Chapter 1

After the "ex-husband's regret" storyline wrapped up, the second male lead Sergio Conrad stepped into the spotlight.

The affectionate Sergio Conrad, who had initially showered me with endless kindness and pampering, suddenly turned cold after our engagement.

It wasn't until I overheard his conversation with his buddies at the club.

"During the chase, I was holding back with everything I had, determined not to lose out to her ex-husband.

"But now that I've won her over, the thought of her having shared a life with another man for five years just turns my stomach."

Later, I called off the engagement on my own and fled Qenset overnight—yet he lost his mind.

I stood outside the private room, my hand tightening around the doorknob.

To Sergio, I was just damaged goods—a woman who'd lived with another man before.

The word "disgusting" slipped from his lips like an arrow piercing my heart.

It left me bleeding inside.

From inside the room, his friend sighed with feigned sympathy. "Yeah, no guy would be cool with his girlfriend having shacked up with her ex.

"Dating's fine, but marriage? That's a whole different story—you'd have to think long and hard."

Sergio didn't push back.

They clinked glasses, and his friend teased, "So, what's the plan? You still going through with the wedding?"

Sergio stayed silent for a long moment before saying, "Yeah, we will.

"After all, her drama with her ex-husband is the hot gossip in Qenset's elite circles right now. No one else would touch her with a ten-foot pole.

"It's just... I need a bit more time."

A crushing wave of disappointment washed over me.

Just three months ago, he'd been the one to book out that luxurious hotel for a grand proposal.

And not long before that, at our engagement party, he'd teared up with emotion, saying he'd finally gotten everything he'd ever wanted.

When I transmigrated into this "ex-husband's regret" novel as the female lead, the epic wedding between the two powerhouse families had just wrapped up.

I'd tried every trick in the book to derail the main plot, but nothing worked—I was stuck plodding through that five-year sham marriage, which felt more like widowhood than anything else.

I watched from the sidelines as the male lead, seething over the arranged match, arrogantly humiliated and dismissed me, only to make a fool of himself later in his desperate pursuit.

I threw myself into my studies and career, building up my strength and waiting for the divorce to finally set me free.

The only curveball was genuinely falling for the second male lead, Sergio, through our time together.

We met not long after my wedding.

Back then, I'd cut off my pushy family—the ones who'd forced the marriage on me—leaving me pretty much alone in this unfamiliar world.

I was grinding away at my medical master's degree while pulling residency shifts at the hospital, working around the clock, but no matter how hard I pushed, the path ahead looked dim.

Sergio appeared right on schedule, like a ray of light, just as the story demanded.

He had the spark of youth paired with the composure of someone from an old-money family.

He offered emotional support and shared wisdom from his own experiences to guide me.

We went through a lot together before finally getting together after my divorce.

But look—men's love faded faster than a flower's bloom.

Even after the book's "the end," reality's shadows still crept in.

I left the club and headed back to the apartment I'd bought near the hospital.

Sergio came from one of Qenset's old elite families, raised on values of self-restraint and decorum, so we'd agreed not to live together before marriage.

I used to think it was because he truly cherished me; now, I wasn't so sure.

He'd shattered all my hopes for marriage and every bright dream I'd had for the future.

I collapsed onto the sofa, burying my face in my hands.

I was so close—this close—to believing I'd actually marry for love.

That was when Sergio's call came through.

I pulled my phone from my bag and stared at the screen for what felt like forever, not answering.

He kept at it, calling over and over.

With a heavy sigh, I finally picked up.

"Wendi, you haven't made it home yet?" his voice came over the line.

We'd made a promise: no matter how busy things got, we'd always check in with each other once we were safely home.

The reason I'd gone to the club to find him today was that the Conrad family, to show their sincerity about the marriage, had transferred 10% of Conrad Group's shares to me.

His mother had handed me the agreement herself, just to put my mind at ease.

It was such a big gesture—I had to talk it over with him and figure out what to do.

But I never saw that bombshell coming.

I closed my eyes briefly and whispered back, "I was wiped out today, so I hit the hay early."

He let out a relieved sigh, his tone softening.

"Wendi, your job's no joke—I can't keep tabs on you every minute. Promise me you'll look after yourself."

Words that once warmed my heart now struck me as a sick joke.

I forced a wry smile and couldn't help asking, "Sergio, do you love me?"

He didn't hesitate. "Wendi, no one in this world loves you more than I do."