Chapter 1

On my wedding day, my bridesmaids decided to play a game and hide me among them.

They blindfolded my fiancé, Ethan Shore, and told him to find his bride using only his sense of smell.

Ethan and I had been childhood friends, dating for ten years.

When he walked up to me, his eyebrow twitched slightly.

I smiled, about to announce his victory.

But Ethan walked straight past me to the first bridesmaid, Sienna.

"Darling, I found you!"

Sienna stood before him, her face flushing red instantly, looking shy and timid.

My smile froze on my lips.

The bridesmaids all fell silent.

In the heavy silence, Ethan removed his blindfold and naturally positioned himself protectively in front of Sienna.

When he looked at me, he casually added, "Sorry, wrong person."

He apologized.

The groomsmen quickly jumped in to explain and smooth things over. "Come on, what guy doesn't have a past?"

"I remember back in the day, Sienna's parents locked her in the house once, and Ethan was so worried he skipped his football game to find her."

"Not just that. Later when the teacher made him apologize, he publicly confessed his feelings to Sienna instead."

"And there was also..."

They went back and forth, painting a vivid picture of their colorful youth together.

Everyone seemed moved by the memories.

Only I was left out, as if I hadn't been their classmate at all.

The heavy wedding dress pressed down on me. The air still carried the scent of Sacred Wood perfume.

Ethan once said this was his favorite scent.

I had started wearing it too, and never changed it since.

So—

He had recognized me. I just wasn't the bride he wanted in his heart.

He had recognized me. He just wanted to hold his first love one more time in front of everyone.

My chest ached painfully.

I looked at Ethan. He was completely lost in the past, exchanging frequent glances with Sienna.

Only Quinn walked over to me, patted my shoulder, and loudly reminded everyone:

"Why are you all talking about the past? Today is Chloe and Ethan's wedding. They're the stars of the show!"

Quinn pulled me to the center of the crowd, smiling warmly. "Come on, bride, tell us about you and the groom."

"How did you two meet?"

"When did you get together?"

"How did he pursue you?"

The room fell silent for a moment, all eyes on me.

I opened my mouth, about to speak—

"Yeah, yeah, tell us."

One of the groomsmen chimed in, his tone dripping with sarcasm:

"Our Ethan stayed single all these years for Sienna. We're all curious what kind of girl could land him."

Eight years ago.

After high school graduation, Sienna chose to study abroad.

Her breakup with Ethan was dramatic and public.

Ethan had gotten drunk and stayed depressed for a long, long time.

But later, he actively pursued me.

Five years ago that summer, he pursued me for six months.

He waited downstairs at my dorm every day, brought me umbrellas when it rained, saved seats for me before exams.

When I casually mentioned wanting strawberry cake, he'd go buy it late at night.

Back then, his eyes were full of me.

All our college friends knew. Our current coworkers all knew.

Only our high school classmates didn't know.

At every high school reunion, Ethan never clarified things. Everyone remained stuck in the memories of his youth with Sienna, treating it as something special.

When Ethan and I announced our engagement, all our old high school friends assumed I had forced him into marriage.

I could let it slide before, but today was my wedding. How could I not care?