Harvey sent me a photo of a pregnancy report—the name on the report was Wendy Johnson!

Once I saw the gestational age, my mind started spinning. The report clearly stated that she was three weeks pregnant.

In other words, Wendy had already gotten herself artificially inseminated a month ago in order to conceive Harvey's baby. From the very beginning, she never actually considered seeking my approval first.

Since that was the case, why had she stubbornly continued to ask me about it for the past month? Was she just trying to ensure she could do it with a clear conscience?

Feeling as though all my strength had been sapped out of me, I crumpled onto the floor. It felt like my heart was being crushed. I could scarcely breathe.

This explained why Wendy couldn't keep the smile off her face just now, and why she had rushed off after the call. She must've found out that the procedure had been a success. She was now pregnant.

She was probably hurrying to the hospital to celebrate with Harvey right now.

I closed my eyes. An overwhelming sense of sorrow filled me. I couldn't believe that the woman I'd loved for so many years was now pregnant with another man's child.

Just two months ago, I proposed to her, and she accepted. The wedding ceremony had been set for next month. I'd already prepared our outfits and booked a hotel ballroom for the ceremony.

All this while, I eagerly anticipated our wedding day. I looked forward to finally taking Wendy by the hand and making her my wife. All of my hopes and expectations just vanished into thin air.

My phone started buzzing, pulling me out of my thoughts. I instinctively took the call. The voice that came through belonged to my college senior, Gemma Chambers.

"Nathan, I know you're about to get married, but I just have to ask you one more time. Are you sure you don't want to consider joining our research lab?" Gemma queried. "You were always Professor Kelley's most gifted student. He still hopes you can help him out with his research.

"Since you're about to start a family, Professor Kelley has said he can grant you a special leave of absence for two weeks off after working in the research lab every month. That way, you can still spend quality time with your wife."

Six months ago, I heard that my old professor, Lawrence Kelley, had set up a new research lab. Professor Kelley called me and personally invited me to join his team. However, taking the job meant no contact with the outside world. I could only leave once the research work had been completed.

That would take a few months, at least, if not a couple of years.

I didn't want to spend so much time away from Wendy, and I couldn't bear not being able to get in touch with her. Thus, I declined Professor Kelley's invitation.

But right now, what came to mind was the pregnancy report I saw.

Wendy was already pregnant with Harvey's baby. Since she made her decision without giving any consideration to our relationship or our impending marriage, there was no reason to continue with the wedding.

I subconsciously tightened my grip on the phone as I replied, "I'll join the research lab, Gemma, and I don't need the special leave of absence. We can just stick to the research schedule."

"That's wonderful news! Professor Kelley will be delighted," Gemma exclaimed in joy. "When do you plan on coming over? Why don't you join us a week after the wedding? That way, you can still go on your honeymoon first."

"That won't be necessary," I replied quietly. "I'll come over on the day of the wedding."

My eyes fell on the calendar on the table. I'd circled the 15th of the following month with a red marker. At the time, I did it so that I had a constant reminder of how many days I had left till the wedding. That made it easier for me to make all the arrangements.

It was now a countdown to the day I left Wendy. These last 15 days served as an adjustment period for me to get used to leaving someone I'd known and loved for over two decades.

After 15 days, Wendy and I would never see each other again.

Wendy didn't return that night. I didn't call to ask where she was, either. I'd already gotten my update from Harvey's Instagram story.

After leaving the hospital that afternoon, they went straight to Harvey's home and informed his parents about the pregnancy. I saw the photo of Harvey's grandmother saying something to Wendy while holding her hand affectionately. Wendy was smiling gently as she stroked her abdomen with her other hand.

Throughout my five-year relationship with Wendy, she'd only once agreed to visit my family with me, and that was after I had proposed to her. Even though it was less than half an hour's drive to my family's home, she never once initiated a visit.

She claimed she didn't like spending time around older people. It made her feel uncomfortable.

During that sole visit, she simply maintained a polite attitude with my family. There was none of the warmth and friendliness she showed the Sniders in the photo.

I blinked to clear the bitterness from my eyes before turning my phone off.

…

The next day, I invited a few friends out and told them the wedding was canceled.

Wendy said she didn't like weddings. They were nothing more than a meaningless formality to her. At my insistence, she begrudgingly agreed to hold a small-scale wedding. Only a few of our closest friends were invited.

Everyone around us knew how I felt about her. Unsurprisingly, my friends were shocked to hear that the wedding wasn't going to happen.

"Haven't you been in love with Wendy for decades now? Can you seriously bear to let her go when you're just a step away from marrying her at last?"

My heart stung. Could I bear to do it? Obviously not.

I'd dedicated myself to staying by Wendy's side for over two decades before she finally agreed to marry me. How could I move on from over two decades of love so easily?

But as it was, our relationship had been unequal from the start. This whole time, I was the one doggedly trying to keep up with Wendy, and she had never stopped for me.

I didn't care at first. I figured that since I could spend two decades or so convincing her to marry me, I could also win her heart one day. It was only a matter of time. We had the rest of our lives to live after marriage. I was willing to wait until the day she opened her heart to me.

Alas, everything changed when Harvey, Wendy's so-called savior, showed up six months ago. Only then did I realize that she wasn't cold and aloof with everyone.

She would always have a smile on her face when she was with Harvey, even though she was incredibly stingy with her smiles around me. At the time, I tried to console myself by reminding myself that Harvey had saved her life before. She was only acting that way to repay her debt of gratitude.

