Chapter 1 Chapter 1

I had just canceled all the banquet arrangements and hadn't had time to inform our parents. My wife-to-be, Rhiannon Tate, came back right at that moment. She had just given birth, so she looked a bit weak. But as soon as she opened the door, she started berating me! "Have you deleted the comments? You're making Lionel look bad, do you know that?" she barked. Then, she walked over to me and leaned in slightly. My expression turned terrifyingly dark. My fiancée had lied about going abroad to study and secretly gave birth to Lionel Devine's baby. Lionel was her childhood sweetheart. When Rhiannon and I started dating, she told me she was a DINK—dual income, no kids. She said she didn't like children. I accepted that—only then did she agree to marry me. My parents upheld very traditional values. I had worked very hard to convince them to accept this arrangement. But now, Rhiannon had given birth to another man's child. It wasn't that she was afraid of the risks of childbirth. It was obvious that she thought that I wasn't worth the risk. A year ago, she even accompanied me to the hospital to have a vasectomy after I proposed to her. She said she wanted to ensure everything was foolproof and that it would give her a sense of security. I felt like a complete and utter fool when I revisited those times. Rhiannon reached out to take my hand, but I quickly flinched away from her. "That's enough, Clyde Lindstrom. Stop throwing a tantrum. It's not like I went behind your back. Lionel and I had never even slept together," Rhiannon said. Rhiannon insisted she wasn't sleeping around and that I was the only one she had been with. She explained that the child was conceived through in vitro fertilization, so it had been done without any physical contact. She swore she hadn't betrayed me or our relationship. I wanted to laugh out loud at the incredulity of it all. "You said before that you were traumatized because your mom nearly died giving birth to you. Then, you told me that you would never have a child in this lifetime. But when it's for Lionel, you're suddenly unafraid." Rhiannon argued, "That's because I owe him this. Back then, he was seriously injured while saving me and became impotent. What's wrong with me giving him a child? He saved my life! Can you please stop being so unreasonable?" Her eyes reddened as she glared at me. She insisted that the pregnancy was done via in vitro fertilization and that the Devine family would raise the child themselves. So, according to her, we didn't need to worry about anything. "I'm just helping out so that the Devine family would have an heir. Besides, I came back to you right after giving birth because I was afraid you'd overthink. I haven't even gone through postpartum recovery yet," Rhiannon said in an aggrieved tone. She lowered her voice and said she had already given me enough of a way out. I was so angry that I couldn't speak. My hand that was holding my phone trembled uncontrollably. The woman I had loved for so many years had deceived me and given birth to another man's child, yet she kept demanding me not to overreact. "We're done. The wedding is off," I stated icily. With a loud crash, Rhiannon smashed the teacup in front of her. The shards flew up and cut my forehead. She screamed, "Why can't you try to understand me? I don't want to owe Lionel anything. He saved my life. I have to repay him somehow!" Blood trickled down my forehead. However, I didn't feel any pain from it. The unbearable ache in my heart was way more pronounced compared to my physical pain. Rhiannon came over anxiously when she saw that I was hurt. She offered to bandage me. "Get out!" I roared. That night, I locked myself in the study, chain-smoking one cigarette after another. What did I ever do to deserve this from her?

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Early in the morning, the wound on my forehead had worsened. Therefore, I would have to make a trip to the hospital to get it treated. Rhiannon wasn't at home, and I had no idea where she went. But when I arrived at the hospital, there she was, holding the baby. Lionel was right behind her, carrying her bag. When the three of them were huddled together, they looked like a picture-perfect family of three. "Your husband is so careless! He didn't even mix the formula properly before feeding the baby. Your baby choked on it and wouldn't stop crying," the nurse said. Rhiannon seemed anxious. She hurriedly reassured the nurse that it wouldn't happen again. It seemed she didn't mind Lionel being addressed as her husband and didn't think much of it. After the baby stopped crying, Rhiannon turned to Lionel and said, "Let's just go with breastfeeding from now on. I can nurse the baby.""Wouldn't that be too inconvenient for you? After all, you and Clyde are about to get married," Lionel replied. I stood not far away, listening to Rhiannon explaining and convincing Lionel that breastfeeding was better in every way. My hands balled into tight fists as I watched them standing together in harmony like a loving family. Rhiannon cradled the baby in her arms fondly. "Oh, baby, be good. Your eyes look exactly like your daddy's.""I'd rather that they look like yours. You're more beautiful," Lionel said with a smile. He then hesitated for a moment and stuttered, "Riri, if... I mean, if…""What is it?" Rhiannon asked, her face full of innocence and anticipation as she looked at Lionel. "Don't worry. Even if I get married, I'll always be the baby's biological mother. If you need anything, just