Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English
Synopsis
Ten days before the wedding, I heard Julian Foster say with my own ears that marrying me was nothing more than an act of revenge for his golden girl.
The three years of devotion had been a lie. The deep affection had been a lie.
Even this wedding was nothing but a grand feast of humiliation he had prepared for me.
I wasn't going to sacrifice myself any longer.
I turned around and applied to join an overseas peacekeeping medical unit, signing an agreement not to return for three years, and arranged to take my comatose father with me.
Julian thought that as long as he held my father's medical bills over my head, I would have no choice but to obediently marry him.
What he didn't know was that at the wedding nine days from now, he would be standing at the altar alone!
Natalie Evans POV
When I pushed open the private room's door, I happened to overhear them discussing the wedding scheduled for ten days later.
"Julian, your wedding with Natalie Evans is in ten days. Are you really going to marry the daughter of your enemy?"
Hearing my name, my hand froze on the door.
After a few seconds of silence, Julian took a sip of his drink.
The voice that was usually so gentle and tender with me was now laced with casual indifference.
"Marry her? It's just a performance."
Hearing that, I felt like I had plunged into an icy abyss.
The private room went quiet for a beat before erupting into chuckles.
One of Julian's close friends chimed in:
"Serena was raised by the Foster family, and she’s been following you around since you two were kids. If Natalie Evans's father hadn't caused that car accident while drunk driving three years ago, leaving Serena with severe heart damage that required overseas treatment, why would you, the heir of the Foster family, ever humble yourself to coddle the Evans family's daughter?"
"Julian really put on a hell of an act these past three years, pampering Natalie Evans like a little princess. Even we almost thought you’d actually fallen for her."
"The higher you climb, the harder you fall." Julian toyed with the lighter in his hand, his tone calm. "At the wedding in ten days, right in front of the entire city's media, I'll broadcast the evidence of her father's hit-and-run back then. Along with videos of her begging me like a dog over the past three years just to please me."
"I want her to be completely ruined, just like her father. I want her to taste the same humiliation Serena suffered for three years."
Another friend voiced some concern: "But her dad’s been in a persistent vegetative state since the accident, surviving entirely on your hospital’s life support. And she’s completely devoted to you. If you cause such a scene at the wedding, what if she can’t take it and tries to end her life? Besides, once Serena recovers and comes back, the title of Mrs. Foster..."
"She deserves it," Julian cut in ruthlessly. "The position of Mrs. Foster has always belonged to Serena Vance alone. Natalie Evans is just a tool for my revenge, something to pass the time. In ten days, this game is over."
Outside the door, my face was deathly pale. I covered my mouth tightly so I wouldn't make a sound.
The blood in my veins ran cold.
These past three years.
He would rush out in the dead of night to buy medicine whenever I felt unwell.
He bought an entire island and put it in my name just because I offhandedly mentioned I liked the sea.
He had even thrown himself in front of a blade to protect me without a second thought when danger struck.
I thought I had met the man who loved me more than anyone ever could.
It turned out that every time he stared at me in a daze, it wasn't love. He was calculating how to grind my dignity into the dirt.
It turned out all his devotion was just to avenge the Foster family's adoptive daughter, a girl who didn't even share his blood.
Seeing that someone inside was about to step out, I snapped back to reality and stumbled out of the club.
It was pouring rain outside, but I walked straight into it as if I had lost all sensation.
Cold raindrops lashed against my face.
Julian's words echoed relentlessly in my head.
I had no idea how long I walked, but I finally made it back to the villa we shared.
In the center of the living room, the wedding dress meant for ten days from now still hung on display.
On the coffee table, the honey water I had personally brewed for Julian had long grown cold.
I didn't cry or throw a tantrum. I simply walked over to the dining table and dumped the glass into the sink.
Then, I pulled out my phone and dialed my uncle.
"You mentioned before... is that spot for a team physician in the overseas peacekeeping medical unit still available?"
My uncle sounded surprised on the other end: "It is, but once you join that program, you're cutting off all contact with the outside world. You can't come back for at least three years. Aren't you about to have your wedding with Julian Foster? You chased him for three years and endured so much grief, and now you’ve finally made it. Can you really let it go?"
Looking at that pure white wedding dress, the last flicker of light in my eyes died completely.
"There's nothing to hold onto. I was blind for three years." I gripped the phone, my knuckles turning white.
"He never loved me. That wedding is just a trap he set to avenge Serena Vance."
The line fell silent for a long time before he sighed. "Alright. I'll arrange for a military hospital to take over your father's care. Your application takes ten days to process. Use these ten days to settle your personal affairs. In ten days, the military will send a car to pick you up."
"Thank you."
Hanging up, I grabbed a red pen and drew a bold circle on the desk calendar.
Ten days until I disappeared completely from Julian Foster's world.
