A month before the wedding, Mom was bitten by a dog and rushed to the hospital. The dog’s owner turned out to be one of Ellie Griggs’s juniors from university.

Ellie brought him to the hospital and said casually, “Mom was just too careless. She’s too old to be teasing dogs.”

Her junior shot me a provocative look.

I couldn’t believe it. Mom was clearly the victim, yet in Ellie’s mouth, she became the one to blame.

“It’s just an animal. Why take it so seriously? I have to fly abroad for a project. Keep an eye on Mom, and once she’s discharged, don’t let her tease dogs again.”

I looked at Ellie, my gaze eerily calm.

“When will you be back?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t miss our wedding. Anything else?”

“No.”

It wasn’t a big deal, just not getting married anymore.

——

An hour after Ellie left with her junior, Mom’s condition suddenly worsened. She couldn’t be saved.

I messaged Ellie right away, but there was no reply.

After that, I moved like a puppet on strings, numbly going through the motions of planning Mom’s funeral, one step at a time.

Just a few days ago, she had been eagerly looking forward to my wedding, but now she would never get to see it.

I forced myself not to cry during the funeral, listening to the murmurs of relatives and friends voicing their displeasure toward Ellie.

She was my fiancée, Mom’s future daughter-in-law; both emotionally and logically, she should’ve been there.

I had sent her messages and called her.

No replies. The calls didn’t go through.

I lied to myself, telling myself she must’ve been caught up with work, that she simply hadn’t seen them yet. I could believe that once, maybe twice, but not a third time.

As the sky darkened and friends and family slowly departed, I remained kneeling in front of Mom’s grave. In that moment, I didn’t want to think about anything; I just wanted to stay quietly by her side.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed.

I unlocked it and saw a new post from Ellie’s junior.

In the video, Ellie was in a swimsuit, laughing and playing on the beach with him.

In an instant, my breath caught, and an unbearable tightness gripped my chest.

So this was her so-called business trip abroad.

I was a fool.

Still making excuses for her.

I pressed both palms to the ground and pushed myself up, legs shaking from kneeling too long.

“Mom, it’s over between me and Ellie. Forgive me… I couldn’t keep the promise I made to you.”

Before she passed, Mom had asked me to cherish Ellie.

But Ellie, she wasn’t worth it.

I met her on campus. She was the heiress of a billion-dollar empire. I was just a nobody from the countryside.

Around her, I always felt small.

Yet she had loved me without hesitation, once saying she’d give up everything, her status, her fortune, just to stay by my side.

We dated in secret.

To ease the pressure of meeting her parents, I joined her family’s company right after graduation, starting from the bottom and grinding my way up.

Overtime became a routine, and sleepless nights were nothing new. To secure a project, I even drank until I coughed up blood.

But I believed it was all worth it.

Because I wanted to prove that I could stand tall beside her, strong enough to shield her from society’s scorn.

And I did it.

In just three years, I rose from an entry-level employee to vice president of the company.

Ellie was proud of me.

At the company’s succession celebration, she held my hand and led me onto the stage, publicly announcing our relationship.

In that moment, her eyes sparkled like stars.

But that light gradually dimmed after Brandon Zeiler joined the company.

He was her youngest junior back in university, and the youngest always seemed to get the most affection.

She treated Brandon far too well, so much that jealousy quietly crept into my chest.

Whenever I showed a hint of displeasure, she would lean close and tease me with a laugh, “Hehe, jealous? So cute!”

“Alright, don’t be mad anymore. I only see Brandon as a younger brother. Our professor personally called and asked me to look after him. How could I say no?”

I didn’t know if she truly meant it or was just feeding me another excuse; I’d heard that line too many times.

Every time she consoled me, she treated Brandon even better. She spent more time with him than with me. Her social media was flooded with photos of the two of them.

She’d often get messages from him late at night and rush out, not returning until the next morning.

Though she always gave me plausible explanations, the shadow in my heart only grew deeper. Still, I loved her too much; I swallowed the growing cracks inside me.

It wasn’t until Mom passed away that the illusion finally shattered.

Just because she couldn’t reject a professor’s request, did that mean she had to treat him better than her fiancé?

It was never a reason. Just a lie I kept choosing to believe.

Since her heart had already changed, why should I keep clinging to her?

The next time I saw Ellie was half a month later.

She greeted me downstairs at the company with a smile.

“I told you the wedding wouldn’t be delayed. I didn’t break my promise, did I?”

“Hmm.”

I gave a casual response, my gaze shifting to Brandon beside her and the vicious dog at his side.

Brandon shot me a provocative glance, then crouched down to stroke the dog. The beast bared its teeth at me, hostility written all over its face.

Ellie giggled and scolded me playfully, “Honey, you scared it.”

Then she crouched beside Brandon, petting the dog together with him.

That scene dimmed something in my eyes.

“Oh, right!” Ellie suddenly stood up, her voice sweet and composed.

“I’ve been thinking about what happened before. Whether or not Mom provoked the dog, the fact remains that she was bitten and ended up in the hospital. Since Brandon owns the dog, he owes her an apology.”

