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.

"Darling, I heard there are a lot of blood tests today. You’re always afraid of pain, but don’t worry, I’ll be right here with you," Dave said, holding her tightly, almost as if he was more nervous than Kate.

Kate quietly waited in line, holding the form in her hand. After she finished the first vial of blood, Dave's brow furrowed with concern as he looked at her. His face reflected his worry and it was clear he felt the discomfort on her behalf.

He gently comforted Kate, saying, "Does it hurt? Don't be afraid, I'm here."

In the past, when he said these words to Kate, her heart would warm with a sense of comfort.

But now, she felt nothing at all. She gently nodded her head. The pain of the blood draw was nothing compared to the hurt caused by him and Leona.

At that moment, the familiar ringtone sounded. Kate immediately recognized it— it was Leona's exclusive ringtone.

He answered the phone behind Kate's back, his voice laced with panic.

"What's wrong?"

"Wait for me, I'll come over right now."

His concern was evident in his eyes, though he tried to hide it. He pursed his lips before speaking. "Something happened at the company. I need to go there now. I'll come back to find you later."

Kate didn’t ask any more questions. She knew very well what Dave was about to do. But the constant lies, over and over again, had grown tiresome.

Kate was left alone, having had six vials of blood drawn.

Usually, she was most afraid of pain. When her period arrived, the cramps would make her cry in agony. But now, as she watched the needles pierce her veins one by one, there was no trace of fear in her.

Her nose tingled and the fire in her heart burned and died, but she couldn’t say a word. In the end, there was only numbness left.

She returned home alone, where it was nothing but more torment.

Looking at the new post from Leona, a bouquet after bouquet of flowers were arranged in a high-end restaurant, accompanied by the caption:

“Today, the ones I love are all by my side.”

In the photos, her parents were beaming with smiles, while a figure sat quietly in the corner, almost unnoticed. Even without seeing the face, Kate could tell it was Dave.

It turned out, her whole family had been keeping her in the dark all along.

Kate's hands trembled slightly and as she thought of these years, her eyes unconsciously began to redden.

She understood it all in her heart.

This family never truly had a place for her.

Even though she was the biological daughter of her parents, it seemed as if nothing she said would make a difference.

They only cared about what they thought in their hearts.

She no longer wanted to endure these days devoid of light. So, she wished them a lifetime together, never to be apart.

Dave didn’t come home all night, sending only a message to Kate: [Darling, I have to work overtime at the company. Go to bed early.]

Even on the eve of their wedding, he was still with Leona.

Kate could only feel the irony. Keeping him by her side at this moment was perfectly in line with Leona's character.

She couldn’t be bothered to pursue it. Rather than having a big argument with them, she preferred to leave this place as soon as possible. Staying for even one more minute made her feel disgusted.

"Your ship will arrive at dawn tonight. Will you come during the day or...?"

Before the person on the other end could finish speaking, Kate interrupted. "I’ll go at dawn."

"Alright, we’ll wait for you."

With Dave not at home, it saved her a lot of trouble.

She packed everything up and sent it away, leaving only Dave’s belongings behind.

The news of their wedding tomorrow had already spread throughout the circle and she watched as messages flooded in.

"Wish you a happy marriage!"

"Happy wedding! Wishing you lots of happiness!"

"I’ve always felt that you and Dave are a perfect match."