After a decade of chasing Carter Worthington, I'm finally worn out.

Letting go of my unrequited love, I choose to embrace the man who has quietly loved me all along.

His name is Eli Loxley. Not only is he a skilled surgeon, but he's also Carter's stepbrother.

Although Eli spent his childhood living in Carter's shadow, he's the one who has captured my heart.

On the night I accept his heartfelt confession, he lights up the entire Marrowfield sky with fireworks.

He even buys a private island by the sea, where he proposes beneath a blanket of stars.

I believe this is the start of my happiness. But before our wedding, Eli disappears without a trace.

I end up finding him on a private yacht on the Redridge River, laughing and chatting with his friends.

"The only reason I pursued Anya was to get back at Carter.

"She's only enticing when she's out of reach. After sleeping with her, I realized she's nothing special.

"Marriage isn't what I'm after. But using it for payback? Now that's the real temptation, wouldn't you agree?"

I don't shed a tear. I slip the ring off my finger and toss it aside.

On the day of the wedding, the venue would stand empty.

The entire city of Oakmont would mock it.

After everything, I've decided to be the one who runs away as well.

But why is the one who didn't love me then now frantically pleading for me to return?

I'm afraid this chapter has closed. I won't turn back.

Main Story: Anya's POV

Seven days before our wedding, Eli Loxley disappeared without a trace.

I searched high and low throughout Marrowfield, but he was nowhere to be found.

On the third day, I heard rumors that he'd been spotted in Oakmont.

I booked a red-eye flight that evening. Soon enough, I tracked him down to a private yacht on the river.

As I approached the door, I heard his laughter from within.

"The only reason I pursued Anya was to get back at Carter," he said. "She's only enticing when she's out of reach."

I froze.

Eli's voice was sharp and clear, a stark contrast to the incoherent babbling of someone intoxicated.

A moment later, even harsher words slipped from his lips.

"After sleeping with her, I realized she's nothing special."

The sound of teasing laughter drifted through the door.

"Dr. Loxley, you're truly impressive. I can't believe you managed to win over the ice queen no one else dared to even approach."

Eli seemed to take pleasure in the praise. "Back then, she threw herself at Carter with everything she had. She even abandoned her pride and dignity.

"She might look like a flirt, but in reality, she's ridiculously naive. What a shame," he said nonchalantly.

"A shame? What exactly do you mean?" someone asked.

Eli exhaled a thick puff of smoke. "Well, it's a shame that I was the first man she slept with, but not the first one she loved.

"She says Carter is a thing of the past, but I can't believe a heart that once burned so fiercely for someone else would suddenly be empty. Ten years of feelings don't just vanish.

"If Carter and I didn't have such a long-standing rivalry, I wouldn't have even bothered pretending to be her 'devoted protector.'"

Someone snickered from the side. "After three years in her bed, you're only starting to regret it now?"

Irritation flickered across Eli's face. "It doesn't matter. We've been together all this time, and in the end, I realized I was nothing more than a placeholder. Do you really think I can just accept that?"

With a smirk, someone else added, "I hear she's losing it these past few days. Are you sure you don't feel even the slightest for her?"

Eli let out a low, bitter laugh, smoke curling from his lips. "I plan to remain on this yacht for another week. Anya can march down the aisle by herself. That'll be the perfect payback for everything I sacrificed."

Through the crack in the door, I saw Eli's face. There was no hint of remorse, only cold, twisted satisfaction.

I went still, his words slicing through me like shards of glass.

Carter Worthington was Eli's stepbrother. For as long as Eli had known him, he had always been in Carter's shadow. The only time he'd truly "won" was when he took me from him.

I had believed Eli was my way out of the decade-long obsession I'd carried for Carter.

I had examined my heart, carefully weighing my feelings.

What I felt for Eli wasn't a passing wave of gratitude—it was real love. That was why I had said yes to marrying him.

He once made the night sky over Marrowfield come alive with a dazzling fireworks display.

He spared no expense, buying a private island just to propose to me there.

Drones danced across the sky, their lights coming together to form my name.

He kept up the pretense for three long years.

And for all those years, I believed him completely.

What I had mistaken for devotion was just a carefully crafted game of vengeance.

At 14, I was sent to a foster home in a small town down south.

In that unfamiliar place, I felt lost and uneasy. I kept my head down, too afraid to speak.

It was there that Carter stood up for me, stepping in to stop a group of bullies from picking on me. From that moment on, I fell hopelessly in love with the hero who had saved me.

I pursued him for years. Almost everyone in school knew.

Carter, however, never once acknowledged my feelings.

