Clutching the pregnancy test tightly, I practically ran toward the bridal boutique, my heart soaring with joy. In just a few weeks, Harold and I would finally be husband and wife. And now, with this little life growing inside me, our future seemed more perfect than ever.

The moment I stepped inside, the bell tinkled softly, but my attention immediately caught on a familiar voice. Harold. He was speaking in French—the way he always did around his friends. I had recently started learning the language, wanting to fit in whenever he switched to it. But now, I wished I hadn’t.

I slowed down, curious but cautious, as I moved closer to the fitting rooms where the conversation was coming from.

“You actually married Kate yesterday at the civil registry?” Jimmie’s tone was sharp, disbelief clear. “And now you’re going to continue with Pam? What if she finds out about all this?”

My fingers clenched harder around the test. What could they possibly mean?

Kate? The fiancée of Harold’s late brother?

Harold sighed deeply, voice calm but cold. “After the accident took my brother, I had no choice. I had to marry Kate—for her and the baby.”

My heart twisted painfully.

“This is just to honor my brother. Pam will never suspect I’m faking the marriage. If you keep quiet, she’ll never know,” he said, eyes narrowing.

The room seemed to close in around me. My vision blurred, my breath caught. Betrayal tasted bitter on my tongue.

Then Jimmie’s voice lowered, noticing me nearby. “She’s here. What if she understands French?”

Harold laughed cruelly. “She wouldn’t. Pretty face, no brains.”

The words stabbed through me like knives.

“I only love her because of her money. Once the companies merge, I’ll get rid of her—then I can be with Kate forever,” he added without shame.

Jimmie scoffed, “So it was always Kate you wanted?”

Harold shrugged, “Yes. But I was tied to my brother while he was alive. Now? Why settle for one when I can have both? It’s perfect for me.”

I stood frozen, unable to breathe or move. The man I’d loved for four years—the man I was about to marry—was right there, plotting my ruin.

Suddenly, Harold turned toward me with a fake smile, “Pam, darling. You’re here. I was waiting.”

I forced a smile, hiding the rage that threatened to spill over. “I heard you talking to Jimmie. What was that about?”

Harold glanced at his friend. “Just business talk. You know how stressful things get before a wedding.”

I nodded, though I barely heard him. Everything clicked—the constant requests for money, the manipulation, the lies. What I thought was love was only greed.

“You shouldn’t have come here. I can handle this myself,” I said quietly.

“Of course not, baby!” He kissed me, and I almost retched. Four years of lies, pretending to love me while his heart belonged to someone else.

“You know how much I wanted to be part of our wedding plans. Our special day,” he said, smiling.

I smiled back, hollow inside, too exhausted to fight. The fitting passed in a numb blur. No tears. No screams. Just quiet endurance—and a promise that I’d never let him control me again.

Outside, I pulled out my phone and dialed the one person who could save me.

“Mom,” I whispered. “About that marriage deal… does it still stand?”

There was a pause, then her sharp concern. “What happened? Did Harold do something?”

“He betrayed me. I’m coming home soon,” I said, gripping the pregnancy test like a lifeline. “Get ready for the wedding you’ve always dreamed of.”

I woke to swollen eyes and a relentless headache pounding through my skull. The heaviness of last night’s betrayal weighed down on my chest. With trembling fingers, I reached for my phone and dialed Harold’s number. No response. I tried again. Still silence.

Maybe there was hope. Maybe we could fix this mess. Perhaps I was rushing by calling my mom. What if, once he knew I’d uncovered everything, he’d choose me? Or maybe I was fooling myself.

I exhaled sharply and wiped my face. Enough. I’d already made up my mind. His refusal to answer when I needed him most was proof—I wasn’t important to him. I had seen it before: how quickly he dropped everything when Kate called, even if we were in the middle of something. I’d convinced myself it was nothing. But now, I knew the truth. It was everything.

