On the day I went to the city hall with my girlfriend to get married, her first love, Martin Lennox, suddenly appeared.

“Teddy’s getting old, and his kidneys are failing. The vet said he only has a few days left. You should pay him a visit.”

Teddy was the dog they got together. I knew about it, so I said kindly, “After Olivia and I get married, I’ll send both of you to the vet.”

However, Martin suddenly started crying. “Olivia, you know dogs can’t speak, but he kept crying when he looked at your photo. He really wants to see you.”

Olivia also started crying. She flung my hand away and apologized before she left with Martin.

She disappeared for three days.

On the fourth day, she returned home and apologized to me. Then, she dragged me to the city hall.

Unexpectedly, Martin showed up with Teddy’s dead body.

“Olivia, is your marriage really that important that you left Teddy alone at the vet? He’s dead now, and you didn’t manage to accompany him before he crossed the rainbow bridge!”

Olivia cried as she looked at me. “I’ll come back to you after I bury Teddy, alright? Wait for me.”

I gestured. “Just go, we can have our wedding ceremony first before we get our marriage certificate.”

On the day of our wedding, Olivia was waiting happily for me at home in her wedding dress.

However, she did not know that I was not planning on turning up.

Actually, the first time Olivia Reid left the city hall with Martin Lennox, I did not overthink it, even though it made me uncomfortable.

That night, I even bought her favorite food as I wanted to cook her dinner to comfort her.

I did not expect that she would not come home for three days.

I called her during those days. I wanted to be with her at the veterinary clinic, but she kept coming up with reasons why I should stay home.

When I brought it up with my business partner, Sam Swift, he tried to talk sense into me. “You see, I’ve told you many times that there must be something between them. You’re blinded by love.”

However, I swirled the wine in my glass and still defended Olivia. “She’s so kind and loving. If it were me, I would also be there for Teddy’s last days without any hesitation. I understand her.”

So, when she came back home on the fourth day, I did not ask her where she had stayed for the past three days. I also did not question her about who bought her the new dress she was wearing.

Since I loved her, I had to trust her.

“Ethan, I’m sorry. After having Teddy for over a decade, losing him feels the same as losing a family member. I’ve not been myself over the past few days, and that’s why I didn’t contact you. Please forgive me.”

I wrapped my arms around her lovingly and comforted her softly, “I’m not mad at you. I just feel bad because I couldn’t be there for you when you were feeling down.”

She looked up with teary eyes and planted a soft kiss on my cheek.

When she looked up, I saw the faint hickey on her neck.

Suddenly, I recalled that when I was intimate with her for the first time two years ago, she planted a lot of hickeys on my neck too.

That time, she smiled and said, “I’m leaving marks on you, so everyone will know you’re mine.”

I was in a daze when I stared at her neck. Olivia kissed me again.

“What’s wrong? Are you really mad at me?”

I immediately shook my head. I made up an excuse and told myself that maybe there were a lot of mosquitoes at the vet. Maybe it was a mosquito bite.

“I’m fine. You must be tired. Get some rest, and I’ll take you out to get a good meal.”

“No, I promised you that we’d get our marriage certificate before our wedding ceremony. It’s only three days away, so let’s go and get our certificate now.”

I was even more certain that I was overthinking earlier when I looked into her sincere eyes. She loved me so much. She would not betray me.

Hence, I happily drove her to the city hall again.

This time, we had already reached the registration counter and were about to take out our documents when I heard a commotion behind me.

“What are you doing? This is trespassing!”

Olivia and I turned around and saw Martin showing up with Teddy’s dead body. He was crying when he ran toward us.

“Olivia, is your marriage that important? Why did you leave Teddy alone in the clinic? You weren’t even there for him when he crossed the rainbow bridge!”

Olivia immediately started crying. “I’m sorry, Teddy. Mommy’s sorry.”

Martin glared at me and then softened his tone before he spoke to Olivia, “I’m not blaming you. Did Ethan force you to come here and make you miss your last moments with Teddy?”

I immediately frowned. “I have never forced her to do anything. Please don’t lie.”

“I didn’t lie! It’s all your fault! Teddy was initially at home, and he could’ve lived for a few more days. But you kept calling Olivia. The ringtone scared Teddy off and worsened his heart issues. That’s why he died earlier!”

Even though he was sobbing, I noticed he used the word “home”.

It was then that I realized that a seed of doubt was planted in me. It was hard to suppress my growing suspicions.

I immediately turned around to ask Olivia, “I thought you said you were at the clinic for the past three days. Where were you exactly?”

Olivia sobbed even harder. She even threw punches at my chest.

