The day after my fiancé abandoned me at our wedding, I boarded a plane to another city - Silverbrook Haven.

He comforted his “girlfriend”, saying, "Sarah's been spoiled since childhood. She'll calm down and come back in a few days. You don't need to feel guilty."

My friends were all worried I'd keep obsessing over Henry and cause another huge scene.

But what they didn't know was that I had already accepted someone else's proposal. This trip to Silverbrook Haven was to get married.

As the wedding day approached, I sent back everything Henry had given me over the years, without missing a single item.

Including that engagement necklace I once treasured like a precious jewel.

This is our final goodbye - what's done cannot be undone.

I still can't shake the memory of that humiliating moment when Henry Crawford abandoned me at our own engagement party.

The banquet hall was crowded, yet eerily silent.

The atmosphere was so tense you could hear every breath in the room.

The silence stretched on until Charlotte Reynolds, her hand firmly clasped in Henry's, finally broke it with a gentle plea:

"Henry, please don't... Sarah's still so young..."

"Young?" A scornful whisper drifted from the corner. "Isn't she pushing twenty-six?"

The growing murmurs only made the tension more unbearable. I desperately clung to the edge of Henry's jacket, refusing to accept what was happening. When I finally looked up at him, I couldn't hold back my tears.

"Sarah, don't force me to be cruel," Henry said, carefully setting down his champagne glass as he rose from his seat. "How many times must I repeat myself? We're nothing more than the product of our families' arrangement. I don't love you—I never have and never will."

Fighting back tears, I challenged him, "Then why did you never let me date anyone else?"

"Because you were my fiancée," he replied coldly. "Even it is in name only, any scandal involving you would have brought shame to both the Blackwoods and the Crawfords."

"What about that kiss at my graduation ceremony?" I pressed.

Irritation flashed across Henry's face. "You were drunk and threw yourself at me."

I let out a bitter laugh, even as tears continued streaming down my face. "But in all these years, I was the only woman in your life. Are you saying you felt absolutely nothing for me?"

"That's because I hadn't met the woman I truly love until now." Henry wrapped his arm around Charlotte's shoulders. "Listen carefully, because I'll only say this once: I love Charlotte, and she's the one I'm going to marry. Your usual manipulation won't work this time."

"Henry..." Charlotte melted into his embrace.

Right there, at what was supposed to be my engagement party, Henry bent down and kissed her. Charlotte wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his kiss with equal passion.

As I watched them, I couldn't help but remember our graduation night kiss—the same tenderness, the same passion that had kept me lost in a beautiful illusion for four years, foolishly believing I held a special place in his heart.

Later, Henry moved out of the Crawford mansion and into a luxury riverside apartment with Charlotte. He specifically asked friends not to tell me about the move, probably fearing I'd create another scene.

This time, though, I didn't rush to his office building in tears. Instead, after a brief moment of heartache, I forced myself to move on.

One evening, while having dinner with friends nearby, I ran into Charlotte as I was paying the bill.

"Sarah, Henry's here too. Would you like to come say hello?"

I politely declined, "Sorry, I have plans with friends."

Suddenly, Charlotte's eyes welled up with tears. "Sarah, I know my family background isn't as prestigious as yours, but please stop speaking ill of me to the elders."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "Charlotte, I've never said anything about you to them."

She continued through her tears, "I understand—you've been Henry's fiancée since childhood, and you've always loved him deeply. It's natural that you can't accept our relationship right away. But Sarah, as women, shouldn't we learn to let go?"

I've always been direct, not one for subtle implications. "Charlotte, please don't make unfounded accusations—"

Before I could finish, Charlotte suddenly collapsed to her knees. "Sarah, I'm begging you."

Startled, I reached out to help her up, but before I could touch her, she fell backward.

"Sarah, what are you doing!" Henry's furious voice boomed from behind. A powerful force shoved me away, and my arm slammed hard against the iron railing, sending pain shooting through my body.

"Henry, let me explain—this is just a misunderstanding..."

"You dare make excuses!" he snarled. "How long have you been pulling these tricks!"

Henry pulled Charlotte into his arms, his eyes piercing through me with pure hatred, as if trying to cut me to pieces with his gaze alone.

"Sarah, apologize to her right now."

"Henry..."

"Shut up and apologize immediately!"

Charlotte trembled in his arms, tears falling silently down her face, looking utterly helpless.

My arm was already turning a mottled purple and blue, with bruising visibly spreading beneath the skin.

Those shocking marks didn't even catch Henry's eye - he just looked at me as if I were some unforgivable criminal.

I gave a bitter smile, unwilling to say another word. "I'm sorry."

Henry seemed taken aback for a moment, but his eyes quickly grew even harder. "Not sincere enough."

I straightened my back and bowed deeply. "Is this better?"

Charlotte watched me, her lips curling slightly upward before quickly shifting to sobs as she turned to Henry. "Let it go, Henry."

"How could I accept such an apology?" Henry's expression instantly softened. "Sarah, I've told you before, Charlotte is different from others. Bullying her like this only makes me despise you more - and makes me love her even more."

He turned and left with Charlotte in his arms.

I stood there alone for I don't know how long, the pain in my arm unbearable, like being stabbed with needles. Yet my heart was surprisingly calm. I finally understood - in that moment, all those years of foolish young love turned to nothing, vanishing like smoke.

That night, Henry posted several times on social media. People in our circle immediately sent me screenshots, specifically highlighting his captions. I understood their intentions perfectly.

In the past, at times like this, I would have impulsively confronted Henry with a big scene. Though he was always impatient, he would eventually give in. That made me mistakenly believe he cared about me, and made me increasingly unable to know when to stop.

