Chapter 1

"Emily and I got married," Alex said the moment he walked in.

That was the first thing out of his mouth.

My finger froze on the mouse as I slowly turned my chair to face him.

He stood there in his tailored suit, looking oddly helpless, as if he were explaining an inconvenient problem. "She needs surgery. It's a heart condition, and there's no family around to sign the consent forms. Once she recovers, we'll get divorced. Don't make a big deal out of it."

I nodded, pulled out my phone, and sent a voice message to our group chat. "Mom, Alex married someone else to help her through surgery. The engagement's off. Make sure everything his family sent over gets returned."

His face darkened instantly. "Sophie, have you lost your mind?"

I stood up and gave his shoulder a light pat. "Alex, you already have a marriage license. I'm not about to be the other woman. Wishing you and your lovely wife a lifetime of happiness."

When the door finally closed behind him, I thought that chapter of my life was over.

Three months later, I showed up at a charity gala on another man's arm. Someone nearby whispered, "Wait... Isn't that Michael Anderson? Alex Carter's archrival?"

Alex cornered me outside the restroom later that night, his eyes bloodshot with fury. "What do you think people are going to say about me if you're with him?"

I smiled. "Mr. Carter, you're married. I'm single. Who I date has nothing to do with you."

*****

I was tweaking the design plans when Alex walked in.

He just stood there, not moving. I knew right away something was up.

I still wasn't happy with the living room layout. I'd revised it four times, but the client kept saying the sofa was in the wrong spot. I stared at the screen, waiting for him to say something.

"Emily and I got married," he said.

I paused, saved the file, and turned my chair to face him.

Alex stood in the doorway, dressed in a crisp suit, a hint of helplessness on his face, like he was about to explain something terribly inconvenient. He waited for me to react, but I didn't.

After a moment, he had no choice but to continue, "She needs surgery. Someone has to sign the consent forms. Her parents are gone, and there's no one else around."

"Oh," I said, "So when are you marrying me?"

He frowned. "Sophie, come on. It's not real. Once she's better, we'll split. It's just a piece of paper. Why are you so hung up on it?"

Just a piece of paper?

I got up, poured myself a glass of water, and took a sip with my back to him. The cold went straight down, chilling me from throat to stomach. When I turned around, he was clearly impatient.

"What kind of surgery?" I asked.

"It's her heart. The doctor said it's pretty bad," he replied.

"Is it that serious? Could she die?" I pressed.

Alex hesitated for a couple of seconds. "Yeah, there's a risk."

"Who's covering the surgery costs?" I asked.

"Me," he said.

"Who's staying with her in the hospital?" I pressed.

"I'll go when I can, and I've got a nurse looking after her," he replied.

"What if she never recovers?" I set the glass down, my voice steady. "Are you planning to spend your whole life on her?"

Alex took a step forward, reaching for me, but I moved back.

His hand hovered in the air for a second before he pulled it back. Then his voice softened. "Sophie, you know you're the only one I care about. Emily's all alone, and I'm just trying to help her. Once the surgery's over and she's okay, I'll divorce her, and we'll finally have our wedding. Just see it as me doing charity."

I looked at him.

We'd been dating for three years, but I'd never really studied him like this. Nothing had really changed, and yet everything felt different. Maybe it was just the way we were standing. I used to be right next to him, but now, for the first time, I was standing across from him.

"Does Emily know I'm your girlfriend?" I asked.

"She knows," he said.

"What did she say?" I pressed.

Alex's eyes flickered. "She said she's sorry for making things this hard for you."

I gave him a little smile. He couldn't figure out what my smile meant, watching me, a bit anxious.

"Fine," I said.

His eyes lit up. "So you've finally come around?"

I ignored him, pulled out my phone, and opened the group chat.

It had my parents, his parents, and a few close relatives from both sides. We created it when we got engaged. Most of the time, it was quiet, except for the occasional family photo or holiday greetings.

I held down the voice message button, keeping my tone as light as possible.

"Mom, Alex married someone else to help her through surgery. The engagement's off. Make sure everything his family sent over gets returned," I said.

Then, I let go, and the message was sent.

The group chat went silent for three seconds.

Then my mom's voice messages came blasting in, one after another. Her voice was practically shouting through the phone. Alex's dad sent one too, but I didn't even bother to listen. Just reading the text summary made it clear he was telling Alex to get his ass home.

Alex's face changed, and he reached for my phone. "Sophie, have you lost your mind?"

I dodged his hand and headed for the door. He blocked my way, chest heaving, glaring at me. "Are you really this selfish? This is life and death, and all you care about is yourself? What if Emily dies? You really want to watch her die and do nothing?"

I stopped and turned back to look at him.

"Listen up. I'm not stopping you from saving her. Even if you end up taking care of her for the rest of your life, that's got nothing to do with me anymore. You two got married, and the paperwork's official now. Legally, she's your wife, and I'm just an outsider," I said.

"I don't even understand why you're calling me selfish, for the whole situation basically has nothing to do with me. Don't you think?"

He was stunned.

"And," I said, pointing at his chest, "whether you care about me or not doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that when you were putting yourself first, did you ever think about me? If you'd ever considered me, you wouldn't have done this and then just dropped it on me."

I pulled the door open.

Before stepping out, I turned back and added, "Wishing you and your lovely wife a lifetime of happiness. By the way, I'll mail you the engagement ring back sometime. That doesn't belong to me now."

The door closed behind me.