Chapter 1

At the engagement party, my fiancé Mario promised my father he would love me forever.

After the party ended, I stumbled upon a cheating photo on Instagram.

In the picture, a man with a body shape similar to Mario's was holding hands with a woman, fingers interlaced.

I stiffly turned my head to look at Mario.

The ring on his hand was identical to the one on the man in the photo.

My fingertip pressed against my phone screen, repeatedly zooming in on the ring on the man's hand in the photo.

The width of the band, the matte texture of the face, the minimalist lines on the side—every detail matched the one I'd custom-made for Mario perfectly.

Back then, Mario had even laughed at me, saying no one would notice such details.

I looked up toward the main table. My dad was patting Mario's shoulder with satisfaction. "Timothy's in your hands from now on."

Mario stood up, his gaze landing on me with tender affection.

"Dad, rest assured. I won't let Timothy suffer even a little."

His voice was as sincere and pleasant as always.

For three years, he'd been exactly like this.

Gentle, considerate, taking care of me with meticulous attention.

Everyone said I'd found a treasure, and I'd believed it wholeheartedly myself.

But now, this photo was like a bucket of ice water poured over my head.

The light from my phone screen reflected my pale face.

Still, I didn't dare believe it.

Maybe it was just a similar style? Plenty of people wore the same ring design.

I desperately made excuses for myself, but my heart pounded uncontrollably.

Mario walked to my side and wrapped his arm around my waist, his palm gently rubbing my back.

"You heard what I just told your dad, right? I'll always treat you well."

I looked up and met Mario's eyes. They held a smile.

But unlike usual, I didn't feel happy. Lowering my head, my voice came out muffled: "I heard."

Mario's brows furrowed slightly. He took my hand with concern. "What's wrong, honey? Your hand is so cold."

My peripheral vision caught his ring, and I quickly covered my mouth. Remembering the image from the photo, a wave of nausea hit me.

"I'm fine. Maybe... maybe I had too much to drink."

My mom saw and teased me with a laugh: "That's hardly anything! You really can't hold your liquor."

The relatives all laughed, and Mario laughed too.

"Are you just too excited?"

He took my hand again, his grip light but not allowing me to pull away.

"We're getting our marriage license tomorrow. Tomorrow you'll be my wife!"

Mario bent slightly, staring into my eyes with a sincere expression, his tone full of anticipation.

He seemed like a completely different person from the man in the photo who'd been leaning sideways, fingers tightly interlaced with a strange woman.

Looking at Mario's affectionate eyes, my stomach churned violently.

I needed to confirm this. I had to confirm it right now.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to squeeze out a smile.

"Mario, do you like the couple's rings I designed?"