Vincent had just put Serafina in her car when he overheard my last few words.

I realized he hadn't heard the rest of the conversation, so I quickly made something up.

“A friend of mine. She’s leaving Chicago soon.”

Vincent nodded and didn't press further.

Four days to go. Vincent brought back the "souvenir photos" he and Serafina had taken on the Amalfi Coast.

He was on a video call with Serafina, holding up an ornate silver frame for her to see, a gentle smile in his eyes.

“Sera, look, the photo’s printed. When I went to pick it up, even the gallery staff said it looked like a movie poster.”

I happened to be coming out of the bedroom for a glass of water just as he said it.

A flicker of awkwardness crossed Vincent’s face as he looked at me, about to say something.

I glanced at the photo and commented sincerely, “It does look nice.”

I had hired that famous, nationally-renowned photographer at a high price, hoping he would capture the most romantic moments between Vincent and me.

I imagined that when I saw the final photos, I would feel a happiness I’d never known.

In the picture, Vincent, dressed in a white linen suit, was just as handsome as I had imagined.

The only difference was that the woman in the white dress standing beside him, smiling radiantly, was not me.

But my heart no longer felt a single ripple of emotion.

Ever since I found out Serafina was pregnant, my love for Vincent had been completely drained away.

Vincent, however, was stunned.

He suddenly realized it had been a long time since I had initiated a conversation with him. Even during the week he was in Italy with Serafina, I hadn't sent him a single text.

It felt strange to him.

On the video call, Serafina was still chattering away. He shook his head, pushing aside the unsettling thought. He figured I was just tired from all the wedding planning.

Two days to go. I needed to pick up some prescription refills from the pharmacy.

Unexpectedly, in the parking garage, I ran into Vincent and Serafina, who had just come from a prenatal check-up.

A rare flash of panic crossed Vincent’s eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but Serafina beat him to it.

She walked up to me, grabbed my hand, and made a show of kneeling, her voice choked with emotion.

“Eleanor, I know you still haven't accepted the idea of me and Vincent having a child, but I just can't wait any longer. The doctors say I have a year at most. I really want to see my baby being born.”

“Once the child is born, I promise I’ll stay far away from Vincent. I won’t get in the way of your relationship.”

Before I could say a word, Vincent pulled her up, his eyes filled with concern.

“You’re not well. You can’t do this.”

Then he looked at me.

“Since you know, I won’t hide it anymore.”

“Don’t worry. This won’t affect our wedding.”

If this had been a month ago, I would have been furious, devastated, filled with self-doubt.

I would have wondered what I, as his fiancée, had done wrong to make him so willing to have a child with another woman.

But after a month of torment, I had figured it out.

It wasn't that I wasn't good enough. It was that Vincent didn't love me.

Because he didn't love me, he could do something so cruel without any regard for my feelings.

I already knew about the pregnancy, and my feelings for him were long gone. There was no need for them to put on this tragic play for me.

I gave them a silent look and turned away.

“I understand.”

With that, I started to leave with my medication. My departure date was getting close, and I still had some final packing to do.

The two of them were clearly not expecting me to be so calm.

Especially Vincent. He watched my retreating back with a complicated expression.

I had argued with him about this for a whole month, yet when I saw the proof with my own eyes, I had no reaction at all.

For some reason, a sense of unease settled in his heart. It was as if something had quietly changed without him knowing.

Just as I reached the stairwell, Serafina ran up and grabbed my sleeve.

Vincent was still getting the car, and with him gone, her true colors finally showed.

“Eleanor Hayes, how does it feel to watch your fiancé have a baby with another woman?”

I didn't want to get into a pointless fight with her. I shook her hand off and tried to leave.

But as I pulled away, Serafina lost her balance and stumbled backward.

Instinctively, I reached out and caught her, stopping her from falling down the stairs.

But before I could let go, a furious voice roared from behind me.

“What the hell are you doing!”

Vincent had been wondering why I was so calm. Now, seeing this, he thought he "understood." I was just pretending to be calm, but deep down, I couldn't accept it.

The moment Serafina saw Vincent, she immediately put on a victim act, clutching her stomach with tears in her eyes.

“Brother Vince, I was just trying to thank Eleanor for being so understanding, but I didn't expect her to…”

Hearing this, Vincent's face darkened.

“Eleanor Hayes, I never thought you were this kind of person!”

“Apologize to Serafina. Now!”