My boyfriend, Simon Hepworth, gets down on one knee for the 66th time. Moved by his persistence, I finally say yes.

But on the eve of our wedding, he drops a bombshell on me. He tells me he wants to have a child with his stepsister, Fiona Hepworth. I find it ridiculous and get into a huge fight with him. But I never could've imagined what would come next.

On our wedding day, I wait at the altar for three hours, bouquet in my hands, only for him to dismissively tell me that the wedding is postponed. All because he and Fiona have an IVF appointment that very day.

"Fiona was abused by her father growing up. She'll never be able to marry," he explains. "I just want to help her fulfill her dream of being a mother. It's just IVF. It's not like we're actually sleeping together. Stop being so sensitive."

He then hangs up, leaving me alone at the wedding under the gaze of countless guests and flashing media cameras.

The shock sends my father into the ICU.

Standing by his bedside, I make a vow. "Dad, you were right. I won't marry Simon. Next week, I'll come home and take over the family business."

When my boyfriend, Simon Hepworth, got down on one knee for the 66th time, I was finally moved by his persistence and said yes.

But on the eve of our wedding, he dropped a bombshell on me. He told me he wanted to have a child with his stepsister, Fiona Hepworth.

Have a baby with his own sister? How absurd was that?

I refused outright, and we got into a huge fight. But I never could've imagined what came next.

On our wedding day, I stood waiting at the altar for three hours, bouquet in my hands. But Simon never showed up. Guests were getting restless, demanding to know when the ceremony would start.

I frantically dialed Simon's number for the 18th time. This time, he finally answered.

But before I could say a word, his irritated voice came through the line. "Didn't I tell you I'm taking Fiona to the hospital today for our IVF appointment? Why are you being so unreasonable?"

My fingers tightened around the fabric of my wedding dress as I shouted back, "Why today of all days? Is she more important than our wedding?"

After a brief hesitation, he replied, "I'm sorry, darling. But Fiona was abused by her father growing up. She'll never be able to marry. I just want to help her fulfill her dream of being a mother. It's just IVF, and it's not like we're actually sleeping together. Stop being so sensitive."

"Anyway, I'll make it up to you next time. I'm at the hospital now. I've got to go," he quickly said before hanging up.

I stood there frozen, staring at the sea of guests and the flashing cameras. My mind went blank.

Because of the Hepworth family's reputation, this wedding had been the talk of the town. On top of that, Simon had made sure to publicize every detail in advance. So, reporters had shown up to livestream the whole thing.

Now, everyone was waiting for an answer from me.

I forced myself to pick up the microphone. "I'm sorry, everyone. The groom isn't coming. The wedding is canceled."

The words sent shockwaves through the crowd, and the venue erupted in chaos.

"What the hell? We traveled all this way, and now the wedding is off just like that? Do you think this is a joke?"

"I bet the bride did something bad to make that Hepworth kid dump her."

"I heard he proposed 66 times. He's obsessed with her! It must be her fault. Otherwise, why wouldn't he show up for his own wedding?"

Rumors spread like wildfire. The online comments were even worse. And I, alone and powerless, could do nothing about it.

Just then, a voice cried out from the crowd, "Someone's collapsed!"

It was my father. His heart condition had sent him crashing to the ground. My face instantly turned pale.

Just like that, my wedding ended with wailing sirens and angry shouts.

My father was rushed to the ICU. Thankfully, his life was spared. At his bedside, I held his hand as tears streamed down my face.

My phone buzzed twice. Fiona had sent me a photo of a positive pregnancy test. "Ivy, good news! I'm pregnant with Simon's baby!"

Moments later, Simon finally texted. "Darling, I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you the wedding was postponed. Don't be upset. I'll make it up to you next time."

That was it? What about the humiliation and pain I suffered?

There wouldn't be a "next time".

I shut off my phone and wiped away my tears. I looked at my father with resolution as I said, "Dad, you were right. I won't marry Simon. Next week, I promise I'll come home and take over the family business."

After making sure my father was okay, I returned to Simon's villa to pack my things and leave.

Simon and I had known each other since our schooling days. We'd been together for ten years. In those ten years, he never stopped proposing, and I kept turning him down.

Back in school, I wanted to focus on my studies, so I said no. After graduation, I was busy building my career, so I still said no.

Thinking it was because I looked down on his family background, he made a promise to me. "I'll succeed and give you the life you deserve."

He worked like a madman.

I was moved by his determination. I even helped him start his business. Step by step, he rose to the top, becoming the CEO of a publicly listed company.

By the 66th proposal, I finally gave in to his persistence and sincerity and said yes.

Who would've known that he'd suddenly tell me he wanted to have a child with Fiona, right before our wedding? I still couldn't wrap my head around it.

