Chapter 2

And now, I was hearing Lucian's voice coming from someone else's phone.

Talk about irony.

Ellen pouted into the phone, "I'm still getting my makeup done, you know. Babe, the wedding dress is just gorgeous. It's such a shame you couldn't be here with me. I really wish you could see me wearing it."

Lucian soothed her with a gentle voice, "Hey, baby, I'm really slammed right now. I've got a board meeting this afternoon and just can't get away. Next time, I'll come with you, okay?"

Ellen puffed out her cheeks, looking extra pouty.

"No fair. I finally found a dress I love, and you just leave me all alone at such a big moment? I'll be so upset if you do that," she whined.

Lucian sighed softly. He just couldn't resist her.

"Alright, I'll swing by after the meeting. I can't say no to you," he said.

Hearing all this, I let out a wry, bitter laugh.

Last night, I told Lucian I'd be picking up my wedding dress today.

I hoped he'd be there with me.

But he told me he had a meeting and wouldn't have time.

I begged him for ages, but in the end, he just rubbed his temples and said, "Sadie, don't be so stubborn."

Then he walked away without even looking back.

But now, all Ellen had to do was pout a little, and he'd surrender instantly.

Turned out his schedule could be changed for someone special... just not for me.

Ellen giggled, bantered playfully with Lucian for a moment, and then hung up.

The saleswoman nearby covered her mouth, unable to hide her envy.

"Mrs. Morgan, Mr. Morgan really spoils you. Honestly, I'm so envious," she said.

Ellen beamed, her smile radiating pure happiness.

Noticing me standing off to the side, Ellen turned to me and asked, "Hey Sadie, so when's your wedding?"

I was caught off guard by her question.

One of the designers who always had it out for me walked in, carrying some accessories.

She overheard us and snarked, "Her? She's been fussing over her wedding dress for months, but that so-called fiancé of hers? Never seen him once. Honestly, I'm starting to think he's just a myth."

Then she turned to Ellen, laying it on thick. "Not everyone gets to be as lucky as you, Mrs. Morgan. Mr. Morgan's got a million things to do, but he still finds time to help you with all this wedding stuff."

I lowered my eyes and didn't know what to say.

Honestly, Lucian still hadn't even set a date for our wedding.

Turned out, all this wedding planning was just wishful thinking on my part.

Ellen frowned, acting like she was sticking up for me.

"Your husband doesn't care at all? You're doing everything by yourself? That's just too much. Seriously, you need to think it through. Don't end up trusting the wrong person," she said.

She made it sound like she was concerned for me, but there was no hiding the sense of superiority in her tone.

I played along with her. "Alright, I'll give it some thought. What about you? When's your wedding?"

Ellen paused, thinking for a second.

"Probably later this year," she said with a little smile. "My husband said we should just make it official first. He'll handle everything else. All I have to do is pick out whatever I like."

I blinked in surprise. "Wait, you two already registered your marriage?"

Ellen nodded. "Yep, we did it on Valentine's Day.

"I thought the date was super romantic, so I kept bugging him until he gave in. He was supposed to be out of town for work that day, but I wouldn't let him go until we got it done."

Ellen gave me a sheepish grin and playfully stuck out her tongue. "Am I just too childish?

"My mom always says I'm just like a big kid, but my husband says that's exactly what he loves about me. He wants to spoil me, protect me, and keep me carefree for the rest of my life."

When I SAW Ellen's carefree smile, my heart went cold.

Lucian had already gotten married to Ellen—on Valentine's Day.

What a cruel joke. It was also my birthday.

I waited for him that night, but he never came home.

His excuse was that he was out of town for work, stuck in a meeting and couldn't make it back in time.

I didn't press him about it.

But I never imagined that on my birthday, he was marrying another woman.

As for me, I'd been with him from eighteen to twenty-eight.

Over these ten years, he went from being so eager to marry me that he could barely wait for us to be legal, to coming up with excuse after excuse to delay it,

Now, he hardly even brought up getting married anymore.

Turned out, he'd already tied the knot with someone else.

Ellen said Lucian promised her a lifetime together.

She had no idea that I'd heard those promises before, too.

He once got down on one knee for me, with fireworks lighting up the sky.

When he put that ring on my finger, he swore he'd love me forever, spoil me, and never let anything hurt me.

But in the end, he gave those same promises to someone else.

Once her makeup was done, Ellen headed into the fitting room to try on the wedding dress.

I followed her in to lend a hand.

While I was helping her fasten the belt around her waist, Ellen quietly whispered, "Sadie, can you loosen the waist a little for me?"

I was a little taken aback and glanced at her in the mirror.

"Honestly, the fit is just right for you," I said. "If I loosen it, it might not look as flattering."

Ellen pressed her lips together, leaned closer, and whispered in my ear, "Actually, I'm pregnant. My husband doesn't know yet. I want to surprise him.

"By the time our wedding rolls around, my belly will definitely be bigger, and I'm worried it'll be too late to fix the dress then.

"So could you please adjust it for me now? And please, keep it just between us, okay?"

Her words caught me completely off guard. I never saw it coming.

I just stood there, frozen, for what felt like forever before it finally sank in.

A cold chill crept up my spine.

She was pregnant?

Lucian was having a baby with someone else?

Ellen was beaming as she held her belly, looking absolutely over the moon.

Seeing her so happy was like a punch to the gut. It hurt just to look at her.

I just muttered something and rushed out of the fitting room.

I leaned against the door, struggling to calm myself down.

Two years ago, I was pregnant with Lucian's child.

But back then, the Morgan Group was in the middle of a huge restructuring, and Lucian was completely buried in work.

He told me it just wasn't the right time for us to have a baby.

So, because he asked me to, I ended the pregnancy.

And now, Ellen was carrying his child.

I couldn't help but let a bitter thought creep in.

Lucian might not take the news about the baby so well.

Just then, Ellen's phone on the makeup table started ringing.

It was Lucian calling.