Every word felt like a dagger, cutting deep and leaving scars that would never fully fade.

For a moment, Hazel thought she had misheard, her mind struggling to grasp the weight of what Ambrose had just said.

How could such cruel, venomous words come from his mouth? The man she had loved for so long.

She lifted her gaze, only to find Ambrose standing there, his body shielding Scarlett.

That familiar protective stance was too much to bear. It mirrored the past, when Scarlett's mother, Althea, had risen to the role of mistress, pushing Gianna, Hazel's mother aside and subjecting Hazel to endless cruelty. Zaccheus, Hazel's father had turned a blind eye.

And each time, it was Ambrose, who lived next door, who rushed in to defend her.

He had always been the one to stand up for her, to demand justice, to pull her into his arms and offer comfort when the world seemed too harsh.

When Hazel doubted her worth, Ambrose would always be there, declaring, "Hazel, you're the best person in the world. If they don’t want you, I do! No matter what happens, I’ll always stand by your side and protect you."

But years had passed, and those youthful promises had crumbled into nothing more than hollow echoes.

Now, Ambrose’s desire to protect was no longer aimed at Hazel but at Scarlett, the one who had caused her so much pain.

Hazel tried with all her strength to hold herself together, but tears spilled over, unstoppable.

Her heart was a raw, aching wound, and no words came to her to defend herself.

Seeing her like this, Ambrose's expression faltered, his guilt evident as his eyes avoided hers, instead landing on her bleeding feet.

"You're hurt?"

After all these years, Ambrose still couldn’t quite harden his heart against her.

He sighed softly, his words weighed down by regret. "Forget it. Let’s just say tonight was all nonsense... from being drunk. From now on—"

“There won’t be a ‘from now on,’” Hazel interrupted her voice barely a whisper.

"What?"

Ambrose sensed something had shifted within her, something he hadn’t expected.

But with everything that had unfolded that night, Ambrose’s mind was consumed by thoughts of Scarlett, leaving him with no energy left to focus on Hazel.

Just as he was about to speak, Scarlett’s voice, shaking with sobs, pierced through the air.

"Sister, do you really hate me that much? Forcing me to go abroad wasn’t enough; you want to drive me to my death, too? Fine, I’ll die, so I don’t burden Brother Ambrose anymore!"

Her words hit like a thunderclap, and before Hazel could respond, Scarlett ran toward the road.

It was late, empty streets, no cars in sight, but the panic surged within Ambrose, and he threw aside all hesitation. He rushed after Scarlett, his only thought to reach her.

In his frenzy, he collided with Hazel, sending her crashing to the ground. The sharp gravel scraped against her bleeding skin, the sting of it almost too much to bear.

The blows to her body, the weight of everything, drained her completely. She couldn’t even summon the strength to cry.

Ten years of love, gone, wasted. It had always been one-sided. A childhood sweetheart could never compete with an unexpected love.

She couldn’t compete with the woman Ambrose had held in his heart all along.

After what felt like an eternity, Hazel struggled to her feet, dragging her injured leg as she limped back to her room.

Once inside, she tended to her bloodied feet, then, with one final glance, she threw away the carefully selected wedding decorations she had once hoped would mark the start of forever.

Her gaze fell on the wedding countdown hanging in the living room, and for a brief moment, she hesitated.

Then, with a resigned sigh, she ripped off the word “wedding” and, in her heart, silently replaced it with a countdown to her departure.

There was so much to pack. The hours blurred together as she worked through the night, only falling into a restless sleep at four in the morning.

Barely three hours later, the shrill ring of her phone pulled her from her dreams.

“Hazel, are you awake? I ordered your favorite soup. I won’t be back today. Let’s push the wedding photoshoot to another day. There’s an emergency at the company, and I really can’t leave.”

Hazel rubbed her aching temples, her voice hoarse as she replied, “Alright.”

Her quick agreement and perhaps the sadness she couldn’t hide seemed to make Ambrose uneasy. His tone softened as though he was uncertain of the distance growing between them.

“Don’t dwell on what happened yesterday. I’ve already apologized to Scarlett on your behalf.”

“Okay.”

“Scarlett said weddings are just a show, nothing to stress about. Our bond is so strong that we don’t need these formalities to prove anything. Let’s keep it simple.”

“I’ll follow your lead.”

Hazel had already made her decision. This wedding would go down as the simplest one in history.

No wedding photos. No marriage certificate. No officiant.

And no bride.

After hanging up, Hazel stood up, her hand steady as she grabbed a marker and slashed “Wedding Photoshoot” off her calendar.

Ambrose’s work always consumed him, and Hazel had always been careful not to disturb him, especially when he was busy. While she’d been planning the wedding, she’d bought a special wish calendar, pouring her dreams into it. Each event was a marker of hopes she longed to fulfill, one last grand gesture for a once-in-a-lifetime occasion.

Now, those dreams were swallowed by thick, regret-laden strokes of ink, leaving nothing but a void of unspoken sorrow.

With a deep sigh, Hazel glanced around the room, the glaring red of wedding decorations mocking her every move. It had taken her the entire day to strip the room of its once carefully arranged decor.

By evening, however, Ambrose's name was everywhere.

“To win a smile from his beloved, the CEO spends 8 million on a vintage pearl brooch.”

The photo was grainy, but the woman beside Ambrose was assumed to be Hazel.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. So, this was where all the money that was supposed to be for their wedding had ended up.

But it didn’t matter anymore. Hazel had long since shut the door on any sadness tied to Ambrose.

