"Even though it was Cornell who canceled it, as the bride, you ran away without saying a word? Shouldn't you apologize in front of everyone?"

"How did your parents raise you? You don't even know the most basic social etiquette. How can you be the daughter-in-law of our family?"

I took a deep breath and said, "I won't marry into the Leanders, if you two are fine, please make way."

"You!" Their proud expression suddenly changed, clearly not expecting me, who had always been docile and gentle, to be so tough.

I ignored them and walked straight past them to the dressing room.

Tiffany shouted angrily behind me, "You uncivilized thing!"

In the dressing room, someone had already been waiting for me.

The slim-fitting sportswear made his shoulders look broad and his legs long and the sunlight shining from the side outlines his neat silhouette.

Just that the dark circles under his eyes betrayed him, probably he didn't sleep well.

As soon as he saw me step in, he stood up with his arms folded, with that familiar, annoying smile on his lips.

I turned my face away. "Didn't someone swear to never attend my wedding?"

He suddenly leaned closer and his warm breath swept past my ear.

The moment our eyes met, I saw the stubborn boy from ten years ago.

"Hailey, admit your defeat," he said.

I pursed my lips without saying a word.

He became anxious. "Wait ... you forgot?"

"I don't care. We'll get married in three days. If you don't come ...." He paused, as if he had made up his mind. "I'll go to your family and tell them I'm their son-in-law!"

And as if afraid of hearing my rejection, he quickly slipped out the door.

I burst out laughing.

This fool, of course I remembered the bet.

Our two families were old friends and we grew up together, so how could we be lovers if we knew each other too well?

Ten years ago, he confessed his feelings to me and I said, "Let’s just be friends."

He looked heartbroken but insisted on making a bet with me.

I didn't expect I still lost in the end.

A few minutes later, I finished changing out of my wedding dress and Cornell sent me a photo.

How shocked I was when I saw all my belongings were piled up like garbage at the door of the villa.

The most eye-catching thing in my eyes was the hand-sewn wedding quilt my mother had made for me. It was stuffed carelessly in a transparent plastic bag and the bright red satin hurt my eyes in the sunlight.

[Come and pack your things, then get out of here quickly!]

[Since you don't want to marry me, I'll let Grace throw it away.]

I stared at the screen, my fingertips feeling cold.

He knew how to control me so well. I could give up other things, but I must take back the quilt.

[Okay.]

That quilt, my mother, Helena Wijnbergen, spent three months of her precious time and energy to make it.

She who never touched needles and thread had their fingers pricked and covered with blood.

On the eve of the wedding, she even smiled and stuffed the quilt into my hand, saying, "Dear, I wish you happiness for the rest of your life."

Soon, I arrived, but my belongings in front of the villa were gone.

Only half an hour.

I said I would come, so was he so impatient to kick me out?

My anger suddenly surged up and I pushed open the door of the villa and rushed in.

The moment I pushed the door open, I felt like I was falling into an icy cave.

Margot Leander sat on the edge of the dining table. Cornell held her waist with both hands, his cheek pressed against her bulging belly, his eyes and brows were dazzlingly gentle.

"Cornell!" Margot exclaimed softly. "The baby kicked me."

He immediately got closer to her, with a smile on his face that I had never seen before. "So naughty, just like when you were a kid."

His gaze was so gentle and warm on her. "I wish my eyes were like yours."

Margot pursed her lips and smiled.

He gave her a kiss on the lips deeply and his tone became guilty. "Are you really planning to give birth to the baby and leave? Actually ... you can stay, I can take good care of you and the baby. How can such a young child live without a mother?"

Margot reached out her index finger and put it on his lips, shaking her head. "No, Cornell, if I don't leave, what about Hailey?"

Hearing her mention my name, Cornell was stunned for a moment and then his face darkened.

"She? She's just saying breaking up with me out of spite. When the baby is born, she'll ask me to come back and help take care of the baby. She's a daughter of a merchant family, she only cares about profit, she doesn't have any dignity."

"Have you forgotten how she rushed to be my girlfriend? That disgusting face of hers makes me sick just thinking about it now."

My tears silently fell down.

It turned out that my brave confession back then disgusted him for so many years.

The Leander Family were renowned expert in language and literature in Rivendell and Cornell was the youngest professor of language and literature in Rivendell.

Five years ago, he came to my father, Edward Wijnbergen, with a handwritten book, asking him to invest in Brainwave Academy.

My father praised him highly and specially introduced him to me.

I fell in love with him at first sight, then in order to be close to him, I insisted on learning literature from him.

He was so angry that he pointed at me and yelled. "Stupid, no talent!"

I smirked and said, "Then you can be my boyfriend, we can complement each other perfectly."

He glanced at Margot who was writing with her head down, then suddenly held my hand and chuckled to himself. "Okay."

I jumped up and hugged him with joy, completely ignoring Margot rushing out and his instantly stiff arms.

Now, I understood, the one in his heart had always been Margot.

No wonder later he refused to teach me literature and even refused to let me step into his study.

My heart felt uneasy and I was about to turn around and leave, but I remembered my mother's hand-sewed quilt. I couldn't throw it away.

