Chapter 4

"Immy slipped and fell at home…"

Orson stopped walking abruptly, his heart pounding so hard that the HR officer's words barely registered.

"I need to go back—"

Before he could say more, Maude was already running through the rain toward the building's shelter.

She looked back at him calmly and said, "Go ahead."

Orson hadn't expected her to let him go so easily. He gazed at her, a flicker of unease stirring in his chest.

Just as he stepped forward, Imogen's call came through.

"It hurts," she whimpered.

Suddenly, every ounce of hesitation drained from Orson.

"I'll check on Immy first. Stay here. I'll come back for you later."

In the past, Maude would have believed those words without a second thought.

Now, she couldn't bring herself to trust them at all.

After handing over her documents to the HR officer, she signed the contract for the overseas assignment.

By the time she got home, two hours had already passed.

Orson finally called.

"Honey, something urgent came up at work, so I won't be able to pick you up. Could you take a cab home instead?"

At that moment, her phone lit up with a new photo.

It showed Orson and the supposedly "injured" Imogen walking arm in arm through a furniture store, looking like a newlywed couple.

Maude wasn't surprised by the broken promise. She replied calmly, "That's fine. Work comes first."

In the background, she caught the faint sound of a woman's laughter.

Orson shifted the phone away for a moment. After a pause, he said, "Call me when you get home, okay? Otherwise, I'll worry—"

Before he could finish, Maude hung up.

She carefully saved each photo one by one.

After putting her phone down, she began packing her bags.

Over the course of five years, Orson's gifts had piled up, occupying every corner of her room.

Maude photographed each item and listed them for sale online.

When it was all done, only a single ring remained.

It was handmade by Orson for their first anniversary.

She held the worn band up to the light. Two faintly engraved letters shone inside.

I F…

Imogen Fenwick.

After four years, the truth struck Maude like a thunderbolt, catching her completely off guard.

How laughable.

Even these gifts had never truly been meant for her.

Without hesitation, she threw the ring straight into the trash.

In the days that followed, Orson spent all his time with Imogen, steadily filling the house with new things.

Meanwhile, Maude's presence in the home faded as her belongings slowly disappeared.

Only eight days remained until the wedding.

When Maude returned from finalizing her visa, she found the two of them picking out wedding invitations together.

Imogen called her over, effortlessly slipping into the role of lady of the house. "Why don't you come take a look and pick one too?"

The invitations spread across the couch were the product of days of careful research by Maude, each one thoughtfully chosen.

She had once dreamed of making every detail of her wedding perfect.

"I'll pass," Maude said, brushing past them and heading to her room.

After all, those invitations weren't meant for her wedding anymore.

That evening, Imogen knocked on Maude's door.

"This is the invitation Orson chose. Do you know why he picked it?"

Maude took it from her and opened it.

The handwriting inside was unmistakably Orson's.

The groom's name was his.

However, the bride's name… was Imogen.

"He stood by me while I picked out the wedding dress. He was also the one who personally selected the hotel and took care of these invitations," Imogen said, a smug smile curling at the corners of her lips.

"You could say he planned every detail of this wedding for me.

"Even after all this, you still want to marry him? Is it worth it?"