let me know." Throughout my relationship with Rhiannon, there had always been a third person present. Just as we were getting into the moment on our first anniversary since being together, Lionel had called Rhiannon to pick him up from the airport. She left me behind without hesitation. On countless holiday outings, I wanted to spend time with Rhiannon alone as a couple. Yet, Lionel always tagged along under the guise of being a close friend and booked a room next door. And now, things were even worse. Rhiannon even went as far as to bear Lionel a child and give birth to it for him. I silently turned to leave, not wanting to start a fight with them. To my dismay, Lionel caught sight of me and called out to me. "What a coincidence, Clyde. Are you here to see the baby too?" Lionel said loudly. See the baby? What nonsense! "What are you doing here? Don't you trust me at all? Why do you follow me everywhere?" Rhiannon complained in annoyance. Lionel, on the other hand, spoke up in my defense. "Clyde is just being thoughtful. I understand his concern. When you two get married, I'll make sure to give you a generous wedding gift.""There's no need. We're not getting married anymore," I deadpanned. "What nonsense are you spouting? Are you trying to cause a scene here?" Rhiannon said, feeling flustered. She tried to pull me aside, not wanting me to mention all this in front of Lionel. I shook her hand off. Lionel had been posting photos of the baby's mother on his social media over the past few days. Although he didn't show Rhiannon's face, people had already started to call her Mrs. Devine and urged them to get married sooner in the comments section. Well, that made sense. After all, they already had a child together.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

When I got home, I didn't know how to explain everything to my parents. However, the hotel had already informed them about the cancellation. My dad said, "Marriage isn't child's play! All our relatives have heard that you're getting married. You can't just cancel the wedding just because you two had a little tiff." My mom chimed in, "Your dad's right. You begged us on your knees to give our blessings and insisted that you'd only ever marry Rhiannon in this lifetime." My mom couldn't understand either. She pointed out how deeply in love I was with Rhiannon and questioned how I could suddenly decide not to get married. These past few days, I had bottled everything up. So, it all came bursting forth now. I rarely cried. I usually kept my emotions to myself and dealt with them slowly. But this time, I couldn't understand. I loved Rhiannon so much. Why did she have to do these things to hurt me? When we were in high school, Rhiannon wasn't like this. She had a sunny disposition and loved to smile—she was like a ray of light in my life. During the early days of my entrepreneurship, when we faced difficulties and couldn't make ends meet, we lived in a tiny rented room and ate canned food. Even when things were tough, Rhiannon comforted me and said we'd always have each other. She gave me strength and stood by me through thick and thin. How had things come to this? Holding back the pain, I said, "She didn't go abroad to further her studies last year. She went there to give birth to Lionel's child instead." My parents were shocked to hear that. "Didn't she say she was a DINK? How did she suddenly end up having a child with someone else?" Both my mom and dad expressed their support for me. Their hearts ached at the thought of Rhiannon practically cuckolding me. They said I was better off not getting married. A relationship where one person gave in too much was bound to fall apart eventually. My parents called Rhiannon's parents to discuss the matter. After all, we'd already given them the monetary gift in conjunction with Rhiannon and my wedding. We'd even bought them a new car and a new house. Thus, both families needed to sit down and have a proper discussion. Upon hearing that I was calling off the wedding, Rhiannon's father, Donald Tate, anxiously asked what had happened. My dad explained everything in detail. After learning about the reason, Donald felt so ashamed that he was at a loss for words. Rhiannon's mother, Irene Hutton, couldn't believe it either. With trembling hands, she said, "My goodness, how foolish of Riri to do this. But as for Lionel... we watched that boy grow up. Riri must have wanted to repay him for saving her life.""There's no reasoning like that in this world," my mom responded. She was a sensible person, so she believed there was no point in continuing the marriage if Rhiannon and I were not meant to be. Irene looked at us and asked, "Did you ask us to come over because you want to cancel the marriage and ask us to return everything you'd given us as the wedding gift?""There's no such thing as asking for a gift back," Donald said angrily. A moment ago, he had just admitted Rhiannon was in the wrong and promised to scold her. But he suddenly changed his attitude when the matter of returning the monetary gift came up. Just then, Rhiannon came back. All it took was one look for her to figure out what was going on. "What do you think you're doing, Clyde? We should handle our own affairs privately," Rhiannon said disapprovingly. She assumed I was threatening her with our breakup and the cancellation of our marriage. She repeatedly assured me that she would make it up to me, saying she understood how unfair this whole thing was to me. "Lionel and I are just good friends. We didn't do anything that went beyond the boundaries of being friends. Don't say things that will cause our parents to misunderstand," Rhiannon fumed.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

