice.

Still, logic triumphed over anger. I gave him a faint smile.

"Couldn't sleep. I didn't feel like lying down, just wanted to sit and feel the breeze."

He frowned, concerned.

"If you can't sleep, watch a movie. Don't sit in the cold like this. It's not good for your health. Don't do this again."

I nodded and remained silent.

There were so many things I wanted to say, but none of them would come out.

The next day, Cole took me to a charity auction.

I never liked public events, but he always insisted I go, saying that as his future wife, I had to learn to navigate his world.

He brought in stylists, dressed me in a designer gown, and had my makeup done to perfection.

I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror. I looked elegant and flawless—a woman who shone from the outside. But inside, I longed for simplicity.

I used to think Cole and I came from different worlds.

Now, I was sure of it.

…

The proceeds from the auction were going toward building schools in remote villages. To show his generosity, Cole placed bids on every precious item at the auction.

But he donated it all under my name, painting me as the benevolent figure.

The crowd looked at me with admiration and envy.

But I knew that this, too, was just another way for him to show off.

Toward the end of the night, Kai appeared, dressed in a stunning red gown that clung to her body. She was bold, radiant, and seductive.

As she walked past us, she suddenly stumbled and fell straight into Cole's arms.

Instinctively, he caught her.

Then, noticing my gaze, he let her go.

Kai's eyes darkened for a moment, but she quickly forced a smile.

"Lisa, would you mind if I sat beside you?"

Her words were directed at me, but her eyes never left Cole.

She leaned slightly forward, just enough to let the deep curve of her chest spill into view.

I glanced at Cole.

I could see his heated gaze on her. His desire was plain to see.

And then, without a word, he grabbed Kai's wrist.

"You. Come with me. We need to talk."