Chapter 4

With just one day left until the surgery, I suddenly experienced a migraine. Dane immediately called for our family doctor.

I lay dizzy in bed, and noticed that the young nurse assisting the doctor with medications and tools was none other than Aria.

She wore a snug, delicate nurse's uniform that accentuated her curves, giving her a distinct allure.

Dane completely ignored her, remaining steadfast by my bedside, refusing to leave even for a moment.

Aria seemed unbothered, only flashing a challenging look when passing by me.

The doctor gave me a sleeping pill. Worried it might affect tomorrow's surgery, I kept it under my tongue without swallowing, merely closing my eyes to feign sleep.

After a short while, I heard the door close as Dane left.

I silently got up and cracked the door open just a sliver.

There I saw Dane gripping Aria's throat, forcefully pinning her against the wall.

"I warned you not to upset Melody," he growled.

His tone was exceptionally harsh, and his grip tightened.

Aria struggled to breathe, her face flushing red from the strain. Teary-eyed, she bit her lip and said:

"Dane, the doctor said that pill would make Melody sleep through the night. She won't wake up no matter how much you call her."

"I just wanted to spend some time with you. I didn't mean anything by it."She blushed, pulling open her coat to reveal a cloud-like expanse of white tulle.

My heart skipped a beat, my clenched fingers nearly piercing my palm.

What she wore was the wedding dress Dane had spent a year preparing for me...

Dane's eyes darkened, a crimson desire igniting within them as he raised his hand and struck Aria hard across the face.

"How dare you wear Melody's wedding dress!"

Aria, unfazed, replied in a seductive tone, "Isn't this more exciting?"

"Dane, your body is far more honest than your mouth."

Before she could finish speaking, Dane yanked up her skirt, throwing her onto the carpet. His expression twisted, like a wild beast in heat.

Through the thick door, I silently listened to the earth-shattering sounds from outside.

Dane tore my wedding dress apart with his own hands, the pristine skirt crushed beneath their bodies.

Aria turned her head towards my room, her voice completely unrestrained.

Though I had resolved to forget everything, the searing pain in my chest felt all too real.

To create a one-of-a-kind wedding dress for me, Dane had risked his life the year before, personally traveling to a South African tribe to acquire diamonds, nearly losing his life in the process.The dress hem was adorned with exactly nine hundred and ninety-nine South African diamonds, all personally cut and polished by him over an entire year.

He had promised that his love, like these diamonds, would never fade.

Sadly, while the diamonds remained unchanged, the person had not.

Outside the door, the noises continued to ebb and flow. I silently knelt on the floor, shredding all the photos of Dane and me into pieces.

Our first date,

Our first sunrise together,

Our first time cooking together,

Our first anniversary...

All these memories, now bid farewell.

After finishing everything and lying on the bed, I received a message from Aria.

"Sis Melody, you're not asleep, right?"

"I wanted to be quieter, but Dane doesn't care if you hear at all."

"Dane says you're like a dead fish in bed, it's been boring all these years."

Then, she sent a photo.

She lay on the carpet covered in marks, the wedding dress crumpled beneath her.

The diamonds that once symbolized fidelity were now tainted, their brilliance dimmed.

I saved all the chat logs and photos, replying with only one sentence:

"I wish you success."

Early the next morning, I opened my eyes to find Dane sitting by the bed, clutching my hand.

"Didn't go to work?"

I pulled my hand away in disgust.Dane paused momentarily, instinctively tensing up: "I was worried about you. I wanted to make sure you were awake before I left."

I observed the fatigue in his eyes after his indulgence, and smiled coldly.

Even now, he's still acting.

Perhaps all men are born actors.

I quietly studied him, then suddenly raised my hand and pulled out a thin, long white lace from his shirt collar.

Dane visibly tensed:

"Last night, I was tidying up the walk-in closet and noticed your wedding dress was a bit dirty. I had someone take it to be cleaned."

I slightly curled my lips, saying meaningfully:

"It's fine. When things get dirty, we just throw them away."

This applies to wedding dresses, and to people too.

Dirty things should have been discarded long ago.

Dane felt inexplicably uneasy, looking at me with a cautiously ingratiating gaze:

"Melody, I'm going to the TV station soon for a live broadcast. It's perfect timing to announce our wedding date."

"They'll video call you during the show, so remember to answer."

I nodded, my smile not reaching my eyes, "I'll give you a surprise then."

Dane's expression showed a moment of discomfort, but he hurriedly got up, kissed my cheek, and left.

I watched him get into Aria's SUV, then sluggishly gathered my things to head to the hospital.Just before entering the operating room, I received a video call from the TV station.

The host excitedly said that millions of viewers were waiting to witness our love.

I only felt the irony and calmly said:

"In the end, love is all about conscience."

I turned and released the video of our passionate lovemaking from last night to the public.

As I entered the operating room, Dane's agonized voice came through my phone.