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.

Bethany had not texted Hudson for several days, and it made him uneasy.

He asked, “Bethany, I’ve started planning the wedding. How are things on your side?”

Hudson felt nervous. He was afraid that she would say she had changed her mind and that she was not going to marry him.

Bethany took a deep breath and forced herself to sound as normal as possible.

She sniffled lightly and said, “I’m almost done here. I just need to wrap up a few things with work before heading back. Thanks for taking care of the wedding plans.”

Hudson let out a quiet sigh of relief. Still, he could tell something was off.

“Your voice sounds hoarse. Are you feeling okay? It’s been getting cold in Sea City lately. Wear a few more layers when you go out. You’ve always been a bit weak since you were young.”

His gentle voice filled Bethany’s heart with warmth.

“If anything comes up, call me right away. You don’t have to deal with everything alone. You have me now. I won’t let you suffer anymore.”

Bethany said softly, “I’ll take care of myself. Don’t worry.”

After hanging up, she looked out the window. The dark clouds had cleared, and the sky was bright again. Her mood felt better, too.

Shane drove Yelena home. The whole way, he had a bad feeling that something was about to happen.

He said somberly, “Yelena, you can’t keep doing this. No matter what, Bethany’s your future sister-in-law.”

The moment Yelena heard “future sister-in-law,” tears streamed down her face.

She looked at Shane and asked in a shaky voice, “Shane, do I even matter to you?”

Shane could not stand seeing her cry. His heart softened right away. “That’s not what I meant. She’s been with me for six years. If I don’t side with her, people will talk.”

Yelena stopped crying and smiled. She held onto Shane’s arm intimately. “You want to marry her just to stop the gossip? I’m still the one who matters most to you? I’ll always come before her, right?”

Shane distractedly answered in the affirmative, but he felt uneasy.

Maybe he had chosen Bethany out of impulse at first, but over the years, he had seen her sincerity.

He knew she was the right person for him.

In love, she gave him everything without holding back. At work, she could give him all the support he needed.

When she had brought up marriage, he agreed.

But every time Yelena cried, he could not help but give in. They had grown up together, and he could not stand seeing her sad.

He always thought Bethany was stronger, so he chose to comfort Yelena instead.

He kept telling himself that once Yelena got better, he could finally settle down with Bethany.

As time went by, he forgot something. His favoritism toward Yelena was hurting Bethany.

But he was sure that Bethany would never leave him. People who were loved always thought they would never lose it.

Bethany stayed in the hospital for two days, but Shane never showed up again.

She opened his social media page. As expected, he was glued to Yelena again.

His cover photo was Yelena’s selfie, and every single post was about her.

It was almost funny. Bethany was his actual girlfriend, yet she had never appeared on his page once.

In the past, thinking about it would always send her emotions spiraling. During her six years with Shane, she had turned into a bitter, miserable woman.

“This terrible relationship… Maybe letting go is its own kind of relief.” Bethany smiled wryly.

Once she felt well enough, she packed her things and checked out of the hospital.

She was about to leave Sea City, but she needed to meet up with Mia Sanders first.

Mia was her best friend. After graduation, the two of them stayed in Sea City together. Bethany stayed for love, while Mia stayed to start a business. They co-owned a coffee shop.

“Mia, I can sell you my share of the coffee shop at a low price. I already promised my parents I’d go back home and get married. I won’t be coming back to Sea City.”

“Are you serious? You’re giving up on Shane and marrying someone else?”

Mia stared at her in disbelief. She could not believe what she had just heard.

Bethany had expected that reaction. She had been so loud and bold about her love for Shane. She had even sworn that she would marry no one else. Thinking back, she found herself foolish.

She tried to brush it off. “Yeah. I’ll head back after I finish tying up a few loose ends. You’ll have to be my bridesmaid.”

The coffee shop had taken a lot of effort from both of them. Mia figured that if Bethany was willing to sell her share, she must have really made up her mind to leave.

“Alright. I’m glad you’ve finally figured it out. No point hanging on to something that’s already broken.”

Mia asked Bethany to draft a contract. Once they signed it, Bethany officially cut her last tie to Sea City.

As she stepped out of the coffee shop, her phone rang. It was Shane.

“My dad’s back. He wants you to come over for dinner. The chef’s already preparing the food. Where are you? I’ll come pick you up.”

Bethany did not want to go, but then she thought about it again. Shane’s father still did not know that he wanted to postpone the wedding again.

She was leaving soon anyway. She might as well tell his father in person so that everything would be settled properly.

Not long after, Shane arrived to pick her up. Bethany was texting her mother about the wedding.

He glanced over and saw the word “wedding” on her screen. His face darkened.

“I told you to let your parents know we’re postponing it. You didn’t tell them?”

His tone made Bethany’s chest tighten. He knew that constant delays would make them unhappy, so he had simply dumped the problem on her.

Whenever things got hard, she was the one taking the hit, while he just stood by and watched.

Bethany chuckled. “I already told them. Don’t worry. I’m not clinging to you any longer.”

Shane froze and tried to explain himself. “You’ve got it wrong. That’s not what I meant! I just—”

“Forget it. It doesn’t matter anymore.” Bethany did not give him the chance to explain. She opened the car door and got in.

She rolled down the window and looked outside. The wind brushed against her cheek. Neither of them said another word.

When they first got together, Bethany always had so much to say. But her desire to talk had faded along with her love.

When they arrived at the Stafford villa, Bethany and Shane walked in one after another.

Shane’s father, Gavin Stafford, was a businessman. He was strict with Shane but always kind to Bethany.

“Bethany, you’re here! I asked the chef to make your favorite food. Dinner’s almost ready.”

As soon as he said that, Phoebe Lawson and Yelena came down the stairs, arm in arm.

Neither of them looked happy to see Bethany.

At dinner, Yelena insisted on sitting between Shane and Bethany and kept asking Shane to serve her some food.

“They grew up together, after all. Their bond is just special,” Phoebe said and shot Bethany a meaningful look.

Bethany felt sick. She set down her spoon and turned to Gavin.

“Mr. Stafford, the wedding has been put on hold. Shane must’ve mentioned it to you, right?”