Chapter 2

I didn’t go back to the restaurant. I went straight to the apartment Ethan and I shared.

The moment the front door opened, the overpowering scent of lily of the valley hit my nose.

It was Chloe’s signature perfume.

My light blue house slippers had been kicked into a dusty corner, replaced by a pair of pink bunny slippers right by the rack.

Her white trench coat was draped carelessly over the sofa, and several copies of our wedding itinerary lay on the coffee table.

I picked up the top copy and noticed a new entry squeezed right after the ring exchange:

[Friends' Blessing Segment: The bride escorts Chloe to the stage, where the groom presents Chloe with a blessed necklace, wishing everyone future happiness.]

My own wedding, and I was expected to walk another woman onto the stage so my fiancé could hand her a gift?

My phone buzzed incessantly.

Ethan’s childhood friend had posted a video in our wedding planning SnapChat group.

Chloe was sitting in front of a vanity, wearing my custom bridal gown.

Ethan stood behind her, tenderly fastening the "Heart of Eternity" around her neck.

That was the very diamond necklace he had given me when he proposed.

He had promised me it represented a love that was rare, pure, and eternal.

The caption beneath the video read:

[Childhood sweethearts really are the ultimate match. Some things forced together will fall apart sooner or later.]

A flood of replies quickly filled the chat.

[Honestly, Chloe looks way more like Ethan's wife.]

[Might as well let her be the bride tomorrow.]

Ethan didn't tell them off. Instead, he gave the message a 'like'.

The lock clicked, and Ethan walked in, smelling of alcohol and that sickening lily of the valley perfume. Seeing me on the sofa, his brow instantly knit together.

"Why did you run off? You made a total fool of yourself back there."

I hurled the printed itinerary right at his chest.

"What the hell is this?"

He glanced down at it indifferently. "Just an interactive segment. Chloe is sick. What’s wrong with me giving her a special blessing at my wedding?"

"By putting my engagement necklace around her neck? You call that a blessing?"

Ethan’s gaze turned icy. He strode over and pinched my chin, forcing my head up.

"Aster, stop throwing tantrums. Chloe loved it, so I let her borrow it for one day. You're already the woman I'm marrying. Why do you constantly have to pick fights with a dying person?"

Pain shot through my jaw from his bruising grip. I glared into his eyes. "What am I to you, Ethan?"

"...just a tool to show off how generous and forgiving you are?"

He roughly brushed my tears away.

"You're the woman I chose to marry. I'm offering you a status and a lavish life most people could only dream of. But Chloe is the girl I grew up protecting. I won't let anyone mistreat her—and that includes you."

Releasing his grip, he issued a cold command: "Tomorrow, in front of all our family and friends, you will give Chloe a formal apology."

"Otherwise, don't bother showing up to the wedding."

With that, he walked into the guest bedroom and slammed the door shut.

I sat alone on the freezing sofa, staring at the apartment now littered with another woman's belongings, the very last ember of warmth in my heart completely dying out.