Chapter 1

"Ms. Hart, this marriage certificate is fake..." The clerk looked at Estella Hart with a mix of pity and hesitation. "According to our system, Mr. Jenson Moore got married to a woman named Emily Blanchard two weeks ago." Hearing that her boyfriend of six years had secretly married his first love behind her back, Estella wasn't even surprised. "Alright. Thanks for your help." She slipped the fake marriage certificate into her bag, put on her sunglasses, and turned to leave. Standing outside the vital records office, she sent a message to her senior from school, Zoe Gardner. "Zoe, I'm going with you to Anebert to start the business." Zoe seemed busy and didn't reply right away. Estella put her phone back into her pocket, hailed a cab, and gave the driver an address. By the time she got home in the evening, exhaustion weighed heavily on her. Just as she pulled out her keys, she heard the elevator ding behind her. Jenson stepped out, smiling as he asked, "Where'd you go, Estie?" Estella stared at his face, momentarily dazed by how naturally he could still smile at her. "I went to the city hall. Thought I'd take a few pictures to remember the day we registered our marriage. But it turns out, it's just an empty lot now. Any idea why?" As she said that, she watched him closely, looking for even the slightest flicker of guilt. For a split second, his expression stiffened. But then, as if nothing had happened, he regained his usual calm demeanor. "You must've gone to the wrong place. We already have the certificate. We can take photos another time. Anyway, I got you macarons. These are new flavors from your favorite bakery. See if you like them." With that, Jenson handed her a bag and walked straight into the bathroom. Estella lowered her gaze, the corners of her lips curling weakly. "Jenson, there is no 'another time' for us." She silently walked into the study and placed the fake marriage certificate back in the safe. Three days ago, when they'd gotten the certificate, Jenson had only let her glance at it before locking it away. She'd thought it was because he cherished their marriage. But last night, when she'd gotten up to get some water, she'd accidentally overheard him on the phone on the balcony. "Jenson, are you seriously back with Emily? You pursued her for three years, and the second she said yes, she ran off with another guy. She almost ruined you. Don't tell me you still love her." Jenson went quiet for a few seconds before answering slowly, "I married Emily two weeks ago. Her parents were forcing her to marry some old man. I couldn't stand watching her suffer." Estella froze on the spot, the cold seeping into her bones. She and the person on the other end of the call both knew this wasn't just about how Jenson "couldn't stand watching her suffer". Jenson had never gotten over Emily. For six years, Estella thought she'd finally won, that she would spend the rest of her life with the man she loved. But in the end, she realized that Jenson had never loved her. The city hall was fake, and so was their marriage certificate. This entire six-year relationship had been nothing but a lie. How ridiculous. How utterly pathetic. Since Jenson was already married to Emily, Estella decided there was no point in humiliating herself any further. From now on, she would move forward to a future without him.