“Teddy’s dead, and I’m already upset enough. Why are you suspicious of me? Is this how you show your love to me?

“Ethan, I’m very disappointed in you. Martin and I were childhood friends, and you knew that when you first got together with me. If there was anything between him and me, would I have agreed to marry you?”

I was having second thoughts when I heard her pitiful cries. I even felt sorry for her. Maybe I was overthinking it.

Indeed, when they first got together, I knew that they were childhood best friends. I also had a good relationship with Martin. Sometimes, we would hang out and drink together.

I immediately apologized to Olivia. I said, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. Please don’t be upset.”

One of the staff members behind us started rushing us. “Are you still going to go through with the registration process? It only takes a few minutes. Can’t you talk after completing it?”

“Yes!”

“No!”

Martin was the one who yelled no.

I stared at him in disbelief.

He said righteously to Olivia, “Are you sure you want to get married happily before Teddy’s dead body? Olivia, when did you become so heartless?”

I was also feeling a mix of emotions.

Then, I said frustratedly to Olivia, “It only takes a few minutes to legalize our marriage. The choice is yours.”

Olivia stared at me with teary eyes. “I’ll come back again after I bury Teddy, alright? Wait for me.”

I swallowed my disappointment and nodded.

I gestured and said, “Just go. We can get our marriage certificate after our wedding ceremony.”

My happy mood was ruined, so even though she agreed to marry me today, I did not want to go through with it anymore. I had lost the desire to do so.

After they left, the staff looked at me with pity.

The staff member who was handling our registration said, “Young man, this isn’t exactly a bad thing.”

After I put my documents away and walked out of the city hall, I did not go home. Instead, I secretly followed them in my car.

I was not trying to do anything rash. I simply wanted desperately to prove to myself that my suspicions were wrong.

They went to a pet funeral service center.

I parked my car at a corner and slowly waited for them to come out.

Time passed very slowly. It was as though a century had passed before they came out.

However, they were indeed holding hands!

When they walked closer to my car, Martin suddenly stopped moving. He stood there and hugged Olivia.

“Olivia, Teddy’s gone. I no longer have the will to live. I can’t lose you too. Please don’t marry Ethan.”

Then, he started to kiss Olivia’s neck in public as he ran his hands all over her body.

Olivia pushed him aside. “Martin, I know you’re upset, but please don’t do this. Ethan almost noticed the hickey you left on my neck two days ago.

“I only slept with you yesterday to formally say goodbye to you. We’ve been broken up for over a year. This is bad for us.”

I was shocked when I heard that.

Olivia and I had been together for more than two years, and she had only broken up with Martin a year ago. It turned out that she had been cheating on me all along.

Martin was sobbing hard as tears streamed down his cheeks. “I was wrong, Olivia. I didn’t want to break up with you. Let’s get back together. I love you, and I know you love me deeply too.

“I don’t believe you can just let go of our decade-long relationship. As long as you stay with me, I don’t care what I am to you. Even if you get married to him, I’m willing to be your secret lover that others will look down upon.”

However, I did not expect Olivia to be touched by such shameless words.

She reached out to wipe Martin’s tears away. “You’re too good to be my secret lover. That’s bad for you.”

“No, I can bear with anything as long as I can be with the person I love.”

Olivia tiptoed and kissed him passionately.

They were kissing fervently right in front of my car. My rage grew.

I immediately honked the horn.

They jumped apart in shock. Olivia was dumbfounded as she stared at me with her mouth agape. I got out of the car.

Before I could speak, Olivia immediately threw herself at me. “Ethan, hear me out. It’s not what you think.”

I pushed her aside coldly and said, “I saw it with my own eyes. What lies are you going to tell me?”

“Martin is just depressed because of Teddy’s death. I’m just comforting him.”

“Do you have to kiss him to comfort him?”

“No, you were mistaken. I was only hugging him. From your angle, it seemed like we’re kissing. I love you so much; why would I do anything else with another man?

“Aren’t we going to get married? Let’s head over to the city hall before they close for the day.”

At the same time, someone sent me a text message. It was from Madison Smith.

My parents had adopted her. She was two years older than me. Ever since I fell out with my parents over Olivia, she was the one in charge of our family business.

“Ethan, I’ll invest eighty million dollars in Reid Corporation tomorrow.”

I sneered secretly and told her, “Hold on. Wait for my instructions.”

I immediately became calm after reading that text message.

Even though I was estranged from my parents, I was still the successor of Anderson Corporation. I could not be cheated on like that.

I immediately concealed my anger and pushed her into my car.

“Alright, let’s just say I was mistaken. I hope I won’t see that again.”