Chapter 1
Diego and I grew up side by side.
He once risked his life for me, and I even stepped in front of a knife to protect him.
Everyone used to tease us, saying we were meant to be together.
He spoiled me rotten, and when he proposed, he filled the whole city with flowers just for me.
But just five days before our wedding, I saw a woman standing on the edge of a rooftop, her voice hoarse.
My heart clenched painfully, and I shook my head right away.
The woman screamed at me in desperation, "Wake up. He loves Amara, not you. He'll destroy your family."
Amara was my childhood bestie and Diego's arch nemesis.
I stumbled back, my whole body trembling, and ended up sitting on the ground.
The woman in front of me was thin and pale, her eyes brimming with despair and hatred. She looked nothing like the person I was now.
She looked at me, tears streaming down her face, but her eyes locked onto my stomach.
"Get rid of the baby, now. Don't let him suffer with you, and don't ever get yourself tangled up with Diego again," she said.
"He's not worth it." She clenched her fists and screamed the final words, pouring every ounce of strength into them.
My heart raced so fast I could barely breathe, and my voice was strained and shaky. "A baby? What baby?"
"A boy. He was so sweet, but he's gone now. I'll never see him again," she said.
She finally told me what I needed to know.
My heart jumped into my throat, my legs turned to jelly, and I couldn't get up no matter how hard I tried.
But the whole thing just felt so unreal.
In my stunned daze, she slipped a ring off her finger.
I recognized it right away. It was the wedding ring Diego had custom-made for me; the pattern was all about pure love.
She stared at the ring in her hand and continued, "I've failed so badly. Because of one man, my parents worried sick about me and ended up dying in a car crash, and then I lost my child, too.
"Overnight, everything was gone, while he's out there living it up.
"I guess it figures. He never loved me, so why would he care about my family or my child?"
She looked at me again. "You're different. You still get a second chance at life, but my chance is gone for good."
She stepped right up to the edge of the rooftop, the ring slipping from her trembling fingers.
"No," I screamed, my hand shooting out instinctively, as pain tore through me from every direction.
The next second, I jolted awake on the couch, tears streaming down my face.
It was just a dream, but the pain still lingered, sharp and real.
I sat up, drenched in cold sweat, my mind replaying the image of my future self, full of regret, jumping off that rooftop right in front of me.
It felt like I'd just stared death in the face myself.
I didn't know how long I sat there before I finally managed to push down the ache in my heart.
I couldn't help but shake my head.
It was just a dream. How could I ever question what Diego and I have?
He was the guy who risked everything for me, the one who was so emotional he broke down in tears, holding me tight the night he proposed.
I must've just been exhausted lately, running around with all the wedding stuff and barely getting any sleep.
Besides, I was not even pregnant. Where would a baby even come from?
After waiting so long for this wedding, it was not like I was suddenly getting cold feet, right?
The phone rang, breaking the heavy silence. It was my mom. "Happy birthday, my sweet girl."
Yeah, today was my 24th birthday.
I'd been so busy lately, I was planning to go home and hang out with my parents for a bit, but I accidentally crashed on the couch instead.
And that was when I had that crazy dream
Hearing my mom's gentle voice, all the worries in my heart were completely swept away.
"Mom, promise me you and Dad will always stay safe and happy, okay?" I said softly.
After I hung up, I realized it was already 7 PM.
Diego still hadn't come home.
He'd messaged me an hour earlier: [Esther, sorry, I have to work overtime tonight. I can't spend your birthday with you, but I'll make it up to you tomorrow.]
Amara had messaged me too: [Sorry, Esther. I've got something to take care of today, so I can't be there for your birthday. I'll make it up to you tomorrow.]
It was just a birthday. Why was everyone apologizing?
I knew Diego had a lot on his plate. The Hopkins Group was huge, and he had to get everything sorted before the wedding.
After we tied the knot, we were planning to jet off and see the world for our honeymoon.
And Amara? She'd been my ride-or-die since we were kids, and she'd been dying to be my maid of honor.
Especially on the day Diego proposed, she hugged me, her eyes red from crying, and kept warning him over and over to cherish me.
Their feelings for me were real, no doubt about it.
I shook my head again, trying to shake off those crazy dreams.