Chapter 3

Once, Jeff and I were also expecting a baby.

A week before our honeymoon, I found out I was pregnant, and the entire family was overjoyed.

However, while I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the fruit of our love, he was busy plotting how to fake his death and fly away with his mistress.

Even though I was carrying his own flesh and blood in my belly, it didn't cause him to waver even half a bit!

If he truly didn't love me, he could have just refused this marriage.

Why did he have to pretend to love me, only to deceive me until I was broken?

The hard shells of the wedding candies dug into my palm, and the smug smile on Nora's face was the greatest mockery toward me.

I knew clear as day that Jeff was doing this to solidify his relationship with Nora before returning to the Wingers.

That way, he would have a completely justifiable reason to bring Nora back to the Wingers in the future.

Meeting my gaze, Jeff did not look guilty at all.

"If you have time, come."

I stayed silent for two seconds, then nodded.

"Alright, I'll come."

Perhaps some things had to be seen with your own eyes before you could truly give up.

This wedding was far less grand than the one Jeff and I had back then, but it still cost a considerable amount of money.

I heard from others that Jeff even borrowed quite a lot.

In the past, he was the sole heir of the Wingers. He never worried about food or clothing, never lacked money in his hands, and never worked a proper job.

After faking his death and living in seclusion here with Nora, he basically relied on borrowing money to survive.

No wonder he was in such a rush to return to the Wingers.

After all, to the Wingers, the money he borrowed was nothing but a drop in the bucket.

However, Jeff didn't know that he could never go back to the Wingers.

I took a light sip of wine and watched as Jeff excitedly slipped the wedding ring onto Nora's finger.

That wedding ring officially put a complete end to the past twenty years of my youth.

Looking at the two of them beaming with joy, I spoke calmly.

"I have already attended the wedding. You'll let me go home now, right?"

Jeff froze, a trace of panic flashing across his eyes.

He thought I would cry and make a massive scene like before, but to his surprise, I looked as if I had completely accepted my fate.

As if I believed he was not Jeff.

If I left, though, what would he do about restoring his identity?

"Wait! Have we met somewhere before?"

Jeff hastily called out to stop me, clutching his head and pretending to have a flashback.

Looking at his completely atrocious acting, a trace of mockery flashed across my eyes.

"You must be remembering wrong. We've never met before. You simply look like my husband, that's all."

I returned every single word he had said to me back then.

Jeff's face darkened slightly, but he kept up his amnesia persona and didn't dare to lose his temper.

"Then why are so many images suddenly popping into my head? Did you and I have a wedding?"

He pointed at the venue and spoke with hesitation.

"I remember... lilies of the valley placed here, and you were wearing a mermaid-style wedding dress."

Listening to him recall our original wedding, the hatred in my heart only grew deeper and deeper.

Having been childhood sweethearts for twenty years, I had long decided that I would marry Jeff.

For that wedding back then, I prepared a full year in advance. Every single detail was filled with my beautiful hopes for love.

However, Jeff had delivered me a crushing blow.

He said we were going to Macondo for our honeymoon, but on the second day after going abroad, he vanished without a trace.

Back then, the one who cried until she nearly went blind wasn't just my mother-in-law, but also me.

At the time, I was so consumed by heartbreak that I suffered a miscarriage, all while having to face accusations from his family.

Meanwhile, Jeff was probably holding his little lover and rolling around in the sheets, right?

Looking up, Jeff was staring at me with a face full of guilt.

"I will try hard to remember those things. Why don't you take me home to see my parents first? Maybe I could..."

I smiled and interrupted him.

"I already told you all these things before, but didn't you have zero impression of them at the time?"

Not only did he have zero impression, but he also looked entirely impatient and tried to chase me away.

I smiled and continued.

"Did you drink too much and mistake these things as your own memories?

"I wouldn't fail to recognize my own husband. You really aren't Jeff."

Hearing those words, before Jeff could even panic, Nora did first.