The day my soon-to-be husband and I were about to get our marriage license, another woman showed up. I mean, it was beyond crazy!

He went arm-in-arm with his first love, who was dressed up like it was her day and totally stole my spotlight. And then he actually had the nerve to tell me to "be gracious" about it.

"It's just paperwork. Why not let her have it?"

I mean, this other woman was actually wearing my own diamond ring and clinging to my man! The next thing I knew, she was putting on this whole sad act, crying like her life depended on it.

"I... I've got severe depression, and no meds can help. Marrying Winston—it's the only thing that can finally help me heal! I'm begging you, please let us be together!"

Wow. I forced a smile, feeling completely drained like I couldn't even cry anymore.

"Sure! Go ahead! I mean, a jerk and a bitch? Dang, you're totally perfect for each other!"

***

My words instantly set off Winston.

He stormed over to grab my arm, and then he glared at me with fury in his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean, huh? Do you really have to be this harsh? Can't you say anything nice for once? Why do you speak like that to someone like her?"

"If you're not okay with it, fine! But can you at least watch your mouth?"

"Look, Frankie's already dealing with severe depression! If you push her any harder, what if she gets worse? What if she ends up hurting herself, huh?"

One second ago, that woman was fine. But the moment Winston gave her that look, she started bawling again.

Her pale face turned pink from crying, and her eyes and nose got red like she was some helpless little bunny, tugging at Winston's heartstrings.

"Winston... f-forget it…"

She whimpered, "If it bothers her so much, then let's just forget it. Besides, my issues, my illness, my life or death? Yeah, right, none of it should matter to her!"

She turned like she was going to leave, all frail and vulnerable, and then she stumbled and fell, scraping her hand on the floor.

That's when I noticed her dress—a limited-edition white one I'd picked out weeks ago at the bridal boutique! But Winston had told me it was sold to someone else at a higher price the next day.

And that diamond ring? It was way too small, but Winston insisted on shoving it onto my finger, refusing to get a bigger size for me.

Turns out…

Everything had been planned for his first love from the start!

So—what was I?

Just the poor fool in the way, I guess.

But the love of my life—he didn't notice how crushed I was. He was too busy getting mad, pointing a finger in my face and shouting.

"Look at what you've done, Sherry!"

"For heaven's sake, it's just a damn piece of paper! Why are you making this so complicated?! Both our parents already met, and the wedding's almost here! This one fucking piece of paper doesn't change anything, does it?"

"I'm telling you to calm down. You're carrying my kid, so it's not like you're so perfect yourself! Who else would even want you besides me? Now, stop making a damn fuss, got it?"

After giving me a lecture, he turned all gentle, helping his other woman up and holding her close.

She looked so fragile like a strong breeze would knock her over. She could barely stand on her own.

Feeling all protective, Winston picked her up in his arms like she was a princess and carried her straight into the courthouse.

"Forget about her."

He shot me a cold look, and then he turned back to Frankie, his voice dripping with sweetness.

"Baby, marrying you has always been the plan since we were kids. There's no way she gets to stop this, okay?"

And there I stood alone, watching them walk off into their little bubble of happiness.

Right then, tears started streaming down my face, unstoppable like pearls scattering from a broken necklace.

I never thought that Winston, who used to be so gentle, could talk to me like this!

Even our baby—something I thought was a part of our love—had become his way of threatening and humiliating me!

I'd always known love could be a gamble, but I wanted to take that chance.

God, I just didn't expect to get hurt this badly before I even had a shot at love.

Like an idiot, I sat on the curb outside the courthouse for what felt like hours. It wasn't until the sky turned dark that I finally dragged myself home, feeling like my soul was totally drained.

As soon as I walked through the door, Mom and Dad jumped up, about to ask me a million questions.

"What are you doing back here?"

Mom was the first to freak out. "Sherry, why exactly did you come back here? You and Winston got the marriage license, so you're basically married! You can't just come back here like this! Oh, dear, it'll cause problems!"

"I didn't even get the damn license."

I flopped down on the couch and recounted everything that happened earlier that day.

Dad was so mad he immediately called Winston. He started off with a couple of heated things, but then, all of a sudden, he changed his tone.

"Sure, sure, no problem. Of course, it's all Sherry's fault. I'll talk to her about it!"

"This is a very serious matter—life and death! Good grief, how can she be so unreasonable? Don't worry, son, I'll convince her and make sure she comes back."

The second Dad hung up, his phone dinged with a notification: [You received $15,000 from Winston Belvoir.]

He started laughing, all cheerful. Just like that, he didn't care about my feelings anymore. He just slipped on his coat, eager to get to the poker table.

He took my jerk fiancé's money, dismissed my frustration, and even had the nerve to blame me instead!

"Enough, Sherry! Stop being difficult. Winston's a good guy—generous, responsible, and he's making good money! Come on, what else do you want?"

"I get it. You're the one being unreasonable here! Look, Winston's just considering Frankie's health. Sweetheart, saving a life is way more important than any grand gesture. Besides, doing the right thing now is gonna set a good example for your kid. Now, get your ass back there!"

