After seven years together, Victor Caldwell and I were finally getting married. I was excitedly knee-deep in wedding preparations, when I accidentally found our chosen venue double-booked. Or so I thought. My meticulously planned venue had been taken over, and I complained to Victor, only for him to brutally cut me off. "Are you ever going to stop nagging? It's just a venue. If this one doesn't work, we'll find another." I stared at Victor, stunned, completely bewildered by his sudden, icy attitude. He stopped contacting me first. And whenever I reached out, all I got were terse, clipped replies about how busy he was. It wasn't until ten days before the wedding that I went to his office to find him. His voice drifted through the closed door: "Amber, I promise you, on the wedding day, all our guests will be at this venue. Her side will only have a bride." "I haven't changed the address on the invitations." I stood there, frozen, the world tilting beneath my feet. So it wasn't a double-booked venue. It was a stolen groom. 1. I stumbled home, my mind a blank, my heart shattered. I bumped into countless pedestrians along the way, oblivious. "Hey, lunatic! Can't you watch where you're going?" "Is she an idiot? Bad luck!" "Blind? Donate your eyes if you don't need 'em!" My body stiffened at the insults, and I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "Yes," I mumbled, "I am blind." A flicker of surprise crossed the person's face, and they walked past me without another word. They probably misunderstood. But I didn't care to explain. Rain began to pour down, drenching me in an instant. Yet, I felt nothing, the icy drops tracing paths down my face. By midnight, I was predictably burning with a fever. In my feverish haze, my phone buzzed. "Chloe," Victor’s slurred voice mumbled through the speaker. "Can you bring me a hangover remedy at The Golden Canary Social Club? These guys have gotten me totally wasted." I froze, instinctively reaching for the medicine cabinet. Then, I caught myself, stopping mid-motion. "I'm sorry," I rasped, my throat raw. "I have a fever. I can't." There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a chorus of teasing voices. "Victor, you lost! Looks like you'll have to buy your own hangover cure." A sweet, lilting voice, sickeningly familiar, chirped into the phone. It was Amber. I let out a soft, mocking scoff, and the line disconnected abruptly. Later that night, Victor stumbled home, reeking of alcohol. He yanked me, sleeping soundly in bed, to a sitting position. "Are you out of your mind? My friends were getting me hammered, and you just made excuses instead of bringing me a remedy?" He swayed, leaning over me. "Do you even care about me, your boyfriend, anymore?!" The heavy scent of liquor cleared my head a little. I pressed a hand to my forehead, trying to steady myself. "I said," I enunciated slowly, "I have a fever." The deliberate emphasis made Victor actually look at me. My flushed cheeks were enough of an explanation. He fell silent for a moment, then muttered softly, "I'm sorry. I'll sleep in the study." I let out a cold laugh and collapsed back onto the bed. Sleep was now impossible. From the study next door, I could hear hushed giggles and whispers. Annoyingly loud. I spent the entire night wide awake. The next morning, Victor emerged from the study, looking refreshed, with Amber trailing behind him. The moment he saw me, Victor's smile faltered. He instinctively put some distance between himself and Amber. "Morning." "The party broke up late last night," he stammered, "and Amber didn't have her keys, so I just brought her back here." I nodded, sidestepping him and heading for the door. Victor grabbed my wrist. I looked at him, bewildered. He stuttered, "Where are you going? Aren't we supposed to go wedding dress shopping today?" I paused, then turned and smiled. "Why don't you two go? I have something urgent at work." Victor seemed to visibly relax, a genuine smile forming on his lips. "Okay, then. Amber always has impeccable taste; I'm sure she'll pick something we both love." "Of course," I agreed blandly. I informed Victor's family and friends about the change of venue, then notified my own loved ones that the wedding was off. After that, I turned off my phone. I simply couldn't bring myself to explain it all, one person at a time. Instead, I headed straight to the passport office. I'd already secured a spot for overseas study ages ago. But being a newlywed, I hadn't wanted to be separated from Victor for so long, so I'd put it on hold. Now, with the wedding clearly not happening, I absolutely couldn't give up this opportunity. As I walked out of the building, I saw Victor and Amber emerging from City Hall next door. Both of them were beaming. And then our eyes met, and all three of us froze. "What are you doing here?" I asked, cutting Victor off before he could speak, wanting to control the narrative. Victor flinched, his gaze instinctively darting away. 2. Amber extended her hand, linking it through Victor’s arm. She smirked triumphantly. "Victor came with me to take care of some business." I