As her parents walked toward her, Jessica took out the medical report and handed it to them.

"I hadn't planned on telling you," she said. "But now that you've seen it, there's no point in hiding it. I have late-stage stomach cancer."

Until this moment, she had believed—no, hoped—that she was still their daughter, that the news of her illness would stir some kind of sorrow in them. That was how it should be, wasn't it? A parent's heart aching for their child.

But the next second, all of that shattered.

A sharp, brutal kick landed squarely on her stomach, sending her staggering backward. She crashed against the corner of the table, pain shooting up her spine.

She gasped, gripping the edge for support, her eyes widening in disbelief at her father. "You… you…"

Before she could finish, her father slapped her.

"Jessica! Have you become the kind of person who lies through her teeth?" he shouted. "If Abby hadn't warned us beforehand that you bought blood bags to fake your illness, we might have actually believed you! You're nothing but trouble!"

Jessica took a slow, shaky breath.

She pointed at the report, her fingers trembling. She wanted to stay calm, to speak logically, but the pain, the humiliation, and the utter disappointment all crashed over her at once. When she spoke again, her voice broke, raw with emotion.

"You think I'm lying? You think a hospital report can be forged?"

Her father sneered. "Of course it can. These days, anything can be faked."

Something inside her went still.

In that moment, she realized there was no point in arguing. They would never believe her. It was a waste of breath.

So she let out a hollow chuckle. "You're right. I made it all up. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

Her mother cut her off. "Enough. Abby's wedding is the day after tomorrow. As her younger sister, you should be helping her, not causing unnecessary drama to steal attention. It's ridiculous."

With a faint smile, she nodded. "Of course. I'll make sure to prepare everything well. And I'll have a very special gift ready for them."

Back in her room, she opened her laptop and checked her sales orders. Another batch had just been purchased. It was enough—enough for a ticket to Paris.

Then she reached out to the wedding emcee.

She would need his cooperation.

But as soon as he heard her request, his answer was swift. "No way. I'm not getting involved in something like this. My job is to host the wedding, not meddle in who the bride is."

"What if I pay you seven thousand?" she asked. "That's more than you'd make hosting multiple weddings, isn't it?"

A long silence followed.

In the end, money won.

"…Fine," the emcee sighed. "I'll do it."

She sent him the files—every piece of evidence she had gathered. Photos, recordings, videos, everything.

'Abby, just wait. Your gift is on its way.'

The next day was the day before Jessica was set to leave for Paris. It was also the day before Jack and Abby's wedding.

That evening, at Abby's request, the four of them gathered for a simple family dinner.

The dishes were all her favorites—seafood and spicy food.

Jessica couldn't eat any of it.

Her illness had made it impossible, reducing her options to plain bread. But even if she weren't sick, she still wouldn't have been able to eat these dishes. Spicy food made her stomach ache. Seafood made her break out in hives.

Yet no one seemed to remember that.

All they remembered were Abby's preferences.

Across the table, Abby clung to Jack's arm, smiling sweetly at him. Their parents sat side by side, looking on with beaming faces.

And Jessica? She had called the waiter over to add an extra chair, turning a four-person table into a table for five.

It was clear she didn't belong here.

But it didn't matter.

This was the last meal. After tonight, she would never see them again.

Abby lifted her glass, her expression touched with what looked like guilt.

"Jess, you don't blame me, do you?" she asked. "But I really, really love Jack. You're so outstanding—you'll definitely find someone even better. So… can you let me have him?"

Jessica smiled. She raised her own glass, filled with nothing but plain water.

"It's fine. You two are perfect for each other. Wishing you a happy marriage."

Yes, perfect. A cheater and a faker— they were meant to be.

Jack's grip on his wine glass tightened. Something about this didn't sit right with him. Why was she taking it so lightly?

"Jess, you'll come to the wedding tomorrow, won't you?"

Jessica's lips curled faintly. "Of course. It'll be a wedding to remember."

Just then, her phone rang. It was Kelly.

She picked up. "Hi, Kelly."

"Jess, have you talked things through with Jack? We're leaving first thing in the morning."

"Don't worry, Kelly. I'll be on time."

She ended the call quickly, wary of letting the conversation drag on.

Jack had caught a few words. His brow furrowed. "What did Kelly say? What's happening tomorrow?"

Jessica waved him off casually. "Nothing, just something about a work contract."

She no longer saw the need to explain anything to him. After all, what was he to her now?

The others finished their meal in high spirits, chatting and laughing.

Jessica ate in silence, each bite tasteless.

That night, back home, she double-checked her luggage. Everything was in place.

She went to bed early.

The next morning, before the sun had risen, she was already up.

She took a slip of paper, wrote two simple words—I'm leaving—and left it behind.

Then she blocked Jack. Blocked Abby. Blocked every last one of them—on her phone, on Telegram, and on every possible means of contact.

Dragging her suitcase behind her, she hailed a taxi to the airport, where she met up with the junior assistant assigned to this company trip.

Goodbye. Goodbye forever.

No one noticed that Jessica had left.