I stopped dialing his number. Slipping on my coat, I headed for the hospital. It was time to end this before he destroyed me any further.

The antiseptic scent hit me as I entered. My steps were steady, head held high as I pushed forward.

Then I spotted them—Kate and Harold. Together. That explained the unanswered calls.

Kate clung to his arm, her body turned toward him as if he were her whole world. He leaned in, whispering something that made her laugh softly. Her hand rested possessively on her belly.

Harold’s gaze was tender and focused—the way he used to look at me—but now, all his attention was on her.

My breath caught.

Sensing my presence, Kate was the first to turn. Her eyes locked on mine, a flicker of something I couldn’t read crossing her face. Then, a slow, practiced smile—a mix of feigned sympathy and quiet triumph.

Harold followed her gaze, his body tensing the moment he saw me. Shock flashed across his features, followed by something else—guilt? Annoyance? Whatever it was, he quickly masked it.

I felt rooted to the spot, like the walls were closing in.

Kate spoke first. “Pam? What are you doing here? You should’ve called Harold if you weren’t feeling well.”

I kept my expression blank. “He didn’t pick up.”

Finally, Harold looked at me. “Oh, my phone died. I would’ve come if I’d known. What’s wrong, babe?”

I nodded weakly. “Nothing serious. Just needed some medicine.”

Harold gestured toward Kate. “I’m here with her for her prenatal appointment. It’s for my brother—Mom asked me to come.”

I forced a smile. “Of course. Family comes first.”

“Let’s talk later,” he said quietly, not letting go of Kate’s hand. “I’ll make it up to you.”

I didn’t reply. I turned away, pretending not to hear. As they disappeared into the doctor’s office, I stayed frozen.

Then a voice floated out from inside.

“The baby is perfectly healthy.”

Harold’s response was immediate. “Thank God. I want everything to be perfect for our baby.”

Our baby. It was supposed to be his brother’s child—but now I wondered if it really was.

I walked away. That was it. The breaking point. There was no way I’d let him keep tearing me apart.

An hour later, the procedure was done. The baby was gone. A pang of sadness and guilt hit me, but I knew it was for the best. I couldn’t bring a child into a world where its father had betrayed me so deeply.

Though exhausted and still weak, I chose to go home. I sat in the back of the taxi, staring blankly at my reflection in the window. Hollow. Empty. All my tears were spent. All I had left was a plan.

By the time I reached my building, my mind was set on one thing—leaving. Closing this chapter for good.

Then I saw him. Harold, speaking with a man in the shadows of the alley behind the building. The figure looked familiar, and the tone of their conversation sent chills down my spine.

I slipped behind a parked car, straining to listen.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay away?” Harold’s voice was cold, cutting. “Haven’t I paid you enough already?”

The man scoffed. “Not nearly. If you stop the payments, everyone will find out you planned your brother’s accident.”

My breath caught. He had killed his own brother?

Harold tensed. “Lower your voice.”

“Then keep the money coming.”

I stumbled back, heart pounding. Harold—liar, manipulator, murderer. How could I have loved someone like this?

My hands shook as I pulled out my phone, whispering into it. “I need you to look into Jason’s accident. Get me every detail you can find.”

I passed through the grand entrance of our estate, the weight of the day settling on my shoulders. Today was the day I would meet the man I was about to marry.

Not Harold, though I hadn’t called off our wedding yet. No, that would be far too simple. I wanted him to stand at the altar, waiting in humiliation before everyone, only to find out I had already wed someone else. A ruthless end for the man who had deceived me for so long.

As I stepped into the living room, I froze.

There he was—a tall man seated on the couch, one leg casually crossed over the other, exuding an air of ease and authority. His sharp, chiseled face was even more striking than I remembered, his intense eyes studying me with a look I couldn’t read but found oddly familiar.

Gavion Smith.

