The two marriage certificates were quickly issued.

After walking out of the registration center, Conrad scooped her up in his arms and then slid one of the booklets out of her hand.

He held out his palm again. "Give me your phone."

Calliope was caught off guard. Confused, she still handed him her phone.

He took it, his fingers moving deftly across the screen. Then he handed it back.

"My number's in there. Also, the code to the apartment. Move in if you want, or not-up to you."

Then he fished out a debit card from his pocket and held it toward her.

"Salary card. PIN is six nines."

Calliope looked at the ordinary bank card in his hand, then at the plain clothes he had on. She didn't take it.

The handbag slung over her shoulder alone was probably worth several months of his pay.

"This... doesn't seem necessary. We said post-marriage finances stay separate."

"That's your rule," Conrad said, pausing for a moment before continuing in a low voice. "In my unit, the guys all hand over their salary cards."

Calliope went quiet.

So this man was really committed to playing this marriage role all the way?

Was he scared she'd pull something on him later, or did he just think this was how a husband should behave-at least on paper?

Whatever. If he wants it that way, fine. It's not like she cared about a bit of extra cash anyway.

"Alright, I'll keep it safe for you."

She nodded and tucked the card away.

Conrad seemed satisfied. He gave a brief "Yeah," then added, "I've got stuff to handle at the station. Gotta go," and turned to leave.

Calliope stayed where she was, looking at the marriage certificate in her hand, a whirl of emotions churned inside her.

In her last life, she'd pulled every trick to get her hands on this one thin document.

Subtle hints, light tapping around the subject-eventually it'd taken a doctor's reminder during a check-up for them to actually register the marriage.

Lucien had been so reluctant back then.

And now, in this life, she had it handed to her almost absurdly fast.

She let out a soft, mocking chuckle, her lips curling, but there was nothing warm in her eyes-only a cold trace of irony.

She slipped the certificate back into her bag and was about to call a ride when a black sedan pulled up right beside her.

"Excuse me, are you Ms. Godfrey?"

Calliope blinked in surprise. "I am."

The driver smiled and said, "Your husband just booked the ride for you. I'm here to take you home."

Calliope froze.

Seriously? Never thought that guy would be that thoughtful.

Looks like his "boyfriend" really trained him well.

*****

As soon as Calliope stepped into the villa, she could tell something was off.

The living room was buzzing-way livelier than any holiday.

She barely crossed the doorway when a whole crowd of aunts swarmed her.

"Oh my, Calliope's back!"

"Sweetheart, you must've had such a rough time! That Lucien's such a jerk, backing out like that. Absolutely shameless!"

"Right? And that Angelina? No better. That girl's nothing but trouble, stealing someone else's fiancé like that. So tacky!"

"Calliope, don't let it get to you. Guys are everywhere! Lose one and a better one's around the corner!"

It took her a second to process.

Of course-today was May 20th.

She was supposed to marry Lucien today.

He'd gone all out, booking the most expensive hotel in town, invites sent all over high society. The extravagance was insane.

In her last life, it made headlines for days-people called it their fairytale wedding. She was the lucky Mrs. Sterling with the perfect love story.

Thinking back now? What a damn joke.

Well, since he picked Angelina, he'd probably handed over that whole lavish wedding plan to her.

"Calliope, cheer up, okay?"

A distant aunt-one she barely knew-put on her best fake-sweet voice:

"Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. Marrying into that family might've been a nightmare. Oh, speaking of which, my neighbor's son just got back from abroad. Good-looking young man. Want me to set you two up?"

Calliope snapped back and gave just the right amount of dazed, fragile expression.

She had half the mind to flash her marriage certificate and show them that she was far from unwanted.

But seeing those barely-hidden smirks and fake sympathies in their eyes, she paused.

Instead, she gave a soft nod and a small smile. "Sure, thanks, Auntie."

Everyone saw how chill she was acting and started chiming in with their own words of comfort, along with a list of "great guys" she should totally meet.

Calliope smiled politely and nodded along, but inside she was more than a little fed up.

These relatives on her dad's side were the worst kind of two-faced. Living off her family while secretly hating to see them do well.

Now that her engagement had fallen through, they were all pretending to be sympathetic, but she could practically feel them laughing behind her back.

Come on, in all of Aurelian, who else could compare to someone like Lucien-perfect family background, crazy potential, the whole package.

It was just like her last life.

When she couldn't get pregnant, it was this same bunch acting like they cared, while gossiping left and right, blowing the whole thing out of proportion until it was all over social media.

They even managed to get it trending. Total humiliation. She became a joke to the entire city.

Seriously, so fake it made her sick.

After finally seeing the last of those nosy relatives out, the living room fell quiet.

Calliope's smile instantly disappeared, her eyes turning cold.

She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"Mr. Carson, about the clause in my grandfather's will regarding company equity-I'd like to move forward with the inheritance and notarization."

"Of course, Miss Godfrey. According to the will, if you're married, you're entitled to 40% of the company's management shares. So, may I ask..."

Calliope tightened her grip on the phone, but her voice stayed calm.

"Yes, Mr. Carson."

"I'm married."

Once she hung up, she walked back into her bedroom.

In one corner stood a waist-high safe.

The code? Her and Lucien's anniversary.

