Ruined by the White Veil

I was born with a strange condition. I couldn't recognize faces and could only identify people by their clothes.Vincent Lancaster, my boyfriend, never minded. He said it didn't change the way he loved me.That was, until our wedding day.He answered a phone call. His childhood friend, Grace Langley, was in labor, life hanging by a thread, and she demanded he come immediately.My voice shook with despair. "Vincent! If you drive away now, we'll never be husband and wife!"But he left anyway, not looking back.Grace had always loved seeing him in white, so he threw aside the black suit I had sewn for him with my own hands and changed into white.A year later, Vincent returned. By then, my belly was swollen with life, and I was holding onto another man while hosting a baby shower. And the man wore the black suit Vincent had thrown away.Vincent went mad, claiming he was my husband, but no one believed him...."Babe, Grace is in labor. It's serious. I have to go. Please, just listen." Vin

When I brought the man in the black suit back to my front door, he hesitated for a few seconds. He didn't step inside right away.I turned to look at him. Since we were already here, what was the point of bringing up the past again? So, I reached out and pulled him in. "Are you hungry? I can fix you something to eat."I walked into the kitchen to get started, but when I turned around, I saw him tying on an apron and rinsing vegetables at the sink.For a moment, I froze. Vincent had always been an executive, far too busy to lift a finger around the house. He rarely stayed home. He would eat, then rush off again, always saying he had clients to meet. Yet every time he came back, he smelled of the same expensive perfume.Now, he was quietly slicing vegetables, handing the chopped pieces to me with such gentle care that I could hardly believe it was him."You don't have to help," I said softly. "I'm used to cooking on my own."He glanced at the cutting board. "Do you like spicy food

Vincent's face turned as pale as paper. His lips moved, searching for words, but I didn't give him the chance. I threw out something far more convincing.I leaned gently against the man beside me, my tone calm yet unyielding. "Besides," I said, "my husband and I already have our marriage certificate. We're legally recognized and protected as husband and wife."Six months ago, my husband had suddenly suggested that since we'd been married so long without registering it, we should make it official. He took my hand and led me to the City Hall, where we became legal spouses.Those few words, marriage certificate, and legal husband and wife, fell like a final thunderclap, shattering the last of Vincent's composure.He stumbled back a step, shaking his head in disbelief. "No, that's impossible. We haven't—"That was when he realized that we only had an unfinished wedding. There was never a legal marriage between us. And in the year he'd been gone, more than enough could have changed.T

Julian's eyes were filled with anxious anticipation, like a child waiting for his punishment after doing something wrong."If I say I can't forgive you," I asked softly, "will you divorce me?""No," he said at once, his voice trembling with panic. "Even if I have to tie you to me, I'll keep you here until the day you forgive me."I let out a quiet sigh, then took his hand, cool to the touch, and gently, firmly, placed it on my rounded belly.Under his palm, our baby seemed to sense something and gave a faint kick."We can't let our child grow up without a father, can we?"Julian's eyes turned red in an instant. His arms tightened around me, holding me and the life inside me so close that I could feel his heart racing.When he spoke, his voice shook with both relief and emotion. "Fiona, thank you for giving me another chance."I let him hold me for a long moment before lightly pushing at his chest."But," I said, looking straight into his damp eyes, "you have to promise me some