Bethany Cole and Shane Stafford were supposed to get married in two weeks, but Shane was thinking about postponing the wedding again.

It was all because his stepsister, Yelena White, had another episode and was crying for him to drop everything and take her to Maldivea to see the ocean.

The wedding had been planned for two years, and Bethany had had enough.

If Shane did not want to get married, she would find someone else to take his place.

Shane Stafford quickly took off the suit he was trying on and grabbed his phone to book the next flight to Maldivea.

“We’ll postpone the wedding for a few more days. Talk to your parents and explain it to them.”

They had been together for six years, but Bethany Cole had lost count of how many times Shane had left her because of Yelena White.

A moment ago, she had been filled with happiness thinking about the wedding, but the joy in her eyes faded quickly.

Because of Yelena, the wedding had been postponed repeatedly. Bethany had become a joke among her family and friends.

The frustration boiled in her chest until she could hardly breathe. Tears filled her eyes, even though she tried to hold them back.

After booking the tickets, Shane turned around and saw the tears in Bethany’s eyes. His heart sank, and he spoke with a trace of guilt in his voice.

“You know Yelena is sick. If we don’t go along with her wishes, she’ll hurt herself. I can’t just leave her alone.”

Before Bethany could say anything, Shane’s phone rang.

It was Yelena calling to urge him to hurry over.

Shane spoke gently to calm her down. He told her the tickets were booked and that he would come to pick her up soon. He told her to start packing her things.

When he hung up and looked at Bethany again, the guilt in his eyes was gone.

“I have to go now, or I’ll miss the flight. You can finish trying on the dress and take a cab home.”

Bethany’s hands clenched tighter as she watched Shane stride off.

Back in college, Shane had been known in his department for being proud and distant. Many women chased after him.

Bethany pursued him for two years before she finally won his heart.

She cherished the relationship she had worked so hard for. She was always gentle and understanding toward him and never lost her temper like other women.

But no matter how much she tried, Shane was always distant.

They were a couple, yet there was always a distance between them.

She thought that was just the way Shane was. But when she saw how anxious he became after Yelena got hurt, she realized he was not an aloof man at all.

Everyone knew Yelena had feelings for Shane, but because of their family ties, Shane’s father would never approve of them being together.

Yelena used her illness as an excuse to come between them. And every time, Shane would just speak to her softly and appease her.

Sometimes, Bethany felt like she was nothing more than a part of their twisted game. The thought made her sick.

She had thought about leaving many times over the past six years. But whenever she tried to walk away, Shane would give in and beg her to stay.

It had happened so many times that her heart was filled with despair. All the warmth and hope were gone. All that was left was loneliness.

She had not always been like this. She used to be cheerful and full of life.

She had become easily upset and irritable recently. She spent her days bitter and full of self-pity.

Her constant compromise had made her lose who she used to be. The woman in the mirror looked unfamiliar and pitiful.

She did not want to keep wasting her time on Shane. If he did not care about their relationship, then she could replace the groom before the wedding even began.

Thinking it over, Bethany picked up her phone and called her mother.

“Hi, Mom. I don’t want to marry Shane anymore. Remember the match you arranged for me? I’m ready to go ahead with it. Can you ask him if he still wants to marry me?”

Bethany thought her mother would find her sudden decision rash, but her mother laughed instead.

“That’s great! You finally came to your senses! I’ll contact Hudson right away.”

Hudson Smith was not a stranger to Bethany.

They had grown up together and had been childhood friends. Later, Hudson went abroad with his parents, and they gradually lost touch.

Bethany felt a sense of relief. At least it was not some stranger because she knew Hudson. Their families were well-matched, and they knew each other’s backgrounds. Hudson seemed like the perfect choice for a shotgun wedding.

Soon, she received a message from Hudson.

[Your mom contacted me. When are you free? I’ll pick you up from Sea City.]

Bethany already had Hudson’s number. Her mother had given it to her back in college when she was preparing for exams, but she had never contacted him.

She paused for a moment before replying.

[Give me two weeks. I’ll take care of everything first and contact you.]

Since she had decided to break things off with Shane, she wanted to do it completely.

When Shane left the bridal shop, he had even left their wedding rings behind.

Shane was never forgetful, which showed how much of a hurry he had been in to leave.

Shane was on vacation in Maldivea with Yelena. She had provocatively posted many intimate photos of the two of them on social media. Bethany knew Yelena was showing off.

Bethany’s attention was drawn to the rose-pink beach dress Yelena was wearing. It was the dress Bethany had received a few days ago. It was the one she had planned to wear for her honeymoon photos.

The dress was a new Palis collection. Bethany had stayed up several nights to get it in the first release. Shane knew how much she liked it. Yet, he had given it to Yelena without telling her.

Bethany’s hands shook with anger. She sent Shane a message.

[How could you take it without asking me? Even if you’re trying to please your stepsister, you should not give her my dress!]

She waited a long time before Shane finally replied.

[I’ve been meaning to tell you. Rose-pink color is for little girls! At your age, it looks tacky. It’s just a dress! There’s no need to make a big deal out of it.]

Bethany’s heart sank. ‘How could he say that?’

