Chapter 1

On the night we were supposed to have our rehearsal dinner, I waited outside the restaurant until midnight. Ethan never showed up.

Instead, I saw a post from Chloe, his first love, on Instagram.

It was a wedding photo. Her caption read: “Mr. Miller, thank you for stepping into my life. Here's to forever.”

In the photo, they both smiled with pure happiness. I couldn't help but leave a comment underneath: “Are you kidding me?”

A few minutes later, Ethan, who had been unreachable all night, finally called me. He didn't even apologize. He just started yelling.

“She and her daughter just got back to the country. They have no one else! They are completely helpless, Luna. Do you really have to pick a fight right now?”

“It's just a fake marriage. We only registered so her daughter can get citizenship and health insurance. I’ll file for divorce as soon as the paperwork clears. Isn't that enough for you?”

Through the receiver, I heard a little girl’s sweet voice in the background. “Daddy Ethan, hug me!”

Without another word, Ethan hung up.

This time, I didn't cry. I didn't make a scene.

I calmly hid my positive pregnancy test in my drawer, called my parents, and told them the wedding was off.

If this love had reached its dead end, I was done compromising.

I sent my parents back to their hotel and brought the untouched dinner back to my apartment.

Just as I walked through the door, Ethan returned.

He flipped on the lights and gasped, seemingly startled by me sitting quietly in the dark dining room.

He frowned, his voice laced with annoyance.

“What are you doing sitting there in the dark like a ghost? Why didn't you turn on the lights?”

During our five years of dating, whenever he came home late, I would always leave the hallway light on.

I would run to the door the moment he walked in, take his coat, and stand on my tiptoes to kiss him.

But tonight, I did none of that.

I just stared at the table full of cold food. My heart was completely numb.

My parents had flown in from their small town just for this dinner. Fearing they would embarrass me in front of my wealthy boyfriend, my dad had even saved up to buy a designer suit.

But Ethan never showed up. All my calls had gone straight to voicemail.

Before they left, my parents were blaming themselves, wondering if Ethan looked down on them because of our humble background.

And I had waited outside that restaurant like a fool, only to be screamed at over the phone.

He made it sound so simple. He said it was just a piece of paper, and that it wouldn't affect our actual wedding.

But what about me? What did I mean to him?

Ethan walked over and sat beside me, pulling a bouquet of red roses from behind his back.

“Stop being mad. I bought these for you on my way home.”

The heavy scent of pollen hit me instantly. Without thinking, I slapped his arm away and stood up in a panic.

“Get that away from me!”

I accidentally knocked my chair over, and it crashed loudly against the floor.

Ethan’s face instantly darkened.

“Luna, are you done throwing a tantrum? I told you, it's a marriage of convenience! Once Lily's custody and insurance are sorted out, I’ll divorce Chloe. It changes nothing for us! Our wedding will go on as planned.”

I covered my nose and mouth, too weak to argue.

I am severely allergic to pollen. In worst-case scenarios, I go into anaphylactic shock. Ethan had witnessed this before.

Yet, he never cared enough to remember.

Red roses were Chloe’s favorite, not mine.

Ignoring his endless lecturing, I forced myself to stand up, using the table for support.

As I tried to walk away, he grabbed my arm roughly.

“Luna, what is with this attitude?”

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he noticed the angry red hives spreading across my neck. He froze, finally remembering my allergy.

He panicked, bending down to scoop me up into his arms. His tone turned urgent.

“I’m taking you to the hospital.”

I endured the agonizing itch on my skin and let him carry me down to the garage.

But as he held me close, I caught sight of a bright pink lipstick stain on his collar. A wave of nausea hit me.

We reached the car, and Ethan helped me into the passenger seat.

The moment I looked up, I saw a pink sticker on the dashboard.

“Reserved for Princess Chloe.”

Next to it were two cartoon stickers of a couple kissing.

Ethan followed my gaze. He quickly reached over, ripped the stickers off, and threw them onto the child safety seat in the back.

“It was just a joke. Lily put them there, and I didn't want to upset the kid.”

“It’s fine,” I said quietly, turning my head to look out the window.

The physical pain on my skin seemed to fade, replaced by a deep, hollow ache in my chest.

Ethan glanced at me several times, looking like he wanted to say more.

But his phone rang.

It was Chloe.

The moment he pressed answer, her tearful voice echoed through the car speakers.

“Ethan, Lily has a really high fever. Can you please come over? I don’t know what to do.”

Ethan slammed on the brakes. He grabbed the phone, his voice filled with intense worry.

“What happened? Don't panic, Chloe. I’m on my way!”