The situation was at a standstill when my phone rang. The number was unfamiliar. But when I answered, Lionel's anxious voice came from the other end. "Clyde, is Riri with you? I can't reach her, and the baby won't stop crying. He must be missing his mom," Lionel said. "Why the hell are you calling me to look for Rhiannon?" I shouted before hanging up and blocking the number. Rhiannon became furious when she saw this. She glared at me and reproached me for being petty. Then, she immediately called Lionel back. "I'll be right over," Rhiannon said urgently. I could hear the baby crying on the other end of the call. My mom stepped in to stop her from leaving, saying that we needed to settle things here first. Rhiannon shook off my mom's hand and stated righteously, "The baby can't be without his mom." My mom stood where she was and stared at Rhiannon's retreating back helplessly. She said with resignation, "There's nothing left to discuss. Just return the money. We'll just take it that Clyde was unlucky in love. We won't spread this matter around to save Riri's reputation.""Return the money? What a joke!" Irene shot up from her seat, pointing her finger at my mom. "They've been dating for years, and they've even slept together. What's this? Do you think Clyde can just walk away after getting to enjoy everything for free?""Excuse me?" I blurted. I was stunned by their shamelessness. Not only did they refuse to return the monetary gift or the house and car, but they even demanded additional compensation for emotional distress. "Riri gave her best years to your son. Asking for compensation is perfectly reasonable, isn't it?" Irene said with a sneer. "You… You people…" My mom was so furious that she was at a loss for words. I decided there was no point in further discussion. It was time to call the police to evict the unwanted people from my house. There was nothing left to discuss with Rhiannon, so I no longer bothered to be nice to her parents. Irene continued shouting insults, her words getting nastier by the minute. "Your son is just jealous. You're such a petty man! Let's see who will marry him if he breaks things off with Riri. Don't come crying when he ends up alone and miserable! "We're not returning the money. Over our dead bodies!" "You… You…" My mom gasped for breath, her face turning pale before she collapsed to the floor. My dad panicked when that happened. I immediately called for an ambulance, urging my mom not to stress herself out as her consciousness drifted in and out. There was no point in trying to resolve this matter amicably anymore. I swore not to let Rhiannon off the hook. As my mom was taken into emergency care, my dad and I spent a restless night waiting outside. By chance, I scrolled through Lionel's social media and saw a photo he had posted in the middle of the night. It was of Rhiannon nursing the baby, with her face blurred out. The caption read, "I am the happiest man in the world." Rhiannon had replied with a blushing emoji, making it clear she didn't mind the implication of their relationship. I silently blocked all of Lionel's social media accounts—out of sight, out of mind. Thankfully, my mom was fine. I let out a sigh of relief, but the doctor warned us she couldn't handle any more stress. "I feel so useless," my mom said weakly. "I was so angry and wanted to speak up for you, but my body couldn't take it." I reassured her firmly, "You and Dad just focus on taking care of yourselves. I'll get the money back, and I'll make sure Rhiannon apologizes to both of you." My mom sighed and lamented, "How did such a happy occasion turn into this mess?" The Tates were shameless, but that didn't mean we should stoop to their level. We didn't bother dragging things out with them. I contacted a lawyer and filed a police report. The next day, Rhiannon showed up with some fruit and gifts, saying she wanted to visit my mom. She claimed she hadn't realized how serious things had become. "I'm sorry, Clyde. I apologize for everything, but we've been together for so many years. Do we really need to end things so bitterly?" Rhiannon said in a small voice that held a hint of a sob. With pleading eyes, she asked, "Can we not break up? I saw the wedding decorations you prepared and the custom wedding dress you ordered for me. I want to go try it on. Won't you come with me, please?" I had imagined countless times what it would look like when Rhiannon walked down the aisle toward me in her wedding dress. I had envisioned her as the most beautiful bride in the world. But all those dreams shattered the moment she got pregnant with Lionel's child—or rather, the moment she couldn't untangle herself from Lionel. She had crossed the line time and time again, and I was exhausted. Soon, Lionel arrived as well. He handed me an envelope and said, "Listen to me, Clyde. Riri is like a sister to me, and there's nothing more to it." He explained that they had grown up together, and if there had ever been anything between them, they would have gotten married long ago. "Don't take advantage of Riri's love for you and her tolerance to do whatever you want," Lionel said protectively, standing by Rhiannon. "I'm practically her family now." "Hah! How ridiculous," I spat coldly. "You came right on time. You can take over the banquet and the wedding dress. I think you two should get married instead."