She watched Dave’s retreating figure, a bitter feeling she couldn’t put into words.

Lying on the bed, she couldn’t help but let her tears soak the pillow.

She pursed her lips and closed her eyes. "Dave, this time, I’ll let you have it all."

There were still five days until the cruise arrived.

Kate woke up early and immediately went to take care of the necessary procedures.

As soon as the ship arrived, she would board immediately, with the first stop being Polarisia. It has always been a place she wanted to visit. Once she resolved these matters, she would finally be able to live for herself.

She had already packed most of her things.

Dave returned early today. Seeing Kate running around busy, he thought she was preparing for the wedding.

He walked up and took Kate's hand.

“Darling, you don’t have to work so hard. Once you marry me, I’ll take care of everything at home. You just need to enjoy it," Dave said with a smile.

Kate paused for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Marry him? That was impossible now.

Seeing the smile on Dave's face, Kate couldn't help but feel exhausted for him.

Before long, he received a call from the Shawn Family.

"Today is the day for our two families to discuss the wedding details. You must be there."

This wasn't a discussion; it was a notification.

Even though Kate was unwilling, she had no choice but to play along and finish this act.

The venue was set in a park and the restaurant was decorated in the style that Leona liked the most.

Though it was supposed to be Kate and Dave’s special day, Leona was sitting in the seat of honor, wearing a red robe.

Dave's parents were exceptionally fond of Leona, so naturally, she could sit wherever she pleased.

Compared to Kate, who was just an adopted daughter, they had always hoped that Dave would marry Leona.

Because of this, they had never treated Kate well.

In the past, it was Kate who loved Dave and was willing to swallow her pride for him, believing that one day they would change their attitude toward her.

But now, she no longer thought that way. She didn’t want to live this kind of life for even one more day.

When they saw Kate arrive, they merely glanced at her briefly. Their bodies, however, were still turned towards Leona as they chatted away.

They continued to criticize Kate without hesitation.

"Kate, if you were as lively and cute as Leona, that would be great! I really wish I had a daughter like Leona."

This wasn’t the first time they had said such things and Kate had grown somewhat numb to it.

But she had always been cold and distant by nature and in front of these people, she couldn’t bring herself to show a different side of herself.

Leona replied with a smile, "It's okay, just treat me like your daughter. Although my sister is not very likable, I'll still try to win your favor for her."

Her ability to talk smoothly was her strong suit and it didn’t take long before she had both Dave's parents smiling with delight.

Meanwhile, Dave stood by, grinning from ear to ear. His gaze towards Leona was like that of an artist admiring his masterpiece, filled with satisfaction.

Throughout the entire gathering, Kate spoke very little, wanting nothing more than to leave quickly. Perhaps no one could understand how she felt. She truly hated these kinds of occasions.

In the past, Dave would always find excuses to leave with her, never caring about what others said. But now, as she looked at the man before her, he remained indifferent. Was it that he had hidden his true feelings too well, or had Kate only discovered the truth too late?

As it was time to leave, rain began to pour outside.

Leona was wearing a beautiful dress, her heels delicate and high. She didn't even have to call out to Dave; he took the initiative to wrap her in his arms.

He held the umbrella with one hand and carried her in his other arm, with Leona curled up in his embrace like a small cat. Dave didn't mind if his shoulders got soaked, as long as Leona stayed dry. He even forgot that Kate was still standing behind them.

She watched them walking towards the car, coldly observing their backs. It reminded her of the year she loved him the most, when he had also held Leona in his arms like this. Kate didn't have time to think too much. With a burst of energy, she rushed into the rain and got into the car. It wasn't until Leona had been comforted that Dave finally got out of Leona's car.

Seeing Kate drenched in rain, Dave was momentarily stunned before quickly reacting, immediately explaining, “Leona has always been frail and if she gets caught in the rain, she might fall ill. I just sent her to the car first. You're not angry, are you?"

"Darling, why didn’t you wait for me to help you up?" Realizing his actions, Dave quickly apologized.

Kate simply replied softly, "It's fine."

Dave, who knew that Kate wasn't one to hold grudges, felt relieved when she said it was fine. He believed there was no issue.

But in Kate's heart, Dave had long since decayed.

On the way back, Kate didn’t say a word. The two of them seemed like strangers who had just met. If she could, Kate would rather have never known him.

Kate went back to the Shawn Family, packed up all her belongings, leaving behind only a diary.

The diary contained all the memories of her childhood. She thought to herself, let it be her final gift to her parents.

