Chapter 1

I had been dating Ethan for five years.

The day before our wedding, I discovered over ten thousand photos of the same girl saved in his cloud storage.

There were photos of her sleeping, smiling... even intimate photos.

And thousands of flight tickets to the same foreign city.

Without a word, I packed my bags and left on our wedding day.

The bride had successfully escaped the wedding, but he lost his mind.

I stared at the countless photos and flight ticket screenshots on the screen, my pupils trembling, my heart pounding as if it would burst from my chest.

"You're really getting married? Not waiting for Luna to come back? I thought you'd wait for her forever."

His friend's slip-up when he heard we were getting married echoed in my ears.

That was the first time I learned Ethan's first love's name.

Too bad I only understood what his friend meant now.

The cloud storage was updated every month. Our photos together from five years didn't add up to a single upload batch.

Every time we went on a date and I wanted to take photos to remember it, he always had excuses to refuse.

He said we were together every day, there would be plenty of opportunities later, no need to take photos.

Only now did I understand — it wasn't that there was no need, just that I wasn't necessary to him.

Staring at the different timestamps on the photo watermarks, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through our chat history from those corresponding times.

I discovered that Ethan had either said he was on a business trip or had to go out of town for training.

What disappeared from home along with him was his camera.

The increasingly smooth lies in our records made my heart tremble.

I abruptly shut down his computer, rushed into the bedroom to pack my bags and leave.

But the moment I opened the closet, a familiar feeling washed over me, nearly suffocating me.

Every piece of clothing inside had appeared on Luna in those photos.

And these clothes were all gifts Ethan had given me.

I slammed the cabinet door shut and crouched on the floor, helpless.

Tears blurred my vision as I shakily sent a message to my boss.

I told him I wanted to apply for the position at the overseas branch.

After listening, he was silent for a long time before replying, "Young people being cautious is good. Marriage shouldn't be impulsive. I'll submit your information, and you should rest well while waiting for the results."

His tone held satisfaction and reflection, but notably no surprise.

It seemed that Ethan and I not making it to the end was already an expected outcome in everyone's eyes.

I hung up the phone and opened the ticket booking app, preparing to buy a flight abroad for the next day, when I heard the sound of the door closing outside.

Bracing my hands on my knees, I stood up and walked to the living room.

The love I once had in my eyes when looking at him was gone.

As usual, he gently kissed my forehead when he got home.

But today he had a cake in his hands.

"Got off work early today, specially brought this for you. Try it. I have a classmate reunion in a bit, need to head out."

I glanced at the chocolate mousse stuck to the outer box.

Mockery flashed in my eyes.

"No thanks, I don't have an appetite, and... I'm allergic to chocolate."

His expression went blank for a moment before he remembered this was something I told him every year.

But he never remembered it.

Seeing my expression indifferent with no sign of anger, he reached out and gently ruffled my hair.

"Sorry, work's been too busy lately. I'll buy you a new one after the wedding ends tomorrow."

Before I knew the truth, I believed whatever he explained.

But after seeing the photos, I finally understood why he loved chocolate.

Because Luna liked it.

"Work's been too busy" was his go-to excuse.