Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My mother died in a sudden accident.

The day before her funeral, my husband was busy rushing back to a small town to marry his young assistant.

When I confronted him, his face was full of nothing but impatience.

"Her mother is dying, and her only wish is to see her daughter settled with a good man. I'm just doing her a favor. It's not like I'm actually sleeping with her. Why are you getting so worked up?"

But that night, when I called him, it was his assistant who answered.

"Mr. Miller is exhausted and sleeping right now. If you have something to say, just tell me."

I stayed silent for a moment and then hung up.

Early the next morning, my husband called. "I'm going through with the ceremony for Summer. Just push your mother's funeral back a few days."

I didn't say a word. I simply finished the funeral arrangements in silence and called my lawyer.

"Please draft a divorce agreement for me."

...

On the day of the funeral, Lucas Miller never showed his face.

I choked back my grief, handling everything alone, from the viewing to the burial.

My mother worked hard her whole life. I didn't want her to suffer even in death. I handled every step with trembling hands and painful care.

At the service, the guests offered their condolences. Only my uncles were fuming with rage.

"Something this big happens, and he doesn't even show? Is he made of ice?"

"Let's go! Let's head to the Miller house and ask his parents how they raised such a heartless man!"

My uncles grew more heated by the second, ready to break down doors for me.

I stepped forward to stop them.

"Don't bother, Uncle. He isn't worth it."

Earlier that morning, I had seen Lucas's post on social media.

He was busy coordinating a wedding reception. He didn't have a second to spare for a funeral.

His heart was long gone. Having him here would only make the air feel heavy.

My mother's farewell didn't need a man without a soul.

As the casket was lowered, I took a shovel from a worker. I tossed a handful of dirt over the polished wood.

The only person in this world who loved me unconditionally was finally gone.

After the service ended, I sent Lucas a text.

"The funeral is over."

The message was like a stone dropped into the ocean. There was no reply.

Maybe he was busy. Maybe he saw it and chose to ignore it.

It didn't matter anymore.

Because I had stopped caring.

After seeing off the last of the guests, I contacted a divorce firm. I explained my situation and authorized the lawyer to start the process.

The moment I stepped back into my house, I received a video from Lucas's assistant, Summer Hayes.

The video showed a noisy, festive wedding in a rural town. Everything was decorated in bright colors, and every face was glowing with joy.

Summer's voice in the video was dripping with smugness.

"Oh, it's such a shame you missed this, Jenna. I told Lucas not to make it so grand, but he insisted. He spent so much money."

I just hummed an acknowledgment, ready to hang up.

But then, the camera turned to Lucas. He was wearing a sharp, tailored suit, busy hosting the guests.

"Honey, look over here!" Summer chirped.

Lucas turned his head. When he heard she was filming a video for me, he didn't stop her. Instead, he smiled and waved.

"Hey, Jenna. These small-town weddings are really charming. It's a shame your mom died right now, or you could have come to join the fun."

Join the fun?

My hand began to shake as I gripped the phone.

In his eyes, my mother's death was nothing more than an inconvenience that kept me from his fake wedding?