I thought I had been subtle enough. After all, I didn't confront her about what she'd done.

All I wanted was for her to leave us both some shred of dignity.

I expected her to get angry, maybe feel guilty, or at least just nod and agree.

But instead, her face darkened.

"What's wrong with you? Just because I said a few words to Keith, you threaten to call off the wedding?! You're almost thirty. You're not a kid anymore, so stop acting so childish!"

Childish?

My throat tightened, voice rough as I spoke, "Didn't you and Keith—"

"That was a long time ago!" Nancy cut me off impatiently. "Can you stop bringing up the past?"

I felt a bitter ache inside.

I knew it wasn't right to keep bringing it up. But how was I supposed to hold it in?

Nancy said she hated taking pictures. In five years together, the only photo we had was from a company dinner.

I thought that was just who she was.

But her tablet was filled with hundreds of pictures of her and Keith—holding hands, hugging, kissing.

We had fought about it, hard.

But after we cooled off, she swore up and down that Keith was history, that he was just like a brother to her now.

I had believed her. But how did she repay my trust?

If I hadn't found that abortion notice, I wouldn't have known what she'd done.

I stared at her, steady and silent. After a long pause, I lowered my head and apologized first, as I always had before. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

"Well, don't let it happen again."

With that, Nancy went to take a shower.

Then she lay down on the bed, turning her back to me as she drifted off.

But I tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

My mind wandered back to the past.

Nancy's parents had died in a plane crash, leaving her to take over the company overnight.

Back then, I was the only one by her side, helping her through the pain of loss and standing with her against every challenge the company threw at us.

She drank so much during business dinners that her stomach bled, and I stayed up all night by her bedside.

When she couldn't sleep, I told her stories to lull her into rest.

She'd buried herself in my arms more than once.

"Gideon, you have to love me forever. You're the only one I have left."

But as the company steadied, everything changed.

Keith came back.

They did almost everything together—eating, shopping, watching movies.

Nancy said that Keith was like a brother, that he was family.

And family always came before me.

She kept warning me to show Keith respect, to treat him like an older brother.

But what kind of older brother would get tangled up with their so-called sister like that?

I stared at the ceiling, sleepless through the night.

After all these years, I couldn't just let Nancy go.

But I wasn't going to marry a woman who didn't love me.

I decided I wasn't going through with the wedding.

That was my choice after a restless night.

But before I could tell her my decision, I fell ill the next morning, my head pounding like it would split apart after a sleepless night.

Nancy looked at my pale face, brows furrowed with irritation.

"You're a grown man. Why are you acting so weak? Anyway, I'm taking Keith home first so you don't infect him. I'll take you to the hospital when I get back."

With that, she grabbed the car keys and left.

As I watched her walk away, my chest tightened with dull pain.

Even though I'd prepared myself for this, I still couldn't accept it.

All these years, there was no way she would just leave me to die, right?

So, I waited silently at home.

I figured that if Nancy showed even a hint of care for me today, I would call off the wedding myself to save the last bit of dignity for her.

But after I waited all day, what greeted me wasn't Nancy, but a post from Keith on social media.

[Thanks for being here with me, babe.]

The photo showed them at a restaurant, where Nancy was feeding him a piece of meat with a soft expression.

The moment I saw the photo, all hope I had left was shattered completely.

Even a stray dog would develop some feelings for a human who was with them for years.

But to her, it seemed I was worth less than a stray dog.

If that was how she felt, then she couldn't blame me for cutting her loose without mercy.

I forced myself to pull it together and went to the hospital alone.

While I was hooked up for an IV, Nancy called.

"I won't be home tonight because I'm working late at the office. Just buy some medicine yourself," she said.

Before I could say a word, the line went dead.

Not a single word of concern.

For years, whenever she was sick—even with a headache or a cold—I never left her side.

I wasn't saying I was keeping score or expecting anything in return.

Because I never once asked for her to repay me for treating her well.

But at the very least, I was the man she was about to marry.

And yet, here she was, going on dates with another man while her own fiancé was sick.

Did she not feel even a shred of guilt?

Gripping my phone tightly, I reached out to the fiercest rival of her company, Reid Corporation.

