Chapter 1

"Check out William Gavin on social media! The guy who swore he'd never get married just said he wants to tie the knot!"

I was in the middle of frantically applying scar cream on my stomach when my hand froze.

With trembling fingers, I quickly opened my feed.

Sure enough, William had posted just five words, "I want to get married."

And because of those five words, the group chat went wild.

"No way! Did Whitney Spencer actually manage to convince him to marry her? Don’t tell me she’s pregnant again and using it to force his hand?"

"God, that’s so shameless! I thought she was just devoted, but turns out she’s manipulative as hell!"

I read the messages with a self-deprecating smile.

Three years of humiliating persistence. No wonder no one respected me.

But I couldn’t care about their ridicule right now.

I just needed to know if William truly agreed to marry me this time.

I went straight from the hospital to the place where they were gathered.

After taking a deep breath, I smiled and pushed the door open.

The lively room fell silent in an instant.

William stubbed out his cigarette, lifted a hand, and smirked. "Come here."

My eyes instantly lit up. Had I waited long enough?

Just as I stepped forward, someone bumped into me from behind.

I steadied myself against the doorframe as the woman who had brushed past me walked straight to William’s side.

She had a delicate appearance.

William gently pulled her into his arms and introduced her to everyone. "This is Jennifer Ross, my fiancée. What are you all standing around for? Say hello."

At that moment, I froze. It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head, leaving me utterly humiliated.

The room went dead silent for a beat.

Then, as people processed his words, they scrambled to greet her.

I was the only one left standing there like a fool.

How could this be happening?

Desperate, I pulled out an engagement ring and begged, "William, please don’t marry her. I’m begging you–"

Jennifer stared at me.

William let go of her and lazily tapped the table, smiling. "Alright."

He took the ring and, in the next second, tossed it straight out the window into the Hartwell River.

My heart stopped for a moment as we had designed that ring together.

Now, he discarded it without a second thought.

"Go fish it out, and I’ll marry you."

He said indifferently. It was as if he was making the most casual remark in the world.

One of his friends hesitated. "William, isn’t that a bit much?"

"Yeah, it’s the middle of winter. Asking her to jump into the river for a ring, it's basically impossible. What if–"

"Did I ask for your opinion?" William cut them off abruptly. He then turned to Jennifer. "How about a bet? Let’s see how long it takes her to find it."

Jennifer giggled and whispered something in his ear.

He chuckled, his arm wrapping around her as they laughed together.

Watching them, I felt an unbearable chill seep into my bones. My heart, once burning with passion, now laid in ruins.

Without hesitation, I dove into the river.

The December water was ice-cold. It felt like sharp needles against my skin.

A harsh, stinging sensation filled my throat.

The dark water below seemed like a gaping abyss, waiting to devour everything.

It was just like what had happened back then.

'William, I can’t hold on much longer.

'What else can I do? Marrying you has been my only wish in this life.'

Biting my tongue to stay conscious, I frantically searched the riverbed for the lost ring.

Eventually, exhaustion took over. My body went numb.

Someone pulled me out and threw a blanket over me.

I barely had the strength to hold it up.

Shivering, I dragged myself toward William.

He was kissing Jennifer on the couch.

It was a slow, lingering kiss filled with warmth and tenderness.

Even the onlookers seemed moved by it.

I sat there quietly.

It felt like an eternity passed before they finally parted.

With what little strength I had left, I held up the ring and whispered, "William, I did it."

He slapped my hand away, sneering. "Pathetic."

"Let’s end this, Whitney."

His voice was cold and filled with nothing but disgust.

Despite my frozen, trembling body, those words cut through me more deeply than any blade.

I looked at the man I once loved with everything I had. The man who now only wanted to be rid of me.

"William, we used to love each other so much. Why? Why can’t you just love me a little longer?"

My voice broke into a desperate plea.

But William abruptly stood, his voice like a whip. "Shut up! Don’t bring up the past again!

"You think you’re still the same Whitney from back then?" He smiled in cruel disdain. "Every time I see those scars on your stomach, I feel sick.

"They’re a constant reminder that a child died there. That you are beyond filthy."

Each word pierced deeper than the last.

Tears that mixed with the river water dripped from my hair.

I clutched the blanket, desperately trying to cover my stomach. My voice cracked. "William, no, it’s not like that–"