Hugo Laurent is determined to have me as his wife. He pursues me for a decade, resolute in winning my heart.

But the night before our wedding, I overhear his conversation with his friends.

"Are you going to marry Katherine just like that? What about your secret girlfriend?"

Hugo is silent. Then, he says, "She's just a stand-in. She can't compare to Katherine. I'll consider keeping her by my side if she doesn't kick up a fuss. Katherine's generous—she won't mind."

The following day, his secret girlfriend crashes our wedding and causes a stir. She shoves me off the stage, but Hugo darts toward her to protect her—she holds a jagged shard of glass to her neck and threatens suicide.

"Are you going to choose me or her?"

Hugo panics. He shoves me aside despite my injuries and snaps, "Get out of the way—I need to take her to the hospital! I'll make you pay if anything happens to her!"

My heart dies in that instant.

That very night, I purchase a flight ticket out of the country and leave him behind.

"Katherine Blake, can't you just sign the surgery consent form yourself? Do you really need to call me so many times for this?

"Just because Sophia got hurt, does that mean you had to go and break your own bones too? I'm exhausted enough as it is—stop adding to my troubles, will you?"

Hugo Laurent's voice came through the phone, carrying an unmistakable hint of irritation and impatience.

Since Sophia Mendes had caused a scene at our wedding, he had disappeared with her for half a day.

This was my 20th call to him. The first 19 had all been declined without exception.

His cold tone made me pause for a moment before I said softly, "Sophia pushed me.

"Dr. Beckett says a family member has to sign the consent form. You're already at the hospital—could you really not take just a few minutes to come and do it?"

But all I got in response was the sharp sound of the call being cut off.

I had expected as much, so I simply sighed. "Bring me the consent form. I'll sign it myself."

Adrian hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want to try contacting Mr. Laurent again? Maybe he just didn't hear you properly?

"Just yesterday, he ordered all the doctors in the hospital to be on standby, in case Sophia refused to accept the breakup and tried to cause trouble at the wedding—he wanted to make sure you'd be treated immediately if anything happened.

"In the past, even if you only had a mild cold, Mr. Laurent would insist on a full medical consultation and personally stay by your bedside for three days and nights.

"If he knew you had a fracture—especially if Sophia was the one who caused it—he'd be furious. After all, you're the most important person in his heart."

I let out a bitter chuckle. I used to believe that, too.

But now, it seemed that wasn't the case at all.

At my insistence, Adrian finally handed over the consent form, allowing me to sign it myself.

Even up to the final moments before my surgery, I still gave Hugo a chance—I waited, hoping he would come see me.

But the only thing I got was a social media post from Sophia.

In the video, Hugo was carefully blowing on a steaming bowl of chicken broth before bringing the spoon to Sophia's lips. He even tucked the blanket around her.

The caption read: "You said that spending three years by my side was your greatest blessing, so I'll spend the rest of my life proving my love in return."

Sophia was smiling. She radiated happiness.

It was hard to believe that just days ago, she had been drinking herself into oblivion after Hugo had broken up with her so suddenly.

Drunk and tear-streaked, she had barged in, pointing a trembling finger at me as she raged, "I was Hugo's secret girlfriend for three years! I gave him everything! But he never touched me, not even once. He always said that Katherine Blake was the only woman he would ever marry. What makes you so special? Why does he love you so much?

"I even tried copying you—I learned how to make soup just like you do, hoping he'd like it. But he slapped me across the face and told me I was nothing compared to you! That I wasn't as beautiful as you, that I wasn't as gentle as you, that I should stop humiliating myself by trying to imitate you!"

Her emotions spiraled out of control. "He said I was just a substitute to pass the time! That once you came back, he would throw me away like trash! Katherine Blake, why did you have to come back? Why couldn't you have just died abroad?"

At the time, Hugo had been so enraged by her words that he had slapped her without hesitation and thrown her out the door.

His icy stare was filled with nothing but disgust as he said, "We're already over. Stop pestering me. Did you just curse Katherine? You must be insane! If you want to die so badly, go do it yourself!

"Katherine is my one and only. I will never have eyes for anyone else."

But today, at the wedding, he ran straight to Sophia without hesitation.

He had looked terrified, as if he might lose something precious, frantically carrying her away to the hospital for emergency treatment.

My surgery was over quickly.

When the anesthesia wore off and I regained consciousness, Hugo suddenly barged into my hospital room, striding in with urgency.

For a moment, I thought he had finally come to see me out of guilt.

But to my shock, the first thing he did was yank my hand out from under the blanket, roughly turning it over and searching my fingers.

When he couldn't find what he was looking for, he demanded furiously, "Katherine, where's your wedding ring? Give it to me. Now!"

My hand was yanked violently, causing the IV needle to stab deeper into my skin, sending a sharp pain through me.

