I've dated Andrew Carter, my surgeon boyfriend, for seven years. We plan 66 weddings, and he cancels every single one for Selena Merrick.

The first time, Selena botched a patient's injection. "Wait for me," he said, and I waited the entire day.

The second time, she slipped and fell in the shower. We were just about to exchange rings, but he ditched me at the altar without a second thought, leaving me to face the ridicule from the guests.

For all 65 weddings I held, Selena always found an excuse to lure Andrew away.

At the 65th wedding, she claimed her dog was dying and threatened to take her life. My mom collapsed from stress-induced angina, yet Andrew still ran to Selena.

Afterward, he kneels and begs us for forgiveness. "Selena is just a pitiful orphan, but you're the one I'll always love," he declares.

I give him one last chance, yet he never fails to disappoint me.

That is it. I break up with Andrew and join Doctors without Borders.

Goodbye. Let's never meet again.

Today, Andrew Carter and I held yet another wedding.

To show how sincere he was about marrying me, he invited plenty of guests. It kept me busy all day preparing the venue.

I hadn't eaten all night, and the stomach cramps were so bad I could barely stand straight. Yet, Andrew didn't notice because he was too busy chatting and laughing with Selena Merrick.

I bit back my frustration and silently prayed that this wedding would go smoothly.

That was when Selena's face went pale. She grabbed Andrew's hand and said in a panic, "Andrew, I think I just ate something with peanut butter."

Andrew immediately turned to me with eyes full of anger and blame. "What's going on? Didn't I tell you Selena is allergic to peanuts? Why would you serve something with peanut butter?"

I said nothing and simply watched Selena, knowing for a fact that I hadn't prepared anything with peanut butter.

After checking her condition, Andrew scooped her up in alarm. "This isn't good. I need to rush her to the hospital."

I gently reached out to take his hand and softly pleaded, "Just stay this once… please."

Andrew looked at me before shifting his gaze to Selena in his arms. After a brief hesitation, he soon made up his mind. "Call off the wedding. Selena's condition looks serious. She's an orphan with no family or friends, so I have to be there for her."

My parents were furious, my friends cursed under their breaths, and even the guests whispered among themselves.

"Such a shame for the bride. I've been to 65 of these weddings, and she's always left to deal with the aftermath alone."

"Exactly. The way she decorates the venue each time is so full of love. She must really love the groom to keep putting up with this."

Andrew grew impatient when I refused to let go. "Can't you be more understanding, Ivy? Allergic reactions can be life-threatening! I promise I won't miss our next wedding."

But I'd heard that promise far too many times. This was the 66th time Andrew canceled our wedding for Selena.

In the past, I cried, begged, and even screamed at him whenever he canceled the wedding. But I was used to it now. He'd never turn back, no matter how much I cried or raged.

Letting go, I forced a smile, though the pain in my stomach gnawed at me. "Go. Take Selena to the hospital. She doesn't look well."

Andrew froze. He'd never seen me so calm. For a second, he looked unsettled. "I'm so sorry, Ivy. I'll take her to the hospital and come right back."

"Sounds great," I said as I watched him leave, but I knew he wouldn't be back just like the 65 weddings before.

The pain in my stomach became so unbearable that I couldn't stay on my feet any longer. In the end, I collapsed right in front of everyone.

I had a bad stomach, and Andrew had always known that.

When we first started dating, he made sure I ate every meal. If I skipped even one, he'd worry I'd get sick.

He knew stress gave me stomachaches, so he cooked for me himself and remembered everything I disliked.

He once said he'd take care of me for a lifetime and that I mattered more to him than anyone else. But that all ended the day Selena joined the hospital.

He'd abandoned me 66 times for her, and I'd grown exhausted. I wasn't giving him another chance.

When I woke up, only my parents were by my side. They told me the wedding was officially canceled, and Andrew hadn't come back all day. They'd tried calling him to tell him I'd fainted, but their calls couldn't get through.

I laughed bitterly. Every time something happened to Selena, Andrew would always put me second to her, just because she was a pitiful orphan.

I looked over at my wedding gown, which was pure white and sacred. I'd worn it 66 times, all for Andrew.

Forcing myself up, I got out of bed and threw the gown into the trash.

Mom wiped my tears and begged, "You must come home with us, Ivy. Andrew doesn't deserve you."

After the 65th canceled wedding, my parents dragged me home. Andrew had knelt outside our house all night and begged for one last chance.

My parents gave in and allowed one final wedding, but what about the next time? What if he knelt for another three days and nights?

Regardless, I didn't have the strength to face the despair of being abandoned again.

"I'm sorry, Mom, Dad," I said. "I'm not coming home with you. I'm flying to Arnavia in three days."

I'd always wanted to join Doctors without Borders. Back then, I turned down their offer just to stay with Andrew.

Now, all I wanted was to leave him.

My parents were fully supportive of my decision.

After having a thorough discussion, I saw them off at the airport. And when I returned home, Andrew still hadn't come back.

My stomach cramps had worsened, and I opened the medical kit, only to find the painkillers were long gone.

I closed my eyes in exhaustion. I used to always keep my medicine stocked myself, but after Andrew and I got together, he started taking care of that.

He would ready all sorts of medications, bring me water, and gently coax me to take my pills. When the medicine made me drowsy, he'd gently massage my stomach.

When the pain got too much to bear, I thought about calling Andrew and reached for my phone. But in the end, I hesitated.

Remembering all those times he'd left me for Selena, I let out a quiet laugh and decided to visit the hospital on my own.

When I went to the emergency room, one of my colleagues on duty, Lucy Hart, saw me and frowned. "Aren't you supposed to be getting married today? Why are you here at this hour? Why hasn't Andrew come with you?"

