Cecilia’s senior, Randy Henderson, suddenly appeared.

“Cecilia, if you lose this baby, you probably won’t be able to have children in the future. Have you thought about that?” he asked gently.

She blinked away her tears and nodded. “I’ve made my decision, Randy.”

This baby had been the most precious gift she had prepared for Marcus for their seventh wedding anniversary.

But he didn’t want it. From the very beginning, he had been trying to stop it.

She wasn’t going to give him what he didn't want.

Cold medical instruments pierced her body, sending sharp pain shooting through her abdomen.

And just like that, the last connection between her and Marcus was cut.

She never expected that when she woke up after the surgery, the first message she would see would be from an unfamiliar number—forwarding the location of a bridal boutique.

Still weak and aching, she forced herself into a car and headed there.

As soon as she arrived, she saw Marcus and Lucy standing outside.

Marcus was holding Lucy in his arms, looking helpless.

“Lucy, you’re my wife. I can’t give you a proper wedding, but at least I want you to wear a wedding dress once.”

“Marcus, I’m worried I’ll just be a burden. This must cost a lot too.”

Marcus gently tapped Lucy’s nose, smiling at her with obvious affection.

“You silly girl. I may not be able to give you an official title, but I’ll do my best to make sure you’re happy.”

Sitting in the car, Cecilia listened to Marcus sweet-talk Lucy, her chest tightening with pain.

Wife?

Lucy was his wife.

Then what was she?

He wanted Lucy to be happy.

But what about her?

Watching him whisper tender words to Lucy felt like reliving her own past with him over and over again.

At that moment, Cecilia finally realized something.

She didn’t regret losing the baby.

Because Marcus didn’t deserve to be the father of her child.

When they got married, they had chosen their wedding dress right here at this shop.

Luxury cars had lined both sides of the street.

Their friends stepped out of the cars.

She overheard their conversation.

“Marcus is planning a surprise for his wife tonight. There’s going to be a small ceremony at the shop.”

“Isn’t he worried Cecilia might find out?”

“They say she’s infertile. Marcus even told everyone their marriage license isn’t real.”

“Keep your voice down. Cecilia is still precious to him. This whole thing is just to make Lucy feel special. Besides, she’s the one carrying his child.”

Cecilia’s blood ran cold.

So everyone she had grown up with already knew Marcus had betrayed her.

She had opened this bridal boutique herself back in college, simply out of boredom. Every gown in the store had been designed by her.

Only the shop manager knew she was the owner.

After everyone went inside, she quietly slipped in through the back door.

She hid in a dark corner on the third floor and watched Marcus, dressed in a white suit, and Lucy, wearing a pure white wedding gown.

That gown had been inspired by their very first fight.

Back then, Marcus had been furious when Lucas Paterson brought her a birthday gift.

In the university classroom, he had pinned her against the blackboard and kissed her fiercely.

That had been their first kiss.

Later that night, with the bittersweet memory of that first kiss still lingering, she designed a wedding dress.

She named it ‘First Love’.

Now Marcus and Lucy stood together on the stage.

All the friends she had grown up with were gathered below, clapping, cheering, and offering their congratulations.

“Marcus, your bride looks beautiful.”

“Congratulations, Marcus. Time to exchange rings.”

She watched as Marcus took out a ring box.

He opened it.

From where she stood, Cecilia could see clearly.

The rings inside were identical to the wedding bands she and Marcus wore.

Marcus’s ring was still the same classic men’s band.

And Lucy’s matched Cecilia’s exactly.

Even the rings had become a set of three.

Suddenly, the lights snapped on with a loud click.

Every stage light went dark—

Except for a single spotlight shining directly down on her from above.

The moment Marcus saw Cecilia, his eyes darkened.

Without another word, he abandoned Lucy and rushed up to the third floor, his eyes blazing. Everyone watched as his entire body trembled, his face drained of color. He was shaking so badly that when he reached Cecilia, he pulled her into his arms as if afraid she might collapse.

