I have dated my girlfriend, Brenda Townsend, for eight years. She finally agrees to marry me.

Filled with excitement, I head to the city hall. But to my surprise, I discover that the person waiting for me at the entrance is her best friend, Megan Cunningham.

It turns out Brenda is on her way to her childhood sweetheart's house to take care of him.

So I go along with it and marry Megan instead.

Brenda loses her mind and breaks down. She cries hysterically while telling me that she has her reasons.

After eight years together, Brenda Townsend finally agreed to marry me.

I was over the moon. First, I could spend the rest of my life with the woman I loved. Second, I could finally fulfill Grandma's wish so she could leave this world without regrets.

On the day we were supposed to get married, I arrived early at the city hall and realized the only person waiting at the entrance was Brenda's best friend, Megan Cunningham.

Megan lowered her gaze and said she came to celebrate her best friend's special day.

The minutes ticked by, but Brenda did not show up. She didn't answer, even after I called her several times.

The queue kept getting longer. The city hall was about to close for the day when I finally received a response.

Brenda said that Ethan Kramer was in a bad mood and had too much to drink, so she had to look after him.

I tried calling her again, but it was like she had vanished again.

Just when I was feeling completely hopeless, my gaze landed on Megan. My mind went blank, and I grabbed her hand, asking, "Will you marry me? Grandma wants to see me get married before she leaves this world."

Megan froze, and I suddenly realized what I had just asked of her. I let go of her hand and was about to apologize when I heard her say, "Sure. I always carry my ID with me."

When Brenda called me, the staff was already guiding Megan and me through a souvenir photoshoot, which we both found quite awkward.

Hearing Brenda's custom ringtone, I couldn't help but space out for a moment. Next to me, Megan was starting to look uneasy, too.

The staff's voice snapped us back to reality. "Say cheese! You're getting married. Don't look so serious. Can you lean your head toward your husband a little?"

My phone kept ringing. It was as if, as long as I didn't answer, Brenda would keep calling me.

The piercing ringtone was getting on the staff's nerves. "Sir, your phone keeps ringing. Would you like to take the call first? It might be an emergency."

I smiled apologetically at the staff, picked up my phone, and blocked Brenda's number. "Let's continue."

Seeing that, Megan reached for her phone and turned it off as well.

I could imagine how upset Brenda must have been on the phone, but I wasn't in the mood, nor did I have the energy to think too much about it. I didn't even want to think about how I was going to cheer her up.

When she hurried off to her childhood sweetheart's home without uttering a single word and left me hanging at the city hall, I knew it was over between us.

By the time Megan and I received our wedding certificate, two hours had already passed.

Just then, I got a call from an unknown number. I paused before answering.

Brenda's cold voice came through the phone. "Harry Henderson, you've got some nerve now. How dare you block me!

"All I did was go to Ethan's place to take care of him. Must you throw a tantrum over this?

"We can get married anytime, can't we? Ethan had too much to drink. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"

Her questions left me speechless. I could even picture her angry expression over the phone.

Sure, I could wait, but Grandma couldn't. The hospital had warned several times that she was in critical condition. They also told us to prepare ourselves, saying it would be just a matter of days.

Grandma only ever wanted to see me get married, and I didn't want her to leave the world with any regrets. When Megan agreed to marry me, I was over the moon.

"Harry Henderson, did you fall off the face of the earth or something? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Hearing Brenda's voice, I suddenly came to my senses.

She became even more upset when she realized I still hadn't apologized. Her voice was so shrill that I thought my ears would burst.

"Harry, I'm warning you. If you keep treating Ethan like this, it's over between us."

I found Brenda's words ridiculous. We had been together for eight years. All this time, it felt like there was a third person in our relationship.

It was Ethan, her childhood sweetheart.

Whenever we went to the movies, she would invite Ethan. Even on vacation, he would tag along. Them sitting together made me feel like a background character.

