Just a few days before my wedding, I accidentally come across a post while scrolling online.

The title reads, "To the guy getting married in this city, your fiancée's already cheated on you."

Curious, I click in to see the gossip, only to realize I'm the one being talked about.

A deep male voice plays in the video. "I heard you're getting married?"

The woman in the frame, bare-backed and trembling, chokes back a sob. "After you left, I realized you're still the one I love most. I'm done with him. Take me away, please!"

The moment I hear her voice, it feels like someone punches me straight in the chest.

Then I notice something on her wrist—the luxury couple's bracelet I gave her just yesterday.

And in that instant, I feel like the biggest joke of all.

Turns out the fool was me.

I decided to call off this fake wedding.

"Lucas, I know you're about to get married, but this opportunity to further your studies is really rare. You need to decide whether to prioritize your future or your family..."

"I'm willing to take this opportunity," I decisively interrupted my advisor before he could finish. Clearly surprised by my quick decision, Joseph Franklin broke into a relieved smile.

"You're willing to go? That's amazing! I'm sure you'll do really well."

I swiftly scanned the flight details.

"Yes, I can complete the enrollment procedures by next week."

After hanging up, I booked the ticket immediately.

In exactly seven days, Sophia Bennett and I would have our wedding. Today, we were supposed to select our reception menu together. Sophia sent me a message saying she had to personally handle an important client.

"You can decide. I completely trust your judgment," she said.

It had been less than an hour since she left when the explosive news appeared on social media, making me marvel bitterly at the power of the internet. I pointed at the most expensive menu option and told the hotel manager, "We'll take this one."

Since Sophia insisted on paying initially, this would be my last gift to her. As I left, I glanced at the matching bracelet on my wrist. The irony struck me hard, and I tossed it into a nearby trash can.

I had believed I could handle this calmly and control my emotions. But when I saw Sophia with another man in the car I'd bought her, right there in the garage of our new home, I completely lost it.

I gripped my phone so tightly that it felt as if it would break, eyes bloodshot. Through the car window, I clearly saw them passionately tangled together on the custom leather seats I had specially ordered for her. Those seats had become their bed of betrayal.

The dull ache in my chest exploded into a thousand sharp blades, twisting inside me and nearly choking me with pain. Five years of genuine devotion, yet I still couldn't understand how Sophia could cruelly stomp on it like this.

I opened the dashcam app on my phone, and the video showed Sophia cuddled in the arms of that man, whispering, "I've been thinking about doing this with you in this car ever since he gave it to me."

The man chuckled softly, kissing her lips. "Then let me fulfill your wish today."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, playfully whispering, "You're so bad. This is the new car my fiance gave me."

The man's feigned hesitation only made her more eager.

Leaning close, she breathed seductively into his ear. "Don't worry. Lucas is boring and strict. He won't even touch the car until our wedding day."

The man smirked, his fingers tracing her lips. "Aren't you worried he'll find out and call off the wedding?"

"Relax. He can't live without me."

As soon as she said that, she seductively pressed herself against him.

Nauseated, I forced myself to watch their intimacy as a kind of punishment. Once they left, my fingers trembled as I pressed "save" on the video.

I collapsed to the floor, calming myself down. After a long while, I finally opened the car door.

A sharp scent of perfume hit me, and the leather seats were a mess. Suppressing the overwhelming nausea, I retrieved my passport and left immediately.

If I hadn't needed my passport, I wouldn't have encountered this scene. This new car represented my parents' heartfelt blessings, but now it was as filthy as Sophia was.

When Sophia returned, I was smoking and drinking whiskey on the balcony.

Upon seeing this, she frowned deeply. "Why are you smoking again? Didn't we agree we'd prepare for a baby? And now you're drinking something so strong?"

I laughed coldly inside. This marriage was already doomed, so why talk about children?

Since my youth, I'd always loved drinking, but because Sophia said it smelled awful, I'd abstained from strong alcohol for five full years. Seeing my silence, she became irritated.

"Lucas, what are you sulking about now? All I asked was for you to choose the menu. I've been working tirelessly, entertaining clients just so we can have a better future."

Previously, her words would immediately soften me into compromise, but now I just watched her indifferently.

"There's still half a bottle of whiskey left. Care to join?"

Sophia froze for a second, said I was being ridiculous, and went to take a shower. Suddenly, her phone rang as I reached to clear away the glass.

Glancing down, I saw the caller ID flashing "My Star." Just as I reached to pick it up, her furious shout stopped me. "Lucas, what are you doing?"

Her hair was still dripping wet, and Sophia dashed out in nothing but a bath towel, snatching the phone away and glaring defensively.

"Didn't I tell you never to touch my phone? It's full of client information..."

"I just wanted to take the glass," I said calmly, picking it up and placing it on the tray.

Sophia pressed her lips together and turned to the balcony to answer the call.

By the time I returned from downstairs, the house was empty. The bathroom was a mess. She'd clearly left in a hurry; water still pooled on the floor.

This time, I didn't immediately clean it up as usual. After all, this mess was her doing.

Now, I just wanted to do something for myself. I took out a cigar I'd long treasured, ready to enjoy a rare moment of peace.