“Cecilia, listen to me,” he said hoarsely. “This was just a scene for a short film. Don’t get the wrong idea. You know I designed this ring myself. You don’t like being in front of the camera, and Lucy’s hands look a lot like yours. I wanted to surprise you. Once the footage is edited, the whole city will see it as an advertisement.”

His trembling hands hurriedly slid the ring onto Cecilia’s ring finger.

But she immediately felt it was wrong.

The ring didn’t fit.

That wasn’t her size.

Downstairs, Lucy’s face had gone pale. Tears welled in her eyes as she stared helplessly at Cecilia and Marcus.

Marcus’s voice suddenly turned cold.

“Miss Garnett, my wife is angry. You should explain yourself. If you don’t, you won’t need to come back to work at the Leedon Group.”

Lucy’s voice trembled, humble and subdued.

“Ms. Summer… this wedding was only for the commercial shoot. I was the planner. The campaign is for Mr. Leedon, and it will be broadcast across the city three days from now—on your anniversary.”

Marcus smiled charmingly and wrapped his arms around Cecilia.

“See, Cecilia? Everything I did was for you. I’ve always done everything for you. I love you, and that will never change. Cecilia, you’re the love of my life.”

Every word Marcus spoke sounded like a vow Cecilia had trusted for twenty-seven years.

She had never doubted his love.

Yet now she suddenly realized something.

Even after betraying her, Marcus could still declare his love in front of everyone as if nothing had happened—still gentle, still affectionate.

Lucy froze when she heard those words.

Only then did she seem to understand something.

Tears streamed down her face as she forced out a trembling smile.

“Ms. Summer… I wish you and Mr. Leedon a lifetime of happiness… growing old together… and having children.”

The words **having children** pierced Cecilia’s heart like a blade.

She looked toward Lucy.

Lucy was crying so hard her entire body shook. Then she turned and ran without looking back.

Marcus shouted after her, his voice raw with desperation.

“Lucy!”

Then he lost all composure and sprinted downstairs after her.

Cecilia watched him push through the crowd, chasing after Lucy.

In the next instant, a car screeched to a halt.

With a violent crash, it slammed into Lucy and sent her flying.

Cecilia stood frozen on the roadside as Marcus’s anguished scream tore through the air.

“Lucy! No!”

He lunged forward and caught Lucy before she hit the ground.

Everyone saw what happened next.

Lucy struggled to throw herself into Marcus’s arms, shielding him with her body.

In that instant, her fragile body took the second impact of the car.

There was a deafening crash.

Blood splattered everywhere.

Lucy kept coughing up blood, crimson pouring from her mouth. The ground beneath her was quickly soaked red.

Marcus collapsed to his knees, trembling as he held her, tears filling his eyes.

“Lucy, stay with me. I’ll take you to the hospital right now.”

Blood streamed from Lucy’s lips as she weakly whispered, “Baby… Marcus… save our baby… please…”

Cecilia saw Marcus slowly raise his head.

His eyes were bloodshot as they locked onto hers.

“I told you, Cecilia,” he snarled through clenched teeth. “Lucy and I never had anything. I told you it was just a scene. Why won’t you believe me? Why did you have to drive her and our child to death just to be satisfied?”

In that moment, Cecilia saw pure hatred flicker in Marcus’s eyes.

The crowd began murmuring.

Donovan Mendes spoke first, his voice cold.

“Cecilia, Marcus loves you so much. Even though he had to marry Lucy because of his grandfather’s arrangement, he still sent her abroad for nearly seven years—for your sake.”

Others quickly joined in.

“Exactly. Marcus was only protecting you. That’s why he let Lucy film the commercial today. He didn’t want you getting tired.”

“Cecilia, you’re being too harsh. Lucy just loves Marcus. She’s never asked for anything in return. Such a kind girl… how can you be so unforgiving and leave her with no place at all?”