“So, you waited for me downstairs just to have him apologize to Mom?” I asked calmly.

“Not just him, me too. What I said at the hospital that day was a bit harsh.”

I lowered my eyes to the vicious dog crouched beside Brandon, still baring its teeth at me.

“This beast is coming too?”

Brandon’s expression darkened immediately.

“Mr. Presley, you’d better watch your mouth. Ali is not a beast—she’s my best friend.”

I nodded with a calm smile.

“You’re right. Dogs are, indeed, a dog’s best friend.”

“You—!”

Brandon’s finger jabbed the air as his face flushed with anger.

“Kairi, that was uncalled for,” Ellie said, her expression turning cold. “Brandon already realized his mistake and was willing to apologize, all thanks to my persuasion. If you don’t accept it, fine. But why twist the knife like this?”

Her words pierced straight through me.

Even if Mom hadn’t died, even if she had only ended up in the hospital from a dog bite, couldn’t I, at the very least, show a bit of anger toward the dog’s owner?

Why did I suddenly become the villain in her eyes?

Was Brandon that important to her, so untouchable he couldn’t bear even the slightest grievance?

Brandon put on a pitiful face.

“Senior, since Mr. Presley won’t forgive me, let’s just forget the apology. I don’t want to make things harder for you.”

“I’m leaving.”

Ellie called after him, then turned to face me. Her gaze felt unfamiliar, as if I were a stranger.

“Apologize to Brandon.”

“In your dreams.”

“Kairi Presley!”

She yelled my full name for the first time, her voice sharp with fury. It was the first time she had ever raised her voice at me.

“Why have you become like this? If you said something wrong, shouldn’t you apologize?”

“Then what about taking a life? Shouldn’t a life be repaid with another?”

Ellie froze, her expression shaken. “What did you just say?”

“It’s nothing.”

I turned and walked into the company, the resignation letter already tucked into my pocket.

The resignation process went smoothly. As a vice president, I submitted and signed it myself without needing anyone else.

That night, I didn’t return home; I checked into a hotel. Ellie sent message after message.

[Where did you go? Why aren’t you home?]

[Are you still mad? I only said those things because I was upset. Come back, I brought you a gift from abroad.]

[Honey, I was wrong. Please come home. It’s so empty here. I’m scared of being alone.]

I grew irritated and shut off my phone.

The next morning, I figured Ellie should already be on her way to the company. So I checked out of the hotel and returned home to pack.

But just as I opened the door, I froze. Ellie sat coldly on the sofa, and beside her was Brandon, sobbing, struggling to catch his breath.

“Why did you kill Ali?” Ellie opened with an accusation.

I didn’t react at first, then quickly remembered that Ali was Brandon’s vicious dog. I let out a short laugh. “That beast’s dead? Whoever did it did a great deed, finally rid the world of a menace.”

“Kairi!”

Ellie shouted, her voice rising with fury.

“You did it, and you don’t even have the guts to admit it? And with that kind of attitude, you—”

“Hold on.” I cut her off. “You’re saying I killed that dog?”

“Who else could it be?” Brandon’s eyes were red with anger. “Ali was always gentle. Other than your mom getting bitten because she provoked him, he never hurt anyone.”

“It had to be you!” Brandon pointed straight at me. “Ali hurt your mom, so you killed him!”

I turned to Ellie. “Is that what you think, too?”

Ellie’s face turned cold. Her eyes, once filled with affection, now held nothing but judgment.

“Kairi, I never thought you’d be so cruel. Just because your mom was hospitalized over a minor injury, you went and killed Ali.”

I stared at her, stunned. So this was what she believed.

My mom being bitten and hospitalized was just a “minor issue,” but the death of that vicious dog was a huge deal.

A human life meant less than a dog’s.

What a joke.

Ellie’s attitude completely chilled me. I didn’t even bother to explain.

“So what if I did kill it?”

“You killed my Ali! I’ll fight you to the death!”

Brandon leapt from the sofa and charged at me.

“Get lost.” I kicked him straight to the floor.

The next second, a heavy slap cracked across my face. Ellie pointed at the door, screaming, “Get out! Get out right now!”

I stood there, stunned.

Ellie had actually hit me.

For Brandon. For a dog.

She rushed to Brandon’s side and helped him up. “Are you alright? Let’s go to the hospital.”

Watching her support him out the door, I said calmly, “You’re the one who told me to leave today. I hope you won’t regret it.”

Ellie turned, her gaze cold and sharp. “You have one day. Apologize to Brandon and attend Ali’s funeral. Repent sincerely. Or the wedding is off. You’ll never marry me.”

I smiled and nodded. “Alright then.”

Without hesitation, I packed my bags, hailed a taxi to the airport, and boarded the flight I had already booked.

As the plane soared into the sky, miles away in the hospital, Ellie suddenly felt a wave of unease swell in her chest. Her fingers trembled as she pulled out her phone and typed in a hurry.

[I didn’t mean it. You don’t need to repent, just apologize to Brandon, that’s enough.]

She tapped send, but a glaring red exclamation mark popped up on the screen.