Through his actions, Ivan conveyed his love for Alyssa, finally winning her over.
Later, Ivan was welcomed back into the McCartney family. But he never thought of leaving her behind. All it took was her saying, "I want a home," for him to meticulously plan a month-long proposal.
When he slid the ring onto Alyssa's finger, Ivan made a heartfelt promise, "From now on, we are family. I will love you forever, and we will never part."
Those once-beautiful memories had since shattered, the sharp fragments piercing her heart.
Two months ago, she received a friend request on Instagram. After accepting it, she found the person’s timeline filled with photos of a happy couple. At first, she thought the girl was lucky to have such a loving partner. But then she realized that the man in those photos was Ivan.
Without her knowing, Ivan had placed her in the role of his wife while reserving the role of lover for someone else.
What she once believed to be cherished memories now felt like shackles weighing her down.
Alyssa let out a bitter laugh. This diary, which had once been filled with countless moments of their love, now bore her sorrow as she picked up the pen and wrote.
[Ivan has fallen for someone else. I’m heartbroken. This is the first time I’ve forgiven him.]
They had been together for eight years, and Alyssa decided to give him eight chances. Once those chances were used up, she would leave.
Before Alyssa could put the diary away, the door opened, and Ivan walked in.
His forehead glistened with sweat, and he looked visibly anxious. As he approached, a strong, overwhelming scent of rose perfume wafted toward her, making her frown. She couldn’t handle strong fragrances—they gave her headaches.
Noticing her discomfort, Ivan quickly took off his jacket and stepped back. His expression was filled with concern. "Aly, you scared me. I thought something had happened to you. I couldn’t get through to your phone or reach you through messages."
“Or... are you still upset that I couldn’t go with you to try on the wedding dresses? I really didn’t expect the investors to visit the office today. This project is crucial, and you know that.”
Alyssa nodded calmly and showed him her powered-off phone. "I forgot to charge it."
She didn’t expose his lie. In reality, when he had texted her about being stuck at work, she had instinctively checked that girl’s timeline.
There were two new updates.
One read: [I wore rose-scented perfume today, and my boyfriend coincidentally brought me a bouquet of roses, too!]
The other one was, [No need for heating pads when I have my personal heater.] Alongside the heading was a photo of a hand resting on her abdomen. On the man's wrist was a watch that Alyssa immediately recognized as the birthday gift she had given to Ivan during their first year together.
It wasn’t an expensive brand, but it had cost her an entire month’s worth of part-time wages. At the time, he had been overjoyed and promised, "I’ll wear this forever. I’ll never take it off."
Even after returning to the McCartney family, he hadn’t replaced it with a more luxurious watch.
He still cared about her, but not in the same way as before.
Ivan didn’t notice anything unusual about her demeanor. Relieved, he let out a long sigh and smiled warmly.
"How did the wedding dresses look? Why didn’t you send me any pictures? I’ve been waiting all day! Or... was there nothing you liked?" He looked a bit crestfallen, like a puppy left out in the rain, his head hanging low.
Alyssa forced a smile, swallowing her sadness.
"I loved them. Of course, I’d like something you designed yourself. I didn’t send photos because I wanted to save the best surprise for the wedding day."
Ivan’s dark eyes lit up instantly. Sensing that the perfume scent had faded, he stepped closer and pulled Alyssa into a tight embrace.