Over the next few days, he didn’t come home. Hazel didn’t ask where he was or make any arrangements for him as she once would have. Instead, she handed in her resignation, said her goodbyes to a few close colleagues, and quietly began telling her friends of her plans to leave the country.

Her friends exchanged knowing glances, their sighs blending in perfect unison.

"We had a feeling this was coming," one of them murmured softly.

Without a word, one of them opened Ambrose's social media feed and handed the phone to Hazel.

"To the outside world, it might look like these pictures are of you," she said gently, "but we all know it's Scarlett."

Only then did the truth sink in. Ambrose had been with Scarlett this whole time. Though he rarely updated his social media, his posts had been flooding in, each one more frequent than the last, each one dedicated to her.

They visited amusement parks, tried on wedding dresses at bridal shops, and shared quiet moments under the moonlight atop a mountaintop.

Ambrose's love for Scarlett was as clear as day, laid out for the world to see. The only thing he’d done to hide it was block Hazel from seeing it all.

Her friends exchanged concerned glances, the silence stretching on too long.

"Hazel, are you alright?" one of them finally asked, her voice laced with worry.

"There’s no need to waste your tears on someone like him," another chimed in. "Ambrose doesn’t deserve your love. Once he sees the truth about Scarlett, he’ll regret this for the rest of his life."

Hazel offered a faint smile, her eyes drifting to the lively streets outside the window.

"It’s fine. I don’t care anymore." Her voice was quieter, almost resigned. "But I do need a favor…"

In just a few days, she would leave this place, cutting ties with the past. She no longer had the luxury of drowning in heartbreak over Ambrose.

When Ambrose finally returned after days of silence, Hazel couldn’t muster a reaction. She remained distant, her indifference cutting through the tension.

Ambrose, for his part, was lost in his world. Even when he finally stepped inside, his eyes never left his phone, his fingers moving rapidly across the screen, oblivious to everything around him.

Hazel sat quietly beside him, her laptop open as she transferred the surveillance footage onto a USB drive. She had a surprise in mind that would leave a mark before she walked away.

Halfway through the transfer, Ambrose suddenly looked up, his gaze scanning the house. "Why does it feel so empty in here all of a sudden? Didn’t you decorate?"

"You told me to keep things simple."

Hazel wasn’t concerned. She knew Ambrose's eyes had long stopped seeing anything that didn’t involve Scarlett.

However, Ambrose’s gaze lingered on the countdown calendar in the living room this time. He let out a soft laugh. "Time flies, huh? Only seven days left until our wedding."

Hazel stood up and walked over to the calendar. With a quick motion, she tore off two pages.

"Our wedding is in five days."

The two pages she tore off had wishes written: “Ride a Ferris wheel together” and “Watch the stars together.” These were things Ambrose had already done with Scarlett.

A strange pang tugged at Ambrose’s heart, like a fleeting shadow of something important he’d missed. He opened his mouth to say more, but Hazel’s phone buzzed, cutting through the moment.

Noticing her mother’s name on the screen, Hazel excused herself and stepped onto the balcony to answer.

When she returned, Ambrose was already lost in his world, his eyes glued to his phone as he typed away, undoubtedly chatting with Scarlett.

“Who called? I thought I heard something about a visa,” he asked casually, barely looking up.

“Nothing important—just work,” Hazel replied, her tone light and dismissive.

Ambrose exhaled in relief. “Good. Don’t go planning any honeymoon trips. I won’t have the time.”

“I know,” she said softly.

Since Scarlett’s return, Ambrose couldn’t bear to be away from her, not even for a moment. It was clear he had no time or space for anyone else.

They sat in strained silence, the tension in the room growing heavier with every passing second. Ambrose shifted uncomfortably, an inexplicable unease curling in the pit of his stomach.

Hazel had always carried herself with a quiet grace, a sensibility born not of choice but necessity. Unlike other girls, she never indulged in tantrums or petty whims.

But Ambrose knew the truth; her calm demeanor was a mask, a defense she had perfected over the years.

Beneath it all, Hazel was just a fragile, love-starved girl, yearning for affection she rarely received.

In the past, every time he stepped through the door, she would rush into his arms, her eyes alight with joy as she eagerly shared every detail of her day.

She would chatter endlessly, filling the silence with her stories, oblivious to whether he was listening or not.

Now, the quiet was deafening. It pressed down on him, feeling unnatural and wrong. Ambrose set his phone aside, his gaze shifting to Hazel.

“You’ve worked so hard preparing for the wedding. Once this is all over…”

But Hazel cut him off, her tone steady yet pointed. “Where’s your wedding ring?”

He froze, caught off guard by the sudden question. “I’m not sure… I must’ve lost it somewhere.”

The memory crept back into his mind unbidden. It had been the night of their engagement. Scarlett had seen the ring and been upset.

He had slipped it off to calm her down, setting it aside without a second thought.

Ambrose opened his mouth to explain, guilt flickering in his eyes, but Hazel interrupted him almost dismissively. “If it’s lost, it’s lost. Just buy a new one.”

She didn’t linger on the matter. In her heart, she knew the truth. Once she left, Ambrose would undoubtedly replace it with a stunning diamond ring for Scarlett.

This ring, their ring, had been destined for the trash heap from the moment Scarlett had stepped back into his life. Whether it was now or later didn’t make a difference.

Ambrose had grown used to Hazel’s endless understanding, her boundless patience that bordered on self-sacrifice.

Yet, for the first time, her indifference rattled him. It was as if he hadn’t just lost a ring but something intangible, something far more valuable.

The unease gnawed at him, relentless and unfamiliar. Determined to ease the weight pressing on his chest, Ambrose resolved to make things right with Hazel.