This time, I chose silence. Instead, I dialed back that missed call from a week ago.

"Mr. Barnes, this is Sarah. About what you proposed last time, I've made my decision."

When I was thirteen, my parents died in an accident. Because the Crawfords were old family friends and lived nearby, I moved in with them. Until Rachel called.

Rachel was my mother's closest friend in her youth, but she had moved far away for love and lost touch. By the time she settled in Verdancliff, my parents had already passed away.

Rachel wanted me to come live in Verdancliff. She also wanted to fulfill a childhood promise with my mother by having me marry her son and become the Barnes' daughter-in-law.

A week ago, I couldn't bring myself to agree immediately, but I couldn't refuse either, only saying I needed time to think.

Yet tonight, I suddenly saw clearly how blind I'd been all these years. My one-sided love was truly laughable. I didn't want to be other people's gossip anymore.

Six months ago, Henry wanted to break off our engagement. I had refused desperately at the time, causing several scenes. But he never changed his mind.

Looking back now, maybe this was for the best. Perhaps it was all meant to be.

On the other end of the phone, Rachel happily said, "Sarah, William has been waiting for your answer. He's about to fly to Verdancliff to propose to you."

Holding my phone, I suddenly felt my cheeks flush. The laughter in my ear made me feel strangely lost. The person I had loved unrequitedly for ten years - who knew it would only take seven short days to truly let go?

Henry and Charlotte chose to get engaged the day I left for Verdancliff, so nobody came to see me off. After landing, I turned on my phone. Message notifications kept coming in, most about Henry and Charlotte's engagement. I smiled and blocked them all.

Before coming to Verdancliff, I had met William. I didn't want to make a big deal of it or cause gossip. William completely understood my feelings. He proposed, we exchanged rings - we got engaged just that simply. A simple diamond ring added to my finger.

Just as I was about to get into the Barnes' car, my phone suddenly rang. It was Henry's cousin Emily.

"Sarah, the engagement ceremony is about to start, where are you?"

"Just arrived in Silverbrook Haven."

"Come back quickly, there's still time!"

"Come back for what?" My voice was calm.

Emily was speechless for a moment. "Are you not thinking straight? If you don't come back and make a scene now, Henry will really become someone else's."

"Isn't this Henry's big life event? Why would I go make a scene?"

"Sarah?" Emily's voice suddenly rose. "Have you gone mad?"

I was about to hang up when Charlotte's voice came through the phone.

"Sarah, will you attend Henry's and my engagement ceremony?" Charlotte's voice was gentle. "Though you were Henry's former fiancée, he's always considered you like a sister. As your future sister-in-law, I truly hope to have your blessing."

I lifted my gaze to the figure in the distance. There he was, leaning casually against the luxury car, his eyes filled with gentleness. In that moment, my heart found its peace.

"Of course. I sincerely wish you both endless happiness together."

Meanwhile, Henry stood drinking with friends on the terrace, his eyes occasionally drifting toward Emily's group.

He understood their habits all too well. That group had always been Sarah's informants, without fail reporting back to her.

Just like clockwork, whenever a woman appeared in his life, they would immediately alert Sarah, who would then arrive to create a scene. It was this endless cycle that he despised most. Over time, he had gradually distanced himself from female companions.

He expected this time to be no different. That's why he had deliberately scheduled it for the day Sarah left for Silverbrook Haven.

Though the timing wasn't perfect - the engagement ceremony wasn't until seven in the evening. Henry could feel a headache building. After all, once Sarah heard the news, she would likely catch the first flight back - arriving just as the engagement ceremony began.

"Henry, what if Sarah returns to disrupt everything?"

"She's your ex-fiancée after all. She'll probably lose it when she learns you're with someone else."

"Although she's been unusually quiet recently."

"You abandoned her for Charlotte at the altar, yet she barely showed any reaction."

"That's strange - in the past, she would have been beside herself by now."

Henry's wine glass froze halfway to his lips, the sip forgotten as his friend's words sank in.

Sarah had indeed been unusually quiet lately - unnaturally so. This wasn't like her at all. Throughout the years, despite his countless rejections, she had never given up, each refusal only strengthening her resolve.

Now that she was older, she seemed to have developed more patience.

A thought suddenly struck Henry, bringing a soft chuckle as he set down his glass. "Just wait and see. She's never been one to remain silent for long."

"Henry, you think Sarah will come back to cause trouble?"

Henry didn't respond, but internally he was certain. She had always been emotional since childhood.

During her teenage years, she had been obsessed with romantic dramas, trying every cliché move on him. He knew her playbook by heart. This period of quiet was surely just another tactic. He would bet anything that by the time the engagement ceremony started, Sarah would make her appearance.

"Increase security," Henry said, checking his watch. "Don't let any uninvited guests in to cause disruption."

Just then, Emily came running up. "Henry, Sarah's here - her car's at the front gate..."

Henry felt an odd stirring inside before his expression darkened. "She never learns, still coming to make trouble!"

"Henry, what should we do? If she creates a scene, the Crawford family name..."

With a grim expression, Henry strode toward the entrance. "Let's see what drama she tries to create this time!"

Everyone followed his lead. As they were leaving the terrace, Charlotte's soft voice called out.

"Henry."

She stood there in a champagne-colored gown, her hair elegantly styled, her makeup subtle and fresh. Though the engagement ceremony was still hours away at seven, Charlotte maintained her composure despite her internal anxiety.

"Why did you come here?"

Henry paused, his gaze falling on Charlotte's face. She was truly beautiful - the kind of beauty that awakened a protective instinct in others.