It was ten o'clock on the day of the wedding, and I was so excited that I hadn't slept a wink.

Early in the morning, I came across a photo on Instagram that my fiancée had posted, showing her lying in bed.

I recognized the other person in the photo—her childhood friend, Ethan.

The picture was beautifully taken, but it was clear that neither of them was wearing clothes under the sheer fabric.

I couldn't help but comment, "Great photo! Where did you take it? Not at a budget hotel for 188 dollars a night, I hope? Did you pay for it? Why not a five-star hotel? Is it because you don't like it?"

——

After posting my comments, I turned off my phone and tossed it aside, starting to sort through Sophie's things in our new home.

Her clothes filled the wardrobe, each piece designer, and the skincare products on her vanity were things I had brought back from abroad.

I pulled out a suitcase and swept all her belongings into it, treating it as if I were giving them away for free.

The reason Sophie felt bold enough to post that photo on Instagram just a day before our wedding was that she believed my unwavering devotion meant I wouldn't dare to call off the wedding—even after seeing her with another man.

She thought I would forgive her without hesitation because of how deeply I loved her, so much so that I had lost all sense of dignity.

But she seemed to forget that she once told me, "Kyle, even if I fool around with others, it will never be real. My first time will always be yours."

Yet in that photo, there were used condoms discarded on the floor behind her and Ethan.

First time? It seemed she had long since lost count of how many "first times" she'd had.

Suddenly, clarity struck me. If she and Ethan were so in love, then so be it.

There was no longer any need for this wedding.

At ten o'clock, I switched my phone back on.

Dozens of missed calls flooded in along with a barrage of messages from Sophie.

As soon as my phone booted up, she called, "Kyle, what's going on? It's ten o'clock and you're still not here for the wedding! Do you know how embarrassing this is for me?"

"You better prepare double the gift money; my bridesmaids are going to be furious. Do you even want to marry me anymore?"

"I put it on speakerphone, and you need to apologize to me first, and then to the bridesmaids."

In the past, I would have responded gently and complied with her demands.

But now, I didn't care anymore. I retorted sarcastically, "Married? Sophie? Are those hickeys on your neck going to disappear by today? You spent last night with Ethan. How many concealers will you need to cover those up?"

"Aren't you supposed to be an elegant lady from a prestigious family? How does partying with another man the night before your wedding fit that image?"

"Sophie, today's wedding is canceled."

She laughed coldly, "Oh, so you saw my Instagram? Is this your way of getting back at me on our wedding day? You've been watching too much TV."

"Kyle," she said sharply, "if my parents weren't forcing me to marry you, do you think I would? The one I love is Ethan. You may have my body but never my heart. Don't think you can use last night against me."

"I'm giving you one last chance. Get here by eleven or forget about this wedding." With that, she hung up.

I could imagine her fuming with her bridesmaids about how to deal with me when I arrived.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a new message.

It was a picture of Sophie sleeping in Ethan's arms. Although she was covered by a blanket, the hickeys on her neck and her blissful expression made it clear what had happened.

Ethan texted, "She's marrying you today, but last night was truly her wedding night."

I took a screenshot of Sophie's Instagram post along with Ethan's photo and shared them both on my own Instagram with the caption, "Wedding canceled; clearly childhood sweethearts are more suited for each other."

My phone immediately exploded with calls from friends and family asking what was going on.

With our wedding scheduled for noon and already being half an hour past ten o'clock, canceling at this point was no small matter.

Sophie's parents also called me, asking anxiously on the other end of the line, "Kyle, what's going on? Why aren't you here yet? I heard from Sophie's bridesmaids that you two had a fight and want to cancel the wedding? Marriage is a big deal, you can't just mess around with it like this!"

I remained silent. I couldn't bring myself to say anything rude to my elders, but deep down, I no longer wanted to be entangled with Sophie. Once I had woken up to the truth, I seemed to have turned to stone.

I said softly, "Professor, I'm not throwing a tantrum or fighting. It's just that Sophie has always loved Ethan, not me. You can see it for yourself on her Instagram."

Sophie's father was my university professor, and it was through him that I met Sophie. He had always treated me very well. One reason I tolerated Sophie so much was because of him. I thought to myself, how could a child of such a good teacher turn out this way? It must just be a momentary lapse of judgment.

But I realized I was wrong. You can't force someone to love you.

The professor and his wife didn't like Ethan. In college, Ethan had gone to great lengths to pursue Sophie, flattering her in every way, but it was all just so he could establish himself in this city. He instigated Sophie to fight with her parents, asking them to help him get a spot to stay on campus so he could marry her and take care of her.

Ethan's grades were terrible, and there was no way he could stay on campus. I, on the other hand, had gone from master's to PhD under the professor's guidance, winning national scholarships along the way. I had published countless articles. The school decided to give that year's stay-on-campus spot to me.

