Chapter 1

Sylvia Young quickly replied with a long comment of her own.

"Evan's the best! We were supposed to meet at seven, but I overslept. He just waited downstairs for three whole hours.

"He was worried Seven and I would wake up hungry, so he bought us some oatmeal ahead of time. Then he took us out for that Thai coconut seafood stew I'd been craving.

"After all these years, he's still as sweet as ever."

Someone immediately replied.

"Are we talking about the same Dr. Shaw who once fired an intern for showing up five minutes late during a downpour?"

"Sylvia's the only person who can make him throw all his rules out the window. Nobody else stands a chance."

Then one of Evan Shaw's childhood friends chimed in.

"Evan, weren't you supposed to marry Roxie at City Hall today? You've already stood her up seven times. Don't tell me you're doing it again."

Sylvia responded with a horrified emoji.

"Oh my God! I forgot Evan was supposed to get married today!

"Seven still wants to ride the Ferris wheel, and Evan insists on staying with him. I'll tell him to go back right now."

Evan's reply appeared almost immediately beneath hers.

"We can get married any day. It's just a formality. Don't worry about it."

Someone joked, "At this point, you might as well switch brides and marry Sylvia instead."

Evan replied within seconds.

"Don't joke about that. It'll only start unnecessary rumors about Sylvia."

Someone else asked, "Uh... Roxie isn't going to see these comments, is she?"

Evan replied, "It's not easy for Sylvia to raise a child on her own. Helping her out is the least I can do. Roxie's always been understanding. She'll get it."

Roxie Foster stared at the comments on her screen as her fingers slowly tightened around her phone until her knuckles turned white.

During their six years together, Evan had been old-fashioned, dull, and hopeless when it came to romance.

He remembered everything she liked. Whenever she had cramps, he made her a cup of hot tea, and when they went shopping, he always brought a comfortable pair of shoes for her.

He had once told her, "I'm not good at saying sweet things, but if I promise you something, I'll do it."

She had thought that was simply how he loved.

But Sylvia had only been back for two weeks, and Evan had already stood Roxie up eight times on the days they were supposed to get married.

Compared to Sylvia, his so-called love for Roxie suddenly seemed laughably worthless.

While Roxie waited at City Hall for him, Evan stood outside Sylvia's building for three hours, waiting patiently for her to wake up.

While Roxie sat there hungry, he took Sylvia out for the Thai coconut seafood stew she'd been talking about for ages. It also happened to be the same meal he'd always dismissed as too much trouble whenever Roxie wanted to try it.

While Roxie endured the City Hall staff's curious looks and whispers, Evan spent the day at the amusement park with Sylvia and her son, Severin "Seven" Young.

At that moment, Roxie suddenly felt exhausted by it all.

Someone tapped on the glass in front of her again.

"Miss, we're closing. You've come here eight times already. Next time, make sure your boyfriend can actually make it before you come. Don't sit here waiting by yourself again."

Roxie looked up and smiled.

"There won't be a next time."

She walked out of City Hall, pulled out the box of chocolates she'd bought to celebrate afterward, and dropped it into the trash.

If marriage was nothing more than a formality to him, then there was no reason for her to marry him at all.