And that day happened to be the very wedding day Julian was so gleefully preparing to humiliate me.Natalie Evans POV
Early the next morning, Julian returned.
He still carried a faint scent of alcohol.
"Natalie?"
He called out out of habit, his voice dripping with tenderness.
But I knew it was all an act.
I didn't answer him.
The house was dead silent.
Julian pushed open the bedroom door.
I was sitting at the vanity, calmly putting the rings from my jewelry box into a bag.
Julian wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder, his voice gentle. "Sorting your jewelry? Only ten days until our wedding. Have you tried on the tiara that was flown in from Italy yesterday?"
He was testing me.
He wanted to see me basking in false happiness, eagerly looking forward to becoming Mrs. Foster.
I didn't pull away.
Looking at Julian's affectionate face in the mirror, I only felt sick to my stomach.
If I hadn't heard him with my own ears last night, I might have truly believed him.
"Julian Foster." I cast my gaze down, my voice flat. "Let's put the wedding on hold."
The smile on Julian's lips froze instantly.
His gaze turned chilly. "What do you mean? The invitations are already out, and now you're telling me to put it on hold?"
He thought I was playing hard to get.
After all, for the past three years, my love for him had known no limits.
"I'm not joking." I tossed the last ring into the bag. "I just don't see the point anymore. Julian, I'm not going through with this wedding."
Julian stared hard at me.
I knew he had spent three years meticulously plotting his revenge, waiting to execute it in ten days.
If I backed out now, wouldn't all his plans be completely ruined?
"Natalie, what kind of tantrum are you throwing now?" Julian grabbed my wrist. "Is this because I didn't come home to be with you last night? There was an urgent meeting at the company, and my phone died. Be good."
Looking at his facade, I coldly wrenched my hand free.
"Julian, drop the devoted act." I took a step back, my eyes cold without a trace of warmth. "It disgusts me."
"Disgusts you?"
My words struck a nerve. He narrowed his eyes, finally tearing away his gentle mask.
"Natalie, who do you really think you are?" Julian let out a cold sneer. "If it weren't for..."
Buzz—Buzz—
Before he could finish, the phone in his pocket vibrated violently.
It was a call from his assistant.
Julian answered, and his face changed drastically. "What did you say? Serena came back early? She's in the hospital right now?!"
Hearing the name Serena, my expression shifted slightly.
So his true love had returned ahead of schedule.
How ironic.
Julian hung up, completely forgetting about the wedding.
Without even sparing me another glance, he turned and stormed out.
At the doorway, he paused as if suddenly remembering something.
"Natalie Evans, you're having that wedding in ten days whether you want to or not." Julian didn't look back, his voice as cold as ice. "Don't forget your father is still in my hospital. If you dare take a single step out of this house, I guarantee you won't even be able to afford his medical bills tomorrow."
With that, the front door slammed shut with a deafening bang.
I stood there, staring at the closed door.
I took out my phone and texted the caregiver at the nursing facility.
"Please help me prepare the transfer paperwork."
He wanted to use the wedding to get his revenge.
Then I would give him a wedding he would never forget.
Nine days.
I just had to endure nine more days.
Once the transfer and military medical procedures were complete, I would take my father and vanish from this man's life forever.Natalie Evans POV
In the afternoon, I went to the hospital.
I signed all the paperwork and documents needed for my father's transfer.
Right then, Julian called. "If you have time, come keep Serena company at the hospital over the next few days. She's in a vulnerable state, and I might not always be free to be with her."
Signing the final document, I couldn't help but snap back, "The hospital has nurses. What kind of company does she need from me? Should I sing and dance to entertain her?"
Julian's tone grew displeased. "What's with your attitude? Serena is part of the Foster family. When we get married, she'll be your sister. She's hospitalized; isn't it only proper for you to visit out of courtesy?"
"You always used to have good manners. What is wrong with you today, throwing one tantrum after another? I've really spoiled you rotten."
Trembling with anger, I hung up directly.
Seconds later, Julian sent a location pin with no accompanying text.
What a coincidence. The location was in this very building.
My father and Serena Vance were staying in the same hospital.
I went back to listening to the doctor's update on my father's condition. There was no improvement, but I had already prepared myself for that.
Once that was settled, I thought about it and decided to head toward Serena's room anyway.
It wasn't far—just two floors down.
The room door was slightly ajar.
When I pushed it open, Julian was sitting by the bedside, carefully slicing an apple into small pieces and feeding them to Serena.
Hearing the door, Julian turned his head.
"What took you so long?" He glanced at his watch, frowning slightly. "Serena said this morning she was craving pancakes. Didn't I text you to pick some up on your way?"
Frowning, I checked my chat history and saw that Julian had indeed texted me two hours ago.
Looking into his eyes, my voice carried a faint, barely detectable tremor. "That shop is too far. My blood sugar dropped this morning and I felt dizzy, so I didn't go out of my way to buy them."
