Chapter 4

Diana had just put Ian in the car when she caught the last few words of my

sentence.

I realized she hadn't heard the first part, so I made up a quick excuse. "My

friend is leaving town soon."

Diana nodded and didn't press further.

With four days left on the countdown, Diana brought home her wedding photos with

Ian.

She held her phone in one hand, video-calling Ian, and proudly held up a framed

photo with the other. Her eyes were full of tenderness.

"Ian, our wedding photos are finally printed. The staff said we look amazing in

them."

At that moment, I was just walking out of the kitchen with a glass of water.

A flash of awkwardness crossed Diana's eyes. She looked at me, seeming like she

wanted to say something.

I glanced at the photo and forced a faint smile. "They look really good."

I had paid top dollar for that photographer, just to capture the happiest moment

between me and Diana.

In my imagination, those photos were supposed to be filled with the sweetness of

our love. Diana in her wedding dress, looking breathtakingly beautiful—the woman

who was once the love of my life.

The only difference was that the groom in the picture wasn't me.

Diana froze.

She suddenly realized that I hadn't initiated a conversation with her in a long

time. I hadn't even sent her a single text during the entire week she was on

vacation with Ian.

She wasn't used to this.

On the video call, Ian was still chattering away, but Diana's attention was

entirely on me. A sudden wave of unease bubbled up in her chest, though she

tried to push it down.

Two days before the deadline, I went to the hospital to pick up some medication

for my trip. Unexpectedly, I ran into Diana and Ian just coming out of an OBGYN

appointment.

A rare look of panic flashed across Diana's eyes. She opened her mouth to say

something, but Ian beat her to it.

He walked up to me and grabbed my hand, his eyes welling up with tears. "Nathan,

I know you never agreed to Diana having a baby with me, but I really can't wait

anymore. The doctors said I have a year left at most. I just really want to see

my child born with my own eyes."

"Once the baby is born, I promise I'll stay far away from Diana. I would never

ruin your relationship."

Before I could even speak, Diana grabbed his arm, her face full of heartache.

"You're sick. Why are you doing this?"

She looked at me, her eyes complicated. "Don't worry. This won't affect our

wedding."

I looked at them silently for a moment, then pulled my gaze away.

"I get it."

With that, I grabbed my medication and got ready to leave. My departure date was

closing in, and I still needed to finish packing.

The two of them clearly didn't expect me to be so calm.

Especially Diana. Her expression grew complicated as she watched me walk away.

A month ago, I had fought with her for weeks over the pregnancy idea. But now,

finding out she was actually carrying Ian's baby, I showed absolutely no

reaction.

For some reason, the unease in Diana's heart grew stronger. It felt like

something had quietly shifted, and she had been completely oblivious to it.

Just as I reached the stairwell, Ian suddenly chased after me and yanked hard on

my sleeve.

Diana was still far behind us, and Ian finally dropped his mask.

"Nathan, how does it feel? Watching your fiancée have another man's baby right

in front of your eyes?"

I didn't want to argue with him. I shook off his hand and turned to leave.

But the moment I pulled away, Ian deliberately lost his balance and tipped

backward toward the stairs.

My reflexes kicked in, and I reached out and grabbed him to stop him from

falling.

But before I could even let go, Diana's furious voice echoed from behind me.

"What are you doing?!"

Seeing Diana rushing over, Ian instantly switched back to his pitiful victim

act, his eyes red and teary.

"Diana, I just wanted to thank Nathan for being so understanding, but I never

expected him to..."

Hearing Ian's words, Diana's face instantly darkened.

"Nathan, I never thought you could be this kind of person!"

"Apologize to Ian right now!"

Hearing Diana's blind accusations, I actually laughed.

"Me, apologize? Why don't you go check the security footage and see who's really

lying!"

She furrowed her brows in disbelief. "Ian is a sick man. Why would he throw

himself down the stairs on purpose?"

A flicker of panic crossed Ian's eyes. He quickly chimed in, "Forget it, Diana.

It's normal for Nathan to be angry... Let's just go."

I could tell he was terrified she might actually check the cameras, so he

quickly put on a weak, fragile act.

Sure enough, Diana's expression changed. She held him carefully and hurried

away.

She didn't come home that night.

I guessed she was too busy taking care of the "injured" Ian.

The next day, I shipped my luggage to the medical school dorms, keeping only a

single carry-on suitcase.

That night, Diana finally came back, still carrying a look of anger.

"Ian is still lying in a hospital bed. Even if you didn't do it on purpose,

couldn't you be the bigger person? Do you really have to be so petty with him?"

I smiled. A smile that was cold to the bone.

I had been the bigger person for a long time.

Big enough to let him have my fiancée. Big enough to let him wear the tuxedo I

ordered and take my wedding photos.

Diana's eyes fell on the red circled number on the calendar, and her tone

softened a bit.

"Look, we're getting married tomorrow. I don't want to fight. Just apologize to

him after the ceremony, and then we can go on our honeymoon."

"Did you finish planning the honeymoon itinerary?"

I didn't answer.

If she had paid even the slightest bit of attention, she would have noticed

there wasn't a single fresh flower in the apartment. It looked nothing like a

place where a wedding was happening tomorrow.

"We..."

I was about to speak, but her phone rang. She answered it. It was Ian.

"Wait for me, I'll be right there."

Hanging up, she hurriedly changed her shoes by the door. "Ian isn't feeling

well, I'm going to the hospital to check on him. Don't be late tomorrow. Be at

the hotel on time."

The moment the door clicked shut, I finally spoke.

"Let's break up, Diana. The wedding is canceled."

No one heard me. Only the old clock on the wall ticked away.

I sat in the living room, waiting from the dead of night until dawn. My phone

buzzed with a reminder: Two hours until boarding.

I stood up, grabbed my suitcase, and took a marker to the calendar. Over

the 10th—the day that was supposed to be my wedding day—I drew a massive X.

Then, I wrote my final words:

"Diana, let's break up."

I placed the calendar in the most obvious spot in the living room, and walked

out of the apartment that had been my home for years without looking back.

Meanwhile, Diana stayed at the hospital until Ian's condition stabilized before

leaving. On the way, she sent me a text.[Is everything set up at the venue? I'm

almost there.]

But she didn't get a reply.

She scrolled up through our chat history. Over the past month, it was almost

entirely messages from Nathan:[What time are you coming home tomorrow? I'll wait

to eat with you.]

[Do you have time to look over the wedding menu?][I picked red roses for the

church decor, is that okay?]

And her replies were always: "Whatever." "You decide." "I don't care."

A wave of unease washed over her.

The last time she mentioned getting pregnant through IVF for Ian, Nathan's eyes

had been colder and more desperate than ever before.

Since that day, he had stopped reaching out. He had stopped waiting for her to

come home.

She gripped her phone tightly. "Drive faster."

When she arrived at the hotel, her friends and mother were waiting in the lobby.

"Why haven't you even changed into your dress? Isn't Nathan with you?" her

mother frowned.

Diana froze for a second. "He should already be in the banquet hall."

But she had no idea which hall the wedding was in. Nathan had never told her,

and she had never cared to ask.

She quickly grabbed a staff member. "Which banquet hall did Nathan book?"

The staff member checked their clipboard and replied, "Hall number three...

but..."

She frowned.

"Nathan called to cancel the reservation half a month ago," the staff member

continued. "He said—the wedding was canceled."

Diana stood there, completely paralyzed.

The wedding... canceled?

In that exact moment, her entire world came crashing down.