Part 1As Love Fades Away

I ignored my friends and family’s objections and insisted on pursuing my now-girlfriend, who was disfigured in a car crash when she tried to save her first love.

Some laughed at me for being a back-up plan, but I didn’t care. I worked day and night, earning money for her plastic surgery, and stayed by her side as she walked out of depression.

But on the eve of our wedding day, as I was doing her laundry, a marriage certificate dropped out of her pants pocket.

The groom was her first love.

I was about to make things clear with her when I overheard her conversation with her best friend. “I know Steve saved me, but if Yves doesn’t marry me, he’ll be forced into a marriage alliance. I don’t want to see him lose his freedom.

“As for Steve, I’ll find someone to forge a certificate for me. Don’t blurt this out, okay…”

I felt my blood then grow cold as I quietly changed the groom of our wedding three days later to her first love.

By the time she found out about the surprise, I would have left for abroad, never to return.

* * *

“Hazel, it was Steve who sold his house and car and even his own blood to save you from that car accident that disfigured you. He loves you so much, yet you ended up registering your marriage with Yves right before getting married to Steve. How could you do this to him?”

“I know it’s not fair to him, but I can’t stand idly by watching Yves get forced into a marriage with another woman by his own family. He’ll lose all his freedom for the rest of his life.”

As I heard my girlfriend’s voice of helplessness through the door to her room, I stood right outside as a cold dread washed over me, leaving my whole body trembling.

Just moments ago, a folded-up marriage certificate had dropped out of her pants pocket when I was doing laundry for her.

The groom’s name was Yves Landon, her first love.

I felt a huge weight over my chest, suffocating me so much it hurt. I had wanted to demand an explanation from her but ended up accidentally overhearing her phone conversation.

Five years ago, Yves caught the common cold but exaggerated his condition, making my girlfriend, Hazel Bale, drive to him with medication. She met with a car accident on her way there, and Yves fled abroad immediately, abandoning her for fear that she might hold him accountable and blame him.

She was in critical danger at that time and was severely disfigured. She also had severe depression.

I stayed vigil by her side at the hospital to take care of her and even used up all my savings on her treatment. I gave her my all just so that she could slowly walk out of the dark.

I didn’t expect her to still be in love with Yves despite agreeing to marry me.

I smiled bitterly and walked back to the guest room in silence.

I tortured myself by staring at that marriage certificate and a photo of the two of them looking like a match made in heaven.

They were wearing matching outfits, and Yves had a bright smile on his face, while Hazel looked more reserved in comparison. However, the way their shoulders pressed against each other left no doubt that their hearts were closely connected.

The date indicated on the certificate was yesterday.

Hazel had told me that her friend needed help. I asked her which friend it was, to which she hemmed and hawed, and even the look in her eyes was off.

At that time, I had mistakenly thought that she was preparing a surprise for me. To think that she was harboring a guilty conscience.

Over the past five years, I had never once thought of leaving her.

I was the one who walked out of the hospital with her back then. I was the one who was by her side as she went through countless plastic surgeries to become beautiful and confident once more. I was the one who hugged her tight whenever she had nightmares. I was also the one who stayed by her side during her darkest moments.

But now, I felt tired.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat and called the wedding planner.

“Change the groom to Yves Landon.”

“Ch-change the groom? Do you have his measurements? We might have to redo the entire custom suit.”

I blurted some figures without much thought over it.

During the time I spent with Hazel, she had told me everything about Yves countless times, and I listened to her every single time.

“Remember, don’t tell anyone about the change in groom.”

I considered this surprise my final gift to Hazel.