I wanted to see if this man—who once stayed up all night in a panic over my minor cold—would show even a shred of concern upon hearing that I felt unwell.
Even just a sliver.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Julian's gaze swept over my pale face, but it didn't linger for a second.
Looking away, he casually grabbed a wet wipe and cleaned his hands. "Natalie, Serena has had health complications ever since that accident. You know how much she's suffered these past three years."
He looked at me, his tone so calm it sounded like an indisputable truth.
"As the family member of the person responsible, is buying her breakfast really asking too much?"
Staring at him, the very last trace of foolish hope in my heart shattered into dust.
Everything I had heard outside the private room last night was real.
I still remembered how, two years ago, when I was hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis and drenched in cold sweat from the pain, Julian dropped everything to stay by my bedside for three days and three nights.
I used to think that was love.
No wonder he kept checking his phone every few minutes back then. No wonder he stood in the hallway smoking anxiously all night long.
Those three days happened to be the exact window when Serena was undergoing minimally invasive surgery on her heart abroad.
He was waiting by my bedside, but his heart was waiting for the outcome of Serena's surgery.
All his true devotion had been placed on someone else.
"You're right." I looked down, my lips curving into a self-deprecating smile. "It's not asking too much."
The door opened, and several of Julian's friends walked in.
Hearing my words, one of them sneered, "Natalie Evans, why do you always look so wronged? If you don't want to come, then don't. Who are you putting on this act for? Julian's the only one who indulges you; anyone else would have lost their patience long ago."
"Exactly. You can't even show a little tolerance, yet you act so high and mighty."
Julian sat in his chair, letting his friends mock me without saying a single word.
In the past, he would never have allowed anyone to humiliate me like this.
Six months ago, a drunken wealthy businessman casually referred to me as a maid, and Julian blew up on the spot.
Back then, he protected me fiercely: "Natalie is my fiancée. Anyone who gives her grief is insulting me."
Sure enough, as the wedding date approached, his patience was wearing thin.
Now, as they trampled my dignity right in front of him, he didn't even knit his brows.Natalie Evans POV
"Alright, stop picking on Natalie."
With reddened eyes, Serena interrupted his friends.
Her gaze fell upon my neck and suddenly froze.
"Natalie, your necklace is so pretty." Serena bit her lower lip, her voice dropping. "I used to have a similar one, but sadly, I lost it in the car crash back then."
It was a pink diamond necklace, the only heirloom my mother had left me. I never took it off.
Julian's gaze followed Serena's words, landing on my collarbone.
"It's just a necklace." Julian turned to look at me, his tone indifferent. "Take it off and let Serena wear it for a few days."
I froze, my eyes widening in disbelief.
"Julian, you know what this is." Clutching the necklace against my chest, my voice finally trembled uncontrollably. "This is the only thing my mother left me!"
I had shared the story behind this necklace with him, word by word.
Back then, he had kissed the corner of my eye tenderly, promising he would always protect me.
"I know." Julian looked at me, a flicker of impatience crossing his eyes, as if baffled by why I was making a fuss over something so trivial. "Serena likes it. What's the harm in letting her wear it for a few days?"
Softening his tone, he tried to placate me, "Things are inanimate, but people are alive. The living matter more, don't they? If you like jewelry, I'll get you something even better later."
I stared at him, my eyes red enough to bleed.
In Julian's logic, as long as it made Serena happy, I should hand everything over with both hands.
"No." I stepped back, tears welling in my eyes, but I clamped my teeth together to keep them from falling.
Julian's expression finally hardened into ice.
He stood up and stepped in front of me.
"Natalie, don't make me repeat myself." He glared at me. "Take it off."
I held tightly onto my neck, refusing to move.
Just then, Serena threw off the blanket and walked over.
"Julian, don't force Natalie. I don't want it anymore." Serena cried as she reached for my hand, seemingly trying to pull me toward Julian. "Natalie, don't be mad at Julian, it's all my fault."
Her tugging was rough, and her fingers accidentally snagged the delicate chain.
Suddenly, the clasp snapped with a sharp crack.
The pink diamond hit the floor, bouncing crisply twice before rolling under the hospital bed.
My mind went completely blank.
"Ah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Serena gasped. Her footing slipped, and she stumbled backward, crashing heavily into a nearby medical cart.
"Serena!"
Julian shoved me aside and lunged forward to scoop Serena into his arms.
His push sent me crashing hard against the door handle, the pain in my waist knocking the wind right out of me.
While checking Serena for injuries, Julian shot a glare at me, his eyes freezing cold.
"It was just a necklace. Did you really have to make such a scene?"
His voice dripped with disappointment and blame. "Serena can barely even stand! Why didn't you just move out of the way?!"
Gripping the doorframe, I watched the way he shielded Serena, my gaze falling to the broken chain lying at my feet.