But I didn't answer him right away. Instead, I asked, "Why do you want my ring?"

That ring was something I had painstakingly designed myself. It had taken me months to handcraft it. It was a symbol of our lifelong commitment.

"Sophia likes it," Hugo said casually. "She wants us to have matching couple rings. You should just give it to her. It's just a worthless piece of junk anyway. There are barely any diamonds. It's not worth much."

As he spoke, his gaze landed on the ring sitting at the corner of the table. Without hesitation, he picked it up and turned to leave.

I tried to grab it back, nearly forgetting that my leg was still immobile.

But I still clung to the ring with all my strength, refusing to let go. "Give it back!"

Hugo looked at me with nothing but disappointment. "Katherine, I remember you used to be so generous. How did you become like this? Why are you being petty over something so small?"

I said, "If you insist on taking it, then we're done."

Hugo froze. He fell to his knees in shock, his voice unsteady. "What did you just say?

"You'd throw away ten years of love just like that? Don't you know that I can't live without you?

"I won't allow you to break up with me!"

I looked at him coldly, my heart growing numb. "But, Hugo, you were the one who abandoned me first—for Sophia."

Hugo buried his face in my arms, holding me tightly. "That's not it. I only pity her, that's all. She was so distraught that she almost killed herself—I had no choice but to comfort her.

"Once she's stable, I'll come back to you, and we'll have another wedding. Please, believe me!"

Looking at his earnest, desperate expression, I nodded and said, "Alright."

Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and leave, but he took the ring with him. He never gave it back.

I touched my now-empty ring finger and picked up the phone to call my former colleague, Isabelle Monroe, who was still overseas.

"Can you check if Professor Harrington still has an open spot in his lab? I want to go back and continue my research."

She sounded pleasantly surprised. "Really? When you left, Professor Harrington was so upset. If he hears you're coming back, he'll be thrilled! I'll ask him right away.

"But didn't you leave to get married? Won't it be inconvenient to live apart from your husband?"

Instinctively, I wanted to find an excuse for Hugo. But then I realized how ridiculous that was.

So, instead, I said, "He's dead. He won't be interfering with my work ever again."

After hanging up, I booked my flight back overseas.

Then, I checked myself out of the hospital and returned home to recover.

Every day, Sophia flaunted her love life all over social media.

I saw photos of Hugo buying her designer outfits and expensive jewelry.

I saw pictures of them holding hands, her fingers adorned with the very ring he had stolen from me.

I saw them taking multiple wedding photoshoots together, and Sophia's caption read: "Three years of being a secret lover—finally, I can love you in the open."

Hugo even reposted it—though he quickly deleted it, afraid I would see it.

To cover it up, he reposted an invitation to his mother, Victoria Reynolds's 60th birthday celebration instead.

Before our wedding fell apart, he had specifically reminded me about Victoria's birthday, telling me I had to attend so we could celebrate as husband and wife.

Even Victoria had warmly held my hands and invited me over.

Even though the wedding never happened, I still brought a gift and went to her house.

But the moment I pushed the door open, I was met with an unexpected sight.

The banquet had already begun, and all the relatives were present.

Hugo was sitting next to Victoria, but there was a space between them, and in that seat—was Sophia.

Victoria placed some shrimp into Sophia's bowl, smiling kindly. "You've lost weight, Sophia. Eat more and nourish yourself."

Hugo cast Victoria a quick glance and scoffed, "Mom, she's ridiculously picky. She won't even peel her own shrimp—she always makes me do it."

Despite his words, he still picked up some shrimp, peeled it meticulously, and fed it to her himself.

I stood there alone, looking out of place, feeling utterly humiliated.

Then, someone finally noticed me and exclaimed in surprise, "Katherine?"

When Hugo turned to look at me, his expression changed drastically. "What are you doing here? I don't think Mom invited you today!"

Before I could respond, he grabbed my arm and started pulling me outside.

I was still on crutches from my fracture, and his force nearly made me fall. Struggling to shake him off, I said, "Let go of me—I can walk on my own."

His voice turned cold. "Katherine, I don't know why you decided to show up today, but no one invited you to Mom's birthday celebration.

"If you came here just to assert your claim or steal Sophia's spotlight, you're not welcome here."

I was caught off guard by his words, stunned. "What are you talking about? You were the one who told me to come."

Hugo froze, and a flicker of guilt flashed across his face.

"I don't remember that. Who knows if you're just making that up?"

Victoria followed us out and spoke to me gently. "Kath, Sophia hasn't been in a great mood lately, so I asked Hugo to bring her over for a meal. Would you mind leaving first? I don't want her to get upset seeing you here."

One after another, they all seemed to have completely forgotten the things they'd once said to me.

But that was fine. Since I wasn't welcome, there was no reason for me to stay.

I nodded and was about to leave when Sophia suddenly stepped out.

To my surprise, she actually tried to keep me there.

