I was about to marry my boyfriend of seven years, Edward Carter.

However, he was secretly getting a marriage certificate with his first love.

In a moment of panic and disbelief, I confronted him:

"Edward, what do I even mean to you?"

Edward grabbed me as I tried to walk away, his eyes filled with helplessness:

"Jennifer, you know Chloe is my first love. She only has two months left to live. I just don't want her to leave with regrets."

"The woman who will be my last wife, though, is you."

It was laughable. He felt sorry for his first love—did that mean I had to suffer?

I saw the mocking look Chloe Smith shot my way.

Then, to make things worse, Edward actually suggested I let Chloe take my place in the wedding.

That was the last straw.

After seven years of love, I did not want it anymore.

I called my brother, "Hey, the wedding is in ten days. Can you find me a new groom?"

My brother, Henry Larson, laughed over the phone with a hint of surprise.

"Jennifer, you've finally seen the light. You're the Larsen family's golden girl, but that guy? He's just a nobody from the sticks. He's not in your league."

I inhaled deeply, calming myself down from the verge of tears and forced a breezy tone.

"Yeah, you've got a point, Henry."

"Jennifer, remember that guy our parents wanted you to marry? The one who looks like he's lost his soul every time he sees you?" Henry asked.

"You mean the high-and-mighty prince of the social elite?" I asked, unsure.

"Yeah, I need to go tell that guy. He's got his chance now."

Henry's words brought back memories of the man I had turned down. He came to me with flowers, ready to confess his love, but my heart belonged to Edward Carter, and I rejected him right there and then.

"You have no idea. He's been waiting for you to be single again. He even joked the other day about swooping in if your boyfriend doesn't treat you right," he said.

I could not help but chuckle at Henry's comment.

"Well, tell him he might as well skip the drama and just come snatch the bride—"

"Snatch the bride?"

Edward's voice cut in sharply, interrupting my conversation.

"Jennifer, are you talking about crashing the wedding in ten days to snatch the bride? If you mess up my wedding with Chloe, don't expect me to play nice!"

Edward's confrontational stance made my heart plummet.

'Edward, didn't you turn your back on me the moment you decided to marry your first love?' I mused bitterly.

Sensing the harshness in his voice, Edward dialed it back, trying to explain it more gently.

"Jennifer, I got carried away. It was wrong of me to go through with the marriage certificate with Chloe without talking to you first. However, she's got this terminal illness, and she has only two months left to live. She didn't want to go with any regrets, that's why she came to me for help.

"You get it, don't you?"

Edward's words threw me in for a loop. I grabbed the marriage certificate from his hands, my eyes welling up as I questioned, "Do you really need to get married to help someone?"

Watching my temper rise, Edward started to freak out too.

"It's just two months. I'll get a divorce after that, and you'll still be my wife."

I stared at Edward, feeling a mix of anger and sadness.

"Two months?"

Then, I let out a bitter laugh and added, "Our wedding is in just ten days, you know?"

Edward held my hand, his eyes begging for understanding,

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Can you let Chloe have the wedding first?"

I stared at Edward in shock with tears streaming down my face. "Edward, do you even hear yourself?"

However, Edward made a solemn vow right in front of me.

"Jennifer, I promise, we'll definitely have our own wedding later on."

It took me back to a recent promise he had made with the same sincerity.

'Jennifer, I swear, you're the love of my life. I'd only ever marry you.'

How quickly his promises soured.

So, that was what I meant to him.

Edward got antsy when I did not respond for a while."Jennifer, Chloe matters a lot to me. I don't want her to die with regrets."

I let out a bitter laugh. "She matters to you, but what about me? What's our seven-year relationship worth?"

I laughed again, but there was no humor in it. "We've been together for seven years, and you've never even met my family. Every time you said you'd come home with me, something always 'came up'.

"Your first love, she just has to whisper one word and you'd ditch me in a heartbeat. If she means that much to you, go ahead and marry her, and don't bother coming back here, ever—"

"That's enough," Edward snapped, his voice rising with frustration.

"Will you just cut it out? I told you. It's just two months. Can't you hold on just a bit longer? Are you that desperate to tie the knot?"

Edward's anger caught me off guard.

I stared at him, stunned.

He had never blown up at me like that before.

It was his promise he broke, but somehow, I was the one in the wrong.

By then, my tears were beyond control, spilling one by one onto the floor.

With a shaky voice, pointing to the door, I managed to say, "Leave!"

Edward's expression was hard as he hesitated, not rushing to comfort me at the sight of my tears like he used to.

Before he walked out, he laid it out for me. "Jennifer, you've got to see the tough spot I'm in. No matter how much of a scene you make, Chloe's the one I'll be marrying in ten days."

As I watched him leave without a backward glance, my tears fell even harder.

'Edward, you really chose her over me.'

I figured that if he divorced Chloe Smith and went through with our wedding, I would convince my brother to call off the plans at home.

