You're No Longer My Groom

I had loved Julian Lancaster for ten years, and today was our wedding day. This was the most important moment of my life.On the stage stood my beloved. Below, our family and friends were gathered.But just as this perfect moment unfolded, a sharp ringtone shattered the harmony.It was Vivienne Hayes.In an instant, I recognized the caller—not because I had memorized the number, but because Julian had set a special ringtone for her—his first love."Honey, hold on. I need to take this call."Julian's eyes lit up as he pushed me aside without hesitation. He quickly straightened his suit, his face showing a careful, almost eager anticipation—something I had never seen from him in all our years together.I stared at him, feeling as if I were looking at a stranger."Vivi, what's wrong?" Julian answered, one hand casually tucked into his pocket. He smiled brightly, his entire demeanor softening."Julian, my stomach hurts," Vivienne's weak voice came through the phone.In the next s

"What money?" I frowned at Lilian, utterly confused by her sudden demand."The money Julian spent on you all these years! You need to pay back every single cent!" Lilian stood there, looking self-righteous.Isabelle quickly chimed in, nodding along, "That's right! You have to pay every penny back!"I couldn't help but laugh."Mrs. Lancaster, are you serious? Didn't Julian hand over his entire paycheck to you for household expenses the moment he got paid?"I raised an eyebrow. "For years, I was the one covering rent, appliances, clothes, and everything. Honestly, I had almost forgotten about it. But since you've brought it up, let's settle this properly. You owe me money."I pulled up my phone and opened my financial records. Every transaction was neatly listed.Julian hadn't just relied on me. He had lived off me. Everything from his underwear to his apartment had been bought with my money.No wonder Lilian was so desperate to defend this marriage. Without me, she wasn't sure t

"Because I think you're disgusting!"With that, I hung up the phone and leisurely went back to watching parenting videos.Mom was right. I could raise this child on my own. Julian might be a scumbag, but that didn't change the fact that the baby was innocent. Our family had more than enough to provide.…When I saw Julian again the next day, he looked like a completely different person. He was still wearing the same suit from yesterday, but his face was haggard and covered in stubble, with deep, dark circles under his eyes.Gone was the smug, self-assured man from before.It seemed he had already spoken to Lilian and fully understood the situation. He must have realized that I was serious about calling off the wedding and that this wasn't just some impulsive tantrum.The moment we met, he begrudgingly tossed the wedding ring at me and frowned. "Clara Whitmore, do you think marriage is some kind of game? You can't just say it's over and walk away!"I laughed. "Didn't I learn tha

I can't even remember how long it had been since I felt this free and relaxed. Back when I was with Julian, I was always forced to go out barefaced to protect his fragile ego. If I dressed up even a little, he would manipulate me, accusing me of vanity and pretension. Those youthful ten years turned into my most disheveled decade.Julian claimed he was helping me control any overspending habits. Yet, whenever he chose things for himself, he always picked the most expensive ones—never caring about quality—and in the end, I was always the one paying.Now that I left him, it felt like the real Clara Whitmore had finally come back to life.As I passed Julian, I heard him mutter harshly, "Humph, she's dressed so extravagantly—what a wasteful woman!"Hearing that, I stopped in my tracks, turned around, and looked down at him condescendingly. "Mr. Lancaster, please rethink your words. I'm spending my own money. It has nothing to do with you. So, it's none of your business what I buy o

In just two short years, Julian had married twice. His first wife was the daughter of his middle school teacher.This time, Lilian had learned her lesson and was no longer obsessed over whether the bride could bear sons, instead urging Julian to get married quickly.However, it turned out that this wife was infertile, which infuriated Lilian, who desperately wanted grandchildren. She constantly mocked her daughter-in-law, took all her salary, refused to cook for her, and fed her only their leftover scraps.She even encouraged Julian to use violence, hitting his wife whenever he was displeased.Eventually, the woman was hospitalized from the abuse, and her family demanded a divorce.His second wife was an illiterate rural woman. This time, fertility wasn't an issue. She gave Julian a daughter shortly after marrying him.However, she had a fierce temperament. She would scream at Julian at the slightest dissatisfaction. When Lilian tried to control her, she beat her so badly that