Chapter 1

A month before the wedding, my fiancé, Declan, wanted to have a child with his deceased brother's wife, Briar. He said it was to carry on his brother's line. I didn't scream or break down. I simply sent a calm text, asking:

"Briar has many ways to have a child, why does it have to be with you? "

But the next second, he FaceTimed me, furious, accusing me of being unreasonable:

"My brother entrusted her to me on his deathbed, and she knows no one here. She only has me to rely on. What's wrong with me having a child with her? "

"Besides, it's just IVF, Sera. It's not like anything else will happen. We're still getting married. "

I smiled as I replied:

"No need. My groom has changed. I'm happy to step aside for both of you. "

... The room buzzed with nosy stares, openly scrutinizing me. Several people tried to speak, but the words seemed to catch in their throats. I knew what they wanted to ask: Briar's belly was growing bigger, but the child inside wasn't her deceased husband Brandon's. It belonged to my fiancé. That was already explosive news. And the fact that I hadn't made a scene, not a single protest, made it even crazier. Finally, an old classmate from high school couldn't hold back and broke the silence:

"Sera, did Declan get delayed on the way? Why isn't he here yet? "

I didn't even lift my head. "He and I are no longer together. We broke up. "

Everyone froze for a second, then burst into laughter. "You've got to be kidding! Everyone knows how perfect you two were. You were practically at the altar, how can you just break up like that? "

Yeah, right? We'd been through so many tough times together. How could he change now, just when our lives were finally settling down? Before I could reply, the door suddenly swung open. It was Declan who walked in this time, but right behind him was the other star of the gossip, Briar Davies. Declan didn't even glance at me. He pulled out a chair, helped Briar sit down, and then spoke:

"Briar's had some stomach pain, so I took her to the hospital to make sure the baby was okay. We're a bit late. "

The smiles on everyone's faces instantly froze. Our classmate awkwardly scratched his nose. "What's that supposed to mean? It's only been a few days, and you're already parading a new woman around? "

Declan, as he cleared a fork for her, replied nonchalantly:

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm just helping Brandon look after Briar. There's nothing going on between us. "

Even an idiot wouldn't believe that. Our classmate quickly tried to smooth things over:

"Alright, alright, enough joking around. Sera's been waiting for you for ages, go sit next to her! "

But he didn't budge, completely unfazed, and his voice took on a hint of disdain:

"Can she even compare to Briar? Briar's pregnant, of course, she needs special care. "

Then, ignoring everyone's uncomfortable expressions, he whispered in her ear:

"Don't worry. I'm here. No one will dare bully you. "

The once lively atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point. This reunion was supposed to be for us to catch up. I thought Declan wouldn't go too far. Who knew he'd have the audacity to bring his mistress, completely disrespecting me? Their gazes turned from curiosity to unconcealed pity. Yet, I sat there, quietly eating, as if I hadn't noticed them at all. Declan was clearly displeased with my behavior. He put down his fork and said sharply:

"After dinner, you can take a taxi home yourself. I'm taking Briar home. I don't have time for you. "

Briar immediately bit her lip, looking terrified. "Sera is your future wife, after all, and I'm just the mother of your child... You should take her home first... "

From her tone, you'd think I was the mistress. I put down my fork and slowly looked at both of them. "Don't bother. My boyfriend is already waiting for me downstairs. "