Chapter 1

One month before the wedding, Lucas gave my wedding venue to his first love, Serena.

He even said, "Her grandfather is dying. He wants to see her married before he goes. I'll marry her first."

Serena also sent me a taunting text:

"I've already worn your wedding dress. Tonight, on your wedding night, I'll sleep with your man first too."

The attached photo showed her in my custom wedding dress, lying on our marriage bed.

Seven years as his fiancée, and I didn't even have the right to wear my own dress. I had to give it to someone else.

I didn't cry or make a scene. I calmly posted online: "Wedding canceled. Looking for a new groom. Anyone interested?"

A call came in immediately.

It was my lifelong rival, Theodore Holt.

"Elara, marry me."

Elara's POV

The wedding was just a month away. But inside the VIP room of the wedding planning company, Lucas and I sat in deathly silence.

It started with a call from Serena. After that, Lucas made an absurd decision. He wanted to give her the island chapel and the wedding date we'd spent a year preparing.

"Serena's grandfather is dying," Lucas said. "His last wish is to see her get married. She found a fake fiancé just for the ceremony, and she urgently needs a venue and a date. We can have our wedding anytime. But she can't wait.

His voice was cold. Clinical. Like he was talking about rearranging furniture.

Looking at this man I'd loved for seven years, I felt chilled to the bone.

"That's our wedding date. That's the venue I've always dreamed of. Don't you think it's ridiculous to give it to another woman?"

Lucas frowned, a flash of impatience crossing his eyes. "Elara, since when did you become so heartless? It's a dying man's last wish. Have you no compassion?"

My eyes burned, but I held back my tears.

This wasn't the first time. Ever since Serena came back, Lucas kept pushing his boundaries further.

When Serena was afraid of the dark, he left me with a fever in the middle of the night to stay with her. When Serena was upset, he canceled our anniversary to cheer her up.

And now, even our wedding had to be given away.

Seeing my silence, Lucas directly took the venue transfer agreement from the table and signed his name.

"I have things to do. I need to go to the hospital to see her grandfather. You should calm down on your own first."

With that, he turned and left without a second thought.

Watching his retreating figure, I suddenly realized that over seven years, I'd always been watching his back.

In college, Lucas was the finance department's golden boy.

I gave it everything I had to become his girlfriend. I thought I was special.

Then Serena appeared. And I understood that the place beside him was never meant for me.

My phone buzzed. A text from Serena.

She sent a photo. Lucas sat by a hospital bed, head down, peeling an apple for her. His face held a tenderness I'd never seen.

The caption read: "Thanks for lending me Lucas and the wedding venue, Elara. Grandpa is so happy."

I felt like I'd been plunged into ice water.

Lending? Since when could you lend out a fiancé?

I suddenly felt tired, that bone-deep exhaustion instantly drowning me. For Lucas, I'd sacrificed too much, given up my dignity, and in the end, I was ruthlessly abandoned right before the wedding.

Since he didn't cherish this relationship, I didn't want it anymore either.

I took a deep breath, pulled out my phone, photographed the canceled wedding plan on the table, and posted it on Instagram, blocking Lucas.

"Wedding canceled. Now I want a new groom. Anyone interested?"

After posting on Instagram, likes and comments quickly appeared below, most thinking I was joking.

I didn't reply. Just as I was about to lock my screen and leave, a phone call suddenly came in.

A name flashed on the screen: Theodore Holt.

I froze.

Theodore was my childhood enemy. Our family backgrounds were similar, and we'd fought from kindergarten through high school. Later, to chase Lucas, I resolutely stayed in this unfamiliar city and lost contact with Theodore.

Our only recent interaction was when I posted my wedding dress fitting photos on Instagram a while ago, and he left a mocking comment below: "Terrible taste. Can you not marry him?"

I was so angry at the time that I ignored him.

When I answered the phone, before I could speak, a man's deep, magnetic voice came through without a trace of jest. "Elara, if you want a new groom, how about me?"

The air fell into dead silence.

I gripped my phone, my fingertips turning white. "Theodore, don't joke about this kind of thing."

"I'm not joking." Theodore's voice carried unprecedented seriousness. "We've known each other for so many years. We're very familiar with each other. Since you want to change, I'm the best choice."

After a long silence, I spoke hoarsely. "Alright. What are your conditions?"

"Only one condition. Change my contact name to 'Husband.' And whatever other wives can give their husbands, I want too."

My eyes welled up, tears nearly falling. I thought I'd be mocked, but I never expected that at this moment, the one catching all my embarrassment would be my former enemy.

"Okay."

"Give me half a month. I'll handle things here and then come back to New York to find you."

After hanging up, the first thing I did was change Theodore's contact name to "Husband."

Looking at the contact name on the screen, a mocking smile curved my lips.

Lucas, since you could give away even our wedding for Serena, then I'll get a new groom.