Whenever Ethan needed something, Brenda would ditch me to look after him.

Brenda always told me she and Ethan were childhood sweethearts. If they really had something going on, she wouldn't have been with me in the first place.

Back then, I cared too much about Brenda, so I would always give in. This time, I wasn't going to give in anymore.

Very quickly, I pulled up in front of the hospital. Megan twisted her fingers so tightly that her fingertips turned pale.

My heart suddenly softened, and I reached out to hold her hand. "Don't worry. My family's really easygoing."

Hearing that, she looked up at me and shot me a faint smile. Her eyes lit up like a sky full of stars.

The smell of disinfectant hung in the hospital, and my heart grew heavier. When I saw Grandma lying on the hospital bed, all my emotions came flooding out. My eyes reddened, and I almost couldn't hold back my tears.

Megan didn't say a single word and squeezed my hand back instead. I pushed open the door.

Mom and Dad were sitting at Grandma's bedside. Seeing Megan behind me, they were slightly surprised but said nothing.

They leaned down toward Grandma and said softly, "Mom, Harry's brought his wife."

Grandma opened her eyes, trembling slightly. Squinting, she looked a little surprised to see Megan.

I held back my tears as I led Megan to Grandma's bedside and set the marriage certificate beside her hand. "Grandma."

Megan greeted her too.

Grandma smiled, her eyes crinkling, and reached beneath her pillow. She pulled out a gold bracelet and handed it to Megan.

"I had a pair of these when I got married. I gave one to Harry's mother, and now I'm giving this one to you."

Grandma's eyes had turned cloudy, and she could barely see us anymore. Still, she wore a gentle smile.

I could no longer hold myself back and lowered my head, weeping quietly.

Grandma gently took my hand and Megan's and placed them together. "Since you two are married, you must treat her well. Don't let her down… just because you acted on impulse."

I knew what Grandma meant. Seeing that the person behind me wasn't Brenda, she already had an idea of what had happened. She was worried that I had married some random woman just to fulfill her wish of seeing me married.

Megan gently held Grandma's hand and said warmly, "Penelope, I'll explain everything to you later. Just know that I chose to marry Harry. I'll treat him well, too."

I looked at Megan gratefully.

My phone buzzed with a transaction notification. A payment had been made at a five-star hotel.

I tapped out a quick message to my assistant, telling him to freeze Brenda's supplementary bank card. I turned my attention back to Grandma and was a little taken aback to see Megan chatting happily with her.

Megan was Brenda's best friend. Every time I saw her, she kept her head down, looking subdued.

Back then, Brenda had my whole heart, and Megan was nothing more than an acquaintance. To me, she was just a shadow drifting behind Brenda.

I had never seen Megan so talkative before. She wore a gentle smile and even managed to make Grandma laugh.

If Brenda had been here, she would have been sitting off to the side, scrolling on her phone, her expression sour.

Grandma once told me Brenda was too carefree and not the right woman to marry. Back then, I got upset with her and thought she was looking down on Brenda's background and the fact that she was an orphan.

Grandma even tried to explain that Brenda didn't actually care about me, and I ended up arguing with her over it.

I only accepted the truth after learning the hard way—Brenda truly did not care about me.

After dinner, Grandma quickly fell into a deep slumber again.

Megan and I went up to the rooftop and stared at the stars scattered across the sky. Noticing how upset I was, she comforted me.

"Penelope just wants you to be happy. Don't be too upset."

I forced a smile. Looking at her thin frame, I took off my coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Thanks for today. Since we're already married, I'll take responsibility for you and end things with Brenda.

"I'll make it clear to her as well, so she doesn't blame you for any of this. After all, she only has eyes for Ethan.

"But if you ever meet someone you like, we'll get divorced once things settle down. I'll make it up to you."

Megan froze for a moment before she smiled and said, "It's fine. This arrangement works for me too. Even if I hadn't married you, my mom would've found another way to marry me off.