No one knew the real reason she was packing her things, nor did anyone care. When her mother, Melanie, saw her carrying the suitcase out the door, she only left a cold remark.

"What's this? Are you really planning to never come back? Then you'd better pray that nothing troublesome happens to you, because we won't care anymore."

Perhaps, from the moment they discovered that Kate wasn't their biological daughter, they no longer considered her as part of the Shawn Family. They were eager to get rid of her and marry her off as quickly as possible.

Kate didn't respond. Instead, she turned and glanced at the woman who had raised her for twenty years.

"Is there really no emotion at all?" She looked at her mother and slowly said, "Goodbye."

Melanie had no awareness of it.

It was as if it was just another ordinary day and no one knew that this was her farewell.

She placed her things in a safe place, deciding that once she left, she would leave nothing behind.

When she returned home, it was already evening.

As soon as Dave saw Kate return, he immediately placed the wedding dress he had personally chosen in front of her. "The wedding is a one-time event, how can we settle for less? Quick, choose one you like!"

Kate stared at the neatly arranged white wedding dresses for a while, lost in thought.

When her gaze shifted back to Dave, her eyes inadvertently filled with tears.

It turned out that no matter how much love there seemed to be, it could all be faked.

He casually picked up a wedding dress and handed it to Kate. "This one suits you! Go try it on!"

Kate didn’t refuse, even though the dresses in front of her could never compare to the one she had designed herself.

When she came out in the second dress, she saw him answering a phone call. "Do I have to come out and shop with you now? But I’m with your sister trying on wedding dresses. Okay, I’ll be right there."

His voice was soft and barely audible as he hid in the corner.

But Kate still heard every word clearly.

After hanging up the phone, he smiled and hugged Kate from behind.

"Darling, you look beautiful in anything. My company has a bit of an issue, so I might not be able to go with you. Pick whichever one you like!"

Kate knew this was just his excuse and that he was really going to accompany Leona shopping.

Kate didn't ask further, simply nodding in agreement.

After he left, she called the servant over. Looking at the wedding dresses in front of her, her tone was cold. "Burn all of these dresses. Not a single one should be left."

Even though the servant had questions, they didn't dare to ask and could only obediently comply.

As the wedding dresses burned to ashes, it felt like not just the dresses, but her two years of emotions had been consumed by the fire.

A burning anger surged in Kate's heart, as though it were breaking through the constraints of the world.

Later that evening, she saw the post on Leona's social media.

Dave had bought her a new handbag and luxury items, being very generous.

Looking at the picture, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Kate's mouth.

She had already decided what gift to give them—a hand-crafted folding fan that she had custom-made herself.

Originally, the fan was meant to be used on her wedding day, but now it seemed unnecessary.

Since Leona liked her things so much, she decided to give them all to her.

The day Kate left would be the day they received the gift. She would surely wish them a lifetime of happiness.

By the time Dave returned that evening, he had remembered to bring Kate her favorite chestnuts.

"When I came back, I happened to see someone selling roasted chestnuts, so I brought some for you."

Some of them had already been peeled.

Kate was stunned for a moment. She remembered that she loved roasted chestnuts.

But ever since they were little, Leona always competed with her for everything—whatever she liked, Leona liked too.

Kate's face hardened and her expression was unreadable. "No, I don't want to eat."

Dave thought Kate was still angry about what happened earlier in the day. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. "Darling, I really had something to take care of during the day. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to spend time with you. And you look good in anything, so I’m naturally at ease."

These words held no credibility in Kate's heart now.

She remembered what Dave had said to Leona. Thinking about it made her feel disgusted.

She gently pushed Dave away, her voice calm and emotionless.

"Okay."

Dave smiled as soon as he heard her words. To him, Kate had always been the sensible and obedient one.

He gently took Kate's hand, his eyes full of affection and his tone softened.

"The day after tomorrow is our wedding. The family has arranged for a premarital checkup. I'll be sure to stay with you tomorrow."

His slightly squinted eyes were fixed on Kate. She froze for a moment and a fleeting sadness passed through her gaze. She turned her head away and nodded quietly.

The next day, Kate still got up with Dave as usual. Early in the morning, she received a message from the cruise company.

"Your customized cruise will arrive in two days. You can prepare for boarding in advance."

When Kate saw the message, her eyes flickered slightly.

"Darling, we need to get ready to leave!"

She quickly turned off her phone. When she looked up, Dave was holding a small bag in his hand, filled with carefully prepared items. He shook the bag in front of her, as if seeking praise like a child.

Kate didn't speak, only offering a faint, bitter smile.