Chapter 1

Brianna's POV

That voice kept looping in my mind. It was so sharp that it made my head ache. I was only granted a temporary reprieve when a sudden burst of audio and light appeared on the massive screen.

Not far off, my younger brother, Kieran Crawford, excitedly pointed at the two people on the screen. "Look, I recorded this video for Hugo and Katalin!"

My lashes fluttered.

Hugo Cavill and Katalin Miller were framed from behind on the screen. The two of them were dressed in a tuxedo and wedding gown. They sure looked like they were made for each other.

"You look so good together!" My best friend, Vivian Walker's, voice sounded in the video.

I dug my nails into my palms as I remembered what had happened this time around.

Hugo had told me that he was going on a business trip. Kieran and Vivian, claiming they were worried about him, had bought tickets and tagged along.

Before leaving, they had patted their chests and solemnly promised me, "Don't worry, Brianna. We'll definitely keep an eye on him for you!"

Turns out, Kieran and Vivian had been helping Hugo keep me in the dark since then.

The light from the screen made my face look ghastly pale. My breath hitched. What about Mom and Dad?

The scene changed, and the screen started shaking. "Go on, Hugo. Kat's already waiting for you upstairs!"

I remembered this incident. It had happened even earlier.

Ever since I discovered Hugo's affair, my condition had rapidly deteriorated.

Mom and Dad told me they were going to a church to pray for my recovery. Hugo had offered to go with them.

Mom and Dad had been hesitant about him leaving my side, but they had ultimately agreed. "It's okay, Bri. We'll keep an eye on him. Nothing will go wrong."

When those words surfaced in my mind, Hugo and Katalin appeared on the screen, kissing beneath the very tree where they were supposed to be praying for me.

I twisted the rosary beads around my wrist. It was the rosary bracelet they had brought back from the mountain that time.

Hugo had told me it would cover the scar on my wrist and keep me safe. As it turned out, it was just an item Katalin hadn't wanted.

The scar that had already healed felt as though it had been ripped open all over again. The pain was so intense that it nearly brought me to my knees.

The person beside me reached out to support me and struck up a conversation as if we were old friends. "Isn't it romantic? To be honest, the bride is really pitiful. I heard the groom has a depressed ex-girlfriend who refuses to let him go even after they broke up; she threatens him with suicide at the drop of a hat.

"The bride is so magnanimous and has never held it against her. If you ask me, people like that should be sent to a mental asylum!"

The air around me felt as if it were instantly sucked out of the room.

I started shaking uncontrollably. I was the one who had been with Hugo for a decade. Katalin was the one who had come between us.

"How do you know all this?" I rasped.

That person pointed in the direction of Mom and Dad. "Fortunately, the ex-girlfriend's family and friends are reasonable people. They felt so bad for the couple that they stepped up to handle all the wedding preparations themselves."

His lips continued to move, but I could no longer hear a thing.

It all made sense now. It was no wonder Mom, Dad, Kieran, and Vivian had been nowhere to be seen these past few days.

To add insult to injury, they had even forgotten my birthday. As it turned out, they had been busy preparing for Hugo and Katalin's wedding.

The chatterbox closed the distance between us and whispered, "Plus, word on the street is the ex-girlfriend's parents even gave the bride and groom a house as a wedding gift. It's in the western suburbs, but that area is being developed, so it'll be worth a pretty penny in the future."

A loud ringing filled my head. I turned on my heel and bolted outside.

My hands were shaking so violently that I misdialed several times before the call finally went through. "Hello, I'd like to check who the registered owner of the property at 56 West Suburbs, Southreach, is."

After a prolonged silence, the voice on the other end responded, "The property's registered under Katalin Miller."

That house had been left to me by Grandma.

I could still remember how my eyes had been red and puffy when Mom and Dad handed me the deed after Grandma passed away. "This is from your grandmother, Bri. Make sure you hold onto it, okay?"

But now, they had given it to my boyfriend and the woman he had cheated on me with as a wedding gift.