On my wedding day, my fiancé’s childhood sweetheart arrived, wearing the exact same custom wedding dress as me.

They stood together, greeting guests, while I smiled and praised them as a match made in heaven.

Humiliated, she left the venue in tears. In her defense, my fiancé publicly accused me of being petty and unreasonable.

After the wedding reception, he left with her for the honeymoon we had planned together.

I didn’t cry. Instead, I called my lawyer immediately.

By the time I got home, it was already late.

Silver moonlight spilled into the living room, casting an eerie loneliness over the space.

Dragging my exhausted body to the bedroom, my gaze landed on the wedding decoration plastered on the wall. It was a bitter joke at this point.

The rose petals scattered across the bed from the wedding night were still there, untouched. However, I was too tired to care.

With a weary sigh, I swept them onto the floor and collapsed onto the soft mattress.

As I plugged in my phone, a notification popped up.

Michael Meyer had just posted on Instagram: [Grateful to have met you. Cherishing every moment.]

The picture showed him holding Susie Wright close, their eyes locked in an intimate gaze and lips almost touching. Matching couple bracelets gleamed on their wrists.

In the past, seeing something like this would have sent me rushing over to demand an explanation from Michael.

Now, though? I simply turned off my phone, rolled over, and went to sleep.

For the next few days, I didn’t hear a word from Michael. The only signs of his existence came through my feed, where he kept posting about Susie.

It was of them hugging, traveling, and smiling for pictures.

I didn’t care. Instead, I contacted a lawyer to start the divorce process.

Michael and I had been together for six years. We were high school sweethearts who married right after college, impulsively signing the papers.

There was no big wedding, but he had given me a beautiful ring, a sincere promise, and, back then, his whole heart.

Now, the love was gone, leaving nothing but a mess.

Two weeks later, as I sat at home reviewing the lawyer’s first draft of the divorce papers, I suddenly heard the front door unlock.

I looked up just in time to see Michael walk in, hand in hand with Susie.

Our eyes met.

A flicker of guilt flashed across his face before he hastily let go of her hand, his tone unnaturally stiff as he spoke.

“Susie’s never been abroad before, so I took her.” He continued, “You were busy with work anyway, so I figured I might as well take her—”

I cut him off by shifting my focus back to the divorce papers, nodding absentmindedly. “Okay.”

His words caught in his throat.

Seeing that I wasn’t reacting at all, his frustration grew, and his voice turned cold.

“Seriously? I told you that Susie’s never been abroad before. That’s why I took her.

“Anyway, it’s just a honeymoon. It’s not like we can’t go later. What’s your problem?

“I’ve told you a thousand times. Susie is—”

I finally interrupted his babbling, my voice calm and unwavering. “Just like a sister to you?”

My expression remained neutral, devoid of any emotion.

His face darkened, frustration deepening in his eyes. “Then what are you making a fuss about?”

“I’m busy.”

I reined in my thoughts, refusing to spare him another glance.

Susie, standing beside him, took the opportunity to step forward, linking her arm through his. Her voice dripped with sweetness as she chimed in.

“Come on, don’t be mad. You know Michael and I grew up together.

“And even though he couldn’t take you with him this time, he still got you a special gift from the trip!”

She turned to Michael, giving him a soft smile. “Michael, hurry up and show her.”

At her urging, Michael quickly pulled a small box from his bag, opening and sliding it toward me.

“I picked this out just for you. Here, have a look.”

He looked pleased with himself, expecting me to be overjoyed and grateful.

I glanced down at the box.

Inside was a pair of minimalist earrings—tiny pearls accented with blue gemstone flowers. They were delicate and pretty, no doubt.

However, after just one look, I pushed the box back toward him.

“No thanks. I don’t have a habit of collecting freebies.”

The air in the room instantly grew tense. Michael’s expression darkened.

“Diana, what’s that supposed to mean?”

I calmly shifted my gaze away from the matching couple's bracelets worth five figures on their wrists and looked straight into Michael’s eyes.

“Exactly what I said. You gave me the free gift that came with your bracelets. Don't you? Do you think that’s all I’m worth?”

Michael clearly hadn’t expected me to call him out so bluntly. For a moment, he looked embarrassed.

Susie, on the other hand, wasted no time jumping in with a saccharine tone laced with mock concern.

“Diana, don’t be upset. Michael only gave the bracelet to me because I loved it so much. But if it really bothers you, I’ll give it to you instead.

