Chapter 1 Chapter 1

"I'll do it, Mom. I'll marry the guy you chose for me," I said. In the darkness of the living room, my voice sounded stiff and melancholic. Mom was shocked to hear that I was agreeing to the marriage alliance she previously proposed. "I thought you didn't want to do it? Why are you agreeing to it now? "Marriage isn't a game, Vicky. It doesn't matter if you don't want to get married. I just want you to be happy. You need to be sure about what you're doing. Don't make rash decisions." Tearing up at her words, I replied, "I've thought things through, Mom. You guys can proceed with the wedding preparations." Mom knew I was upset. After a moment of silence, she started comforting me, saying, "Your dad and I have always known that your relationship with Isaac wouldn't last. "You've been with him for so many years now, but he has refused to make things official between you two or even let the families meet each other." This time, her words cut me like a knife. Alas, everyone else could see the situation clearly. I was the only clueless one. "Your dad and I both agreed that Henry Langford would make an excellent husband for you. "While we can't make guarantees about everything, at the very least, we can assure you that he is a fine young man of decent character and comes from a distinguished family, too. You deserve the best, Vicky." Taking a deep breath, I replied, "Thanks, Mom. I trust your and Dad's judgment." "Shall I arrange for you and Henry to meet each other sometime soon?" Mom asked. "It's fine. You guys can just go ahead and plan the wedding," I answered. Once the call ended, Isaac Emerson appeared behind me with a small cake in hand. He asked me curiously, "What wedding? Who's getting married?" It was my wedding. I was getting married. I silently responded to his question as I couldn't bring myself to say the words out loud. Shaking my head, I replied, "It's nothing. A friend of mine is getting married." Once I said that, I saw the way his expression relaxed noticeably, and that made me feel bitter. Had he been nervous because he thought I was going to force him to marry me, or because he thought I found out that he was going to marry his secretary, Jenny Stone? "I brought you your favorite cake from that bakery you like. Do you want to have it now?" Isaac asked. For a while now, Isaac would always come home from work with a delicious snack for me. Even though most of the things he brought back didn't suit my palate, his gesture made me feel giddy with love. The feeling of being thought of and cared for by the man I loved was far more important than the taste of the food. But now, as I stared at the cake box, I felt nothing but mockery. Not too long ago, I saw Jenny sharing several Instagram stories, turning their settings from private to public. After flipping through the first few, I couldn't take going through any more of them. Only then did I realize what a joke I was. It turned out the cake was Jenny's favorite—and that wasn't all. All of the snacks and desserts Isaac brought back for me were all her favorites. What saddened me the most was when I realized that Isaac's habit of coming home from work with a snack for me only began after Jenny started working for him. Who was he thinking of when he gave me all that food? Was it still me, Victoria Carter, or did he imagine I was Jenny? Swallowing the bitterness I felt, I responded coolly, "I don't have a sweet tooth. Sweet things are too cloying. You can stop buying them for me." Isaac didn't expect me to react this way. Startled, he said, "How so? You've always eaten them." We had been together for many years now. If he truly cared about me, why wouldn't he have noticed my likes and dislikes when it came to food? Alas, it was tiring to repeat myself too many times. Compromising was easier. I didn't bother to argue with him. Instead, I simply said, "My palate has changed recently."

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Isaac seemed rather busy lately—so busy that he forgot my birthday. I no longer cared, though. However, it seemed like it suddenly occurred to him, and to make it up to me, he bought tickets to watch my favorite musical. The musical was extremely popular, and tickets were hard to come by. I couldn't even get my hands on any, so when Isaac said he had a pair and invited me to go with him, I agreed to it. Alas, on the day of the musical, he was a no-show. Instead, I saw Jenny posting a photo of two concert tickets. The caption read, "I was bored, so I decided to watch a concert. It's great to have someone who is always there to accompany you on all your spontaneous decisions." Although the photo was devoid of faces, I recognized one of the hands in the photo thanks to the scar on it—it was Isaac's hand. He got that scar when he saved me a long time ago. I felt like a clown. Here I was, standing in the rain outside the theater, worried that he might have gotten into an accident of some kind. Meanwhile, he and his beloved secretary Jenny were watching a concert from their seats in the VIP section. As the chilly rainwater splashed against my face, I felt my heart and body both turning to ice. Just then, Mom sent me a message saying that the wedding had been set for two weeks from now. She also said I could delay it if it felt too rushed. However, I replied to her, "It's fine. Let's keep it as it is." The heavy rainstorm caused traffic congestion all over the city. Even after ages, I couldn't hail a cab. At long last, Isaac called, asking, "Why aren't you at home?""I'm at Randall Theater right now," I answered with not a single fleck of emotion in my voice. As if abruptly recalling something, Isaac fell silent for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry. I got held up with something this afternoon. Wait there. I'll come over to pick you up." I didn't decline his offer, but I knew he wasn't coming. True enough, moments later, Jenny uploaded a new Instagram story. "Afraid I'd get a cold from the rain, my beloved CEO and soon-to-be husband made me some chicken soup! Men who can cook are awesome. I can't wait to marry him!" The photo showed Isaac's back as he busied himself at the stove. I glanced at it before clicking out of the story. I couldn't avoid falling sick from being out in the rain. Claiming that I didn't want to get Isaac sick, too, I moved to the guest bedroom. Shockingly, Isaac dropped work and stayed at home to look after me, but I felt uncomfortable about that. "It's just a simple cold. I'm a fully grown adult. I can take care of myself. You can go back to work." Isaac eyed me puzzledly for some time, asking, "Haven't you always wanted me to stay with you whenever you're sick? Why are you acting so strange today?" I lowered my head to hide the emotions swirling in my eyes. Then, forcing out a smile, I replied, "I was too childish in the past. I won't do that anymore.""Are you alright, Vicky?" Isaac looked at me in concern. "I'm fine. Go on. You should get back to work." While he noticed that something was off, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. In the end, he looked me in the eye and sighed, saying, "Get plenty of rest, okay? Call me if you need anything." Once he left, I exhaled in relief and went back to sleep. I woke up to a detailed wedding plan Mom had sent me. She even sent me over a dozen wedding gowns to choose from. I scrolled through the photos, zooming in to take a closer look at some of them. I was so engrossed that I didn't even notice when Isaac abruptly appeared beside me. He snatched my phone and tossed it aside. Frowning in displeasure, he questioned, "Why are you looking at wedding dresses?" Assuming he found out I was going to get married, I decided to tell him the truth. However, the next words that came out of his mouth made me realize how laughable my assumption had been. "Victoria, are you trying to force me to marry you? I already said I'd do it. You don't need to resort to such petty tricks to drop me hints. It's beneath you."