merely glanced at her, my voice flat. "Congratulations." Victor tried to follow, to explain something, but his outstretched hand found only air. "Chloe!" I didn't stop, quickening my pace. That evening, Victor returned, with Amber again. I looked at them impassively. "Do you want me to give you the master bedroom? I don't think the study is big enough for two." My words seemed to strike a nerve with Victor. His face darkened. "Chloe! Do you have to be so cutting?" He threw his hands up. "What's happened to you? You're acting like a shrew!" I found myself laughing, a dry, humorless sound. It seemed I hadn't said anything, hadn't done anything, yet the label of "shrew" had already been slapped on me. I pointed at my head, still smiling faintly. "I've worn so many hats lately, I don't even know which one I should be wearing anymore." Victor looked uncomfortable for a split second. Then, a stinging slap across my face. "Don't push your luck! Don't forget, this is my house! You eat my food, drink my wine, live under my roof! And you have the nerve to talk to me like that?" He grabbed my arm, shoving me towards the door. "Get out! Get out of my house!" He pushed me out before I could even grab my phone. My face paled, and by the time I registered what was happening, I was locked out. "Victor Caldwell! Give me my phone!" I pounded on the door frantically. But the door remained stubbornly shut. It was autumn, and the air was crisp. I rubbed my arms, goosebumps rising on my skin. This may have been the place I'd grown up in, but at that moment, I was homeless. Penniless and without a roof over my head, my only option was to walk to the office. By the time I arrived, I was utterly exhausted, collapsing onto my desk and falling asleep instantly. It wasn't until the next morning, with the help of my colleagues, that I managed to buy a new phone. I immediately dialed Victor's number. It wasn't him who answered. Amber's voice came through the receiver. "Victor, it's an unknown number." Victor sounded annoyed. "If you don't know it, hang up." But Amber didn't hang up. She probably guessed it was me. "Victor, maybe you should apologize to Chloe? She is a girl, after all… she needs to save face…" An innocent facade. That was my assessment of her. I let out a soft, mocking laugh. It was a terribly clumsy trick. Yet, Victor's next words froze me. "Why should I care about her? She has nowhere else to go in this city anyway." He scoffed. "She doesn't even have her phone. She won't last long before she comes crawling back." The line clicked dead. I remained rooted to the spot, unable to process it. So. He knew. I let out a bitter, mirthless laugh. I had thought my heart was numb, incapable of further pain, but a sharp ache still pierced through me. I immediately redialed the number. "Why are you calling again? Didn't you hear what I just said?" Amber’s impatient voice snapped. "Don't you know how pathetic you are, clinging to Victor like a bad rash?" I ignored Amber's stream of insults. I just smiled faintly. "Let's meet. I have something for you." Amber sounded suspicious. After a moment of hesitation, she agreed. "Southside Cafe." I hung up and headed straight out. When the appointed time came, Amber was nowhere to be seen at the Southside Cafe. 3. "Chloe! Are you trying to bully Amber again?!" Victor's impatient voice rang out. "I told you, there's nothing going on between me and Amber. Why are you still causing her trouble?" Then, a sharp, stinging slap across my face. My cheek burned. I let out a derisive laugh, looking at Victor as if he were a complete stranger. "Hitting people first, without knowing the full story – is that the Caldwell family's 'breeding'?" Victor's face turned an ugly shade. He pursed his lips, seemingly at a loss for a comeback. But since Amber hadn't shown up, I didn't need to hand over what I had for her. "If I truly wanted to cause her trouble, would I be calling your phone?" I asked, a hint of disdain in my voice. "Did I somehow know she'd answer your phone? That's laughable." I took a step closer, slowly advancing on Victor. His face grew even more distorted, and he instinctively stumbled backward. I found it utterly boring, turned on my heel, and walked away. Victor didn't seek me out again, but the wedding day was drawing nearer. With only one day left, he, in his great mercy, sent over a necklace. No wrapping, no box. Just a bare, tarnished necklace. "Didn't you love this necklace?" he said, holding it out. "I bought it back for you." A sudden, sharp humor bubbled inside me. I looked up, meeting Victor's eyes, my expression serious. "If you think I'd care for a secondhand necklace that was originally mine, then was stolen by Amber, and now you're 'buying it back' for me, then you severely underestimate me." Victor looked guilty, his face flushed. He braced himself, gritting his teeth. "Why are you being so unreasonable?" "You have what you wanted most, and I'm here by your side. What else could you possibly want?" he pressed, stepping closer. "Tomorrow, we'll be husband and wife." I gave him a half-smile, saying nothing. "I