Chapter 1

On the 99th day of asking my boyfriend, William Jones, to marry me, he finally said yes. However, on our wedding day, he never showed up.

It wasn't until a guest noticed on social media that he had posted a marriage certificate a month earlier that I learned the truth.

He had already been married for more than a month to his childhood sweetheart, Caroline Ashton.

I stood frozen, everything around me feeling distant and unreal, while whispers rippled through the crowd.

"William got married a month ago. So, Diana was the other woman all along?"

"How bold can a mistress be to throw herself a wedding?"

"She was probably trying to pressure him into marrying her. No wonder he didn't show. Serves her right.

My mind went completely blank until a scream suddenly rang out from the crowd.

"Someone just fainted. Call an ambulance!"

I turned toward the sound, and my face went pale. It was my mother, Madeline Emery. Her heart condition had flared up again from the shock. She collapsed on the ground.

My mom had already been seriously ill. The doctors had warned she didn't have much time left.

After I found out I was pregnant with William's child, she told me she didn't think she would live to meet her grandchild. Her final wish was to see me marry William.

So, I begged William every day for 99 days to marry me, but he always found an excuse to reject me.

On the first day, Caroline's cat had gone missing, and he needed to help her find it.

On the second day, the light in her house had gone out, and he had to fix it.

On the third day, she got sick and he had to take care of her.

...

The days passed on like that. Then on the 99th day, he finally agreed to marry me.

However, he left me at the altar instead.

If someone hadn't spotted that marriage certificate he posted online, I would still be clueless.

William had lied to me from the beginning to the end.

I waited outside the operating room for what felt like forever until the doors finally opened.

The doctor came out and told me they had done their best but couldn't save Mom.

Tears streamed silently down my face. I opened my mouth, but not a single word came out.

My mother was gone.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a message from William.

"Sorry, honey. Caroline twisted her ankle, and I had to look after her. Let's plan another wedding sometime soon. I promise I'll give you the most extravagant ceremony."

My fingers tightened around the phone until my knuckles turned white.

There would be no next time.

The moment he failed to show up, we were done for good.