I responded with a faint smile. "He's busy."

Lucy couldn't hold back from lashing out. "I don't care how busy he is, he should be here with his wife. You're in so much pain you can barely stand straight. How could he not care?"

On my way to pick up the medication, I happened to walk past Selena's hospital room and noticed Andrew sitting by the side of her bed.

The stark contrast highlighted my miserable loneliness.

Selena seemed to be having a nightmare. She grabbed Andrew's hand and murmured, "Don't leave me. Please don't leave me."

Andrew gently stroked her hair and comforted her. "Don't be scared. I'm right here."

My eyes welled up with tears, and my chest tightened. But I turned and walked away without a word.

After returning home and resting for a day, I started packing all my belongings.

Though I'd lived in this home for seven years, everything I had ended up fitting into a single suitcase.

Perhaps noticing I was too quiet and hadn't sent a single text for two days, Andrew finally sensed something amiss.

He suddenly called and asked in a cautious, probing voice, "Why didn't you come to work today?"

"My stomach was acting up."

"Take care of yourself, okay? Selena hasn't been able to eat anything since the allergic reaction. I'll make her some food and come home to keep you company."

Just before he hung up, I heard Selena's voice in the background. "Andrew, I'm really craving some mushroom soup. There should be ingredients in the fridge. Could you make it for me?"

Just like that, I knew Selena was discharged, and Andrew was taking care of her at her place.

As an orphan, Selena had no one to care for her. Well, I had no one taking care of me, either.

I didn't sleep a wink that night. My stomach stopped hurting, but my heart started throbbing with agony.

…

The next day, I handed in my resignation to my supervisor.

He looked at me with regret and asked, "Why are you resigning? Did you talk to Andrew about this? You gave up being a surgeon for him. Are you going to be a housewife too?"

Andrew and I joined the hospital at the same time. Our surgical skills were on par, but surgery was demanding. After we decided to get married, I requested to switch to an administrative role so I could have more time managing the household.

But now, I no longer wanted to marry Andrew.

I smiled and shook my head. "I don't have to discuss my resignation with Andrew."

Just then, the office door swung open. Andrew appeared and stared at me like I might vanish at any second.

"Ivy, why are you resigning?" he asked. "Why didn't you talk to me about it?"

Andrew dragged me out of my supervisor's office and grumbled, "Ivy, are you throwing a tantrum again? When will you finally learn to be a little more understanding?

"I didn't want to cancel the wedding two days ago. But Selena was there as a guest to celebrate with us, so how could I not take care of her when she suddenly had an allergic reaction and passed out?"

I calmly replied, "I'm not mad. It's only right that you took care of her."

Once again, Andrew was stunned. He stared at me and mumbled, "Why are you suddenly this understanding? If you're mad, why are you resigning?"

"Because I found a job I'm really excited about."

I'd studied medicine for years to help those in need, so I was thrilled to join Doctors without Borders.

But his expression darkened. "You can't resign yet. Selena just had an allergic reaction at our wedding, and we had to call it off. If you quit your job now, she might think you're upset with her. She's an orphan, so she's naturally more sensitive."

His words were a bucket of cold water dumped over my excitement. Just to spare Selena's feelings, I had to give up the career I truly loved.

Perhaps the disappointment on my face was too obvious because Andrew softened his tone and continued, "Just hang in there a little longer, okay? Once we finish the wedding, I'll support you no matter what you want to do."

Even now, he still wanted to go through with the wedding, but I was too tired to hold out any longer.

When I said nothing, Andrew took my silence as agreement. After all, I'd never said no to anything he asked for in our relationship.

"Alright. Don't be upset. Shall we go on a date tonight?" he asked, reaching for my hand. We once promised that no matter how badly we fought, we'd always go on our dates with a smile.

"Sure," I said. I hoped this relationship could at least end on a beautiful note.

But Selena appeared again and cut in. "Andrew, help me. The old man in bed 8 keeps staring at me like a creep. Could you come and do his check-up for me instead?"

I shot her a cold look.

Selena was a nurse, and if she had a problem at work, she should report it to the head nurse. This was clearly another stunt just to win Andrew's sympathy.

If it were in the past, I might have called her out on it. But now, I didn't care anymore.

Andrew hesitated and glanced at me, as if asking for my permission. He never used to ask for my opinion before.

I sensibly replied, "Selena is an orphan, so people take advantage of her easily. As her senior, it's only right for you to help."

Andrew gave me several glances as he left, almost as if he couldn't believe how much I'd changed.

Selena reached for my hand. "You're such a good person, Ivy. Thank you for letting me borrow your fiance like that."

I tried to ignore her, but she refused to let go. "Oh, wow! Our necklaces look like a matching set!"

I glanced at the necklace around her neck and instantly felt a sharp jolt of pain. Her necklace was shaped like a key, while mine was a lock.

Back when I set everything aside and followed Andrew to this unfamiliar city, he had these couple necklaces custom-made.

He made me promise that only he would have the key to my heart and vowed to wear the necklace forever, just like how he'd love me forever.

But now, that same necklace was on another woman. Nothing could get more ironic than that.

I took mine off and handed it to Selena. "Well, mine's yours now. Looks like they do belong together."

…

Andrew came to pick me up for our date after work. At a glance, he noticed I wasn't wearing my necklace and grabbed my hand in a panic.

"Where's your necklace?" he asked. "We promised never to take it off for the rest of our lives."

I looked at his neck. He wasn't wearing his either, so how could he expect me to do that?

He smiled a little guiltily. "I'm sorry. I lost mine."

I smiled. "What a coincidence. I lost mine too."

"I'll get you a new one then," he said, looking relieved.