On our wedding day, Kayla Rowan left halfway through.

No matter how much I begged her to stay, she left without a second thought because her first love, Andrew Quinn, was having surgery.

She said sorry to me, but I did not respond with my usual reassurance that everything was okay.

I stood in the dressing room, holding her arm tightly. My fingertips turned white because I had used up all my strength.

If Kayla Rowan left now, our five-year relationship would truly be just a joke.

"Kayla, please don't go. The wedding is about to start."

Kayla glared at me, just as she had done countless times before when scolding me for being immature. "Andrew is going to have surgery. You know how serious his illness is. I'm the only one he knows in this city. I have to go and be with him."

I was resentful. Even my voice trembled slightly, but I still tried my best to persuade her. "What about me? The guests have arrived. Why do you insist on leaving at this time?"

Kayla was already impatient. She pulled her hand away with disgust and pushed the door open, walking out without the slightest trace of reluctance.

'Andrew needs her, then what about me? Why does my wife ask me to give in for another man at our wedding?' I wondered as I clenched my fists and angrily chased after her but stopped at the exit.

All the guests were standing at the exit. My parents were pale as they looked at me, asking with disbelief, "Is Kayla... buying something?"

Kayla's friends and relatives looked at me sympathetically. They knew very well that only Andrew Quinn could make Kayla act so carelessly.

I walked slowly, wanting to retreat inside and close the door, not wanting to see anyone, but my legs refused to obey me.

My parents quickly realized what had happened. I had no idea how I got back, only remembering my parents apologetically seeing all the guests off.

Kayla came to see me three days later at night; I was home alone.

Kayla sat on the couch, looking at me cautiously.

"How's Andrew? Did the surgery go well?"

Kayla was taken aback, not expecting me to ask her about Andrew so calmly... "It went well."

I nodded. "That's good."

I looked into her eyes. I used to believe every word she said whenever I looked into her eyes.

She said she no longer had anything to do with Andrew, and I believed her.

She said she loved me and only me, and I believed her.

She said I was her everything and that her world consisted only of me. I believed her too.

However, what did I get in return? Repeated deception and humiliation.

"Nate Nicholls, I'm sorry, are you alright?"

I smiled. "I'm fine."

I poured a glass of warm water and set it in front of her. She had a sensitive stomach and could not drink cold water.

"Our wedding is canceled. I've already refunded your money to your card. Give me the renovation money in cash. I paid for the RV, so it's mine."

Kayla's face was pale as she asked me in shock, "You're leaving me?"

I shook my head. "You're the one who left me."

Kayla's voice was hoarse. "Let me explain. He had surgery..."

I interrupted her. "Wasn't the surgery successful? You two can finally be together. I wish you both all the happiness in the world."

Even though I had already moved on, vocalising those words still stung. I struggled to keep my emotions in check. As a man, holding back my feelings was the toughest challenge I faced.

"Go. My mother will contact you about the rest."

The moment I pushed her out, I finally snapped, smashing the vase in the hallway.

We had been together for five years. She saw everything I had sacrificed for her and for this relationship. She had abandoned me for Andrew many times, and I had endured it all.

She and Andrew were each other's first love. Andrew came from a poor family and had a heart condition, so I could understand why Kayla took extra care of him. However, her care for him had become a habit. She habitually assumed I would wait for her, and she habitually made Andrew her first choice...

I could not accept it.

"Why are you here?"

I was dozing off when I heard some noise at the door.

When I walked out, I found my parents had returned. However, Kayla was still standing at the door when I opened it, her face as pale as death. "Mom, listen to me. I really love Nate..."

Before she could finish, my mother interrupted her. "You love Nate? If you love him, would you abandon him on the wedding day to see another man? If you love him, would you leave him there to be humiliated by others?"

Kayla opened her mouth to speak, but eventually said nothing and only looked at me in desperation.

"Nate, can't you give me another chance for our five-year relationship?" Kayla's eyes were red as she pleaded.

"You remember our five-year relationship? We were together for five years, but you never definitively picked between Andrew and me."

Kayla blinked, feeling a bit guilty. "I... He... He's ill."

I had heard this sentence countless times before, but now I could not help wanting to laugh when I heard it again.

My father pulled my mother in and patted my shoulder. "Come in and talk. Don't disturb others' rest at this late hour."

I shook my head. "There's nothing to say. Just settle our accounts, and we can transfer the money directly."

After saying that, I closed the door and cut off Kayla's explanation outside.

My mother looked at me, hesitant to speak, but my father eventually said, "Now that things are clear, we need to move on."

I nodded in agreement.

Kayla's text messages kept coming in, begging for my forgiveness.

