Abandoned Me, Why Cry Now?

My fiancé's non-blood-related sister posted a tweet with a photo showing her back silhouette against the floor-to-ceiling window in the master bedroom.

The caption read: [Finally have a place in this city where I can take shelter anytime. Thanks Lucas for the sense of security.]

In the corner of the photo was the wedding photo frame I'd spent a week carefully selecting, now face-down on the floor.

And she was wearing the pajamas I'd recently bought for Lucas Adams.

In the comments, Lucas replied with a head-patting emoji: [Don't worry, as long as I'm here, this will always be your home.]

Even the most clueless person would understand what this meant.

That place wasn't just where he slept—it was the home we were about to move into after our wedding.

I didn't lose it or go crazy. I just quietly took a screenshot, then dialed the number I'd saved but never called.

"Mr. Allen, about the offer to transfer to the overseas branch for two years—I've decided to accept."

Since he wants to give someone else a home, I don't want this wedding anymore.

Chapter 1

Right after I hung up, Lucas walked in.

He was carrying my favorite pastries, his eyes gentle, "Aria, why didn't you turn on the lights? Tired from trying on wedding dresses today?"

He naturally walked over to hug me, but I dodged by turning to pour myself some water.

Lucas's hand froze mid-air. He gave a helpless smile, "Still mad about yesterday? Mia just got back to the country. She's not adjusting well and just went through a breakup—she's really unstable emotionally. She's depended on me since she was little. I can't just let her end up on the streets, can I?"

Yesterday, I went to set up our new home with the keys I'd just gotten, only to find the passcode had been changed.

When I knocked, Mia Carter answered in a camisole nightgown, looking sleepy and innocent, "Aria? Sorry, Lucas was worried I'd be scared living alone, so he specially let me stay here for a few days. He changed the passcode too—said he was worried my ex would harass me. Didn't he tell you?"

At that moment, seeing the two pairs of slippers—one men's, one women's—lined up at the entrance, I felt sick to my stomach.

That was my wedding home.

The place I'd visited over a dozen developments to find, supervised renovations for half a year, and even delayed moving into for three months because of formaldehyde concerns.

Now, another woman was living in it.

I set down my glass, my voice so calm it surprised even me, "Lucas, so that's your reason for changing our wedding home's passcode to her birthday?"

Lucas's expression shifted.

"Aria, don't be so sensitive, okay? Mia's just staying temporarily. She'll move out once she finds a place. And the passcode was just to make it easy for her to remember. Where's your mind going?"

He set the pastries on the table, a hint of impatience in his voice, "We're getting married soon. Can't you be a little more generous? Mia's like a little sister I watched grow up. Can't you be more accommodating?"

Generous.

Accommodating.

Those two words hit me like slaps across the face.

For those two words, I'd put up with Mia constantly hitching rides during our dates, put up with her calling in the middle of the night crying, making Lucas abandon me when I had a high fever to rush to her, put up with her wearing my clothes for selfies, captioned with [Aria's clothes are so nice to wear.]

And Lucas always had the same line: "She's still young and immature. Why are you bothering with her?"

Mia is twenty-four this year, only two years younger than me.

This so-called immaturity was just being fearless because she knew she was favored.

"Fine." I looked at Lucas and suddenly smiled, "I won't bother with it."

Because you don't need to bother with dead things.

In my heart, this relationship was already dead.