Two years later, Bella and Danny completed their volunteer assignment in the Caledon Volunteer Program.They returned to the city and got engaged almost overnight.Danny held her hand, his face lit with happiness."Good thing I joined that program," he said with a grin. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have found a wife this amazing.""We haven't even had the wedding yet," Bella replied, feigning irritation. "Who's your wife?"But Danny didn't mind. He just tightened his fingers around hers and whispered in her ear, over and over, tenderly, "Wife."The wedding was grand. Every detail of the decor had been chosen according to her tastes.They exchanged rings under the gaze of a crowd, and when someone yelled out for a kiss, they turned to each other and kissed.At the banquet, Danny wrapped his arm around her and told their friends with quiet pride, "If you want someone to drink with, come to me. My wife's stomach can't handle alcohol."In that moment, Bella felt something full and warm
Seth had returned to the city, but he couldn't stop himself from keeping tabs on Bella. Each photo the detectives sent him—every single one—had Danny in it.Ever since learning Bella was with Danny, it was as if something inside him had died. His eyes lost their light. The man who once stood tall and proud was gone, replaced by a hollow version of himself.He moved through each day like a machine—eating three meals on time, attending to his work—but never smiling, never truly present.His confidence had vanished.He obsessively restored Bella's old room, arranging every item exactly as it had been.He built a replica of her presence, as though pretending she never left could soften the pain.But the further he sank into this illusion, the more unstable he became.He started sleeping in that room every night, whispering her name under his breath.Again and again, he called her number, though it was always switched off. Still, he kept dialing.When he missed her most, he'd regi
Tears streamed down Bella's face, unstoppable now. She covered her face with trembling hands and choked out a single word."Okay."Hearing that, Danny couldn't contain the joy that flooded his eyes. For a moment, it all felt too surreal—was Bella really his girlfriend now? The realization hit him like a delayed wave of warmth. When it did, he wrapped her tightly in his arms, as though afraid she'd disappear.He whispered in her ear, "I'll treat you well. For the rest of my life."…But Seth wasn't one to give up so easily, not even after being rejected by Bella.After everything he had done to her in the past, what did it matter now? He returned to the city, filed for a month-long leave, and then flew out again—traveling a long, winding road to reach the remote fishing village.When he finally arrived at Greendale Village, what he saw froze him in place.In a shadowy corner against a cracked wall, Danny had one hand braced beside Bella's head. She was pressed into his arms, the
"Yeah, I'm with him. So what?" Bella's voice was icy, her expression colder still.Seth didn't flinch. He said sternly, "I won't allow it. Don't you know what kind of person Danny is? He's had more girlfriends than I can count. Guys like him—spoiled, reckless—they don't take anything seriously. He's not going to love you the way you deserve."Bella let out a quiet, mocking laugh. The corners of her lips curved up, but it didn't reach her eyes."You're right," she said, "I don't know what kind of person he is. But I know exactly what kind of person you are. Do I need to go down the list of things you've done to me? And besides, who I'm with now has nothing to do with you anymore, does it? So do us both a favor—go back to wherever you came from. You're not welcome here."Her words hit harder than any blow. Seth couldn't hide the hurt in his eyes."You'd really say that to me? For him? I'm just worried about you, Bella. I would never hurt you."Her laugh was sharper this time. "Righ
By the time Seth arrived at Greendale Village in the back of a four-wheeled delivery truck, he could hardly believe his eyes.Even during his military days, he'd never seen conditions this rough. Mud passed for roads, and everything around him looked like it had been forgotten by time. He couldn't understand why Bella would come to a place like this—to suffer like this.But when he reached the village's small school, for the first time, he found himself looking at Bella like a stranger.The Bella he remembered had been pampered from childhood—an heiress who never lifted a finger. A girl born to live a good life.But now, through the classroom window, he saw her standing at the front of the room, speaking with quiet confidence. Her eyes were bright. Her clothes were plain and coarse, the kind you'd find on a market stall. But her words were crisp, beautiful, flowing—turning dull textbook prose into something living.He stared at her, dazed. It felt like he was seeing her for the fi
The sunlight fell across Danny's shoulders, making the brightness in his eyes seem even more pronounced.The bell rang.Without missing a beat, Danny took off running toward the distance, turning back once to wave at her with that same easy and radiant smile.Bella stood still for a moment, caught off guard.In that instant, she found herself thinking—Danny shone brighter than the sun.The Caledon Volunteer Program would last two years, and by now, Bella had grown close to the people of Greendale Village. She knew their names and their quirks.The villagers welcomed her warmly, and on weekends, some even invited her to ride on their boats, letting her experience the rhythm of their fishing life firsthand.This was the kind of countryside life she had always dreamed of.Now, it had become real.…Far away in the city, Seth was hospitalized for excessive drinking.The incident with Faye had shaken him more than he could say. It clung to his thoughts like thick smoke. He regret
Greendale Village, Caledon City.Bella stood behind a worn wooden podium, reading aloud from an elementary school textbook.It was her fifth day in Greendale. Only after arriving did she truly grasp how difficult life was for the children here. She'd thought it was just a matter of lacking educational resources. What she hadn't expected was that many of them couldn't even meet their basic needs.Their only source of income came from their parents—mothers and fathers who went out on one exhausting fishing trip after another.But since she'd committed to the Caledon Volunteer Program, Bella had resolved to give these kids her all.She couldn't offer them material comfort, but she would teach them everything she could. She would do it wholeheartedly.Books might not change their fate. But they were the best shot the children had.As Bella recited a poem from memory, a burst of noise suddenly broke out among the kids.She turned toward the door, and there Danny Montgomery was. He w
After the incident was exposed, the once-pristine reputation of the Rogen family plummeted to rock bottom.Even the children in the military compound had begun chanting a mocking rhyme about Seth's disgrace. His shame was no longer private. It was laid bare before his superiors.The commanding officer's expression was grim. "Seth, I always thought you were the sharpest among them. But now, it turns out you're the most foolish. You've tarnished the image of a soldier beyond repair over something as trivial as romance. You were on the list for promotion this year. Not anymore."Numb, Seth walked out of the military compound. Before he could catch his breath, his parents summoned him.The moment he stepped through the door, his father's palm crashed across his face. The blow left him reeling, ears ringing.Before he could even ask why, his father's voice rang out like thunder."You cut ties with Bella?"Seth opened his mouth, but his father didn't wait for an answer."Seth, have y
On the massive screen above the altar, a video began to play—intimate, explicit footage of a man and a woman tangled together. But it wasn't just anyone. The woman in the video was the bride herself—Faye.In the video, she looked nothing like the demure, obedient woman she always was before Seth. She was bold, wild and unrestrained. And as the footage kept rolling, it became increasingly clear: the male partner was different in every clip, but the woman never changed.Seth stared, stunned. He couldn't reconcile what he was seeing with the woman he thought he knew. Faye had always claimed she was saving herself for their wedding night. Now, all he could do was question everything—was this truly Faye?Gasps rippled through the wedding guests. Some began filming the scene with their phones. Faye, realizing what was happening, grabbed Seth's hand in panic."Seth, those videos were doctored, I swear! You have to believe me—I would never do something so filthy."Before he could respond,