The tenth year of being with Alexander Adams had become a string of sacrifices, but this one cut the deepest.

My mother was gravely ill, her frail body battling time itself. Her only wish was to see me married and personally oversee the ceremony that would seal my happiness.

For this dream, I humbled myself, pleading with Alexander 99 times before he finally agreed to a wedding. His reluctance, though sharp, was overshadowed by my mother’s joy.

Despite her failing strength, she climbed Everwood Summit, step by agonizing step, and prayed to God to safeguard our future. Desperate for guidance, she turned to a mystic to divine the perfect moment to act, trusting that timing held the key to our salvation.

She spent countless sleepless nights, her hands trembling, embroidering a love knot symbolizing eternal devotion.

But just three days before the wedding, Alexander shattered everything.

He stood before me, unyielding, his tone devoid of warmth. “Madeline’s birthday happens to fall on the same day. We’ll have to postpone the wedding.”

I collapsed to my knees, my voice trembling with desperation. “This date was chosen by someone my mother trusted. She’s holding on with all her strength just to see this day. Her birthday will come again next year, but my mom doesn’t have that kind of time.”

He barely spared me a glance, his attention consumed by choosing the perfect cake for Madeline Landers.

“What does it matter to me if your mom lives or dies?” he said coldly. “Even if she’s truly at death’s door, she can wait until Madeline finishes celebrating her birthday.”

After delivering those cruel words, Alexander walked away with his childhood sweetheart, leaving without a backward glance.

Left in despair, I resolved to move on, choosing a partner who truly deserved to stand by my side in marriage.

On the day of her birthday, Alexander’s paranoia got the better of him. He seemed convinced I would cause some sort of disruption and made sure his assistant kept a vigilant eye on me.

The assistant convinced him, “Sir, you don’t need to worry. Miss Carter is getting married today; there’s no way she has time to cause any trouble…”

***

In the dimly lit hospital room, my mother sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the embroidered love knot in her frail hands. Her trembling fingers repeatedly moved over the stitches, searching for flaws she could no longer see.

The cancer had cruelly spread to her brain, stealing her vision bit by bit. Each misstep in her stitching forced her to undo and redo her work, her determination unbroken by the pain wracking her fragile body.

Despite endless sleepless nights caused by the agony, she always smiled when she reached out to touch my head. “It’s such a blessing to see my baby so happy,” she whispered. “I can leave this world without regret.”

Her words struck a chord deep within me, and the tears I had held back for so long threatened to spill. Before they betrayed me, I hurried out of the room, feigning an excuse.

Once outside, I unlocked my phone, my hands shaking. The screen lit up with a message from Alexander. His words were cold and curt, informing me that the wedding was postponed.

Gripping the phone like a lifeline, I sank to the ground, biting into my hand to stifle the sobs that surged from my chest. Hot tears streamed down my face as the muffled groans of my mother’s pain seeped through the thin hospital door.

Wiping my face with trembling hands, I stood up, my resolve hardening. Without hesitation, I called Alexander.

***

Standing at the doorway of the private room, the soft melody of a love song floated to my ears. I didn’t need to peek inside to know Alexander and Madeline were singing together.

Summoning every ounce of courage, I pushed open the door. The room fell silent as heads turned toward me, the weight of their stares sharp and unforgiving. These weren’t strangers; they were Alexander and Madeline’s mutual friends, a tight-knit circle I had never truly been a part of.

From the moment Madeline had left Alexander to pursue her dreams abroad, I had stepped into the void she left behind. To them, I was an intruder, a placeholder for someone irreplaceable. Their cold hostility had been a constant shadow, their contempt an unspoken verdict.

Once, their disdain would have sent me retreating into the safety of silence, but not tonight. Tonight, I walked forward, each step deliberated, each breath steady, until I stood before Alexander at the centre of the crowd.

Madeline’s gaze met mine, her lips curling into a mocking smile. She moved as if to step away, but Alexander stopped her with ease. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her back into his embrace. His hand was possessive and unyielding, drawing a soft, playful laugh from her lips.