Nevertheless, it never occurred to me that when Harvey got diagnosed with cancer, Wendy would actually agree to bear his child so that he had someone to carry on his family name! Moreover, she only pretended to seek my permission. In reality, she'd secretly undergone the artificial insemination procedure to get pregnant.

It was then that it hit me. There was no future between Wendy and me. No matter how painful and difficult it was for me to rid myself of my feelings for her, I had to steel myself and do it anyway.

I didn't tell my friends the real reason why the wedding was canceled. I simply said I'd be joining a research lab soon, and that it would be a long while before I could have contact with the outside world again.

Feeling apologetic for springing this on my friends, I stayed out with them until late at night before heading back to the house. When I got back, Wendy had just returned as well.

After smelling alcohol on me, she frowned and took a few steps back. Covering her nose, she said, "Stay away from me. The stench makes me want to puke."

My eyes fell on her other hand, which she had subconsciously placed defensively on her abdomen, and I snorted self-deprecatingly. It was such a noticeable reaction. It seemed like she had no intention of hiding her pregnancy from me.

Still, since she didn't plan on telling me, I wasn't going to bring it up myself. Without speaking, I went off to take a shower.

When I came back out, Wendy was tapping away on her phone with a smile on her face. I merely glanced at her before heading toward the bedroom to get some sleep. However, she stopped me, saying, "I've got something to discuss with you."

I paused. She last said that to me a month ago, when she told me she wanted to give Harvey a baby. We'd been arguing over that since then.

Well, she was already pregnant now, so what else could she possibly have to discuss with me this time?

"Let's skip the wedding photoshoot tomorrow," Wendy said.

I checked the calendar on the table. Below tomorrow's date were the words "wedding photoshoot".

I didn't know why Wendy wanted to call off the wedding photoshoot. That being said, I wasn't planning on going through with the wedding anyway. Even if she hadn't said anything, I would've found an excuse to cancel the photoshoot myself. She was making it easier for me by bringing it up herself.

Nodding, I replied, "Fine. I'll call the photographer and cancel the photoshoot."

Wendy was startled. She didn't expect me to agree to it so readily.

She thought I would demand a reason for her request. After all, I'd put a lot of effort into preparing our wedding. I even had to pay far above the photographer's usual rate to get him to squeeze us into his schedule, all because I wanted us to have the most perfect wedding photos.

Yet, I'd calmly agreed to Wendy's request immediately after she made it.

Wendy looked at me with a complicated expression and said, "You don't need to cancel it. Harvey says that since he won't have a chance to get married, he wants to have a wedding photoshoot with me. That way, it'll feel like he got a chance to experience marriage and won't have any regrets.

"Harvey and I can do the photoshoot tomorrow. We can organize another one for us in the future."

Her tone was light and nonchalant, as if she were merely talking about the weather. It was the same tone she used when she approached me a month ago and said she wanted to have Harvey's sperm artificially inseminated into her.

While it appeared as though she was discussing the matter with me, the manner in which she spoke made it clear her mind was made up. She was just informing me of her decision.

I lowered my eyes to hide the scorn in them.

In the future, she said?

She didn't know I was only going to be in Rockshire for another 13 days. She had no clue that there wasn't going to be a future for us.

I hummed in acknowledgment before heading to the bedroom to get some rest. I wasn't marrying Wendy, so it didn't matter who she had a wedding photoshoot with.

Wendy watched as I left. For some reason, she felt a little uneasy.

I was too calm. I didn't even confront her about it, giving her no chance to use all the arguments she'd prepared for this very moment.

Just then, Harvey called, and she pushed aside all the questions she had about my reaction as she went to the balcony to take his call.

When I woke up, Wendy was getting ready to leave.

As she put her shoes on, she said to me, "After the photoshoot, Harvey and I plan on going on a trip for a few days. He has always wanted to see Beaudoir Isle, so I'll go with him.

"Keep the wedding simple. I won't have time to attend the rehearsal, so you can make all the decisions without asking for my opinion."

I swallowed my mouthful of toast before replying, "Got it."

It was going to be simple, alright. There wouldn't be any wedding photos, guests, or an officiant. Most importantly, there wouldn't be a groom.

Seeing that I was merely munching my breakfast in silence, Wendy added, "After the wedding, let's go to Ardova for our honeymoon. I know you've always wanted to go."

If the old me had heard Wendy initiating the subject of a honeymoon, I would've leaped out of the chair in excitement and started preparing for it.

I'd asked Wendy to take a trip with me before, but she never once agreed to do it. She kept saying she didn't like taking trips and found them exhausting.

But now, I simply focused on my toast without saying anything, which seemed to leave Wendy feeling rather taken aback. She looked at me as if she had more to say, but when she spotted the clock on the wall, she hastily opened the door and dashed off after saying, "Let's talk about it when I get back."

I picked up the calendar and crossed out the words "wedding photoshoot".

There were now 12 days to go.

After breakfast, I started packing up my belongings. I also cleared out everything unnecessary from the house. This included a photo album with fewer than five photos, a projector that had been gathering dust in the corner, and the couple-themed pajamas that had never been worn before.

Throughout our five-year relationship, I was the one who put a great deal of thought into selecting every single item in this house, slowly filling the space and turning it into the cozy home it was now.

However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that Wendy had never touched most of the things. She said that despite our relationship, she was still an individual in her own right. She didn't like using couple-themed items. They made her feel as though she was being constrained.

Once I was gone, these things would only be a nuisance to her anyway, so I might as well get rid of them now, destroying all of the memories we shared as well.