Everyone was too preoccupied with the wedding.

Abby had always dreamed of a grand wedding, and Jack had accommodated her, replacing the original arrangements with an extravagant setup. A pricier makeup artist had been hired. Three sets of gowns had been prepared—one for the entrance, one for the ceremony, and one for the banquet.

At eleven-thirty, the grand doors swung open. Abby stepped into the venue, draped in a flowing white wedding dress. The melody of the wedding march played softly in the background.

On the giant screen, images of her and Jack flickered to life. Since she had taken over as the bride at the last minute, there hadn't been time for a proper wedding photoshoot. Instead, hastily gathered candid shots played in a slideshow.

The hall was filled with guests, yet an odd atmosphere lingered. Faces twisted in curiosity and hushed whispers spread through the crowd.

"A wedding where the bride changes at the last minute? Never heard of that before."

"Who cares? We're just here for the food. Whether it's the older or younger sister doesn't matter."

"Still, stealing her sister's fiancé—it's shameless, no matter how you spin it."

The murmurs reached Abby's ears. She remained unbothered, her expression unchanging, her gaze fixed on Jack, who stood impeccably dressed across from her.

It didn't matter what they said. What mattered was that she had become Jack's bride. Words wouldn't hurt her. They wouldn't take away what she had gained.

The wedding proceeded. The master of ceremonies spoke with eloquence, weaving together a narrative—a love story of patience and destiny. He spun a tale of devotion, transforming the truth of a stolen engagement into a grand romance, a love that had been fated all along.

Some young girls in the audience even wiped away tears.

Then, the emcee glanced at Abby. He hesitated briefly before resuming his script.

At that moment, the slideshow on the screen changed. The photos of the happy couple vanished, replaced by something else.

Evidence provided by Jessica.

A voice echoed through the venue, "Jess, you never should have been born. You can never win against me."

"Oh, wait. I'm not the one who's sick. You are—the one with terminal stomach cancer. You don't have much time left, do you?"

"You have no right to threaten me. At most, I've been faking an illness. But you? You've taken quite a lot of money from me, not to mention all the bribes from other patients' families. If I report you, you can say goodbye to your career."

Audio files. Video clips. Screenshots of conversations. One by one, the pieces of evidence exposed the truth, each more damning than the last.

Abby hadn't seen this coming. She clutched her ears, screaming, "Lies! It's all fake! Jess set me up! She's doing this because I took her fiancé—she's taking revenge!"

She scanned the crowd, searching for Jessica. But Jessica was nowhere to be found.

"She's hiding! She's guilty, that's why she's not here!" Abby shrieked.

Jack felt an unfamiliar weight settle in his chest. A deep irritation. And yet, he couldn't ignore the unease creeping in. He had always known that Jessica wasn't the type to pull reckless stunts. She was methodical, precise.

He needed to hear the truth from her himself.

He dialed her number.

"The number you've called is no longer in service."

He sent her a message.

A red exclamation mark appeared. He had been blocked.

He thought back to the phone call from Kelly during last night's dinner. An unsettling feeling took root.

Abby's parents were also trying to reach Jessica. But her phone remained off. They, too, had been blocked.

Watching their concern, a bitter taste rose in Abby's throat. Yet she quickly masked her resentment with a pitiful smile.

"Mom, Dad, Jack, please don't be mad at her. She didn't mean to ruin my wedding. It's my fault. I took what was supposed to be hers."

But this time, her parents didn't rush to comfort her. Their eyes held doubt. For the first time, they hesitated.

For the first time, they wondered if they had ever truly known their eldest daughter.

Jack had no patience for this farce any longer. He turned on his heel, ready to leave.

Abby seized his wrist. "Not yet! At least exchange the rings first! I know you're going to look for Jessica, but this wedding—this wedding must be completed!"

Jack shook her off and walked away without a word.

"Dad, Mom! Look at him! This is my wedding!" Abby cried.

But her parents didn't stay, either. Without another glance at her, they followed Jack out.

Something was wrong. They could feel it.

And so, Abby was left standing there, alone, beneath the weight of a hundred judgmental stares. The whispers around her grew louder. She could feel their scorn pressing against her skin.

Anger swelled within her. She tore off her tiara, ripped away her veil, and stormed out.

The wedding ended as nothing more than a public spectacle.

…

Back at Abby and Jessica's home, Jack stormed into Jessica's room.

A single note lay on the desk. There were two words, written in her familiar handwriting: I'm leaving.

Beneath the note, there were a few items. A bank card and a storage box. Inside the box was every gift he had ever given her.

What was she trying to say?

He immediately called Kelly.

"Where's Jessica? Is she at work today?"

Kelly sounded confused. "She didn't tell you? She was assigned to Paris for further training. She left this morning."

A notification popped up on his phone.

Kelly had sent him a photo.

It was a group picture. Jessica stood among her colleagues, smiling. The caption at the bottom read: [Congratulations to Jessica Conway and Nick Camdon for being selected for an internship at our Paris headquarters! A victorious return from the Global Fashion Design Competition!]