Chapter 1

A few days ago, I heard that Wendy Winter was back in the country. She was throwing a tantrum for my fiance, Shawn Vance, to pick her up, but I hadn't thought much of it.

When Shawn first heard the news, he didn't react at all. If anything, he was so nervous about our upcoming wedding that he couldn't even sleep.

But now, the wedding we had both looked forward to for so long has become nothing more than an insignificant ceremony to him.

Shawn's line was constantly busy, leaving me with no choice but to head over to the hotel myself.

The wedding venue inside, which had been nearly fully decorated, was completely gone. Everything had already been cleared out.

The hotel manager was also deliberately avoiding me.

By the time I got home, my chest was tight with a mixture of anger and frustration.

Just as I was about to confront Shawn, two vases came flying straight at me.

"Thief! Robber! Who said you could steal my Shawn away?"

Sharp shards of porcelain shattered at my feet, slicing into my calf. I gasped from the sharp pain, stumbling back a few steps.

But Wendy wasn't done.

She rushed over to me and scooped up a handful of the broken shards as if she was numb to the pain, aiming to throw the shards right in my face.

I instinctively raised my arms to shield myself.

Shawn turned pale with fright. Running out from the kitchen, he lunged forward and grabbed her hands.

The throbbing pain in my leg made me both angry and incredibly hurt when I looked at him.

This was the same man who used to fret if I so much as scraped my skin, yet he didn't give me a single glance.

"Wendy! Are you trying to ruin your hands?"

His priority was pulling out the first-aid kit to treat Wendy's cuts.

The deep furrow in his brow was etched with nothing but heartache.

Looking up at the scene, I froze.

It wasn't just Shawn who felt unfamiliar, but the entire house.

The jewelry he used to buy for me and the latest seasonal designer clothes had all been packed up and moved into a different room.

The living room was a total disaster. Our wedding portraits and old photos of Shawn and me had been shredded and scattered across the floor. The "Mr. & Mrs." decor was in pieces. In fact, any item that was wedding-themed had been utterly destroyed.

The housekeeper from the Vances' had been brought in to clean up. Cute plushies were arranged in specific spots according to notes in Shawn's handwriting, and protective bumpers had been carefully installed on all the table corners.

He was still as meticulous as ever, just like when he had personally designed every square inch of this place.

But this was the home we'd set up together.

The heavy dread in my chest suddenly solidified.

"Shawn, what is the meaning of this?"

Only then did he remember I was there. When he turned around, the soft, soothing smile on his face froze.

As his eyes swept across the ruined room, a flash of guilt and panic crossed his features.

"Rory..."

When Shawn tried to stand up, Wendy wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, pouting as the tears began to fall.

"Shawn, why did you yell at me just now?"

Her mood shifted instantly, and she pointed a fierce, accusatory finger at me.

"Is it because of this ugly woman who stole you away?"

Shawn finally noticed the cut on my leg. Feeling helpless, he shot a look at the housekeeper, signaling her to come over and help bandage me up.

Then, his face tense with anxiety, he pulled me into the study.

"Rory, please don't hold this against Wendy. Even though she's a few years older than you, her memory is currently stuck at ten years old."

His voice was filled with unease.

"She's been spoiled and willful since she was a kid. I turned my back for a brief minute and she completely wrecked the place.

"You'd understand, right?"

Shawn shifted his gaze, unable to look me in the eye, but he finally braced himself to say what he came to say.

"You know how it is. Ever since the Winters went bankrupt, her parents have vanished without a trace. She doesn't remember any of her other relatives or friends. Wendy only has me to rely on now.

"So she'll be living here from now on."

The sudden decision struck me as both absurd and utterly laughable.

"I don't understand nor do I accept this arrangement.

"First you call off the wedding for her, and now you redecorate our home. Should I just pack up and make space for her entirely?"

Instead of being defensive, he actually looked relieved.

"So you already know about the wedding?"