The sound was like shards of glass piercing through the fragile armor around my heart. Pain surged through me, sharp and unrelenting, as though a thousand needles had carved their mark deep within my chest.

But I couldn’t afford to let my emotions consume me now. Pushing aside their intimate gestures, I found my voice and spoke clearly. “Alexander, no matter how you feel about me now, I’ve loved you with all my heart for ten years. If you don’t postpone the wedding, I promise to walk away after it’s over and never bother you again.”

For a decade, I had given him my everything, hoping that my love had carved even the smallest space in his heart.

People whispered that I was nothing more than a stand-in for Madeline, a placeholder for the woman who had always been his first choice. But I had clung to the belief that I was more than that, that I mattered to him, even if she had returned.

I had always been waiting for a word from Alexander. I refused to let go as long as he didn’t say it, no matter how others mocked or humiliated me.

Stubbornly, I remained by his side, pouring all my love and devotion into him, hoping it would one day mean something.

But this time, the wedding forced me to face the truth; he had made his choice long ago. I had just been too blind to see it.

He often said he liked obedient, quiet girls.

So, I was always reserved, accommodating, and docile in front of him.

But Madeline didn’t need to be any of those things. She could be willful and demanding, and Alexander would still defend her every whim.

All his indulgence and care were hers, while all his doubt, impatience, and coldness were mine.

He gave a faint smile and said, “Scarlett, don’t you think it’s absurd to say something like that?”

"Think about it. Ever since Madeline came back, what have you done? You hired thugs to kidnap her, spread rumors about her being the other woman, and even plotted to have someone run her down with a car."

"You'll do anything to cling to me, and now you're telling me you’ll let go? Do you think I’d believe that?"

As his accusations struck one after another, my chest tightened, suffocating under a weight that felt like damp cotton. Breathing became a struggle.

I had heard these words too many times before.

Since Madeline’s return, incident after incident had chipped away at Alexander’s trust in me.

He had grown tired, constantly lecturing me how to "behave."

But the truth was, I had been the one kidnapped. I hadn’t fueled the trending rumors, and even the car accident was a trap set by Madeline herself.

Instinctively, I opened my mouth to protest, to explain that none of it was my doing.

But Madeline’s mocking eyes and the sneering faces of his friends stopped me in my tracks.

What was the point? No matter how often I defended myself, it wouldn’t change a thing.

Alexander… he would never believe me.

Seeing my silence, Madeline laughed sweetly and stepped forward, turning to Alexander. "Alexander, her mother is dying. You shouldn't break your promise even if you’re angry at her for hurting me. Maybe I should skip my birthday celebration this time.”

“She’s nothing compared to you,” Alexander replied, his gaze brushing over me with cold indifference.

Madeline’s words gave me a fleeting glimmer of hope, only for Alexander to crush it with his dismissive tone.

Madeline lightly tapped his chest, her voice sweet and teasing. “Alexander, don’t be like that. After all, she spent ten years by your side… for my sake.”

She turned to me, her feigned innocence barely masking her malice. “How about this, then? If you kneel down now, apologize for everything you’ve done to me, and drink these ten bottles of alcohol, I’ll persuade Alexander to attend your wedding as planned. Does that sound fair?”

I looked at Alexander, searching his face for even a trace of disagreement. But he said nothing. His silence spoke louder than words; it was his way of agreeing.

The image of my mother’s hopeful gaze flashed through my mind. Gritting my teeth, I lowered my head and began to kneel.

But just as my knees bent, Madeline’s smile widened. She casually grabbed several wine bottles and smashed them on the floor, scattering sharp shards across my path.

Wearing a knee-length dress, I didn’t need to imagine the damage those jagged edges would inflict.

The atmosphere was suffocating, thick with unspoken tension.

As I resolved to go through with it, Alexander’s cold voice cut through the silence.

“Enough, Madeline. You can’t even handle the sight of blood.”

Madeline’s face darkened, her displeasure evident, but she dared not challenge him.