"You're a good man. I'm glad I married you."

After a moment of silence, I pulled out a bank card and handed it to Megan. Instead of turning it down, she carefully tucked it into her bag.

"Do you think I'm just a snob who's after your money?" she suddenly asked.

I shook my head.

After dropping Megan off at home, I went for a walk and suddenly found myself downstairs at Brenda's apartment.

Her lights were still on, and the curtains were drawn. I could see her and Ethan locked in a passionate kiss by the window.

A sharp pang struck my chest.

Brenda and I had been together for eight years, and it ended so abruptly. Even though I could see the truth as clear as day and had tried so hard to accept it, it still hurt like hell.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by an urgent phone call. The butler's frantic voice came over the phone.

"Mr. Henderson, that woman just showed up at the hospital. She's making a scene over there."

I had just woken up, and my mind was still groggy. I snapped fully awake at the butler's voice.

She was talking about Brenda.

Thinking of my sick grandmother, I quickly threw on some clothes and raced to the hospital. By the time I arrived, Brenda was causing chaos in the hospital room. Grandma had turned deathly pale and was breathing heavily.

I clenched my fists, my veins bulging in my arms. I couldn't hold back the anger rising in me and slapped Brenda.

She covered her face, staring at me in shock. "Harry, how dare you slap me!"

I rushed over to Grandma and checked on her. Noticing her labored breathing, I quickly urged the butler to get a doctor.

Brenda came up to me and grabbed my hand, her voice shrill. "Harry, have you lost your mind? How dare you hit me!

"Did this old hag say something to you? Did she ask you to freeze my bank card? And what's up with all these bodyguards? They were stopping me from going into the room.

"We're not even married yet, and this is how you treat me? How could I possibly marry you?"

I looked at Brenda calmly. "Brenda, if anything happens to Grandma, I'll make you regret it."

Uneasiness flickered in her eyes. She scoffed loudly at me, trying to mask her fear.

"Harry…" Grandma's frail voice came from behind me.

I quickly turned around and held her hand. While I wasn't paying attention, Brenda snuck off, but I couldn't care less.

Grandma tried to smile. "Don't be upset. You'll end up with wrinkles."

I nodded tearfully.

I instructed my bodyguards that, aside from my parents and me, anyone else who wanted to visit Grandma would have to go through me first.

As soon as I said it, Megan's gentle smile came to mind, and I added, "Ms. Cunningham is allowed to visit Grandma as well.

"She's the one who came with me yesterday. She's my wife, so from now on, please call her Mrs. Henderson."

I walked out of the hospital. Even though the sun was shining on me, I felt completely cold inside.

I sat down wearily next to the flowerbed. Just then, Brenda strode over to me, sounding a little worked up.

"Harry, don't you think you've gone too far? When you confessed to me back then, you promised you'd be good to me."

I looked up at her. Her once flawless face was now swollen, and even her eyes were bloodshot.

I asked, "What are you doing here?"

She said matter-of-factly, "Well, why didn't you answer my call? I had no choice but to come find you here.

"Harry, why did you freeze my bank card out of nowhere? I was planning to take Ethan shopping today!"

I shut my eyes, not wanting to look at Brenda, who felt like a stranger to me now. I couldn't believe the woman I had fallen for had become like this.

My voice cracked with anguish. "Brenda, don't you know my grandma's in poor health? She can't take any more stress!"

Brenda curled her lip in annoyance. "Fine. Got it. Also, I don't think we should get married right now.

"Ethan said that marriage is a big deal, and I need to think it through. I'm not happy with what you've done over the past two days, so I need to reconsider our relationship."

I snorted. "Don't bother. Let's break up."

Her eyes flew wide, and Brenda asked in disbelief, "Is it because I stood you up yesterday? I told you, didn't I? Ethan was drunk!

"My parents died when I was very young, and the Kramers raised me. To me, he's like a brother. Why won't you get it?"