However, he ended up disappointing me after all.

With puffy eyes, I began to pack my bags.

My hand brushed against a figurine on the vanity.

Memories flooded back to seven years ago.

It was my birthday, and Edward had surprised me with a present.

"Surprise! Happy birthday to Jenny, my princess."

I could not believe my eyes as I asked, "Is this the limited edition Psyduck figurine?"

Edward beamed with pride. "Obviously. I worked my tail off for this, staying up night after night to get it."

Back in the day, even though he was not rolling in dough, he always treated me like a princess.

He would give me anything I ever wished for.

However, all those sweet memories were just history.

I fought back tears and looked up to see the photo frame on the counter.

It was a snapshot of us at the company's grand opening.

The festive moments from back then were still crystal clear in my mind.

Edward gazed at me with deep affection.

"Jennifer, thanks for standing by me. Don't worry, I'll make sure our company soars, and then, I'll sweep you off your feet and take you home in style."

However, then...

Staring at those mementos, my heart fell into pieces.

I once thought we would be together until our hair turned gray. It felt like a cruel joke.

Why hang onto love that was gone?

I gathered up everything that reminded me of us and tossed it all away without a second thought.

'Edward, I'm done lowering myself to love you,' I told myself silently.

After a restless night's sleep, Edward never showed up. He only dropped me a single message.

[Jennifer, I didn't mean to snap at you. I'll come home with a gift later to make it up to you.]

I let out a sharp huff.

It was a classic move. He would hurt me, then try to sweeten the blow.

I was over it.

I grabbed a quick breakfast and remembered the wedding dress I had ordered a month ago was ready to be picked up. I drove to the bridal shop on my own.

The manager was there, and I told him why I had come.

"Hello. I'm here for the wedding dress I ordered a month back."

He looked at me, puzzled. "Ms. Larsen, didn't someone pick up your dress a couple of days ago?"

I froze, shocked. It had to have been Edward.

The manager caught my silence and quickly jumped in with an explanation.

"Ms. Larsen, I wasn't in the store that day, but let me get the surveillance tape for you."

In no time, a clerk was by our side with the video ready to play.

There on the screen was Chloe, draped in my wedding gown, her cheeks pink with shyness.

"Edward, do I look good in this?" she asked.

Edward gazed at her, all soft and gooey, and said, "You look stunning. Give me a pinch, will you? I need to know this isn't just a dream. For years, I could only dream of marrying you."

He took Chloe's hand gently, his eyes full of care. "A dream? No way. Lucky for me, you showed up when you did, or I'd be marrying someone else."

They wrapped their arms around each other, their lips coming together in a kiss.

I had convinced myself that Edward felt sorry for Chloe, just like he said. However, there they were, together, and I had no clue when it all started.

That image was like a punch to the eyes, and my heart ached like crazy.

I had made up my mind not to care, so why was that hurt so hard to shake off?

The manager noticed my teary eyes and sensed trouble. He whipped out his phone and dialed Edward.

"Mr. Carter, Ms. Larsen is here and..."

"Did Jennifer come to collect the wedding dress? Just tell her I'll give it back when we're done. It's not like anyone's fighting her for it."

I was close enough to catch every word, and anger flared up inside me. I gestured for the manager to hand over the phone.

My voice was firm and loud as I barked into the phone.

"Edward, my wedding dress is a one-of-a-kind, handmade piece, and it's not cheap. It cost me seventy-five thousand dollars. You didn't think to ask me before you took it?"

"What's that supposed to mean? I only borrowed it for Chloe to wear. Are you seriously talking about money with me right now?"

I was about to say something when Chloe's voice, thick with hurt, came through the phone.

"Edward, if we can't be together, does that mean I can't even keep the wedding dress?"

I could not see Edward's face when he heard her, but his words left me squirming with discomfort.

"You're after money, aren't you.

"Alright, I'll send it to you right now.

"You love money so much, go rent another dress from the bridal shop when we get married. It'll save us some cash."

Edward's voice was a mix of warmth and anger as he hung up.

I had barely pulled my phone away when it buzzed with a PayPal alert.

The money was in my account. He really was generous.

Then, my brother called. I quickly dried my tears and steadied my voice before picking up.

"Jennifer, have you caught the news today?"

I was about to ask Henry what he meant when the news headline on the television caught my eye.

[Capital's most eligible bachelor announces wedding plans overnight]

"Henry, are you talking about the wedding announcement?"

"Yes. He was so eager once he heard you'd marry him. He blasted the news out like he wanted every stranger on the street to know you're his. He's even got the world's best wedding planners on speed dial, wondering if you've got any special requests."

I paused before replying, "There's no need for that. I've got the wedding planning covered."

"Edward, you're not the only guy in the world. There are others who care about me too. I just hope you don't end up regretting this on our wedding day," I muttered to myself.