Chapter 1

On the day of my wedding, I stumbled upon a saved voice message on Joseph Payne's phone. When I played it, a soft and sweet voice said, "Honey, I miss you." Joseph remained calm in the face of my questioning. "I admit that I made a mistake, but that was just a punishment from a game of truth or dare. It's nothing more than that." Their chat history confirmed the fact. It was very mundane with nothing inappropriate in it. But as I read it, tears streamed down my face and soaked my wedding dress. "Joseph, I'm still willing to proceed with the wedding ceremony if you cut ties with her." We had been together for seven years and were just one step away from the finish line. In fact, I found out that I was pregnant not long ago, so this should have been a double celebration. But at that moment, a woman dressed like a cleaner suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Then, she looked up with reddened eyes and ran away. The moment Joseph recognized her, he didn't hesitate to chase after her. I grabbed his arm. "If you walk away now, then we'll never get married. Think carefully…" His response was to slowly pry my fingers off before turning around and leaving. I stumbled, and pain shot up from my ankle. The train of my wedding gown was long and flowing. I had chosen it with great care. The first time I tried it on, Joseph looked visibly moved. He held me and choked out that he was finally going to marry me. But now, he didn't even bother glancing at the bride he had wanted when she fell down behind him. Was he really in such a rush because that woman coughed up blood? Joseph had abandoned me at such a critical moment, leaving me in front of his parents as well as all our guests and loved ones. Just five minutes ago, he promised me, "Yelena, I would never betray you. If it bothers you, I'll cut off all ties with her. I'll have Tessa Saunders transferred out of the firm when her internship ends." Joseph was the top litigation lawyer in the city. He was a partner at a prestigious law firm. For as long as I'd known him, he'd always been responsible and reliable. He was not someone who lied. So, I decided to take a chance. But it was clear that I'd lost badly. Beneath the dress, my leg was scraped and bleeding. Looking at the mirror beside me, I could see my tear-streaked, ruined makeup. My phone buzzed with messages. "Tessa didn't seem well. I'm afraid something serious will happen." "I'll calm her down first and come straight back to continue the wedding." "Wait for me." Joseph was trying to explain himself, but it fell on deaf ears. We had been together for seven years, so he knew how long I had been looking forward to this day. His work at the law firm always kept him busy, and I was used to him making me wait. He would repeatedly postpone our dates and would come home late when we had dinner planned together. I even had to wait for him to finish his cases on my birthday. But I never complained, because he said he was working for our future. He swore that he would build a home for me, one that belonged to the two of us. Our marital home was decorated in the natural wood style that I loved, and the balcony was filled with plants. We would have an adorable child, and my parents lived just a short ten-minute walk away. Everything had been planned out so well. Our future was well within reach. Happiness would have greeted us naturally if we'd just continued walking forward. So, why did he suddenly let go of my hand to go chase after someone else? I didn't reply to Joseph. Instead, I composed myself and wiped away my tears. Then, I walked out and calmly announced that the wedding was cancelled. The venue erupted in whispers. Joseph's mother, Mandy Frye, panicked. "Lena, things have already progressed so far. How could you make such a rash decision? There are so many guests here to witness you cancelling a perfectly fine wedding. What are the rest of us supposed to say to them?" Only my mother, Donna Poole, noticed my ruined makeup. "What happened? Did you and Joseph have a fight?" My eyes turned red again as I felt the anguish surge back. She held my hand and tried to comfort me. "Whatever it is, you should talk it through with Joseph. Don't act on impulse. Where is he anyway? He's always been a reasonable man, so why didn't he try to stop you?" I felt a dull ache in my chest. In everyone's eyes, Joseph was a good man. He was mature, dependable, and trustworthy. Yet, a man like that had chosen to do something so absurd. I said, "He ran away."