Sophia had always nagged me about cigars being unhealthy and a waste of money. So, I'd stopped smoking, and even my cigar cabinet in the study went from being fully stocked to merely decorative.

Still, I couldn't resist sneaking a cigar when she wasn't home, always airing the house thoroughly before she returned. Now, I no longer cared about pleasing her. Leaning back in the lounge chair on the balcony, I savored the cigar's rich aroma.

Suddenly, the front door swung open.

"Lucas, we have a guest. Please tidy up the guest room," Sophia called out.

I looked toward the man behind Sophia. Dressed in a casual suit, tall and slender, with charming eyes, he was the perfect image of a romantic dream.

Noticing my gaze, he deliberately tilted his head, exposing the red mark on his neck, then took Sophia's hand.

"Soph, maybe I should stay in a hotel after all."

She soothingly reassured him, "No need. Don't worry. Make yourself at home."

Dragging a suitcase inside, she turned to me and said coldly, "This is Adrian Cole, my college friend. He's here for the wedding. Go prepare the guest room now."

She didn't even think it was worth introducing me to him. Upon hearing that, I simply nodded.

It was her rented apartment, after all. She could have anyone stay.

I raised the cigar in my hand. "Sorry, I'm a bit occupied right now."

Sophia glared at the cigar, her face darkening instantly. "Why the hell are you smoking again? It smells bad, and it's a total waste of money!"

"It's normal to unwind a bit before bed. The guest room is always kept tidy, so I'm sure Mr. Cole won't mind spreading a bedsheet himself, right?" I said indifferently.

Adrian immediately put on a gentle expression. "Don't be angry, Soph. It's perfectly normal for men to smoke. I'm the one who interrupted your evening."

Sophia glared at me, then guided Adrian toward the guest room, whispering something into his ear as they walked. Occasionally, flirtatious laughter drifted from inside the room as she busily moved in and out.

I didn't care enough to get involved. Instead, I wondered whether to open another bottle of whiskey to enjoy with my fresh stash of cigars. Deciding it was worth it, I headed to the study to retrieve another treasured bottle.

Just as I was immersed in choosing my whiskey, a sudden scream pierced the silence from the master bedroom.

Curious, I walked over to see what was going on. But the moment I reached the doorway, Sophia shoved me hard.

"Lucas, were you raised without manners?"

I never imagined that she would hurt me physically, so I wasn't on guard.

My head slammed sharply against the doorframe, sending a stabbing pain through my skull. My vision blurred for a moment.

Adrian just stood beside Sophia, acting magnanimous. "Sophia, don't get upset. It was my fault. I just slipped accidentally."

"Don't make excuses for him! Lucas, if you have a problem, speak up clearly. There's no need for childish pranks.

"You knew Adrian was going to use the bathroom, so why did you intentionally leave the floor wet?"

The throbbing pain made my voice rise in frustration. "Sophia, did you actually see me wet the floor yourself?"

She took this as me making excuses. "Still not admitting it? I said Adrian was going to use the bathtub, and you went in and out hurriedly.

"Who else could it have been? Apologize immediately, or I'm taking him to a hotel."

The absurd accusation made me scoff bitterly. "What about you? Did you forget you ran out of the bathroom, soaking wet, just to take a phone call?"

My words triggered Sophia's memory, yet she stubbornly held onto her stance. "Then, you should've cleaned it up instead of... Wait, you're bleeding."

When I felt something sticky between my fingers, I looked down and saw blood trickling down my arm.

Sophia stepped closer to inspect my injury, but Adrian suddenly groaned in exaggerated pain. "My ankle really hurts, Soph. I might've broken it. It hurts so much..."

She halted her step toward me immediately and then gently helped Adrian to his feet. "Don't worry; we'll head to the hospital right away."

As they left, Adrian glanced back, a fleeting smirk of triumph in his eyes.

...

At the emergency room, as the doctor stitched my wound, I coincidentally ran into Sophia, who was helping Adrian out of an examination room. Perhaps feeling a hint of guilt, she approached the doctor to ask about my condition.

"Is he seriously hurt?"

Upon learning she was my fiancee, the doctor replied, "It's nothing major. He just had two stitches. Keep it dry, and it'll heal quickly."

Sophia was about to speak further when Adrian interrupted, "It's all my fault. If Soph hadn't been worried about me, you wouldn't have gotten hurt. Let me apologize on her behalf."

At that moment, my wound, stitched without anesthesia, throbbed unbearably, and cold sweat dripped down my face. Adrian's words only ignited my anger further. "Get out!" I growled.

He looked momentarily stunned, then turned to Sophia with an awkward expression.

"Adie kindly apologized. And this is how you react? Apologize to him now."

When I shut my eyes and refused to respond, Sophia's face darkened further.

"Lucas, I'm talking to you! Stop pretending! Adie nearly broke his ankle and toughed it out, and you're making a scene over just a couple of stitches with anesthetic. Why are you acting like the victim now?"

The doctor, unable to hold back any longer, turned to them after bandaging my wound. "Are you unaware he's allergic to anesthesia? He just endured stitches without any of it.

"That kind of pain is tough to go through. You're getting married, but you didn't even know that?"