Harold’s childhood rival turned enemy. The man who had always been his equal, challenging him at every turn. The man I once secretly admired before making the worst choice of my life—choosing Harold instead.

I took a sharp breath, a sly smile tugging at my lips. Perhaps this wasn’t a mistake after all.

My mother cleared her throat, pulling me from my thoughts. “You’ve finally arrived,” she said warmly. “This is Gavion Smith. He’s the man I’ve been hoping you’d marry all along. This union will benefit both families,” she added firmly. “But I won’t force you. Your happiness matters most.”

My happiness. How ironic. I had spent years believing I was happy with Harold, blinded by the illusion of love, only to be used and discarded. Now, I wasn’t chasing happiness—I was seeking justice.

I met Gavion’s gaze steadily. “I’ll do it.”

A faint smirk played on his lips. “No second thoughts?”

I shrugged casually, hiding the storm inside. “It’s a smart move.”

He leaned in, eyes sharp. “And revenge? Is that what this is about? What Harold did to you?”

I didn’t blink. He saw right through me. “If you want to call it that.” I tilted my head. “Does it bother you?”

His eyes darkened, amusement fading into something more serious. “Not at all,” he said after a pause. “I like a woman who knows exactly what she wants.”

There was a silent understanding between us—a flicker of respect, perhaps.

My mother exhaled, relief evident in her voice. “Then it’s settled.” She smiled, though it was cautious. “Just be sure, Pam. If you want to back out—”

“I won’t,” I interrupted firmly. “I know what I’m doing, Mom. Love isn’t what I need. I want revenge. Harold betrayed me. He deserves to feel my wrath.”

Gavion studied me carefully, then smirked. “This will be interesting.”

I returned the smile, cold and calculated. “I’m counting on it.”

I laid out the plan—the wedding, the public humiliation, the final blow to Harold. They listened quietly, then the conversation shifted to wedding details and business. Suddenly, one of the staff entered with a folder and handed it to me.

As I opened it, my breath caught. The documents revealed Harold had erased all footage from the accident. It wasn’t an accident after all. He had planned it.

Worse still, the child Kate carried wasn’t Jason’s—it was Harold’s. They’d been having an affair all along. A secret scandal.

My jaw tightened, the papers crinkling under my grip. They’d been manipulating me the whole time.

A bitter laugh escaped me. Kate—the grieving fiancée—was a liar. And Harold? A killer.

I took a steadying breath. This was beyond betrayal. This was war.

I met Gavion’s eyes again. “Change of plans,” I said quietly, sliding the folder toward him.

He scanned the papers, raising his eyebrows before his face hardened. “Now, this is getting interesting.” His tone was calm but edged with something fierce.

I smirked. “Let’s take him down.”

Later that night, I returned home, masking everything, pretending ignorance.

Then I saw her—Kate—standing before the mirror, twirling in my wedding dress, the delicate lace flowing around her.

Harold stood close, smiling softly at her. A knot of rage twisted inside me—not heartbreak, but cold fury.

Kate spun around, startled. Guilt flushed her cheeks, quickly replaced by a forced smile. “Pam… I—I just wanted to try it on,” she stammered. “I never got to when Jason… died.”

I tilted my head, lips curling into something almost like a smile. “Go ahead. Try it.”

Her eyes widened, surprise flickering. I added, with a fake sweetness, “If you want, you can even have Harold as your groom, since you seem to want him all to yourself.”

The atmosphere shifted. Her smile faltered, crumbling as tears welled in her eyes.

Harold turned sharply to me, his face darkening. “Pam, what’s wrong with you?” he snapped. “Kate’s pregnant. She’s sensitive. Don’t say things like that.”

I scoffed. “Oh, right. Because she’s pregnant.” I crossed my arms, eyes locked on his. “Why don’t you just marry her, then? It sure seems like you’ve been hiding a lot.”

His jaw clenched, anger flashing in his eyes. Without warning, his hand shot out and slapped my face.