That was the last piece of my mother I had left.
And now, it was snapped in two.
The tears finally spilled over, but a laugh slipped from my throat instead.
It turned out that when your heart truly dies, you really stop feeling the pain.
"You're right, Julian." I straightened my posture and wiped the wetness from my cheeks, keeping my voice barely above a whisper. "It's just a necklace. I overreacted."
Turning on my heel, I walked out of the hospital room without looking back once.Natalie's POV
After leaving the hospital, I headed straight back to the villa to pack a few things.
Then, I hailed a cab to a luxury consignment shop.
Over the past three years, Julian had never been stingy with gifts.
Haute couture gowns, limited-edition designer bags, and entire jewelry suites snagged at overseas auctions.
To play the role of the devoted boyfriend convincingly, he had spoiled me to no end.
I had once treasured every single piece as proof of his love, locking them carefully inside a safe, too afraid to even wear them on ordinary days.
The consignment shop owner took one look at the two large suitcases I hauled in and sucked in a sharp breath.
"Ms. Evans, these are ultra-luxury pieces. Some of them can't be bought even with all the money in the world. Are you sure you want to part with all of it?"
"Yes. I don't want any of it. Cash it all out for me, preferably today." I didn't feel an ounce of regret letting it all go.
I had never been vain; keeping them around was useless compared to something practical.
Once the appraisal was finished, the owner wired the funds directly into my account.
Staring at the updated balance, I pulled up my phone and checked the medical bills Julian's private hospital had covered for my father over the years.
I calculated the total down to the cent, tacked on three years of interest, and transferred every single penny straight into Julian's personal account.
Only then did I dial the direct line of the director at the military hospital.
"Dr. Lewis, I've secured all the funds. I will immediately wire the transfer fees and the subsequent treatment costs to the military hospital's account."
"Understood, Ms. Evans. The moment the funds arrive, we'll coordinate the transfer plan. Rest assured."
Hanging up, I returned to the villa.
I placed the black card Julian had given me on the coffee table, right beside the six-carat diamond engagement ring.
With that done, I stepped into the walk-in closet, pulled out a black backpack, and started packing my final belongings.
Truth be told, very little in this place actually belonged to me.
It took only a few minutes to finish. Next, I booked a flight to the base.
Just as I finished wrapping everything up, Julian walked through the front door.
He slipped off his shoes and stepped into the living room. As his gaze brushed past the coffee table, he abruptly froze.
"What kind of scene are you making now?" Julian walked over, picking up the black card and the ring, his brows drawing together. "Refusing to use the card? Not wearing the ring? Are you still throwing a tantrum over that necklace from this afternoon?"
I sat on the sofa, zipping up my backpack without glancing at him.
"I don't need them anymore."
Julian let out a dry, mocking chuckle and shed his suit jacket.
He sat down across from me, visibly suppressing his irritation, trying to sound reasonable. "I already had someone order a pink diamond necklace. It'll arrive in a couple of days. That should be enough to satisfy you, shouldn't it?"
"Julian," I said, looking up to interrupt him evenly. "I refunded all of my father's medical bills to your account today. I cleared three years of interest alongside it."
Julian froze.
He pulled out his phone to check his personal account.
Three hours ago, a substantial wire transfer had indeed landed, marked with the note: *Medical bills settled in full.*
His expression darkened instantly.
"Where did you get that kind of money?" He glared at me, his eyes turning arctic.
"I sold everything you ever gave me."
Julian's face contorted with anger.
"You sold them? You did that on purpose just to pick a fight with me?"
I stood up. "Mr. Foster's gifts are far too lavish. The daughter of a hit-and-run driver isn't worthy of wearing them."
I turned to walk upstairs.
"Stop right there!" Julian gripped my wrist with terrifying force.
He stared at me, fury boiling in his eyes, just on the verge of detonating.
*Buzz—*
The phone in his pocket began to vibrate.
Serena's name flashed across the screen.
Taking a deep breath, he released my wrist and answered it.
"Julian, where are you?" Serena's panicked sobs spilled through the speaker. "There's thunder outside the hospital. I'm so scared... please come be with me!"
Julian's face shifted instantly. Without even grabbing his jacket, he bolted toward the front door.
"Don't be afraid. I'm on my way!"
The heavy door slammed shut with a resounding bang.
I rubbed the red marks blooming across my wrist.
Looking around the cavernous, empty living room, I found it almost laughable.
Serena truly had a gift; a single whim from her lips could command Julian's undivided attention in a heartbeat.
It seemed all the rumors circulating in high society about Julian falling for me were nothing but lies.
And I had been foolish enough to let myself believe it.
I walked over to the calendar and drew a red line through today's date.
Eight days left until the wedding.
Eight days. It would pass in the blink of an eye.
Chapters (5)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Watch & Promotions
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