"Hailey!" Cornell suddenly turned his head and sneered. "What are you doing standing sneakily at the door? I threw all the things away for you and now you regret it?"

I tightly held my palm and said, "Where's my quilt? Give it back to me."

He was stunned for a moment, his face even colder. "A torn quilt, do I care about it?"

"It's my mom's hand-sewed quilt." My voice began to tremble. "Give it back to me! And I'll leave right away."

Seeing that I was about to cry, he frowned and said, "You're crying! Are you sick? Is it that important?"

"It's important!" I yelled, tears finally streaming down my face.

He impatiently tugged at his tie, as if trying to say something but stopping himself.

Margot on the side seemed to remember something and quickly spoke up, "Hailey, stop yelling at my brother. I already asked the servants to put your belongings in the guest room."

She gently stroked her belly with her fingers and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

"Hailey, can you stay here? If it's because of this child ... I can abort him. His coming here was a mistake and none of you welcome him ...."

Before she could finish her words, she was already crying uncontrollably.

"I won't allow it!"

The man's voice was almost out of control. He trembled as he hugged her tightly in his arms, then turned around and stared at me fiercely.

"She can leave as far as she wants, but she can't touch my child! You and the child are everything to me now!"

"Hailey, if that's the reason why you came here, please get out of here!"

I sneered and walked straight to the guest room.

The quilt was thrown on the ground at random, covered with stains and vomit and the original flower embroidery became dirty.

My fingers trembled as I pointed to the quilt. "Margot, explain it!"

She timidly shrank her neck and replied, "I didn't mean to, I just had a sudden nausea ...."

She bent down to pick it up and said, "Hailey, don't be angry, I'll help you wash it clean."

But as soon as she bent down, she cried out in pain.

"Ah! My stomach hurts."

Cornell immediately rushed over and pushed me to the ground.

The back of my head hit the leg of the bed hard and at the moment of the sharp pain, warm liquid flowed down my forehead.

I bit my lip without making a sound. I just looked at him with a smile, trying to see clearly whether he had any heart or not.

He hugged Margot, his cold and stern eyes filled with extreme disgust.

"How much? I'll pay for it! I'm begging you, stop messing around! Do you feel a sense of accomplishment when you torture me and Margot with such insignificant things?"

I felt like I had a hole in my heart.

He used to treat me coldly, but he never looked at me with such gaze. He must hate me now.

I suddenly found it extremely boring, why bother annoying him here?

I compromised.

It stained with blood and vomit, dirty, I didn’t want it anymore.

And, I didn't want the man either, dirty and disgusting.

I propped myself up and spoke, "Cornell, I'm not short of money."

Then, I left, but he suddenly grabbed me, with a helpless look on his face. "You're not in a good mood today. You better go back to the Wijnbergens' house and I'll come pick you up in three days."

I shook off his hand and left quickly.

In a home we had been living for several years, I was ultimately just a passer-by.

In the Wijnbergen Family's house.

I had already explained the farce at the wedding to my parents.

Seeing me back home, my mother breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hailey, I should be grateful to God! If you found it out after you got married, what would you do?"

"The Leanders always complains about us businessmen being greedy for money, but their academic family has raised such a shameless person!"

My father let out a light sigh and said, "Alright, stop talking about it. Our dear daughter is feeling uncomfortable. I've already asked my assistant to withdraw our investments from Brainwave Academy and from now on, the Wijnbergens and the Leanders will have nothing to do with each other!"

Then, just as I remembered and hesitated to mention about Jeremiah Lynch, my mother suddenly brought him up. "By the way, Jeremiah came here today and even brought some gifts."

She took out a velvet box from the drawer of the coffee table. "He's quite fast," she said as she handed it to me, "Here you are."

When I opened the box, I found a pair of diamond bracelets passed down from his ancestors.

Only then did I truly realize that Jeremiah was serious about the wedding three days later.

At night.

Margot sent me a message.

[Hailey, please come back.]

[I'm moving out now and I don't want the child anymore.]

[Your five-year relationship with Cornell can't be ruined because of me, as I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life.]

I stared at the screen and sneered. If she had to make a scene, she could go find her brother. Why bother looking for me?

I replied with four words. [Do as you wish.]

Then, I simply blocked her.

I leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window in a daze, feeling a little melancholy.

Soon, my ringing phone broke my daze and Jeremiah's video call invitation pooped up.

"Hailey!" His eyes sparkled on the screen. "Give me a heart!"

I froze. "Why suddenly ...."

A heart? So tacky.

"I don't care," he said, leaning closer to the camera, "I want it now."

Amused by his childish expression, I helplessly made a quick heart shape with my hands and got goose bumps all over myself.

He immediately covered his heart, closed his eyes and made an exaggerated intoxicated expression.

When he opened his eyes, he suddenly blinked his right eye at me.

But, for some reasons, my heart skipped a beat.

"Hey! Look out the window! Here's a gift for you."

He ordered me with a chuckle and the video call came to an abrupt end.

The night sky outside suddenly lit up.

Hundreds of drones formed a flashing heart, which then transformed into a line of words. [Happy Birthday, Hailey.]

Tears instantly blurred my sight.

Today's farce made me even forget my own birthday.