Chapter 1
Liz Smith’s fingertips tightened slightly around her phone. Her voice was calm and unreadable. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“All right, understood. I’ll go ahead and process the cancellation.”
“Thank you.”
After hanging up, Liz took off the engagement ring on her left hand and set it gently on the table. Then she stood up, grabbed her suitcase, and walked out.
*
Half a month earlier, it was early evening when Liz walked out of the courthouse after finishing a case. The first thing she did was check her phone.
She opened her messaging app. At the top, the pinned conversation was filled with dozens of messages she had sent but none of them were answered.
Ever since she and Zac Lincoln had argued over the wedding invitation design last month, he had flown overseas for a business trip the very next day. No matter how many messages she sent or how many times she tried to make peace, he completely ignored her for the entire month.
In this relationship, Liz had already lowered herself as much as she possibly could, but no matter how hard she tried, she still couldn’t win Zac back.
Her best friend, Jane Stone, had finally had enough. She mocked Liz for handling countless divorce cases every year and dealing with every kind of scumbag, yet still falling head over heels for Zac and refusing to see him for who he really was.
But Liz wasn’t blind. She saw everything clearly. She just couldn’t let go.
She couldn’t let go of what they once had—the deep love, the bond they used to share. She couldn’t accept how things had become cold and strained between them, like two strangers who couldn’t stand each other.
And she couldn’t let go of Zac.
After eight years together, she no longer remembered what her life had been like before him. She didn’t know how to live without him.
She typed a few words into the message box, about to ask when he would be back. But just then, a notification appeared on her screen.
Zac had posted a new update on social media.
It was a simple photo of the ocean, but Liz recognized it immediately. It was the Maldives—the place she had mentioned countless times, the one she had always dreamed of visiting with him.
Her fingers paused. She was about to switch back to the chat when a message from Jane appeared.
Out of habit, she clicked it. It was a screenshot of someone else’s post—Xena Spencer’s.
It was the exact same photo of the ocean. But this one had a caption.
“I casually complained that I was tired of traveling for work, and he surprised me with a Maldives getaway!”
Zac knew exactly what the Maldives meant to her.
It was the place she had begged to go, countless times. He always said he was too busy.
But now he had taken another woman there.
Her eyes stung. A tear slipped down before she could stop it.
The chill in the evening air suddenly felt like it had reached her bones.
Then Jane called.
“That bitch Xena is seriously unbelievable. She knows you and Zac are about to get married, and she still posted that photo just to get under your skin?
“And Zac? What the hell is wrong with him? He could’ve taken her anywhere, but he chose the one place he knew you had always dreamed of going with him? Eight years, and this is how he treats you?
“They’ve been this shameless for three years. You’ve already been putting up with this crap for three years. Are you really going to marry him and live like this for the rest of your life?”
Liz felt her chest tighten, heavy with bitterness.
She understood every word Jane was saying.
But after eight years together, and with the wedding just a month away, she couldn’t bring herself to let go. Not yet.
She wanted to try one last time. If it still didn’t work, then she would accept it and walk away for good.
“Jane, the wedding dress fitting and bridesmaid try-ons are this Saturday. Don’t forget to come.”
There was a long pause on the other end. Then Jane cursed and hung up without another word.
If they kept talking, she was afraid Liz would drive her insane.
Everyone could see that Zac had already moved on. But Liz just wouldn’t let go. She was convinced that if she held on long enough, he would eventually come back.
What Liz didn’t know was that Jane had seen Zac more than once, arms around different women, walking into hotels like he didn’t have a fiancée waiting at home.
He was rotten. He wasn’t the man who used to look at Liz like she was his entire world. He had turned into a complete scumbag.
Men like him deserved to get hit by a car and be impotent for life.
*
That night, Liz barely slept. She had one nightmare after another and only managed to drift off near dawn.
She had just fallen asleep when she heard the fingerprint lock click at the front door.
Liz opened her eyes. Just as she sat up, Zac walked in.
He walked in, dragging a suitcase behind him, looking tired and worn from travel. But Liz immediately noticed the lipstick stain on his collar and the faint scratch marks across his chest.
Her grip on the blanket tightened. It felt like someone had shoved a block of ice into her chest, and the cold was spreading through every inch of her body.
When he saw she was awake, Zac raised an eyebrow. “Did I wake you?”
As he spoke, he wheeled the suitcase over to the closet and began searching for clothes.
Liz took a deep breath and stared at his back. “Did you take Xena to the Maldives?”
Zac froze, his hand hovering over a shirt. He turned around with a mocking smile. “What about it? If you like it that much, we can go there for our honeymoon.”
The sarcasm in his voice hit her hard. Liz’s face went pale.
“You know how much that place means to me.”
“So what? Just because you wanted to go, Xena couldn’t?”
“That’s not what I meant. I just—” I just wanted to go there with you.
Before she could finish, Zac interrupted, sounding impatient. “I just got back from a long trip. I’m exhausted. I really don’t feel like arguing with you right now.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.
Liz lowered her eyes and stared at her fingertips, pale from how tightly she had been gripping the blanket. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
There was a time when he would at least argue with her. Now, he couldn’t even be bothered to fight.
By the time Zac came out of the shower, Liz was already dressed. She sat at her vanity, calmly applying lipstick in front of the mirror.
She was wearing a floor-length dark green velvet gown. Her long hair flowed past her waist, and her makeup was flawless. She looked breathtaking—so beautiful it was almost impossible to look away.
Zac glanced at her without emotion, then quickly looked away.
As he reached for the door, Liz spoke in a quiet, steady voice. “The wedding dress fitting is on Saturday. I hope you won’t be late again.”
She had always hated people who were late. One of the reasons she agreed to be with Zac in the first place was because he had been reliable, always on time.
But ever since he stopped loving her, he had broken one promise after another—all for other women.
Zac gave a faint smile, laced with sarcasm. “Relax. I won’t be.”
Just then, his phone rang.
Whether it was intentional or not, he answered it on speaker. A sugary-sweet voice echoed from the phone.
“Mr. Lincoln, you were way too rough last night. I’m still sore. You better take responsibility.”