"Mrs. Laurent, Hugo, you're overthinking it. I'm not that petty.

"Katherine's injured—it must have been hard for her to come all this way on crutches. She should just stay and have a meal with us."

I pretended not to notice the triumph in her eyes and responded indifferently, "There's no need, but I appreciate the gesture."

However, Hugo stepped in front of me, blocking my way with a displeased expression.

"You stay right here," he ordered.

"Sophia didn't even mind you showing up uninvited—she's already giving you an easy way out. And yet, you're still being ungrateful and disrespecting her?

"If you dare walk away today, then consider our wedding canceled. Don't forget—you already quit your job abroad to come back for me. If you leave now, you'll have nothing left."

I froze.

Hugo had spent ten years relentlessly pursuing me, but in the beginning, I had never planned to accept him.

Until one fateful day—when a truck came barreling toward me, and without hesitation, he pushed me out of the way and shielded me with his own body.

As the ambulance took him away, he clutched my hand tightly, whispering, "As long as I can save you, I'd give up my life without regret. I just hope that in my next life, you'll give me a chance."

It was then that I finally let my guard down, resigning from my research position abroad and coming back to marry him.

Yet now, the love that once moved me had become nothing more than a bargaining chip in his hands.

I took a deep breath and said, "Do whatever you want. Cancel the wedding if you'd like."

Then, without hesitation, I turned and walked out.

I didn't notice the flicker of bewilderment in Hugo's eyes as I left.

That night, I packed up all my belongings, preparing to leave for the airport first thing in the morning.

But I didn't expect Hugo to show up in the middle of the night.

He stood in the doorway, momentarily stunned by the empty spaces in the house. "Where's our photo wall? And the travel pictures I took of you—where are they?"

I answered casually, "They fell and shattered. I threw them away."

Hugo stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Why won't you even look at me? Are you angry?"

He sighed. "You're always so stubborn. Do you know how awkward it was today? All those relatives were there, and I had already introduced Sophia to them. Then you suddenly appeared—do you know how embarrassing that was?

"If you had just dropped off the gift and left, none of this would've happened."

Suddenly, I felt him grab my hand and slip something onto my ring finger.

It was a woman's ring—but not the one I'd originally had.

"Stop being mad. I'll keep my promise to you. Tomorrow, we'll have our wedding, and Sophia won't interfere with our relationship ever again. Promise me that you'll be there on time, alright?"

As he spoke, he leaned it to kiss me. I turned away, avoiding him.

Hugo's expression darkened for a moment, as if he was about to say something—but then Sophia's special ringtone suddenly rang.

Without a second thought, he hurriedly pulled away and rushed out of the room to answer the call.

A few moments later, he called out to me, "I have to step out for a bit. Don't forget—be at the wedding venue on time tomorrow!"

The door slammed shut. Another sleepless night.

I had no intention of attending the wedding.

But after some thought, I still went—just to return the ring to Hugo.

However, when I arrived at the venue, I froze.

Because the bride wasn't me—it was Sophia.

A massive banner displayed her name, and she stood at the entrance in a flowing white wedding gown, holding a bouquet, greeting guests with a radiant smile.

When she spotted me, her smile widened.

"Katherine, you didn't actually think today's wedding was for you, did you?

"Hugo promised to marry me today a long time ago. He only invited you because I wanted you to personally witness our wedding.

"You should be grateful to me—otherwise, you wouldn't even have the right to be here."

As she spoke, a strange smile flickered across her face.

A warning bell rang in my mind, but it was too late.

She suddenly hurled the thorned roses in her hands straight at my face.

The sharp thorns cut deep, leaving long gashes on my skin.

Blood trickled down, staining my vision crimson.

Before I could react, Hugo rushed over—only to shove me aside forcefully.

His eyes brimmed with disappointment and fury as he snapped, "Katherine Blake! I invited you to our wedding out of kindness, and this is how you repay me? Why did you attack Sophia?

"Didn't I already give you a ring? What more do you want? I even considered registering our marriage, but you just had to ruin everything!"

With a cold expression, he grabbed Sophia's hand and walked away.

Through the blood-tinted haze, I saw the smug smile on Sophia's lips.

I pressed my hand against my face, struggling to stand.

With trembling fingers, I placed a letter and the ring at the entrance.

Then, without looking back, I turned and left for the airport.

Meanwhile, Hugo and Sophia had reached the wedding stage.

Hugo slowly slid the ring onto Sophia's finger, his voice steady as he asked, "Do you take me as your husband?"

Sophia smiled brightly, about to answer—when suddenly, someone burst into the wedding hall in a panic.

A bodyguard rushed forward, holding up a letter and a ring.

"Mr. Laurent, bad news—Ms. Blake is gone! She's already bought a ticket for an international flight, and the plane is about to take off! Forget the wedding—you have to go after her now!"