Their words were filled with accusation and judgment.

Once, everyone said she and Marcus were the perfect match—the golden couple, made for each other. Friends had always believed they were destined to be together.

But now those same people stood on their moral high ground, judging her. They accused her of ruining what was supposed to be a pure relationship. And somehow, they even blamed her for his seven-year deception.

Lucy was rushed into surgery, and Cecilia followed behind.

Marcus had only suffered minor scrapes, but he refused to let the doctor examine him. He insisted on waiting until Lucy was out of surgery.

Lucy had lost too much blood. The baby didn’t survive. Because of the hemorrhaging, her uterus had to be removed.

Marcus looked devastated, pain written all over his face.

“Lucy, I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have sent you abroad for seven years. I shouldn’t have ignored you. And I shouldn’t have mistaken everything you did for me as something Cecilia had done.

“I loved the wrong person. I thought she was the one.”

Cecilia listened, stunned and confused.

Did Marcus really believe Lucy had been the one doing all those things for him?

Tears filled Cecilia’s eyes as she wiped them away with trembling fingers.

But she had done so much for him over the years too—quietly, in the background.

Since she was five years old, she had been his blood donor. Marcus had a rare condition that caused dangerously low platelet counts and required regular transfusions.

As a child, she had been terrified he might die.

Her parents tried to stop her, but she insisted on donating blood for him again and again.

That was also why she had always been so sickly growing up, while Marcus gradually became stronger and healthier.

Later, in middle school, her parents tried to force her to leave, afraid she would sacrifice her life for him.

Marcus believed she had been allowed to stay because he knelt outside the Summer family’s house for seven days, begging them not to take her away.

But the truth was different.

She had threatened to kill herself if her parents separated them.

Only then had they finally given up.

Now she watched Marcus regretfully confess how cold he had been to Lucy—how he loved her and should never have ignored her.

Cecilia suddenly wanted to tell him that she felt the same.

If she had known their love would end in ruins like this, she would never have let it begin.

She walked toward the elevator, tears blurring her vision.

At that moment, Marcus suddenly collapsed onto the floor.

This time, she made a different choice.

She wasn’t going to save him anymore.

Night fell quietly.

Cecilia sat alone in her villa while her social media exploded with activity.

Everyone she and Marcus knew was sharing the same video.

In the clip, the bride’s face was hidden, while the groom slipped a ring onto her finger.

But the captions all said the same thing:

“Mr. Leedon and Mrs. Leedon’s seventh anniversary!”

Cecilia’s lips curled into a cold sneer.

Seventh anniversary…

Marcus and Lucy’s anniversary too.

Who exactly were these people celebrating?

Someone had posted footage from their wedding online, and it had quickly spread across the internet.

Everywhere, people were congratulating her.

“So happy for Mrs. Leedon!”

“Mr. Leedon and his wife are adorable. So sweet!”

“Another fairytale romance!”

Meanwhile, Marcus lay unconscious in the hospital, completely unaware of the storm brewing online.

Her phone suddenly rang.

She answered.

“Cecilia, Marcus urgently needs a blood transfusion. You need to come to the hospital and donate.”

Her eyes filled with tears—but they burned with cold fury.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Leedon. I’m not his wife, or even his girlfriend. I have no obligation to save him. I’m not connected to him in any way.”

“…You know everything?”

Cecilia let out a cold laugh.

“Thank you for what you did seven years ago. Because of you, I won’t have to deal with a divorce from Marcus now.

“If he bleeds to death tonight, I won’t attend his funeral either.

“I’m nothing to him.”

The old man’s voice turned icy.

“You, Cecilia, are just like your grandfather.

“You will always be the person I hate the most.”

Then he hung up.

Cecilia didn’t sleep the entire night.

Instead, she spent hours sorting through every memory she had with Marcus—holding tightly to the quiet, burning rage in her heart.