"Mr. Lloyd, I know you've always wanted the shares I hold. I'm willing to sell them at a low price."

I would repay her heartlessness with cruelty.

Back home, I got a call from the bridal shop.

"Mr. Poole, when will you and your fiancée be available for the photoshoot? Your wedding is less than a week away, and if you don't do it soon, we might not get the photos printed by then."

After hanging up, I sent Nancy a message.

But there was no reply. Calls went unanswered, too.

I went straight to the office, but the secretary told me, "Ms. Reid is holding an induction ceremony for Mr. Ballard today."

An induction ceremony?

I frowned.

In all the years since the company was founded, no employee had ever gotten a ceremony like this just for joining.

Keith's place in Nancy's heart was truly something else.

I asked for the location and rushed over, but the sight only deepened my bitterness.

This induction party was more lavish than our engagement celebration.

Inside the banquet hall, glasses clinked and laughter floated through the air.

Just as I was about to step in, Nancy appeared behind me and grabbed my arm, pulling me away without a word.

"This is Keith's induction ceremony. You being here would just ruin his mood. By the way, he's my executive assistant now."

I took a deep breath, but when I finally spoke, my voice trembled.

"What about me?"

I never expected that just getting sick would cost me my job.

How far did Nancy want to push me before she was satisfied?

She brushed me off. "I think you've been exhausted all these years. You should take some time off.

"Besides, you graduated from a regular college, while Keith graduated from a prestigious university overseas. He's way more capable. You can just stay home and enjoy life."

I couldn't help but sneer.

Now she looked down on my education?

When I drank myself into the hospital while working alongside her, did she ever complain about my degree?

Seeing me silent, Nancy grew impatient.

"You'd better not make trouble, or else—"

"I know. I'll go to HR to resign," I cut her off calmly.

Seeing I wasn't making a fuss, Nancy softened her tone. "Good. That's better. Now go ahead and leave."

Keith was the star of this party.

And Nancy, playing the supporting role, naturally had to be by his side.

"The bridal shop is pushing us to go for the shoot. When—"

"Maybe in a few days. I'm busy these days."

"Okay."

Without looking back, I walked away and called the wedding planner.

"Change the photos and videos for the wedding day."

Since they had no shame, I wouldn't bother keeping their favors.

Nancy claimed she was working late, yet Keith sent me photos.

There they were, kissing on a big hotel bed, inseparable.

I saved the pictures quietly, keeping my composure.

Two days later, I called Nancy.

"It's time to try on wedding dresses and suits."

She snapped back impatiently, "I already told you, I'm working late. I had Keith try on the suits instead. He's about your size and has better taste. You can just wear what he picks on the wedding day."

She didn't even think about how that made me feel. She had decided for me without a second thought.

I was completely frozen with heartbreak and just muttered, "Okay."

Keith's shamelessness went beyond anything I'd imagined.

Not only did he try on the suits, but he also took wedding photos with Nancy and sent them to me.

[It's standard for newlyweds to take wedding photos. I'm helping you out. Just use AI to swap faces later. No need to thank me. We're family.]

I flipped through the photos one by one.

Nancy, who always claimed she hated being too close to any man, wore a blissful smile while kissing Keith.

I shut off my phone and told the movers, "Just pack the men's things. Leave everything else."

I packed my bags and left our home.

Then I met with the rival company's CEO and sold all my shares, as promised.

The day before the wedding, Nancy finally came back.

Keith was by her side, wearing a smug grin.

They brought a suit for me, and Keith even volunteered to be my best man.

I put on the cheap, discounted suit—wrinkled and uncomfortable, clinging awkwardly to me.

Keith, on the other hand, wore a custom-tailored tuxedo with an expensive diamond brooch pinned to his chest.

Standing side by side, he looked more like the groom.

"Honey, you look so handsome," Nancy said with a smile, but her eyes never left Keith.

After the fitting, she hurried away with Keith.

Before leaving, she reminded me, "Remember to pick me up tomorrow. And show some sincerity so your poor relatives know their place."

I nodded silently.

She didn't need to worry because I'd already told all my relatives the wedding was off.