Chapter 5
After leaving Nathaniel’s contact information, Scarlett left the facility.
As soon as she reached the street, she received a text from Nathaniel with a church address.
“Wedding rehearsal. Bridesmaid needs to be present.”
Scarlett took a taxi to the church.
When she arrived at the dressing room, she saw Nathaniel discussing bouquet options with Riley.
Her heart ached.
Indeed, the church for the wedding, the white doves, the flower arrangements-they were all ordinary.
Yet each detail had clearly been carefully designed, showing they were chosen with genuine care.
When Nathaniel truly loved someone, he really did give his whole heart.
Scarlett walked up behind them.
Riley turned and saw her, exclaiming excitedly, “You’re here! Perfect timing-can you check if my accessories look right… Oh! I forgot to put on that bracelet!”
She smacked her forehead in frustration, opened her jewelry box, and pulled out a bracelet.”
Scarlett only had to glance at the bracelet once before freezing in place.
That was… the couple’s bracelet she had designed for herself and Nathaniel two years ago!
Nathaniel had promised to have it made and give it to her on their seventh anniversary.
“Where did you get this?” Scarlett asked, her voice hollow.
“This? Nate gave it to me,” Riley replied, putting on the bracelet and leaning sweetly against Nathaniel’s shoulder. “Last year, there was a power outage one night, and Nate stayed with me the whole time. We made our relationship official that night, and he gave me this bracelet then.”
“What day was that?” Scarlett asked with difficulty.
Riley thought for a moment. “February 17th.”
Scarlett felt as if something inside her shattered completely.
February 17th-that was the night of their seventh anniversary.
Scarlett stared at the bracelet, feeling as if a sharp knife was twisting in her heart, making it impossible to speak.
Just then, someone called for Riley, and she left the room.
For a moment, only Scarlett and Nathaniel remained.
In the silent air, Scarlett spoke softly, “On our anniversary, you told me you had an emergency surgery.”
She seemed confused and incredulous. “But that night, how were you at Riley’s place?”
Nathaniel was silent for a moment, then said, “I lied to you.”
Scarlett froze, “Oh, so on February 23rd last year, when you said you had a department dinner at the hospital, that was a lie too?”
“That was Riley’s birthday.”
Nathaniel’s tone was completely calm.
Scarlett nodded in understanding, but tears gradually filled her eyes. She asked hoarsely, “And on March 6th, when you said you had surgery…”
“I took Riley to an amusement park.”
“March 15th…”
“She had a nightmare. I went to comfort her.”
Nathaniel looked directly at her, and this time, without her asking, he continued:
“April 7th, I said I had a three-day business trip. I was actually taking Riley to Tahiti.”
“April 13th, Riley and I watched the sunrise at Mount Rainier. April 22nd, we went to Lake Tahoe. May 3rd, Riley and I returned from a vacation in Japan. She said she wanted to get married, so the next day I broke up with you. Do you want to hear more?”
He recounted these events one by one, as if they were of no consequence.
Scarlett’s throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton. She opened her mouth but couldn’t make a sound.
This man could so calmly and frankly drive knife after knife into her heart.
Along with all their past memories, everything was being completely destroyed by Nathaniel in this moment.
The pain in Scarlett’s heart was almost suffocating. She bit her lip hard but still couldn’t control herself from crying out.
“Why?”
Why would he do this to her?
She had done nothing wrong-why would he treat her like this?
Nathaniel looked at her calmly. “Does the answer even matter now?”
Scarlett trembled all over, her vision blurred with tears.
A year ago, she would have grabbed Nathaniel’s collar and demanded to know how he could be so self-righteous. Didn’t he feel even a shred of guilt?
But now, she couldn’t.
Because she was dying.
n just a few days, she would be gone.
So all these answers truly had lost their meaning.
The door opened again, and Riley walked back in, looking curiously at them. “The rehearsal’s starting. What were you two talking about?”
Scarlett turned away, wiped her tears, and walked straight out.
During the rehearsal, she stood in the corner, listening as the coordinator went through the wedding details.
‘The bride will enter from the outside door. The bridesmaid will place the bride’s hand into the groom’s.”
Then the bride and groom will stand here and recite their vows. Groom, do you remember your vows?”
Scarlett, who had been lost in thought, looked up to see Nathaniel on stage, taking Riley’s hand and reciting with absolute sincerity:
“I take this beautiful woman to be my wife, to comfort her, protect her, cherish her, and treasure her as a jewel, in sickness and in health, in wealth and in poverty, to love her faithfully forever.”
As he spoke, the tenderness in his eyes was as deep as the ocean, as if he could drown someone in this pool of affection and sweetness.
Scarlett stood rigidly, feeling pain with every breath.
This scene before her had been her dream wedding countless times.
And this man, who had so cruelly revealed their past just minutes ago.
But now she was being forced to witness their happy moment.
It was all too ironic.
Scarlett took a deep breath and turned to leave.
Just then, she heard the coordinator announce, “Next, the bridesmaid will come on stage to offer a toast to the couple!”