It was true that Fiona and her mother had joined his family by the time he was an adult. There was no blood relation between them, but they were extremely close.

At first, I also thought he only saw her as a little sister.

However, Fiona would always show up unexpectedly whenever Simon and I were together, interrupting our time together.

Last year, on my birthday, Simon and I had planned a romantic dinner. But Fiona just happened to show up at the restaurant, crying out that her stomach hurt. Without hesitation, Simon scooped her into his arms and rushed out, leaving me alone at the restaurant.

I waited and waited, until the food went cold and the birthday cake melted. But he never came back.

I thought something terrible had happened to Fiona. Later, I found out it was just menstrual cramps.

Simon apologized, and to make up for it, he threw me a belated birthday party. I foolishly believed him. Even though he abandoned me on my birthday and spent the entire night with her, I didn't blame him.

Now, I realized that it was never just a normal sibling bond between them. What kind of sister wanted to have her brother's child?

At that thought, a bitter smile tugged on my lips. I gathered every photo of me and Simon, every gift he'd ever given me over the past ten years, and tossed them into the trash. I threw away every memory of us.

Just then, I heard the door open downstairs. I stepped out of the bedroom. Simon was back, with Fiona by his side.

The moment he saw me, he rushed forward to embrace me, but I dodged him without a word.

Simon froze awkwardly, then grabbed my hand, trying to flatter me. "Darling, don't be angry. Tomorrow, I'll deal with the press and shut down all the gossip. Next time, I'll give you an even grander wedding. We'll show them just how in love we are."

He already knew I had been humiliated. He had seen the headlines about the bride being left at the altar. He knew about how I made a fool of myself, how the guests jeered at me, about my father being sent to the hospital from shock.

Yet, he showed no signs of remorse.

Fiona, clutching her stomach, stepped forward and grabbed Simon's arm ever so naturally. "Ivy, from today on, I'll be counting on you to take care of me."

I froze. "What do you mean?"

Simon answered matter-of-factly, "Fiona's pregnant. She needs someone to look after her, so I've decided to let her live here with us. I recall you've read up a lot about pregnancy, so you're the perfect person to care for her."

My fiance wanted me to take care of the woman carrying his child? I nearly laughed out loud.

"I read all those books for myself. Why should I take care of her?"

Simon frowned. "Can't you be more generous? Fiona's a woman, just like you. You're naturally better suited to look after her. Besides, you can think of it as practice for when we have children of our own."

But there would be no "we". No future. No children.

I shook my head, smiling bitterly. But Simon didn't even glance at me again. He simply guided Fiona toward the guest room which had already been prepared for her.

To celebrate Fiona's pregnancy, Simon threw a grand party. I had no way to refuse. He practically dragged me there.

What I didn't expect was that the party would be held in the city's most luxurious hotel, the very same venue as our canceled wedding. Under Simon's meticulous planning, the party was even more extravagant than our wedding.

The moment I stepped into the banquet hall, memories of being abandoned and publicly humiliated came crashing back. Overwhelmed with disgust, my whole body trembled as I numbly sank into a chair in a corner.

Meanwhile, Simon escorted Fiona around, clinking glasses with guests. At one point, they even slow-danced as orchestra music filled the room. They looked more like a devoted husband and wife than me and him could ever be.

I retracted my gaze, turning my focus to the wine glass in my hand instead. That was when a group of drunken men suddenly approached me.

"Hey, miss. Drinking all alone?"

"Hold on. Isn't she the bride who got dumped at the altar a few days ago? Simon Hepworth's fiancee?"

"Since your fiance doesn't want you, why not have some fun with us instead?"

They closed in step by step, one of them even reaching out to grab my waist. Terror surged through me. I didn't know where the strength came from, but I shoved one of them away and ran off in a panic.

I didn't see where I was going, and I slammed right into Fiona. She shrieked and fell backward, red wine splashing all over herself as her glass shattered on the floor.

The music stopped. The chatter died. A crowd circled around us.

My head was still reeling when I felt someone shove me hard. I hit the floor, my palm landing on the glass shards. A sharp pain shot through me.

Stunned, I looked up to see who had pushed me. It was Simon.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? Fiona is pregnant! I've had it with your tantrums. What if something happened to her baby?" he furiously yelled at me before sweeping Fiona into his arms and rushing out of the room.

Whispers broke out from the crowd.

"So, she's the one who got left at the altar? I thought she was the victim, but it turns out she's vicious."

"Why is she still clinging on? She should just accept her fate and let Fiona have Simon."

"No wonder Simon hates her. Who'd want to marry a woman like that?"

I felt myself reliving the same scene, listening to the same cruel judgment.

I couldn't take it anymore. I turned and bolted out of the banquet hall.