“Please don’t argue with Michael over something like this. It’s not worth it.”

Despite her words, she made no move to hand over the bracelet. Instead, she looked at Michael as if she were the one suffering, then turned to me with barely concealed amusement in her eyes.

Michael, seeing her reaction, immediately grabbed her wrist protectively, his expression growing colder as he looked at me.

“Susie, don’t listen to her. I gave it to you, so it is yours. She’s always been like this—so petty and narrow-minded.”

I glanced at them briefly but didn’t respond. Instead, I returned my focus to my laptop.

Seeing my indifference, Michael’s frustration flared. He pulled Susie closer, wrapped an arm around her, and stormed toward the door. As he reached it, he deliberately yanked it open with force, then stood there, waiting.

I knew what he wanted.

He was waiting for me to give in, just like I’d always done. Every time, I was the one who backed down, apologized, and tried to smooth things over.

Every time, he pushed his limits a little further.

Not this time, though.

Without even looking up, I calmly added the cost of the bracelet he bought for Susie into the financial division of our divorce settlement.

When he realized I wasn’t going to react, he slammed the door shut.

Not long after they left, my parents called. They wanted me to come over for dinner.

I didn’t refuse.

When I arrived at their house, I ran into Michael at the door.

When Michael saw me, a flicker of unease crossed his face, but he quickly masked it with forced composure.

“Want to head in together?” he asked.

I didn’t refuse. I simply nodded and walked inside.

Dinner was painfully awkward.

My parents still hadn’t let go of what happened at the wedding, so they weren’t exactly warm toward Michael.

If this had been before, I might’ve stepped in to smooth things over. Instead, I let him sit there, alone in his discomfort.

Once dinner was over, I was about to call a ride home when Michael pulled up in front of me.

I didn’t hesitate. I opened the car door and got in, only to see a sticker on the passenger seat that read: “Susie’s Seat.”

Michael cleared his throat, looking a little awkward as he explained, “Susie insisted on putting it there. Besides, you usually drive yourself anyway.”

I nodded, my tone indifferent. “Yeah. That’s how it always starts.”

Michael frowned, as if wanting to say something else, but before he could, my phone buzzed.

Ignoring him, I lowered my head and focused on my messages.

By the time I was done responding, Michael had pulled up in front of a villa.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, Susie came running straight into his arms.

“Michael, I missed you so much! Did you miss me?”

Since I was right there, Michael looked uncomfortable. He quickly stopped her from kissing him on the cheek.

“Alright, alright. We’re not kids anymore.”

Susie shot me a triumphant glance before deliberately pouting. “So what if we’re older? That doesn’t mean I’m not still your little sister.”

I ignored them completely and walked inside.

As soon as I reached the entrance, my eyes landed on the large digital screen inside, where a slideshow of pictures was playing on a loop.

Every single one was of Michael and Susie—them watching the sunset together, having dinner, laughing…

Then, at the very end, a picture of them locked in a deep, passionate kiss.

I had barely glanced at it before Michael rushed to my side, panicking.

“Diana, these photos aren’t real! Please, believe me. Don’t be mad, okay?”

I turned to look at him and caught the guilt flashing in his eyes.

I nodded, though.

“Mm. The pictures turned out nice.”

Susie’s smile faltered.

“Diana, you’re not angry?”

My expression remained calm.

“No.”

The moment I spoke, my phone rang.

It was the doctor calling to discuss my hospitalization for tomorrow.

I had gone for a check-up a while ago, and they had found something concerning in my lungs.

Now, it seemed the results were in.

…

I stepped aside to take the call, ignoring whatever expression was on Michael’s face.

By the time I finished and returned to the hall, I saw Michael shielding Susie, loudly berating someone.

From their exchange, it wasn’t hard to figure out what had happened. Someone had accidentally spilled a little wine on the hem of Susie’s dress, and Michael wasn’t letting it go until they apologized.

Watching the scene unfold, a memory from years ago suddenly resurfaced.

Back then, Michael and I had attended a similar dinner party together. As I passed by a champagne tower in the center of the hall, Susie deliberately gave me a shove.

I lost my balance and crashed straight into the tower.

The glass shattered instantly. Champagne mixed with my blood as it soaked into my dress, seeping into my skin.

I had turned to Michael for help.

However, in front of everyone, he yelled at me in fury instead of helping me.

