Chapter 1
I took the roses Olivia handed me and nodded.
Seeing me nod, she confidently stuffed the roses into my arms and turned to call the twins.
Her voice was gentler than I’d ever heard, with a hint of eager pleasing.
The staff present couldn’t help but look at me, their eyes filled with undisguised sympathy.
To appease those lovers, our wedding had been postponed countless times. I was used to it by now.
After the call, Olivia walked back, her face smug with the satisfaction of winning back her lovers.
She took two boxes from her pocket and handed them to me.
“Gifts for you. Don’t be upset anymore.”
I opened them to find an exquisite pair of cufflinks and a watch.
Three days ago, Lucas and Lily Wright, her precious twins, had both turned off their phones and gone cold on her.
But they had specifically sent word that they wanted the matching pair of cufflinks and watch I was wearing.
However, these were custom-made for me, one of a kind in the world.
The siblings were insistent, so she took them while I was asleep to win a smile from her lovers.
When I asked Olivia about it, she frowned and accused me:
“How could you be so careless with such valuable items?”
“If they’re lost, they’re lost. I’ll buy you new ones.”
I looked at Olivia without saying a word.
She seemed a bit guilty and averted her gaze.
I didn’t expose her lie. Suddenly, a familiar cramping pain shot through my stomach.
Seeing my face turn pale, Olivia showed a rare hint of concern and insisted on taking me to the hospital.
Getting into her car, I realized the interior had been completely remodeled.
The pink decor that Olivia used to love was now replaced by half yellow and half purple colors.
Even the huge pink plush toy hanging from the rearview mirror was gone.
“Lucas likes yellow, and Lily loves purple. They argued so much, I had to split it half and half,” she explained casually while driving, her words tinged with sweet helplessness.
In the past, I had reminded her more than once that the hanging toy was too big and would obstruct her view, posing a safety hazard.
She had called me old-fashioned then, saying I was interfering with her freedom, that I didn’t understand her girlish heart, and refused to change it.
Now, this “girlish heart” she once treasured was easily erased by Lucas’s single statement of “liking yellow.”
Even though it was her most hated color combination.
I looked at the rapidly receding streetscape outside the window, the pain in my stomach intensifying.
Suddenly, her phone rang. Olivia immediately put on her earphones to answer.
The next second, she slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the side of the road.
“Lily cut her finger while chopping vegetables. It’s bleeding a lot. I need to go check on her right away.”
“You can take a taxi to the hospital yourself. I have to go.”
She didn’t even spare me a glance before turning the car around and leaving.
I was left on the noisy roadside, like carelessly discarded trash.
My phone pinged with a message.
[I redesigned the wedding venue layout. Take a look and see if you like it.]
Looking at that message, I finally snapped out of my numbness.
I took a taxi to the hospital, slowly inching forward in the long queue.
Suddenly, a strong force came from behind, nearly knocking me over.
I turned to see Olivia’s bodyguards rudely pushing through the crowd, clearing a path for her.
Olivia carefully accompanied Lily, quickly passing by me.
Lily had a band-aid on her index finger, her face wearing an expression of having suffered a great injustice.
And in Olivia’s hands was a large bouquet of vibrant saffron flowers.
That bouquet was a thousand times more eye-catching than the roses she gave me. My roses were just a free gift.
They swept past towards the emergency room, drawing curious glances from passersby.
“Oh my god, if I’m not mistaken, are they the kind of relationship I’m thinking of?”
“Definitely. Such a big fuss over a small cut on the finger. That’s true pampering.”
“This must be true love. Love really knows no gender.”
“That cut would have scabbed over on its own if they’d waited any longer to come in…”
The surrounding discussions reached my ears word for word.
I lowered my head, smiling self-mockingly.
But the nurse recognized that it was my fiancée and asked in confusion:
“Sir, you’ve been here many times before. If I’m not mistaken, isn’t that your girlfriend?”
I opened my mouth, but my throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton.
In the past, even if I just forgot to eat a meal, Olivia would anxiously drag me to the hospital for a full checkup.
Now, she was accompanying her “true love” with a band-aid on her finger.
I was at a loss for words, but my phone vibrated.
[Lily’s hand injury is very serious. I need to stay with her tonight, so I won’t be coming home.]
[Take care of yourself and remember to take your medication on time.]
I looked up at Lily, who was surrounded by a large group of people not far away.
She was nestled in Olivia’s arms, acting coy, showing no signs of injury at all.
I replied “okay” with a blank expression.
Just as I put down my phone, a call came in.
Her voice was crisp, with a hint of excitement.
“I’ve changed the wedding theme to ‘Deep Sea Lost Dream.’ What do you think?”