Throughout high school, Eli was always there, quietly watching over me to ensure I was safe. No matter how late it got, he'd walk me home every single day.

He was the silent knight by my side.

One evening, I asked him, "What if I never end up having feelings for you?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead. I just want you to be happy."

That one simple sentence shattered the walls I had so carefully built around my heart.

Looking back now, it almost seemed laughable.

I had let go of the past, surrendering to Eli's love with everything I had. I dove headfirst into wedding preparations, consumed by the thought of a future we were supposed to share.

But now, I knew the truth. I was merely a tool in his elaborate scheme for revenge.

Tears streamed down my face. My heart felt as if it had been crushed under a heavy weight. I wanted to run, but my legs refused to move.

The people inside kept laughing and joking, their words steeped in malice.

"The higher you lift her, the harder she'll crash. If you want real revenge, make sure she falls from the very top."

"That's right, Dr. Loxley. Keep pretending nothing's amiss. Go along with her through every detail of the wedding and play your part all the way to the end.

"When the day comes, she'll be left standing at the altar, waiting for a groom who never arrives. The thought alone is thrilling. Anya will surely crumble."

Another wave of laughter echoed through the room, each note sinking like a stone in my stomach.

I held my breath, clinging to the foolish hope that Eli would say something.

I thought he'd object and stand up for me. But instead, all I heard was, "Alright, let's do it."

My mind went blank, drowned out by a deafening roar. My vision blurred, and a dull ringing filled my ears.

Although a smile remained on my lips, my eyes were distant and lifeless.

"Eli, so you're just going to keep pretending, huh?

"Fine. I can't wait to see the look on your face when you find out the bride's not showing up on the wedding day."

Main Story: Anya's POV

No one knew I had been to Oakmont. I returned quietly to the house Eli and I shared in Marrowfield.

Once inside, I gathered every gift he had ever given me—necklaces, watches, and even the Valentine's Day card he'd written by hand. One by one, I tore them apart.

My mind was empty, yet the tears came relentlessly.

I rose to my feet, dragging the custom-made white wedding gown from the closet and laying it out across the living room floor.

Without a second thought, I grabbed a pair of scissors and cut through it.

After today, there was no turning back.

I packed up all the remnants of what I'd destroyed and shoved them into the attic.

Later that night, I picked up my phone and found myself scrolling through a young woman's social media account. She had been documenting her secret crush.

Her latest post pinned her location to Newstone, Oakmont.

The caption read, "My dream guy is getting married. I'm going to give it one last try before the wedding. Let's go!"

She had posted a picture of a man from behind.

The moment I saw it, I knew exactly who he was.

It was Eli.

Later that night, I got an unexpected voice message from Carter.

"Do you know where I am right now? Oakmont."

"Carter, I couldn't care less where you are. Don't reach out to me again."

Just as I was about to block him, another message came through.

"Anya, the Eli you've been searching for all over Marrowfield is now in Oakmont with his new lover. He only got close to you to get back at me.

"He's not worth it."

I clenched my jaw and called him back. "Tell me everything."

There was a long pause on his end. "I've stayed single all these years. I don't entertain flings. But you—"

I cut him off sharply. "Carter, this has nothing to do with you. My feelings for you are long gone."

He suddenly changed the subject. "I just took a photo."

Without warning, he hung up.

I opened the message.

In the photo, Eli's shirt was unbuttoned, a stark departure from his usual attire of glasses and a crisp white lab coat.

Under the streetlight, a young woman clung to his arm, whispering in his ear.

He was smiling, his hand gently brushing through her hair.

I clicked on her Instagram profile. The latest post was a picture of them together, with her boldly kissing his cheek.

The caption read, "Our first date. This is just the beginning."

The trust I had clung to for three years shattered in an instant.

Caught between laughter and tears, I collapsed onto the bed, memories of our first anniversary flooding through my mind.

That morning, I had woken up to my favorite flowers on the bedside table. Every bloom came with a note, each one a confession of Eli's love.

When he saw me stir, he leaned in close, gently coaxing me to get up.

Looking back now, it felt like a memory belonging to someone else.

A piercing headache gripped my mind. My body went cold, and my vision blurred. I struggled to hold on before everything faded to black.

Through the fog, I could've sworn I saw Eli rushing toward me.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed.

Eli was slumped at my side. His white shirt was crumpled, exhaustion weighing him down.

His voice was rough, laced with reproach. "I leave for a few days, and you manage to land in the hospital with a 104℉ fever. Do you ever think about taking care of yourself?"

His face was etched with concern.

How ironic.

When he had disappeared, I was the one spiraling, convinced something had happened to him.

Even after a whole day of searching, I couldn't stop refreshing the news, dreading the moment I would see a report about some tragic accident.

