Chapter 3

From inside the fitting room, Ellen called out, "Sadie, can you answer the phone for me? I can't right now."

I hesitated, but a petty urge was itching to break free inside me.

If Lucian heard my voice, how would he react?

Thinking that, I answered the call.

"Hello?" I said.

Unfortunately, my voice was still rough from crying, so Lucian didn't even realize it was me.

"Who's this?" he asked.

I gave a bitter chuckle. Well, since he didn't notice, I would just keep playing along.

I said, "I'm one of the staff at the bridal shop. Miss Gardner's in the fitting room, so she asked me to pick up the call. Is there anything you want me to tell her?"

Lucian didn't suspect a thing.

"It's nothing," he said. "I just wanted to let her know I ordered some snacks for her. Make sure she eats, alright? I don't want her going hungry or feeling bad."

The way he spoke—so caring, so familiar, yet so distant now—made me curious just how much he really fussed over Ellen.

So I pressed on. "Is Miss Gardner not feeling well? Is there anything we should watch out for?"

Lucian paused for a moment and then said quietly, "She's pregnant. She thinks I don't know, and I don't want to spoil her surprise. So please keep it to yourself and just make sure you all look after her, okay?"

After hanging up, I sank to the floor, burying my face in my hands.

Hot tears slipped through my fingers.

How ironic. I really believed he never wanted kids.

Turned out, he just never wanted a child with me.

After all these years, I was just stupid.

When Ellen stepped out in the wedding dress, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

The dress I'd designed for myself fit her like it was made for her, just like the man I thought was meant for me.

Turned out, Ellen and I really had the same eye for things.

The saleswomen gathered around Ellen, gushing over her and the dress.

Ellen was soaking up all the attention like a queen, absolutely loving it.

She did a little spin in the dress, snapped a photo, and sent it off to Lucian.

She texted: [Look, honey, isn't this dress beautiful? Don't you think I've got amazing taste?]

Lucian called and said, "Looks amazing on you. Can't wait to see you wearing it at home."

His voice came through the speaker, and the saleswoman next to Ellen couldn't help but giggle, covering her mouth. "Wow, Mrs. Morgan, you two are seriously relationship goals. The rest of us are dying of envy over here."

Ellen clearly hadn't expected Lucian to be so flirty. Her cheeks turned pink and she just smiled, too shy to reply.

Bitterness welled up inside me.

I spent three whole months drawing this wedding dress.

Lucian saw it every single day, right in front of him.

But he never once remembered what it looked like.

Yet the second Ellen sent him a photo, he recognized it instantly.

So this is the difference between us.

I stood off to the side, watching Ellen, her face glowing with shyness and happiness.

She was practically glowing with happiness.

There was a time when I had that kind of happiness, too.

When I was growing up, I never had the resources or opportunity to learn how to draw.

I had no background in art whatsoever.

So when I first decided to switch to design, people questioned if I could pull it off.

But Lucian was always there, supporting me no matter what.

He always believed in me and thought I could chase any dream I wanted.

Back then, there was this bridal shop with a stunning wedding dress in the window. I just couldn't take my eyes off it.

But it was only a display piece, not for sale. I felt so let down, but I never mentioned it to Lucian.

Whenever Lucian and I went shopping and walked past that shop, I'd always sneak another look at that dress.

Then, out of nowhere, the very next day, that dress was waiting for me in my room.

I still remembered the way Lucian looked at me. His eyes were so full of love that I could've drowned in them.

"Sadie, if you want it, I'll get it for you. If you want to do it, I'll support you. Don't hold back, chase your dreams," he said.

I asked him why he was always so good to me.

He gave me that dazzling smile.

"Because we're made for each other. Loving you is my life's mission," he said.

I was absolutely sure he loved me back then.

But he had changed. Time always found a way to turn everything upside down.

Ellen couldn't stop admiring herself in the mirror, totally smitten with the wedding dress.

Her assistant was fussing with the hem when she suddenly chimed in, "Mrs. Morgan, this dress is perfect on you. Add a statement necklace with a pop of color, and you'll be absolutely radiant."

I glanced at Ellen, who was absentmindedly touching her neck, looking like she was deep in thought.

"Just as I thought, something was missing," she said. "Good thing I picked up that necklace from the auction today. Let me try it on with the dress."

With that, she skipped over to the sofa, grabbed her handbag, and pulled out a jewelry box.

She opened it up and took out a jewelry box from inside.

She brought it over to me, showing off with a big grin.

She said, "Look, Sadie. My husband won this for me at an auction a while back. Isn't this necklace gorgeous? It's the perfect match for this wedding dress."

As she opened the box, a dazzling red light washed over me.

The moment I saw the necklace, my breath caught in my throat.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from it.

I looked at Ellen in disbelief and then back at the necklace, as if I couldn't trust my own eyes.

It took a long moment before I could accept that it was real.

This necklace was mine. Or rather, it was my mother's keepsake.

It was a family heirloom from my grandmother—priceless, and something others could never buy anywhere.

Back when the Morgan Group was on the verge of bankruptcy, Lucian was backed into a corner.

I just couldn't stand seeing him give up on himself.

So I took out my mother's necklace and sold it to patch up the hole in the company's finances.

That was what brought the Morgan Group back from the brink.

Even when my family was so broke that we couldn't even afford to eat, I never even thought about selling that necklace.

Lucian knew just how much that necklace meant to me.