Chapter 2

Thinking it over, Bethany picked up her phone and called her mother.

“Hi, Mom. I don’t want to marry Shane anymore. Remember the match you arranged for me? I’m ready to go ahead with it. Can you ask him if he still wants to marry me?”

Bethany thought her mother would find her sudden decision rash, but her mother laughed instead.

“That’s great! You finally came to your senses! I’ll contact Hudson right away.”

Hudson Smith was not a stranger to Bethany.

They had grown up together and had been childhood friends. Later, Hudson went abroad with his parents, and they gradually lost touch.

Bethany felt a sense of relief. At least it was not some stranger because she knew Hudson. Their families were well-matched, and they knew each other’s backgrounds. Hudson seemed like the perfect choice for a shotgun wedding.

Soon, she received a message from Hudson.

[Your mom contacted me. When are you free? I’ll pick you up from Sea City.]

Bethany already had Hudson’s number. Her mother had given it to her back in college when she was preparing for exams, but she had never contacted him.

She paused for a moment before replying.

[Give me two weeks. I’ll take care of everything first and contact you.]

Since she had decided to break things off with Shane, she wanted to do it completely.

When Shane left the bridal shop, he had even left their wedding rings behind.

Shane was never forgetful, which showed how much of a hurry he had been in to leave.

Shane was on vacation in Maldivea with Yelena. She had provocatively posted many intimate photos of the two of them on social media. Bethany knew Yelena was showing off.

Bethany’s attention was drawn to the rose-pink beach dress Yelena was wearing. It was the dress Bethany had received a few days ago. It was the one she had planned to wear for her honeymoon photos.

The dress was a new Palis collection. Bethany had stayed up several nights to get it in the first release. Shane knew how much she liked it. Yet, he had given it to Yelena without telling her.

Bethany’s hands shook with anger. She sent Shane a message.

[How could you take it without asking me? Even if you’re trying to please your stepsister, you should not give her my dress!]

She waited a long time before Shane finally replied.

[I’ve been meaning to tell you. Rose-pink color is for little girls! At your age, it looks tacky. It’s just a dress! There’s no need to make a big deal out of it.]

Bethany’s heart sank. ‘How could he say that?’

She was only two years older than Yelena. In Shane’s mind, Yelena was a little girl to be cherished, and she was the tacky one.

Just as she was about to argue, Shane sent her some money.

[Here’s the money for the dress. Don’t argue with Yelena. She is finally happy! I don’t want anything to ruin that.]

Bethany accepted the money without hesitation. She wanted neither the dress nor the man. She suddenly realized something. The more Shane belittled her, the more she needed to love herself.

She did not want to waste any more time on Shane. She had bigger things to do. She needed to get back the wedding invitations she had already sent out.

Shane had been worried that a lavish wedding would upset Yelena, so he did not want to make a big deal out of it. Bethany had agreed and had planned a small celebration with just close friends and family in Sea City.

When people found out that the wedding was canceled and the invitations were being withdrawn, everyone was shocked.

“Why’s the wedding canceled? You’ve been planning it for so long, right?”

Bethany gave a wry smile. It had indeed taken her a long time to plan, but she had done all the work herself. Shane had never even paid attention.

She felt that Shane had never really wanted to marry her. She had been chasing him all this time alone.

This back-and-forth game of him running and her chasing him had left Bethany exhausted.

She did not hide the truth. She said truthfully, “I’m still getting married, but the groom has been replaced.”

Everyone laughed it off as a joke. No one believed she would marry someone else.

They all knew how deeply Bethany loved Shane. After finally winning his heart, how could she give him up?

Shane had postponed the wedding more than once. Bethany had been hurt by it but never showed it, so people naturally assumed she would tolerate whatever he threw at her.

Bethany did not explain herself. She had spent six years on this, only to realize that loving a man who did not care about her in return was incredibly painful and exhausting.

The love she had given him could not be regained. All she could do was stop the loss in time.