I had neglected my own health, consumed by the fear of losing him.

But on the other side, he was outside another woman's apartment, kissing her goodbye.

"Do you realize your mistake now?" Eli asked. With a faint smile, he pulled a thermos from behind him and opened it. "Come on and drink some soup. I put a lot of effort into making it."

He said nothing else, his every gesture as affectionate as it had always been.

I sat across from him, silently observing as he took care of me.

But deep down, all I wanted was to demand the truth.

"Eli, I heard everything that night," I mused inwardly.

"I never forced you to marry me. After three years together, why don't you trust me?

"How can you look me in the eye and act like nothing ever happened?"

Main Story: Anya's POV

"Baby, why are you looking at me like that?" Eli asked, his voice laced with a hint of nervousness. "Why are you crying? Was the soup too hot?"

He pulled me into his arms, gently patting my back. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have blamed you.

"With my dream of marrying you just around the corner, I couldn't help but get cold feet. I disappeared for a few days, and I know it made you feel insecure. Can you understand where I'm coming from?"

The lie was flawless.

He gently kissed my forehead and whispered, "In just four days, it will be our wedding. I won't leave you again. We'll grow old together."

Inwardly, I knew that day would never arrive.

Eli wiped away the tears on my cheeks. "I'll go take care of the discharge paperwork for you."

He hadn't even bothered to take his phone with him, still playing the role of the "devoted lover".

The screen continued to light up with incoming notifications.

It was the same woman I had seen on Instagram just yesterday.

She'd sent a barrage of messages.

"Eli, I got home safely! Thank you for seeing me off."

"Could you send me an invitation to your wedding? I just want to see you happy."

"It's late, and I can't sleep. I made some soup. Can I bring it to you tomorrow morning?"

Eli replied to the last message, "Could you bring it now? Take it to the inpatient department at Pinebrook Hospital."

As I glanced at the thermos on the table, a wave of nausea washed over me.

"Are you sick, Eli? I'll stay and keep you company."

"I'm in the lobby."

The screen went dark.

As I stepped out of the hospital room, I saw Eli and the woman in a secluded corner of the lobby.

She sat there, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes were slightly swollen, and she carried herself with a gentle, docile air.

I watched through the crowd as she gestured excitedly, laughing so hard that she nearly doubled over.

At one point, she gently nudged Eli's arm.

He responded by tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

From last night's kiss to today's affectionate gesture, it was clear that she had won Eli's heart.

After all, who could resist a sweet, thoughtful woman who loved so completely?

I lowered my gaze, a bitter smile forming at the corners of my lips.

As I turned to walk away, I caught sight of Carter in the dim yellow light.

He emerged from the shadows, his eyes glinting with disdain as they shifted toward Eli.

"So, is this your fiance?" he asked.

I met his gaze without flinching. "Mind your own business."

"Anya, why did you pull away from me back then?" he asked, staring at me.

After a decade spent pursuing him, this was all it amounted to.

How cruelly ironic.

I stayed silent. It was clear he couldn't admit he'd lost.

"Are you seriously going through with marrying him?" Carter asked sharply.

"That's none of your concern," I replied.

"I moved on from you a long time ago," I added nonchalantly.

As our paths crossed, he asked, "What if he betrays you? Will you still accept him?"

No. I couldn't.

My eyes fell to my clenched hands.

The ache would eventually subside.

Only three more days remained. I could make it through.

…

"I... I accidentally ripped the wedding dress," I whispered, my eyes locked onto Eli's. "This can't be a good sign, can it?"

He took my hand, his tone soft and reassuring. "Don't say that. It's just a dress. We've got plenty of other options.

"It's no big deal. We'll go pick out a new one tomorrow, okay?"

I had waited nearly a year for this dress. It had just arrived yesterday and was custom-designed by my favorite designer.

When I went for the fitting, Eli wasn't there.

But now, I didn't even want it anymore.

"Eli, if you're going to play this role so seriously... then I'll step into character as well," I thought.

The next day, we went to a high-end bridal shop in Sapphire Grove.

Naturally, none of the dresses fit. I'd known that from the start, yet I still asked Eli to spend the entire day with me shopping.

Sitting in a cafe, I gazed out the window. "What a disaster. I can't believe I ruined it all myself," I murmured, letting out a sigh.

Eli placed his coffee cup down. "It's fine. We still have time," he said nonchalantly.

I turned to face him. "If we can't find the right gown... maybe we should postpone the wedding."

His expression shifted in an instant.

Before I could even react, he was on his feet, the table tipping over.

The cups hit the floor, shattering into jagged pieces.