“Do you even know how to walk?! That champagne tower was huge. How could you not see it?!

“You just had to crash into it? Do you even realize how important this event is? Honestly, I don’t know why someone as useless as you is even alive.

“If I were you, I’d just slam my head into a wall and end it already!”

As my mind returned to the present, I looked at the scene before me and couldn’t help but find it laughable.

Without hesitation, I turned and left.

That night, Michael didn’t come home.

I wasn’t surprised. This wasn’t the first time.

The next morning, as I was freshening up, I saw Michael return with breakfast, Susie trailing right behind him.

When he noticed me, he set the breakfast on the table and, surprisingly, offered an explanation.

“We stayed out late last night, and I got scared driving alone, so I just crashed at Susie’s place. You’re not mad, right?”

Before I could respond, Susie immediately wrapped an arm around Michael’s shoulders and smirked.

“Yeah, Diana. You’re not mad, are you?”

I simply nodded without saying anything.

Michael must have sensed my indifference, because his voice softened as he spoke again.

“You’ve been wanting to watch that new movie, right?

“I finally have time today. Let’s go watch it together.”

That movie had received stellar reviews since its release. I had asked him to go with me multiple times, but he turned me down every time.

He always claimed work was too busy. Yet, just a few days later, I had seen Susie’s post.

[The best movie deserves the best company.]

While the picture didn’t show their faces, the interlocked fingers in the photo were enough. I knew it was him.

Now, standing in front of him, I could faintly catch the lingering scent of women’s perfume on his clothes.

Without hesitation, I refused.

“No need. I have plans today.”

Michael’s expression stiffened slightly, but before he could say anything else, Susie, already lounging on the couch, looked at me with a smirk.

“Say, Diana, your plans wouldn’t happen to be meeting up with an old high school friend, would they?”

…

I glanced at her, puzzled.

The only people who knew about my divorce plans were me and my lawyer.

There was no way Michael, and certainly not Susie, would know. Let alone the fact that my lawyer was a friend from high school.

Noticing my reaction, Susie put on a worried expression, as if afraid this would upset Michael.

“Michael, don’t be mad, okay? A friend said they saw Diana at a cafe the other day. She was with her high school friend, and their interaction seemed a bit…”

She deliberately paused, dragging out the suspense before adding in an innocent voice, “Intimate.

“But maybe my friend saw it wrong. I mean, Diana loves you so much. There’s no way she’d cheat on you, right?”

The moment those words left her mouth, Michael’s expression darkened instantly.

His hand shot out, knocking over the vase on the table. The ceramic shattered against the floor, fragments scattering at my feet.

He glared at me, his voice thunderous with rage.

“Diana! So you’re refusing to see a movie with me because you want to sneak around with some other guy?!

“How shameless can you be?!”

I lowered my gaze and stared at the broken shards on the floor. Before I could respond, Susie once again spoke up, feigning concern.

“Michael, don’t get too upset. Let’s talk things through calmly.

“Really, can you blame Diana for acting this way? I mean, after all, wasn’t her mom the same? Didn’t she also cheat—”

Before she could finish, I grabbed the tissue box from the table and hurled it straight at her.

Insult me all you want, but my mother? That was off-limits.

The spot where the tissue box hit her immediately turned red, and Michael rushed to her side.

He grabbed her wrist, his expression full of concern.

Seeing Susie put on such a pitiful act only made Michael angrier. He pointed at me and cursed.

“Diana, you’ve really disappointed me!

“Even if what Susie said isn’t true, that still doesn’t give you the right to hit her! You should at least—”

I cut him off before he could continue.

“So, you know she’s lying?”

Michael stiffened. His face twitched slightly, but he quickly composed himself, straightening his posture and pointing at me with righteous indignation.

“Yeah, I saw you that day, too. But getting physical isn’t the answer.

“So apologize to Susie right now. If you don’t, we’re getting a divorce!”

A chilling numbness spread through my body. I stared at him, momentarily speechless.

“Michael, do you even hear yourself?”

He scoffed, as if I had just said something ridiculous.

“Diana, I know exactly what I’m saying.

“No matter what, you shouldn’t have hit Susie. Now hurry up and apologize, or we’re filing for divorce right now!”

I let out a laugh. I reached for the divorce papers I had prepared and slammed them onto the table before him.

“Perfect. Let’s do it.”