Ethan and Sophie said it was because of my interference that he couldn't stay.

But he had just graduated with a bachelor's degree - how could the school possibly let him stay? Yet Sophie believed this nonsensical explanation, convinced that I had snatched the spot from Ethan's hands.

In the new house, I finished sorting through all of Sophie's things, packing them into several suitcases. I was just about to call the moving company when Sophie came rushing out of the elevator, still in her wedding dress. "Kyle, are you done with your tantrum? If so, come with me to the hotel. All our guests are waiting."

Looking at her anxious face, I smiled. "Sophie, wasn't last night your wedding night with Ethan already?"

She froze for a moment, and I sneered, "I've already informed our friends and family that the wedding is canceled. I wish you and Ethan a happy life together."

Sophie exclaimed, "Kyle, have you thought about my parents? They're your professors! Do you have no conscience? Can't you see how embarrassed they'll be at their age to face this?"

I took a deep breath and replied, "Oh? When you were shamelessly doing those things, did you ever think about how embarrassed your parents would be? You even posted half-naked photos with Ethan online. What else is there to be embarrassed about?"

She glared at me fiercely and gritted her teeth, "Fine, I'll promise to have less contact with Ethan in the future. Is that good enough for you? Don't be so unreasonable. Who doesn't have ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends before getting married? I was just going to say goodbye to my past love. After all, I was going to marry you today. You're making a big deal out of nothing."

Looking at her disdainful face directed at me, I truly regretted the past few years. Why did I ever fall in love with such a person?

I showed her the photo Ethan had sent. "I'm not so in love with you that I'd let you walk all over me. I'm not going to marry you with a smile while you cheat on me. I've packed your things. You might as well take them with you. Otherwise, I'll have the cleaning staff throw them out."

With that, I pushed the suitcases out and slammed the door in her face.

Sophie shouted at the door, "Kyle, don't you dare regret this!" I ignored her outburst and closed the bedroom door, allowing myself to finally get some sleep.

The next day, when I turned my phone back on, it nearly froze from the flood of messages from concerned friends and family.

I replied to a few important ones, but then I saw a message from Sophie's father, my professor, urging me to come over as soon as I could.

Thinking of how kindly he and his wife had treated me over the years, I felt a pang of guilt and decided to visit them.

As soon as I walked in, I found Sophie sitting on the couch with her neck stiff and her expression defiant. "Kyle, didn't you say you weren't getting married? What's the point of convincing my parents to pressure me now? Can't you have any shame?"

Professor Smith stood up and said, "Enough, Sophie! Is this how I've raised you? You're disappointing me greatly."

Sophie shot back, "I'm my own person with my own thoughts. I'm not a puppet that you can control. Just because you want me to like someone doesn't mean I will."

"I've only ever loved Ethan," she continued. "Kyle is the one who doesn't want to marry me now, not me calling off the wedding. Why blame me? Isn't Kyle the good son-in-law you wanted?"

Tears filled her mother's eyes as she said, "Sophie, look at what you've done! How can you expect Kyle to handle this? How could you and Ethan do such things?"

Sophie gritted her teeth and glared at me. "Even if I agree to marry you, my heart doesn't belong to you. My body and soul have always been Ethan's."

Feeling hopeless, I stepped in front of the professor and his wife. Looking directly at Sophie, I asked, "When I pursued you, did I ever force you to do anything against your will?"

"Did I pressure you when I proposed?"

"This relationship has always been based on your consent. Why now claim that it's me or your parents who are pressuring you?"

"I thought I was a good boyfriend all these years, but I never expected you would view our relationship this way."

The professor's hands trembled with anger. "You keep saying you love Ethan. Do you even know what kind of person he is? What he has done? You're clearly under some kind of spell."

Sophie looked defiant as she faced her parents. "You did those things to Ethan without him blaming you; he just told me not to be angry with you. And yet here you are criticizing him—you're the ones with no conscience."

Her mother slammed her hand on the table. "What have we done?"

Sophie scoffed. "Do we really need to go over this? You took Ethan's spot at school and gave it to Kyle! Kyle, don't pretend; everyone knows your spot was earned by sucking up to my dad."

The professor clutched his chest, gasping for breath. "What did you say? I've lived my life honestly and now my own daughter accuses me of using underhanded tactics for a student?"

Sophie stood up dramatically and declared, "Isn't that true? If it weren't for being your daughter and Ethan encouraging me, I would have reported Kyle and you long ago."

The professor turned pale and pointed at her. "Good! I raised a wonderful daughter! Go ahead and report me! Now get out! Get out!"

"You'll regret this," Sophie shot back as she stormed out. "Just watch. I'll make sure Ethan gets what he deserves." With that, she slammed the door behind her.

As the sound of the door echoed through the room, the professor collapsed.

"Professor!"