I let out a bitter smile. Why was I still clinging to hope, even now?

Shifting my gaze to the bottles of alcohol on the table, I locked eyes with Alexander. “If I finish all of this, you’ll attend the wedding as promised, won’t you?”

His expression flickered, a rare trace of hesitation. “Scarlett, have you forgotten you’re allergic to alcohol?”

A faint, bitter smile tugged at my lips. “Spare me your concern, Alexander. Just keep your word.”

After speaking, I cracked open the first bottle of liquor and downed it in one go.

The fiery burn scorched my throat, forcing an uncontrollable cough to escape me.

Across from me, Alexander’s expression hardened further, his eyes growing colder. He clenched his jaw and barked my name sharply.

To make sure he didn’t back out, I gritted my teeth and endured the burning discomfort of my allergy.

By the time I reached the third bottle, I could barely stand, my body leaning heavily against the table for support.

Seeing this, Madeline moved closer. “Scarlett, if you can’t drink anymore, why don’t we just forget this whole thing?”

The familiar scent of sage filled my senses, wrapping around me like a haunting memory.

The same scent clung to Alexander countless nights when he returned home late.

I recoiled instinctively from her touch.

I raised a trembling hand, but she stumbled backward.

Without hesitation, Alexander caught her, his concern evident in the way he looked at her.

In the chaos, I lost my balance and fell to the ground.

The alcohol spun my head, but the sharp sting of pain snapped me back to reality.

My hands hit the shards of broken glass on the floor, and a long piece pierced deep into my palm, blood flowing freely.

At the sight of it, Madeline gasped, collapsing into Alexander’s arms.

As I watched him prepare to leave, Madeline clinging to him, I ignored the pain and crawled toward him, my fingers gripping the hem of his pants.

“Alexander, you promised me. There are still seven bottles left; I’ll finish them…”

He looked down at me, his gaze thick with disdain.

“Stop this, Scarlett. I thought you’d learned by now after all this time being ignored. But here you are, still stubborn. You even went so far as to have your mother fake her death to force me into marriage. Let me make it clear: Madeline’s birthday is in three days. Even if your mother really is dying, she’ll have to wait until after Madeline’s day is over.”

With those words, he turned and walked away without sparing me another glance.

Madeline’s friends rushed to her side, but I was left there, alone and broken, lying in despair.

My allergy made breathing harder with each passing second. In my desperation, I dialed a number.

***

When I woke, I could feel the cold IV fluid seeping into my veins, the steady drip a reminder of how close I’d come to losing everything.

My hands were wrapped in bandages, and my best friend sat by my bedside, her face etched with worry.

As soon as I saw her, I lost all control. My voice came out hoarse and weak. “Amanda.”

She pulled me into her arms, her embrace tight with worry and love.

Through her tears, she scolded me, blaming me for not taking care of myself. The doctor had told her that if she’d arrived even ten minutes later, I could’ve suffocated from the allergic reaction.

Once the tears slowed and I could breathe again, I told her everything that had happened with Alexander. Her fury flared, her voice rising angrily, filling the sterile hospital room.

I stayed silent, unable to say anything.

The doctor had been sending me messages, one after another, about my mother’s worsening condition.

I’d always known this day would come; the end was near for her. The only thing keeping her alive was her hope, her desire to see me happy.

And yet, I couldn’t even give her that simple wish.

Amanda looked at me carefully, her voice gentle as she probed, “Do you still remember Tristan? He’s waited for you all these years.”

The image of his gentle, refined face flashed in my mind. Our moments together had been few and far between, but I hadn’t forgotten him.

She continued before I could process her words, “If Alexander refuses, then we will find someone else. We can’t let Auntie leave with regrets.”

Without waiting for my response, my impulsive best friend dialed Tristan Walker’s number.

My heart leaped into my throat.

The idea seemed absurd, but it was my last glimmer of hope.

When I heard his warm, nervous voice on the other end of the line, saying, “Okay,”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I broke down, tears spilling uncontrollably.