Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My fiancé wanted to leave an heir for his dead best friend.

Exactly a month before our wedding, he insisted on having a baby with his friend's widow.

I asked him hysterically why it had to be him.

Couldn't she just adopt a child?

But my fiancé brushed it off without a care.

"Carter was my absolute best friend, and his sudden death broke her," he said.

"She couldn't take it and has tried to harm herself several times."

"Can you stop being so sensitive? She doesn't know anyone else here, so who else can she turn to?"

Later, I saw that so-called sister-in-law get pregnant with my fiancé's baby.

My heart completely died that day.

So, I decided to change the groom.

...

With only a month left until the wedding, I was ready to find a new man.

I took to my Facebook and posted a status update.

"Looking for a marriage partner. Please introduce reliable single men."

The comment section was quickly flooded with nosy onlookers.

Some asked if I had fought with my boyfriend.

After all, the wedding was only a month away.

Others urged me to be forgiving, saying that long-term relationships require mutual compromise.

Friends of Declan Hayes even demanded to know why I was doing this.

Seeing this, I couldn't help but let out a mocking sneer.

If Declan hadn't done something utterly unforgivable, I would never have thrown away our thirteen-year relationship.

Just thinking about it filled my chest with endless bitterness.

I sniffled and was about to lock my phone when a new message popped up on the screen.

Looking closely, I realized it was from someone named 'Bloodsucking Boss'.

This was my employer, Roman Pierce.

【Bloodsucking Boss: You're looking for someone to marry?】

【Bloodsucking Boss: Then let it be me.】

I was stunned.

Before I could even process it, another message came through.

【Bloodsucking Boss: When are we getting married?】

【Bloodsucking Boss: I'm serious. This isn't a joke.】

Thinking of my boss's serious and handsome face, I shakily typed back that the wedding was in a month.

To my surprise, Roman agreed immediately.

He said we could go get the marriage license as soon as I sorted out my affairs.

Perhaps fearing I wouldn't believe him, he initiated a video call right then.

I instinctively tapped to accept.

"Chloe, a month is enough time for you to handle things, right?"

His handsome face appeared on my screen.

His crisp, pine-like voice finally cleared some of the fog in my dizzy head.

I nodded slowly.

Roman seemed satisfied and hung up the call.

I stared at the darkened screen, unable to snap out of my daze for a long time.

Did I just hit the jackpot?

I sat there staring blankly into space.

Just then, my phone rang and interrupted my wild thoughts.

It was Declan.

I swiped the screen and answered.

I was immediately greeted with a barrage of angry accusations.

"Are you crazy, Chloe? What the hell are you posting on Facebook?!"

"Do you have to broadcast our private matters to the world?"

"I've explained this to you a million times. Carter was my best friend!"

"He died suddenly and left Brielle all alone. She almost did something irreversible several times."

"Having a baby to keep her company might be the only way to help her get through this."

Lately, Declan and I had been fighting constantly, all because of his best friend's widow.

He was absolutely obsessed with the idea of having a child with her.

When I first found out, I was incredibly confused and questioned him.

"If she wants a child, she can adopt, remarry, or go to a sperm bank. Why does it have to be you?"

Declan and I had known each other for fifteen years and dated for thirteen.

Our wedding was supposed to be just a month away.

But now, the man I loved deeply was using such a disgusting demand to force my hand.

We had been giving each other the silent treatment for almost a month over this IVF issue.

During this time, I finally realized that my beloved fiancé had probably fallen for someone else.

Otherwise, he wouldn't completely disregard my feelings like this.

"Being silent won't change anything," Declan snapped.

"Since you don't respect my thoughts, let's postpone the wedding."

With that, Declan hung up the phone abruptly.

I bit my lip hard.

I told myself in my heart, I am never marrying you, Declan.

But when my eyes fell on the framed photo of us on the cabinet, my eyes turned red.

We had been together for fifteen long years.

Yet, because of Brielle, we were going to be separated forever.