She was only two years older than Yelena. In Shane’s mind, Yelena was a little girl to be cherished, and she was the tacky one.

Just as she was about to argue, Shane sent her some money.

[Here’s the money for the dress. Don’t argue with Yelena. She is finally happy! I don’t want anything to ruin that.]

Bethany accepted the money without hesitation. She wanted neither the dress nor the man. She suddenly realized something. The more Shane belittled her, the more she needed to love herself.

She did not want to waste any more time on Shane. She had bigger things to do. She needed to get back the wedding invitations she had already sent out.

Shane had been worried that a lavish wedding would upset Yelena, so he did not want to make a big deal out of it. Bethany had agreed and had planned a small celebration with just close friends and family in Sea City.

When people found out that the wedding was canceled and the invitations were being withdrawn, everyone was shocked.

“Why’s the wedding canceled? You’ve been planning it for so long, right?”

Bethany gave a wry smile. It had indeed taken her a long time to plan, but she had done all the work herself. Shane had never even paid attention.

She felt that Shane had never really wanted to marry her. She had been chasing him all this time alone.

This back-and-forth game of him running and her chasing him had left Bethany exhausted.

She did not hide the truth. She said truthfully, “I’m still getting married, but the groom has been replaced.”

Everyone laughed it off as a joke. No one believed she would marry someone else.

They all knew how deeply Bethany loved Shane. After finally winning his heart, how could she give him up?

Shane had postponed the wedding more than once. Bethany had been hurt by it but never showed it, so people naturally assumed she would tolerate whatever he threw at her.

Bethany did not explain herself. She had spent six years on this, only to realize that loving a man who did not care about her in return was incredibly painful and exhausting.

The love she had given him could not be regained. All she could do was stop the loss in time.

Bethany finally managed to get back all the wedding invitations she had sent out. She was about to head home when Shane called.

His voice was hoarse. “Get back all the invitations you sent out. We can talk about the wedding later. Yelena’s still unstable. I don’t want her to get upset right now.”

Shane had already thought of what he would say if Bethany refused. He would try to guilt-trip her like usual.

However, Bethany showed no emotion. She simply said, “Okay.”

Shane was stunned. Even over the phone, he could sense the change in her.

He knew Bethany hated anyone touching her personal things, yet he had crossed that line for Yelena.

He had sent her money for the dress to stop her from arguing. That trick had always worked before. This time, she accepted it quietly, which felt strange.

Shane licked his dry lips and said awkwardly, “I know Yelena’s behavior bothers you. I promise I’ll make her cooperate with the doctors and get better as soon as possible.”

“Shane, the water is ready. It’s your turn to shower!” Yelena hollered at exactly the wrong moment.

Shane opened his mouth to explain, but Bethany had already hung up.

Bethany found it almost laughable. Yelena’s report clearly stated she had bipolar disorder, yet she had never received any real treatment. Every time, she clung to Shane and demanded he stay with her.

Shane’s promises were empty. He would never keep them.

Thinking about that, Bethany felt her heart grow cold. She started packing.

She had only a few clothes, so just one suitcase was enough.

After six years in this house, her belongings were everywhere.

Photos of her and Shane were on the nightstand. Her pink apron hung in the kitchen. The couple’s toothbrush cups were in the bathroom.

She threw all of her belongings into the trash. She cut herself out of the photos on the nightstand and left only Shane.

Shane’s gifts, no matter their value, were all discarded. Anything burnable went into the fire. Everything else went into the trash.

Even the wedding ring, a symbol of their everlasting love, was sold. She donated the money she got from it.

Sea City had grown colder. Bethany developed a high fever that night, probably from the chill.

Living with Shane instead of her parents had taught her to take care of herself.

Even with a burning, dizzy head, she called an ambulance.

Bethany did not know when she fell asleep or how long she had slept.

When she woke, Shane was at her bedside. He looked worried. Yelena had not come.

Shane’s voice was hoarse, but his concern was real. “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick? I called you, but you didn’t answer. If the security downstairs hadn’t called me, I wouldn’t have known you were in the hospital. Were you trying to scare me?”

Bethany smiled, but her eyes were cold. “What’s the point? Weren’t you with your dear sister Yelena?”

Whenever she needed Shane, he was never there. His care and warmth had never been for her. She had learned to rely on herself over the past six years.

Shane frowned. “Are you blaming me? When I found out you were sick, I booked a flight back immediately. What more do you want from me?”

Bethany sneered. “I didn’t need you to come. I can take care of myself.”

Shane’s heart sank. Was this still the Bethany who had relied on him?

He stayed silent until his phone rang again.

It was Yelena. Bethany could hear her angry voice clearly over the phone.

“Shane, you left me alone in Maldivea just for Bethany?!”

Shane glanced at Bethany lying pale in the hospital bed and lowered his voice.

“Bethany is sick and in the hospital. We’ll talk about this later.”

Yelena snorted and said, “She conveniently fell sick right now? There’s no way that’s a coincidence! Don’t be fooled. She’s faking it!”

Bethany could hear Yelena’s words clearly. She held back her anger and looked at Shane.

Shane frowned and, as always, said softly, “Don’t worry. I’ll come back to you after she is discharged. Be a good girl, okay?”