Chapter 1

Chapter 1 01

My mother was literally angered to death.

She collapsed the moment she realized that the bride at my wedding had been replaced by Garrett's female business partner.

As my mother drew her final breath, my dream wedding turned into her funeral.

Yet Garrett ordered the banquet to proceed as planned and demanded that I slip the wedding ring onto Natalie's finger myself.

"Hurry up! Put it on her," he hissed through clenched teeth. "I'll give you an explanation tonight."

I ignored his glare, scooped up my mother's lifeless body, and walked out of the hotel.

By eight that evening, the wedding with its swapped bride concluded seamlessly.

Natalie posted an update on social media, instantly gathering hundreds of thousands of likes.

"Hehe! Today, I finally married my guiding light. Huge thanks to the third wheel who knew her place and stepped aside."

Garrett immediately followed up with a post of his own: "Those who lack worth do not deserve love."

Sitting in the freezing mortuary, I gave both posts a like and left a single comment: "Wishing you two an eternity together."

After that, I cradled my mother's urn and headed back to pack my belongings.

When I opened the door, I found Garrett and Natalie passionately making out on the brand-new couch I had bought for our marriage.

……

By the time I carried my mother's urn back home, it was already late into the night, and the moonlight felt bone-chillingly cold.

Right at the doorway, I spotted Natalie's high heels placed where the lady of the house should put hers.

This was not the first time Natalie had shown up here.

Ever since she became a senior partner at Montgomery Enterprises three years ago, she had constantly dropped by under the guise of business.

Early mornings, late nights, or even during pouring rainstorms, nothing could stop her so-called ambition.

I had caused scenes in the beginning, but Garrett only told me to know my place.

"The company makes money so a useless freeloader like you can enjoy a comfortable life," he had said coldly.

Whenever I brought it up later, he would give me the silent treatment for days until I apologized.

Back then, I still loved him, so I swallowed the bitterness and comforted myself.

In the end, all I got in return was this small urn in my hands.

As I walked in with a bitter scoff, I saw Garrett and Natalie making out intensely on the sofa I had personally picked for our newlywed life.

Under the dim chandelier, Natalie's fair face was flushed, and she draped herself limply over Garrett like she was thoroughly drunk.

Seeing me enter, Garrett glanced at the urn in my hands, then gently pushed Natalie aside and laid her down carefully on the cushions.

"Looks like she really died, and it wasn't an act after all."

Garrett looked down on me with utter arrogance, his tone sounding like comfort but dripping with pure impatience. "Haven't you thrown enough tantrums? Fine, I admit I feel guilty, alright?"

I looked at him and let out a humorless laugh.

When my mother fainted from pure rage, he claimed she was faking it and said it would be better if she actually died, before ordering the ceremony to go on.

Now that my mother was truly dead just as he wished, he stood there with that face, telling me he felt guilty.

Originally…

Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

I was finally supposed to marry the childhood sweetheart I had loved for twenty years.

I had even planned to give him an even bigger surprise on this special day.

Garrett suffered from severe fertility issues, with less than a one-in-a-million chance of ever having a child of his own.

His biggest dream in life was to have an heir.

For this dream, the entire Montgomery family had prayed relentlessly, and his grandmother had even devoted her golden years to private prayer shrines.

And I, perhaps through all the good deeds I had done as a doctor over the years, had miraculously conceived Garrett's child.

The positive pregnancy test was still resting in my coat pocket right now.

Yet looking at his face now, all I felt was absolute disgust.

"Garrett, let's break up," I said calmly.

I looked into his suddenly stunned eyes and added slowly, "From this moment on, I hope we never cross paths again until the day we die."

From the second my mother passed away, my love for him had completely vanished.

Considering how doting his grandmother had always been to me, I had only planned to pack my bags and leave quietly tonight.

But now, he had trampled over my final boundary.

"Is my guilt not enough for you? Do you want me to get on my knees and beg for your forgiveness?"

Garrett grabbed my wrist forcefully.

He glared at me with cold fury, clenching his teeth just like he did when he forced me to put the ring on Natalie earlier. "Remember your place, Nora."

I did not want to waste another breath on him.

I yanked my hand back, wanting only to collect my mother's things and get away from this disgusting pair.

At that moment, Natalie sat up from the couch.

She looked at the urn in my arms.

Her eyes widened in fake surprise. "Oh my goodness! Is your mother really in that box?"

"How did she pass away just like that? I'm so sorry, Nora."

Before her words even settled, she turned to Garrett and whined coquettishly, "Garrett, I really love that box! My rescue dog died yesterday, so could you ask Nora to give it to me? The poor pup deserves a pretty resting place, please let me have her mother's box!"

I stared at Natalie in sheer disbelief.

Yet Garrett actually reached out to snatch my mother's urn from my grip.

"Hand it over."

"That box is just the right size for a dog anyway."