Father's Unfulfilled Last Wish

After my father fell seriously ill, he endured a grueling 24-hour train ride in a hard seat just to attend my wedding to Nora.

I knelt in front of the Peyer family's home for ten hours with his medical records in hand, begging my fiancée to help me go through with the ceremony, even if it was just for show.

Finally, she agreed, but when it was time for her to appear, I searched the entire dressing room and couldn't find her anywhere.

My father collapsed the moment he stepped into the hotel and never got back up. My wedding turned into his funeral.

At midnight, after handling his final arrangements, I saw a post from Nora's assistant, Ethan.

[The one who isn't loved is the third wheel.]

Heartbroken and weary, I sent her a message, ending our relationship.

But instead of disappearing from my life, Nora returned to our home with Ethan.

——

It was already past midnight when I finished dealing with my father's final arrangements.

I drove back to our cold, empty apartment, dragging my exhausted body and stripping off the cheap suit I had rented with my own money.

It had been ten hours since I sent Nora the message breaking up with her.

This wasn't the first time she had left me alone because of her assistant, Ethan.

But I never imagined she would ditch our wedding for him.

Since Ethan appeared in our lives, every date with Nora had been interrupted by his seemingly innocent pleas for help.

Sometimes it was an allergic reaction, other times a headache from working late.

These common ailments, however trivial, were treated as catastrophes by Nora.

She was constantly worried about his health, fussing over him.

At first, I complained, but then I realized where I truly stood in her life.

Years of love had withered into nothing but resentment and numbness.

I sat on the cold tile floor, leaning against the sofa, squeezed into the small gap, and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, Nora was sitting on the sofa, applying makeup, her expression full of annoyance as she glanced at the discarded suit I had worn.

"Why aren't you sleeping in the bedroom? Sitting here like this, what's wrong with you? You nearly scared me to death when I walked in."

She frowned at my bloodshot eyes, her tone indifferent.

"It's just a stupid wedding. It wasn't even real."

Renting some crappy clothes, they made my skin break out.

Afterwards, I would have the wedding planning company organize another one, and even if I was acting, Nora would only use the best props!

She then turned back to perfecting her eyeliner.

At that moment, Ethan walked in with a bag of breakfast, casually using his key to unlock the door.

He looked more like the man of the house than I did.

In an instant, all my pitiful self-respect was laid bare.

Sensing the tension between Nora and me, Ethan innocently said.

"I'm sorry, Maxwell, for the trouble. I've been staying up late preparing for the wedding, and I collapsed at the venue yesterday afternoon. If it weren't for Nora finding me in time and having her bodyguards take me to the hospital, I might not be here now."

I glanced at his weak, but calculating expression, too tired to respond.

Ethan, however, seemed to remember something and quickly held up the bag in his hand.

"Nora asked me to get you some breakfast. You should eat something; you must have been exhausted handling everything alone yesterday."

His innocent eyes were filled with smugness and pride. This was his usual trick—taking Nora from me and then pretending to feel sorry for me.

He still thought I cared about this ridiculous relationship.

A mocking smile tugged at my lips as I responded coldly after he finished speaking, "Nora, let's break up."

Whether the wedding was real or fake, I didn't care anymore.

Even being near her made me sick to my stomach.