Chapter 1

"Mary, are you really sure about this?" my mother worriedly asked me.

I stared at the plaza where George Sunther had proposed to me. As I recalled the confident promises he had made to me, poised on one knee, all I felt was cold disappointment.

Tightening my grip on my phone, I bit my lip and nodded. However, upon remembering that she couldn't see me, I hurriedly said, "Mom, I'm sure. Please help me arrange things with the Zowski family."

My mother's voice was gentle on the other end of the line. "No matter who you choose, you have to be happy, okay, Mary?"

I blinked, allowing the tears to fall as I nodded seriously. "Don't worry, Mom."

I would stay away from those who were unworthy of my time.

It was all over between me and George.

After hanging up the phone, I rushed back home to pack my things.

Only one thought was on my mind right now—I had to leave this house.

The quicker the better, and as far away as I could go.

Just as I headed to the living room to grab the vacuum bags, George returned. Like he usually did, he hugged me from behind before lowering his head to murmur in my ear, "Mary, I know this must be tough on you. Once we get married, I'll throw you the grandest wedding possible and make you the most beautiful bride in the world!"

Then, he dug out a brochure for wedding locations and flipped to a page. "Would you like a castle-style wedding or a rustic one? How about we do one of each—"

I struggled free of his embrace and interrupted him. "What happened to the wedding plan we already discussed?"

George looked away, unable to meet my gaze. "Winnie really likes that plan, so we're using that for my wedding with her."

An indescribable wave of helplessness assaulted me as bitterness filled me from within. I forced back the urge to cry.

Once again, I had to give everything away to Winona Sunther, the Sunther family's adopted daughter and George's adopted sister.

George and I had personally designed that wedding plan for us, every little detail showcasing tiny glimpses into our seven-year-long relationship.

I distinctly remembered him saying that on the day of our wedding, he would share our blissful past with the whole world.

Now, it seemed he had forgotten all about that.

I shoved away the arm he attempted to wrap around me, causing him to briefly look surprised.

After a moment of hesitation, he said, "If you're willing, you could also use the same plan as Winnie."

In an instant, my body stiffened. A wry smile tugged on my lips as I once again had to fight back the bitterness and nausea rising in me.

How could he do this to me? How could he trample all over our past like that?

My phone lit up with a notification.

It was a post from Winona on her social media.

In the photo, a man's large hands were clasping a woman's smaller ones as they rested on a visibly pregnant belly. The caption of the photo was: "Be good, baby. Mommy and Daddy are waiting for you to enter this world!"

Below the posts, her friends were offering their congratulations, with one even commenting, "Congratulations! I always thought there was something off between you siblings since you two aren't blood-related. At last, you're making it official!"

My vision blurred, and I blinked vigorously in hopes of clearing it.

I was all too familiar with the man's large hands. Every time I suffered from period cramps, it was those exact hands that would cradle my stomach the whole night.

Sharp pin pricks of pain jabbed at my heart like needles, but I forced myself to endure it by constantly reminding myself it was over between us.

Despite that, why was I still feeling so upset? It was almost suffocating.

I grabbed the vacuum bags, planning on returning to the room, but George was relentless. He called out, "Mary, think about what theme you want for the wedding. I can have preparations made beforehand!"

My response was swift, "No need."

Shutting the room door, I slumped against it. Tears slid down my cheeks silently before soaking the front of my shirt.