Chapter 1 · My Fiancé's Ex Returns One Month Before Wedding

Thirty days before my wedding, my fiancé's first love showed up at my door in a hospital gown.

She clutched her diagnosis report, pleading, "Ms. Lane, the doctor says I only have three months left. Can I borrow him, just for a little while? I swear, after I'm gone, I won't come between you two."

My fiancé wrapped his arms around her from behind, shooting me a look full of reproach.

"Olivia, Jessica's like this. Can't you be a little more understanding?" he said.

I slipped off the diamond ring I'd spent half a year picking out and gently placed it in her palm.

"Fine, take the wedding too. Just make sure you two are stuck together for life," I said.

After all, in my eyes, a man who could be borrowed was no different from trash left on the side of the road.

*****

Ryan Carter and I had set our wedding for September, a perfect autumn day, an auspicious date.

I'd spent three months picking out a mermaid-style wedding dress. The invitations were already printed and stacked in the foyer, and the hotel and wedding planner were all set. The big day was just a month away.

I thought everything would go according to plan, until that afternoon.

Ryan's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, and his expression suddenly turned odd.

"Let me get this," he said.

He rushed into the study and closed the door behind him.

I could faintly hear his voice, low and tense. It wasn't the gentle voice he always used with me, but something anxious and tender, a side of him I'd never seen before.

Half an hour later, he came out, his gaze evasive, avoiding mine.

"Olivia, there's something I need to tell you," he said.

A sinking feeling hit me, dread washing over my heart.

"Jessica's sick," he said, his voice shaking when he said her name. "It's late-stage cancer."

I set down my pen and looked at him quietly.

Jessica Quinn, Ryan's first love, the woman who ditched him for a rich guy when he was at rock bottom.

They were together for five years, broke up for three, and I've been with Ryan for two.

After their breakup, Ryan was completely broken. I was the one who helped him crawl out of that mess, step by step.

He used to say I was his redemption, his future.

Now, everything we'd built was about to be wrecked by his past.

"The doctor says she might only have three months left," Ryan said, his voice rough.

"She just called me, crying in her apartment, saying she's all alone with no one to look after her."

"So what?" I asked, my voice so calm it surprised even me.

"I want to at least be there for her in her last days," Ryan said.

He finally looked at me, his eyes full of pleading. "Olivia, you've always been so kind. You get it, don't you?"

I laughed. "Get what? That my fiancé wants to spend the month before we get married with his ex-girlfriend?"

"It's not what you think!" Ryan blurted out, urgency thick in his voice. "I'm just trying to be a decent human being, helping out an old friend. She's all alone, facing death it's heartbreaking."

"Do you even remember our wedding is just a month away?" I asked.

"I know, so..." He paused. "Can we push the wedding back? Just three months. After she's gone, we can get married."

My fingers curled into a fist under the table, nails digging into my palm. The pain kept me grounded.

"Ryan, do you honestly think this is fair to me?" I asked.

"Olivia, don't be so selfish," he said, frowning. "She's dying. Are you seriously going to hold this against her? Can't you be a little more generous?"

"Selfish? Generous?" I repeated, the words sounding utterly absurd to me. "You want me to be so 'generous' that I hand my fiancé over to another woman?"

"It's not 'handing over'! I'm just taking care of her for a little while!" Ryan shot back, his voice rising.

Then his tone softened. "Olivia, please. I can't just abandon her right now. She was crying, saying she wanted to see the ocean one last time. I promised I'd take her..."

"You promised her? When was that?" My voice went cold. "Have you been talking to her this whole time we've been together?"

"Just just keeping in touch every now and then," Ryan muttered.

He looked away, his gaze flickering. "Come on, we were in love once. I can't just pretend she's a stranger."

Chapter 1

Thirty days before my wedding, my fiancé's first love showed up at my door in a hospital gown.

My fiancé wrapped his arms around her from behind, shooting me a look full of reproach.

"Olivia, Jessica's like this. Can't you be a little more understanding?" he said.

I slipped off the diamond ring I'd spent half a year picking out and gently placed it in her palm.

"Fine, take the wedding too. Just make sure you two are stuck together for life," I said.

After all, in my eyes, a man who could be borrowed was no different from trash left on the side of the road.

*****

Ryan Carter and I had set our wedding for September, a perfect autumn day, an auspicious date.

I thought everything would go according to plan, until that afternoon.

Ryan's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, and his expression suddenly turned odd.

"Let me get this," he said.

He rushed into the study and closed the door behind him.

I could faintly hear his voice, low and tense. It wasn't the gentle voice he always used with me, but something anxious and tender, a side of him I'd never seen before.

Half an hour later, he came out, his gaze evasive, avoiding mine.

"Olivia, there's something I need to tell you," he said.

A sinking feeling hit me, dread washing over my heart.

"Jessica's sick," he said, his voice shaking when he said her name. "It's late-stage cancer."

I set down my pen and looked at him quietly.

Jessica Quinn, Ryan's first love, the woman who ditched him for a rich guy when he was at rock bottom.

They were together for five years, broke up for three, and I've been with Ryan for two.

After their breakup, Ryan was completely broken. I was the one who helped him crawl out of that mess, step by step.

He used to say I was his redemption, his future.

Now, everything we'd built was about to be wrecked by his past.

"The doctor says she might only have three months left," Ryan said, his voice rough.

"She just called me, crying in her apartment, saying she's all alone with no one to look after her."

"So what?" I asked, my voice so calm it surprised even me.

"I want to at least be there for her in her last days," Ryan said.

He finally looked at me, his eyes full of pleading. "Olivia, you've always been so kind. You get it, don't you?"

I laughed. "Get what? That my fiancé wants to spend the month before we get married with his ex-girlfriend?"

"It's not what you think!" Ryan blurted out, urgency thick in his voice. "I'm just trying to be a decent human being, helping out an old friend. She's all alone, facing death it's heartbreaking."

"Do you even remember our wedding is just a month away?" I asked.

"I know, so..." He paused. "Can we push the wedding back? Just three months. After she's gone, we can get married."

My fingers curled into a fist under the table, nails digging into my palm. The pain kept me grounded.

"Ryan, do you honestly think this is fair to me?" I asked.

"Olivia, don't be so selfish," he said, frowning. "She's dying. Are you seriously going to hold this against her? Can't you be a little more generous?"

"Selfish? Generous?" I repeated, the words sounding utterly absurd to me. "You want me to be so 'generous' that I hand my fiancé over to another woman?"

"It's not 'handing over'! I'm just taking care of her for a little while!" Ryan shot back, his voice rising.

Then his tone softened. "Olivia, please. I can't just abandon her right now. She was crying, saying she wanted to see the ocean one last time. I promised I'd take her..."

"You promised her? When was that?" My voice went cold. "Have you been talking to her this whole time we've been together?"

"Just just keeping in touch every now and then," Ryan muttered.

He looked away, his gaze flickering. "Come on, we were in love once. I can't just pretend she's a stranger."