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?”

Yelena did not stay in Maldivea to wait for Shane. The next day, she flew back and went straight to the hospital.

When she saw Bethany lying in bed with an IV drip, Yelena smiled mockingly.

“Nice act! Is pretending to be weak all you can do? Only Shane would fall for something that lame!”

Bethany knew exactly what she meant. Years ago, she had stood outside the boys’ dorm all night in the pouring rain while waiting for Shane.

She remembered clearly how hard it rained that night. She stood there in the storm with a guitar she had carefully chosen for Shane.

The rain soaked her thin shirt and drenched her face.

She fainted before Shane showed up.

After that, she told herself it was not the end of the world. Loving someone who did not love her back was not the worst thing that could happen.

Just as she decided to give up, Shane finally gave in. He said he would give their relationship a try. That was how she finally got the man she had wanted for so long.

That rain brought her love, but it also brought her pneumonia.

She got better later, but it left her with a lingering cough.

Whenever the weather turned cold, she would start coughing.

Bethany looked at Shane. For just a moment, she hoped he would step in to defend her.

But she knew he would not.

Yelena was pushy, and Bethany had put up with her long enough.

She was about to break up with Shane anyway, so there was no need to keep pretending to be nice.

Bethany said, “When it comes to pretending, I could never compare to you. All your tricks are pointless. You’ll always only be Shane’s sister.”

The words hit Yelena like a slap.

She lost her temper and threw herself at Bethany. Bethany raised her arm to block her. The IV needle snapped. A sharp pain shot through her hand, and she let out a cry.

Blood mixed with the IV fluid and splashed onto her white hospital gown.

Yelena had started it, so Bethany did not plan to back down. She ignored the pain in her hand and raised her arm to slap Yelena.

Before she could, Shane stepped between them. The sound of the slap filled the room, and a red mark bloomed on Shane’s face.

His brows furrowed, and his face darkened.

“Bethany, what’s wrong with you? You know Yelena has problems. She can’t control herself. Why would you hit her?”

Bethany stared at him. Her hands clenched tightly as she tried to stay calm.

She said with a bitter laugh, “She’s sick, and I’m not? Why do you always have to be such a hypocrite?”

Shane opened his mouth but said nothing. It was like something was stopping him from speaking.

Yelena wiped her eyes dramatically. “Shane, I knew it! You don’t care about me! I don’t want to live anymore!”

She ran out of the room crying. Shane went after her without a second thought and left Bethany standing there in silence.

Bitterness filled Bethany’s heart. She laughed at herself. Why was she even sad? It was not like this had not happened before.

Bethany was still feeling down when her phone rang. Hudson’s name flashed on the screen.