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

I tried to explain myself with, "You've misunderstood the situation. I'm not—" However, Isaac cut me off with a wave of his hand, refusing to hear what I had to say. "I'm busy. I'm going now. It's best if you stop doing such things. It'll only wear out my love for you." The door slammed shut with a loud bang, and the house fell silent once more. I stood in place for a long time, laughing at myself. How much love for me did you even have left, Isaac? How could it possibly be worn out any further? In the past, I would've been so upset about the fact that he misunderstood me that I would go for days without being able to eat or sleep properly. But now, I was able to get over it quickly. I continued to go through the wedding details Mom sent me. Before setting my phone aside, I checked my social media updates, only to find that Isaac, who never ever posted on Instagram, just did. There was a photo of Jenny as well as their wedding invitation, along with the caption, "With how incredible you are, I have to marry you to make sure I won't lose you." In less than a minute, our mutual friends left comments on the post. "Hey, Isaac. When did you suddenly get engaged to someone new?" Immediately, the post on Isaac's account disappeared, but it swiftly appeared on Jenny's. I also got a call from Isaac. In the past, I would've taken a screenshot of the post and called him up to question him. I would definitely have gotten into a huge fight with him. But this time, I didn't even take his call. It was strange, really. I didn't feel all that upset when I saw the post. Perhaps I felt numb to it all already. My immediate reaction was to marvel at the coincidence—they were getting married the same day I was. By the time Isaac got home, I had already gone to bed. He quietly entered the room and came up to the bed. "Are you asleep, Vicky? Why didn't you take my call?" With my back toward him, I said offhandedly, "I fell asleep and didn't hear it." Isaac exhaled in relief before leaning in to check my temperature. "Are you still running a fever?" As soon as he got near me, the cloying scent of a woman's perfume wafted over. Revolted, I could barely resist the urge to heave. I instinctively scooted to the side to avoid his touch. His hand hung in the air. He looked shocked. "Did you see something, Vicky?" he asked tentatively. Burying myself under the blanket, I responded glumly, "No. The cold is making me feel terrible. I just want to sleep." … When I woke up the next day, I finally felt better. Pulling myself together, I started sorting through everything inside the house, slowly eradicating all traces of me. In doing so, I realized something. I had bought a lot of couple-themed items, and Isaac used them with me at first. Yet, at some point, he started setting them aside, leaving them to gather dust in the corner. I tossed everything into the trash. There was also an album filled with photos from our travels, postcards we collected, tickets from places we had gone to, and also the letters he had written to me. The album was filled with the memories Isaac and I shared throughout these years. But ever since Jenny showed up, nothing new was added to the album. When Isaac came back, I had just tossed the album into the fire. He dashed over in a frenzy and snatched the half-burnt album out of the fire. Ignoring the stinging burn coming from his hand, he questioned me in fury, "Have you lost your mind? Don't you know how important this album is to us? Why did you throw it into the fire?" Isaac rarely ever lost his temper at me. It was even his first time yelling this loudly at me. It didn't seem like he was faking his anxiety over the album, but it was also true that he was secretly marrying someone else and hiding it from me. Not wanting to get into a fight, I said, "The album has gone moldy and is infested with silverfish. I've made copies of everything in the album. We can just make a new one." That calmed Isaac down. When I applied the ointment to his burn, he stared at me and abruptly suggested, "Vicky, it seems like you haven't been in a good mood lately. Are you under a lot of pressure at work? I signed you up for a personalized tour. You should take a trip and take your mind off things."