Her finger hovered over the keypad for a second, then slowly tapped in the numbers.

A soft beep, and the safe popped open.

Inside, rows of jewelry gleamed under the light, all dazzling and over-the-top expensive.

Every single piece? A gift from Lucien.

Her eyes flickered, unfocused for a second.

She reached for a velvet box on the top shelf. Inside lay a massive pink diamond engagement ring.

She used to treasure it beyond words – even wore it to sleep.

Now? It just felt blinding and heavy in her hand.

Expression blank, she tossed the ring-box and all-into the bottom of the safe, then carefully placed a marriage certificate on the top shelf.

She locked the top shelf, then hit the intercom.

"Mia, could you come up for a moment?"

Soon, the door opened, and Mia, the elderly housekeeper who had looked after her for years, walked in.

"You needed me, Ma'am?"

Calliope pointed at the open safe. "Mia, sort through everything in here and put it all up for sale online."

"Sell it?!" Mia looked stunned, staring at her like she'd just spoken nonsense. "Ma'am, no... these were your favorites..."

She couldn't believe it. How could she bear to part with these?

Calliope just repeated herself. "Yes. Sell them. All proceeds go to the same charity fund as before, the rural-area kids' scholarship program."

That fund was set up by her mother when she was young. Over the decades, tens of thousands of kids had gotten out of the mountains because of it.

Calliope had been donating parts of her pocket money to it for as long as she could remember.

Panicked, Mia hurried to the safe and carefully picked up a velvet box, opening it to reveal a necklace, shining like a river of stars.

"Ma'am... have you forgotten? That necklace, Galaxy Love... Mr. Sterling gave it to you on your 18th birthday."

"He said you were the only star in his sky, the one that lit up his whole universe."

Mia choked a little as she spoke.

She couldn't wrap her head around it. Mr. Sterling had always treated Miss Godfrey like treasure. Why would he suddenly back out of the engagement?

She couldn't believe it. There had to be some huge misunderstanding. This couldn't be the whole story.

Calliope's lashes fluttered faintly, but she stayed quiet.

Mia picked up another pair of ruby earrings.

"These are the Blazing Love earrings," she said softly, looking at them. "You pulled those all-nighters to finish that AI demo for Mr. Sterling. Worked yourself sick. He stayed by your side for days, then bought these."

"He told me they represent the fire you burned for him-and the love he'd never let die."

Calliope's fingertips curled slightly.

Mia continued, listing each piece of jewelry one by one. And with each one came another memory-those intense days full of passion and devotion. Times that once made her heart race, made her believe in forever.

Now? Each story felt like a sugar-coated dagger, stabbing its way into her chest.

Her eyes reddened-it was impossible to hold it back.

She didn't get it.

How could a guy who used to get all torn up just because her period cramps hurt, who clumsily made her chicken soup, who'd run out in the dead of night just to get her warming patches...

How did that man turn into someone so heartless during the next seven years?

How did he stand by and watch her lie on that freezing cold operating table time after time-while acting like it meant nothing?

She shut her eyes for a moment. When they opened again, all the warmth was gone, replaced by an icy calm.

Taking a deep breath, she cut Mia off mid-sentence.

"Mia, let it go. It's all in the past."

Mia looked at her with a gaze full of worry and disbelief. She still couldn't accept that a couple who loved each other so deeply had ended like this.

"Ma'am, maybe there's been a misunderstanding somewhere. Shouldn't you talk to him again?"

Calliope gave a bitter laugh.

If she hadn't lived this life twice, maybe she'd be just as naive as Mia-clinging to hope, thinking it was some huge misunderstanding.

Maybe she'd cry and beg Lucien not to leave.

Maybe she'd think it was her fault, that she hadn't done enough.

But not anymore.

She knew better than anyone-this wasn't a mistake.

It was seven years of manipulation, a lie she paid for with her youth and health.

Even if he had some hidden reason... so what?

The damage was done. Trust? Gone.

Their story had already ended the moment he let those pills silently work their way through her body.

No explanation could ever make that okay.

She didn't want to know more-and she definitely didn't need reasons.

Her voice came out hoarse, but firm.

"Clear it all out. Every last piece."

Mia hesitated at the sheer finality in her tone. She opened her mouth, then chose silence instead.

"...Yes, Ma'am."

With a quiet sigh, she began packing everything up.

Calliope didn't spare any of it another glance. She turned away and walked out to the terrace.

The early summer breeze brushed against her face, bringing a moment of clarity to her spinning mind.

She leaned on the railing and stared at the city lights in the distance. Something bugged her-there was something she was forgetting, something important. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't place it.

Then her phone buzzed.

And the moment she saw "Husband" flash on the screen, her heart skipped a painful beat.

Crap.

She totally forgot to cancel the wedding surprise for Lucien.

And right on cue, she picked up the call-and that familiar, cool voice came through the speaker.

"I got your gift."

Her grip on the phone tightened.

It was a project she'd sunk six months into-an AI housekeeper core chip embedded inside his favorite anime figurine. It could carry out simple interactions.

Her whole heart had gone into making it. It was supposed to be his one-of-a-kind wedding gift.

In the past, he was so happy when he got it. He hugged her and spun her around like they were the only people in the world.

But this time...