She and Andrew were high school classmates. Her family was not well-off, but she was very ambitious. Every time she talked about her parents' oppression and control, I pitied her. Her parents had controlled everything about her since she was little, from her studies and friendships to her food, clothing, and daily necessities. Thus, I always tolerated her, trying my best to make her feel warm and free, after we got together.

Looking back now, I was trapping myself.

Kayla always felt that if she showed weakness and revealed her wounds to me like before, I would forgive her. She was too familiar with playing the emotional card.

Kayla's parents also called me, first scolding Andrew and then praising me.

I just smiled and told them to get a quotation for the house renovation as soon as possible. Otherwise, I would have to find someone to do it myself.

Even if I were a complete fool, I would not keep making the same mistake with the same person.

However, I found the house already occupied when I led people to get it appraised.

An unfamiliar couple looked at me in confusion. "We've already bought this house."

I thought I had gone to the wrong place, so I looked again to confirm I was in the right place.

"You bought it? From whom?"

"Ms. Kayla Rowan."

...

I asked Kayla for a meeting, but she arrived late. Judging from her guilty expression, she probably already knew why I asked her to meet.

"You sold the house?" I asked her bluntly.

She nodded. "Yeah."

I paid for the house, but her name was also added to the deed. I also wanted to decorate our home the way she wanted, so I gave her the money for the renovations. I had lost count of how much money she asked me for over the years.

"Fine, pay me the money for the renovations."

Kayla lowered her head, muttering, "I don't have any... any money to pay you. Can... Can I pay you back later?"

I frowned. "You sold the house, and you still don't have any money?"

Kayla gulped, glanced at me cautiously, and replied, "I gave... I gave the money to Andrew for his surgery."

My throat tightened, and my heart ached as I asked her in a hoarse voice, "When did you sell the house?"

"Two months ago."

"Hahahaha..." I could not help laughing.

Two months ago? She sold our house to her first love so that he could get surgery. As her fiancé, I had no idea about it. How could she have the nerve to say she loved me? Where did she get the audacity to ask me to forgive her?

"Kayla, you're really horrible."

She kept her head down, afraid to look at me.

I looked at her, feeling only irony. These five years of our relationship turned out to be just a joke.

I took out a card from my pocket and placed it on the table. It was the bank card we had used to save money together. I had never touched the money or linked it to my phone. Since she had sold the house for Andrew’s treatment, the balance was likely gone as well.

Kayla looked blankly at the bank card on the table for a while before looking at me with a heartbroken expression and asking, "You want to give me the card? Are... Are you really going to cut off all ties with me?"

I only felt exhausted when I heard her question. "The renovation fee is about 300 thousand dollars. I won't argue about the rest with you. Write an IOU and pay it off within six months. I'll use legal means if you're overdue."

She nodded. "Okay, but can you lend me another 100 thousand dollars? Andrew's son's illness..."

I was shocked, wondering when Andrew had a son.

"Is it yours?"

Kayla hurriedly denied it. "No, it's... It's Regina Summer's."

I was so shocked I almost tossed my phone. Regina was my senior in high school and a popular figure.

"How could he know Regina?" I did not mean to belittle Andrew, but given his social standing, it was unbelievable that he could get close to Regina and sleep with her.

Kayla wrote down the IOU, but I did not lend her the money. She asked several more times, but she gave up when she saw how firm I was.

Back home, I saw an unfamiliar figure on the couch as soon as I entered.

My mother was chatting warmly with her, looking incredibly happy. Seeing me come in, she excitedly waved me over. "Nate, come here quickly."

My heart skipped a beat, wondering if she was going to set me up on a blind date.

I frowned and walked over. The woman on the couch suddenly turned around and looked at me. It was... Regina.

"This is my son, Nate. You went to the same high school, but you were two years ahead of him, so you probably don't know him."

Regina smiled slightly as she gracefully stood up and extended her hand to me. "No, I know him. I've met him before. Nate."

I was somewhat shocked that she knew me. Regina was famous at school; she was a top student, beautiful, and came from a wealthy family. Someone popular like her remembered me. However, judging from the look in her eyes, she did not seem to be lying.

Regina suddenly pulled out a silver keychain from her bag. "You asked me to hold on to this for you. Ten years have passed, yet you never asked me to return it."

I quickly reached for it. It still had my name on it; it really was mine. However, when did I lose it? How did it end up in Regina's hands?

My mother's eyes darted around, and she stood up, saying, "Nate, I suddenly have to go out for a bit. Could you entertain Regina for me?"

"I..." Before I could answer, my mother had already picked up her bag and left without even changing her slippers.

I looked at Regina, feeling incredibly awkward. "You must have a boyfriend by now, right?"

Regina was stunned, not expecting me to ask so directly.

She and Andrew had a child, but they were never married. His surgery costs were even covered by his ex-girlfriend by selling her house.