Mom? She was grinning at her phone by then. I bet she got some cash too. So then, the two of them started shoving me out the door.

"Come on, enough already! Don't stay here any longer! I called you a cab. Go get back home now. Winston's waiting for you."

"Don't get all emotional over nothing, got it? Getting a little emotional is fine once in a while, but if it happens all the time? Oh, dear, you'd be pissing him off!"

They shoved me further and further until I found myself sitting in the cab back to Winston's place.

I couldn't help but look back at my parent's place. It was dark—not a single light on. Clearly, nobody was waiting for me to come back here.

That's when I finally got it.

No wonder Winston's mom had been giving me the cold shoulder since day one, always on guard around me.

She'd even said outright that I'd suck his son dry. If I hadn't gotten pregnant with his kid first, there's no way she'd have welcomed me into their family.

It turns out...

My own parents had been shaking him down for money behind my back this whole time!

God, coming home only made me feel more exhausted.

When I got back to the place Winston and I shared, I tried the door code a few times, but it wouldn't work. Then the lock alarmed and shut itself down.

Just when I was starting to wonder what was going on, Winston opened the door.

"Oh, look who's here." He raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "So you actually came back, huh?"

He had this smug little grin on his face. He didn't care where I'd been all day—he was so sure I'd crawl back because I was pregnant with his child.

I ignored his sarcasm and asked, "Why's the door code not working?"

"Oh!"

Right then, an apologetic voice from a woman piped up from inside. "Sorry about that, Sherry! Totally my fault! I forgot to tell you—Winston changed the code to my birthday so it'd be easier for me to remember."

It was Frankie.

She blinked at me, looking sheepish. Oh, she was wearing my pajamas and my flip-flops and my hair accessories like she was me!

"What the hell are you doing in my clothes?"

I glared at her, and she immediately shrunk, hiding behind Winston.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't bring anything to wear, and Winston said I could borrow your stuff. Y-You don't mind, right?"

I was about to say I definitely did mind, but Winston cut me off.

He told Frankie to go back to bed, and then he pulled me over the couch for a "talk."

I thought maybe, for the sake of our baby, he'd at least try to comfort me. But what he said next just broke my heart even more.

"Frankie's gonna be staying with us for a bit. Her doctor said it'll help her recover. If she's happy and can open up, her depression should just fade away."

"Oh, and right now, she thinks she's my wife. We've got a marriage certificate and everything. So, don't even think about mentioning our relationship in front of her, okay?"

"Don't upset her. Just take care of her a little—make her some meals, keep her company, chat with her."

"What?"

I stared at my fiancé in disbelief, feeling like I hardly knew him anymore.

Choking back tears, I asked, "Are you seriously saying that while I'm pregnant, I've gotta take care of her?"

"Take care? Just pretend, alright? Frankie's such a nice person. She wouldn't actually ask you to do anything. You saw how she reacted earlier when you were cursing at the courthouse—she even told me not to be mad at you."

Just like that, he put his arm around me—completely clueless about the anger and frustration boiling inside me.

He didn't even have a clue about what that bitch was really up to!

She showed up a year ago, and in that short time, she flipped my whole life upside down!

She was Winston's first love, the one that got away. Years back, she ditched him 'cause he was broke, and so she chased some rich guy overseas.

Now, after a few years away, that bitch comes back saying she got depressed from missing him all this time and that she never stopped loving him.

But by that point, Winston and I had been together for five years. I was already pregnant and ready to marry him!

Using her so-called "depression" as an excuse, she kept inserting herself into Winston's life just to make him feel guilty.

And now? They've got the marriage license, and all that's left is for me to get pushed out. Then this so-called "home" becomes their love nest.

Winston keeps saying I'm overreacting—that I'm just being petty and jealous.

But only a woman can really understand what another woman feels, and Frankie's hostility toward me is all too clear.

"Alright."

Winston patted my shoulder and promised, "Once Frankie's better, she'll leave. Then we can get our marriage license, alright? Right now, this is just the hardest part, so let's help her through it."

"But…"

I tried to reason with him, but just then, as if she had ears everywhere, Frankie called out from the bedroom and interrupted us.

"Winston?"

"Coming!"

Just like that, my fiancé left me and hurried into the master bedroom.

A little while later, he sent me a message on Telegram.

"Sherry, you sleep in the guest room for now. Frankie and I will be in our bedroom."

The guest room is right next to the master bedroom.

That night, leaning against the wall, I could hear them laughing and playing around until midnight—even the bed creaking next door!

That noise…

It was suggestive and intimate. The second I closed my eyes... Damn it, I could picture them making love in our bed!

I really felt like a stranger in my own home, some unwanted third wheel crashing their happy moment.

I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.

Tears soaked my pillow until I couldn't cry anymore. A dull ache settled in my belly like a reminder that it was time to end this—time to wake up from this nightmare.

So I picked up my phone and, in a moment of clarity, booked an appointment with an OB-GYN—to terminate my pregnancy first thing in the morning.

Winston...

If you can't let go of your first love, then I'll step aside and let her be your wife for good!