understand," I replied flatly, then turned and walked away. "Where have you been staying these past few days? Your ID is at home. You can't possibly be…" He started, reaching out to grab my hand. For a moment, I felt a flash of shame. Then, anger surged through me. I yanked my hand away from Victor, my eyes filled with an unspoken pain. "Victor Caldwell! If you knew I had nowhere to go, why did you kick me out?!" "Did you really…?" His gaze darted away, guilt etched on his face. He turned his head. "I thought you'd give in to me after half a day." At that moment, I was just tired. "Forget it," I mumbled. I didn't want to deal with him anymore, and strode purposefully forward. But just as I reached the ground floor of my office building, an uninvited guest was waiting for me. "Chloe." I instinctively turned and saw Amber. "You got the necklace, right? Consider it a little compensation from Victor and me. You loved it, didn't you?" I looked at Amber. Around her neck, glinting, was "The Eye of the Ocean," a diamond necklace recently sold at auction for hundreds of millions. Catching my gaze, Amber tilted her head haughtily, her hand brushing the necklace. "Victor said you liked that old necklace, so he traded 'The Eye of the Ocean' for it." Her tone was ridiculously smug. "It's just trash," I said, a faint smile playing on my lips. "Keep it yourself." Amber instantly exploded, her face contorted in impotent rage. I ignored her. The next day, I boarded my flight overseas, ignoring the frantic, endless calls from those mad dogs – Amber and Victor. Just before boarding, a powerful shove sent me sprawling onto the ground. "You're ditching our wedding for this?!" 4. Amber, dressed in a wedding gown, had tears in her eyes, looking utterly pitiful. As for Victor, he was absolutely seething. I glanced at their attire; they both looked a mess, splattered with what looked like mud or trash. "Tsk. Isn't this the wedding you two dreamed of?" I asked, a mocking lilt in my voice. "What? Couldn't go through with it without me?" Amber seemed to snap. She lunged, pinning me to the ground, her weight crushing me. "Do you know you ruined me?!" she shrieked. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be the happiest bride today!" A searing pain flared in my neck. Suffocation clawed at me. Victor stood nearby, watching me with a complex expression, making no move to help. After a few tense moments, airport security finally noticed my predicament. "Hey! What are you doing?" one shouted. "If you don't stop, we're calling the police!" Several security guards rushed over, pulling Amber off me. I finally gasped for air, relief flooding through me. I quickly thanked the guards, then sprinted towards the boarding gate, getting on the plane as fast as possible. The moment I turned my phone on after landing, my best friend, Lynn, called. "Chloe, you weren't there today, but you have no idea how awkward it was!" Lynn exclaimed. "All the guests were tricked; the wedding venue was empty!" "Victor Sr. was furious," she continued, "he called Victor and demanded he show up. And that's when the whole 'switching brides' thing was exposed right there! Victor and Amber got a serious beatdown." I couldn't help but chuckle at that. I'd expected something like this. Victor Sr. was obsessed with appearances; he would never tolerate such a public humiliation, especially switching brides for a mistress. "I saw them," I said, a dark amusement in my voice. "They looked like hell. Amber even tried to kill me, but security stopped her." Lynn gasped, horrified. Her concerned questions warmed my heart. "But it's a shame," she finally said. "I didn't fly all this way just to see that circus. I just wanted to see you." I fell silent, a bitter taste in my mouth. "I'm sorry," I murmured. Lynn seemed to smile faintly. "Don't worry," she said. "I just want you to be happy. Once you're settled, I'll come visit you." The moment I hung up, the full weight of being in a foreign land settled over me. But without those annoying people in my life, things were surprisingly peaceful. Six months later, old friends started messaging me, one by one, checking in. This sudden, strange outpouring of concern surprised me. I tried to probe, but I couldn't get any solid information. Outside, the rain poured down, and my heart felt just as restless. Knock, knock, knock, knock— A violent pounding on my door made me jump. I crept cautiously towards it, my voice trembling slightly. "Who's there?" Through the peephole, I saw no one. My hair stood on end. All sorts of terrible possibilities flooded my mind. "Open the door! I want to come home!" A familiar voice sent a jolt of pure dread through me. It was Victor! "This isn't your home! Get lost!" I yelled, my voice rough and angry. I'd tried to alter my voice as much as possible, and definitely wasn't speaking my native language. But the person outside sounded delighted. "Chloe, it's you, isn't it?" "I know it's your voice! I came for you! Let's stay together, okay?" Victor's voice was filled with a desperate, childlike joy.
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