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Pausing, I looked up at him and asked, "By myself? You're not coming with me?" Isaac sighed lamentably and said, "I've got too much on my plate at work right now. I can't leave. I'll join you next time, okay?" Well, there wasn't going to be a next time, Isaac. Bending down, I continued to bandage his hand while saying, "I might not be able to take leave from work.""Don't worry about that. I'll handle it for you.""But I don't feel like going," I insisted. However, Isaac's tone left no room for discussion as he said, "Don't be stubborn. I've already booked everything. There's no way to get a refund." Though I said nothing, I felt my heart turning cold. I had woken up in the middle of the night last night and overheard Isaac on a call with someone else. "I don't plan on telling her. I'll keep it from her as long as I can. Just to be safe, I'll arrange for her to go on a trip during the wedding." The person on the other end of the line sighed and said, "What, then? Are you going to make her your mistress?" Isaac stayed silent for what felt like ages as he slowly puffed his cigarette. Eventually, he said, "Whatever happens next, I'll just have to take things one step at a time." Lying on the bed, I felt an excruciating pain in my chest. Tears pooled in my eyes. I felt like the last seven years I had spent with Isaac had all been for nothing. After all these years, I still couldn't understand him. If he didn't love me anymore, why couldn't he just tell me? Why did he choose to lie to me instead? Was he afraid I would cling onto him and refuse to give him up? Was that why he resorted to such methods to make sure I stayed away during his wedding? He didn't need to make life so difficult for himself. I was going to do as Isaac wished. I was going to disappear from his life for good. "When do I leave?" I asked Isaac. "In two days." Smiling, I replied, "Alright. I'll go." A noticeable exhale of relief escaped Isaac. He instinctively reached out to stroke my hair, but I wordlessly avoided his touch. He was briefly startled, but he immediately smiled and said, "Let's have a meal together before you leave." After thinking about it, I nodded in agreement. Tomorrow happened to be our 7th anniversary, so I figured I might as well bid him a proper goodbye. I would lay out the cards on the table and let the relationship come to an end on the very day it began. … The very next day, I arrived early at the restaurant Isaac booked. Isaac showed up this time, but he had Jenny with him. "Hi, Victoria! Mr. Emerson and I were at a business meeting nearby, so I decided to tag along. I won't be interrupting anything, right?" Jenny chirped. I shook my head, feeling only a tad bit disappointed. It looked like I wouldn't be able to have a proper goodbye meal with Isaac, after all. He ordered for the table, but everything was rather bland. Seeing this, Jenny laughed and said, "Why did you only order the least seasoned food available, Mr. Emerson? I don't think Victoria will like such bland-tasting food.""You're on your period, so you can't have anything that's too salty or spicy," Isaac replied indifferently. He even asked the waiter to take away the ice-cold milkshake in front of Jenny and get her a mug of warm ginger tea instead. Pouting, Jenny grumbled that he was being too controlling. Isaac rapped her on the forehead affectionately and said, "If I don't keep an eye on you, you'll start crying once you get cramps." Jenny stuck her tongue out at him, saying, "That's an exaggeration! You just care about me too much." The two of them exchanged their sweet banter before me, as if they were alone in the room. I watched in silence, feeling nothing. We were in the middle of the meal when all of a sudden, there was a commotion outside. Someone was yelling that the place was on fire. Everyone jumped to their feet and hurried toward the exit. As soon as I stood up, I saw a figure dashing off beside me. I watched as Isaac held Jenny protectively in his arms and hurriedly brought her out to safety. For a moment, I was reminded of an 18-year-old boy who did the same thing—but at the time, I was the one he fearlessly protected in his embrace. Once safely outside, Isaac finally realized the situation. He looked around and spotted me standing nearby. Eyes somewhat dazed, he tried to explain, "I was just too panicked earlier. I didn't mean to—" Cutting him off, I said with a smile, "It's fine. I understand." … Soon, it was time for me to embark on the trip Isaac booked for me. I had already packed all my suitcases. Once I was certain that not a single trace of me remained in the house, I hauled my suitcase and left without looking back. I didn't go on the trip, of course. I went back to my parents' place. After all, it was almost time for me to get married. Isaac was too busy accompanying Jenny as she tried on wedding gowns to pay any attention to my whereabouts. In the blink of an eye, it was my wedding day, and also the first time I met my future husband, Henry. I had to admit that Mom and Dad were excellent judges of character. Henry was a lot more handsome in person than he appeared in his photos. He was flawless in both his features and his physique. The bridal party was pretty grand, too. Once I got into the car, the bridal convoy set off. We chanced across another bridal party, and as was customary in our city when this happened, the cars stopped to let the brides exchange bouquets as a form of mutual well-wishing. When the car window was lowered, Isaac and I locked gazes from the two separate cars. His eyes widened in shock, and his voice trembled with disbelief as he exclaimed, "Vicky? How can it be you?"