Maybe the air-conditioning in the lounge was set too low, but the more I dwelled on the thought, the colder I felt right down to my bones.

When Hannah reached for my hand, I pulled away and looked her dead in the eye. "Get my suit back. I don't want Lucas wearing it."

She frowned. "Don't start, Jasper. It's just a ceremony, and we can always have another."

The slight downturn of her lips and irritation in her eyes stung deep.

"Even if the suit doesn't matter, why do you have to be the bride for the wedding?" I snapped back.

Was he just a terminally ill man abusing his illness to make unreasonable demands, or had she simply been waiting for an excuse?

Perhaps my words struck a nerve because something in Hannah's expression darkened. She shook me off, lifted her gown, and walked toward the door.

Before she left, she tossed some harsh words over her shoulder. "Being with you is exhausting. You're too controlling, you never consider my feelings, and you always have to make things ugly."

Was I the one not considering her feelings and being controlling?

The click of the door locking snapped me back to reality.

A spike of panic shot through my chest as I rushed forward and kicked the door hard. "I won't agree to any of this! I've been looking forward to it and planning it for so long, Hannah. It's not just a wedding—"

Her annoyed voice came through the door. "Stop being so cold-blooded, Jasper. He's literally dying, so can't you just give him this one thing?"

Just because he was dying and sick, I had compromised for years. And now, I was being asked to hand over my wedding and bride.

However, I didn't cause his illness, so why was I paying the price?

I gripped the door handle and calmed down. "Think carefully, Hannah. Don't regret this later."

There was a pause outside the door before the sound of firm, determined footsteps faded away.

I slid down against the cold door, feeling completely hollow. Lucas had actually done it. He had successfully ruined my wedding.

That was when my phone on the table rang urgently with a call from my parents. It cut off before I could answer.

The lounge was right behind the main hall, separated by a single door. I could hear the rising noise, shocked gasps, and murmurs, then applause guided by the emcee.

Another video came from Lucas' account. The camera was aimed at the giant screen, displaying all the photos Hannah and I had taken with such care, but they were AI-edited. My face was replaced with his.

The perfect spots Hannah and I had hunted under the scorching sun, the long days of aching backs and sore feet, and the hours spent adjusting poses for the best shot, ended up being tailored for Lucas.

The video hurt more than anything Hannah had said.

Though my hands were shaking with anger, I still clicked on the next video. It showed Hannah walking toward Lucas under the spotlight.

Behind her, I saw my parents in the shadows behind the stage. Their expressions were grim as they searched everywhere for me, only to be held in place by two security guards.

Even as a man, seeing that broke me down. My tears finally hit the screen and dripped onto my parents' faces.

I had picked the wrong woman, but my parents shouldn't have to suffer this humiliation with me.

I stopped watching the rest of the video.

While celebration roared on the other side of the wall, my thoughts finally cleared. I stood in front of the mirror for a long time, then took off the ill-fitting suit and put my clothes back on.

All I could feel was relief. At least I saw the truth of our relationship before we even signed the marriage papers.

When the long wedding finally ended, the door to the lounge opened. Hannah was standing in the doorway.

She pressed her fingers to her temple with exhaustion written all over her face. "I'll make it up to you and explain everything to your parents—"

"No need," I cut in. "They're my parents, not yours."

In other words, Mom and Dad had nothing to do with Hannah anymore, so an explanation wasn't necessary.

She looked stunned and wearily continued, "Don't say that out of spite, Jasper. You know Lucas is suffering from his illness, so what's the big deal if we just let him have this one moment?"

Even now, she still believed she did nothing wrong and made excuses for him. For a moment, I honestly had no idea what there was left to say.

"If you think I'm just being emotional, fine," I said. "I'll pack my bags, move out today, and arrange for someone to sell the apartment. If you don't want to sell it, just buy out my share and transfer the payment to my bank account."

Then, I spotted my parents standing not far away, so I left her with a flat "That's all" and hurried over to them.

My parents were surrounded by relatives. As I approached, I overheard someone say, "He must've gotten dumped."

Aunt Amelia Parks was in full lecture mode. "I've always said a man needs to be tough. Look at him! He's letting a woman walk all over him and swap grooms on the wedding day. What an embarrassment!"

As I pulled my parents aside, my heart ached terribly at the sight of the embarrassment on their faces. So, I ignored the fact that she was an elder who ought to be respected and shot back.

"I'm not sure whose aunt you are, mine or Hannah's.

"Her last-minute switch shows that she's irresponsible and untrustworthy, and the fact that she made a decision without prior discussion with me shows that she's disrespectful. What does that have to do with whether I was tough or dominant enough?

"If I'd known about her plans even a day sooner, she wouldn't have been the bride in the first place!"

Aunt Amelia huffed and wandered off, grumbling.

Mom took my hand, and I could clearly see the worry on her face.

"It's fine," I said reassuringly. "If the wedding isn't meant to be, it's not. I don't care anyway."

After seeing them off, I returned to the apartment to pack my belongings. Though my words were firm, and my head was clear, my emotions were rampaging wildly out of control.

Soon, tears started streaming down my face…

I had decorated the apartment with Hannah, so her presence was everywhere.

There was a small ceramic pot in the kitchen. She bought it because she knew I often had stomach aches after business dinners, so she promised to make me nourishing soup once a week.

The walk-in closet was designed by her, inspired by a video I liked of a girlfriend designing one for her boyfriend.

When it was done, I laughed and said it was overcomplicated, while she clung to my arms and demanded a reward.

Hannah and I met in college before we spent a year apart due to work.

She spent so much effort trying to win me over back then. When she confessed her feelings, she talked about how she fell for me because I looked radiant while arguing on stage at a debate competition.

Back then, I shone in her eyes. Now, she called me controlling. The light she once admired in me had somehow begun to hurt her.

As I packed item by item, I slowly detached myself from the memories. When I was done, I realized that I had packed my seven-year relationship into a single cardboard box that was barely half my height.

While I wondered how I should drag it out and throw it away, the door swung open. Then, my best friend, Darryl Jensen, came rushing in.

When I saw him, the strength I had been holding onto completely crumbled, and my nose stung hard.

He pulled me in for a firm hug and said, "I should've been your best man. At least you wouldn't have to be done out there."

Darryl had hated Hannah for years. He loathed how indecisive she was and the way she could never let go of her ex, so much so that he refused to attend our wedding. He once told me flat out that if I married her, I would regret it.

His exact words were even harsher. "If Lucas lives, maybe you still have a chance. But if he dies, how are you supposed to compete with a dead man?"

We fell out over that, and now, it seemed that his words had hit the mark. I couldn't help feeling grateful to have such a good friend by my side again.

With Darryl around, the days weren't as unbearable.

He had initially requested a business trip just to avoid my wedding, but the second his plane touched down, and he heard what happened, he came straight over. He was terrified I might be so desperate that I would spiral out of control.

He even burned his vacation days just to stay with me, and for that, I was moved beyond words.

While he enthusiastically started setting me up with someone new, Hannah came knocking at my door.

I smirked coldly. Since she had delivered herself right to my doorstep, I was more than ready to tear her up.