A Love Story Without Me

At a singles' night party, we played a game of "Never Have I Ever." My boyfriend drew a card that read, 'I have never betrayed my best friend.' The moment he finished reading it aloud, the atmosphere froze, and every one of our friends turned to look at me. Three seconds later, as if they had silently agreed beforehand, they all picked up their penalty drinks and downed them in one go. I was the only winner of that round, which meant I could choose either Truth or Dare for the losers. Without hesitation, I asked, "How did you betray your friend?" To my surprise, everyone fell silent. Just as my best friend was about to drink her penalty, my boyfriend suddenly pressed down on her hand. He looked at me. "I'll say it. The truth is, Diana and I have been together for five years. She's pregnant, and I can't let my child be born without a proper family." Diana's eyes immediately reddened, and she did not dare look at me. My childhood friend also confessed, "Actually, everyone already knew. They held their wedding back in their hometown last year, and we all went. Even your adoptive parents accepted it. They only asked us not to tell you for the time being." At that moment, the lights swept across my eyes, blurring everyone's faces. Their confessions came one after another, ringing in my ears. So, throughout our seven-year relationship, I had been betrayed the entire time. Chapter 1 Seven Years of Betrayal I opened my mouth, but my throat felt completely blocked. It took me a long while to finally ask, "They got married… last year?" No one answered. I knew every face in that private room. We had shared meals, gone out together, and sent each other gifts during holidays. Yet now, every single one of them had their heads lowered. None of them dared to meet my eyes. Finally, Gavin Oakley spoke. "Yes." I stared at him blankly, unable to process it. My cousin Gavin had grown up alongside me. When we were children, whenever someone bullied me, he would always step in front of me. Whenever a teacher scolded me, he would buy me candy on the way home from school to cheer me up. I had always believed that anyone in this world could lie to me, but Gavin never would. Yet now, he had chosen to stand on their side. So when Charles Grayson had said he was going on a business trip last year, during those few days he was supposedly away, he had actually gone to marry Diana Sayer. I felt like such an idiot. I had been afraid he was working too hard, so I had ordered him a late-night meal and had it delivered to his office. I had even worried about him and told him that he should not push himself so hard anymore. Thinking about it now made my chest ache, as though someone had carved a piece of my heart out with their bare hands. I turned to Gavin. "What did you mean when you said my adoptive parents knew?" He did not dare look at me. He merely gave a quiet hum. "They were afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it, so they never told you." My fingertips went numb. I could barely remain seated. My adoptive parents had known too. So it had not just been Charles deceiving me. Even the people closest to me had helped them keep me in the dark. I finally understood why everyone had seemed so calm that night. They had known this day would come. Charles looked at me, his tone so even that it bordered on cold. "Juliet, I know this wasn't fair to you." I stared at him, my eyes burning. "Then, why did you still do it?" His brows furrowed, as though he did not like the way I was speaking to him. "Well, making a scene won't change anything, would it?" Diana sighed as well. "Juliet, Charles has made it up to you in so many ways over the years. Your sister's medical treatment, your job transfer, even the house you're living in—he gave it all to you. Everyone has been considerate of your feelings, too. Think about it carefully." Someone beside her immediately chimed in. "Exactly. Weren't you the happiest one of all?" I listened to them and felt cold all over. As it turned out, to them, I was the fifth wheel who benefited the most—the one who had gotten everything. Thus, their lies had been "kindness," and I was apparently supposed to be grateful for the generosity. Charles leaned back against his chair as though a tremendous burden had finally been lifted from his shoulders. His voice was indifferent. "Diana and I had a wedding, too. I'll hold another wedding for you. Sounds fair, right?" For a moment, I almost laughed. Fair? The sarcasm slipped out before I could stop it. "You really want to have it both ways, don't you?" Charles' expression darkened. "I'm giving you a chance to keep your dignity, Whitfield." I let out a cold laugh. Dignity? Would it really be dignified when everyone would attend our wedding knowing about his love story with Diana? Was I not enough of a joke already? Diana's tears began to fall. Her voice was soft and hoarse. "Juliet, I know you hate me. But the baby is innocent." I looked at her, my chest aching with a suffocating pain. "What about me? Haven't I been innocent all these seven years too?" Her face went pale. Her lips moved, but no words came out. I picked up the glass of alcohol beside me and threw it directly into Charles' face. The liquor streamed down his jaw. Diana shot to her feet in fright, screaming my name, but I kept my eyes fixed on Charles. "I don't want the dignity you're offering me. And I won't help make your happily-ever-after complete, either. I hope you two shameless bastards stay together for the rest of your lives." With that, I grabbed my bag and walked out. Chaos erupted behind me. I heard Gavin calling my name. Someone tried to stop me. Someone else accused me of being too extreme. But I did not turn around. Not once. Chapter 2 Thrown Out of My Own Home I was jolted awake the next morning by my phone. Notifications kept popping up one after another—screenshots from social media, forwarded messages from group chats—as though everyone was afraid I might somehow miss them. The moment I opened the first image, my breathing stopped. Charles and Diana were standing outside the vital records office, holding their marriage certificate and smiling happily. Beneath the photo was a flood of congratulatory messages. I kept scrolling and saw a post from Gavin. 'Getting my buddy to this day hasn't been easy. Congratulations on finally getting your wish.' The photos included Charles, Diana, and pictures from their wedding the year before. The moment I opened the group photo, my hand trembled. There were so many familiar faces. Gavin was there, and so was Jessie Slater. Even my adoptive parents were there. My mother was smiling. My father stood beside her, handing someone a glass of wine. Everyone looked completely at ease. I was the only one who had been shut out from beginning to end, like a complete joke. I turned my phone face down on the bed, a wave of heaviness pressing against my chest. But the phone kept ringing. Someone in the company group chat had posted a video from the private room the night before, and they deliberately clipped out only the most chaotic part. In the footage, I stood there looking furious. Diana was crying pitifully, while Charles stood protectively in front of her, as though he were shielding his bullied wife. The caption was even more disgusting. 'Woman exposed for interfering in another couple's relationship throws liquor and causes a scene on the spot.' It did not take long for people to recognise me. 'Isn't this Juliet Whitfield?' 'You really couldn't tell from how she usually acts.' 'No wonder her boyfriend never made her public. Turns out she was the homewrecker. Someone tag the mother-in-law and have her come catch the mistress!' I sat there as my fingertips slowly went cold. Charles knew perfectly well that I was not a homewrecker, yet he had not offered a single word of explanation. His silence was the same as admitting their accusations were true. It took me a long time to pull myself together before I got up to wash my face. I still had to go to the hospital to see my younger sister, Rosalie Whitfield, that day. She hadn't been doing well lately, and the last thing I wanted was for her to see any of this. But before I could even leave, a payment reminder from the hospital popped up on my phone. There was still a shortfall in the cost of her upcoming treatment. I stared at the string of numbers for a long time. … Eventually, I returned home. It was the place Charles and I had lived in for four years. I had once put so much thought into decorating this home. I had even dreamed of paying the place off once I earned enough. Back then, I had carefully planned our future. But there was no future anymore. I had just stepped into the living room when I heard the door open behind me. Charles and Diana walked in together, still dressed in the formal clothes they had worn for their wedding photos. I stared at him, and whatever warmth remained in my heart turned completely cold. Then, I laughed. "Do you two have any idea that everyone is calling me a homewrecker now because of those photos?" Charles frowned. "Everyone knows Diana and I have been legally married for a long time. It's just a post." Diana spoke up as well, a trace of impatience already creeping into her voice. "Juliet, could you stop blaming everything on us? Everyone's happy for us. What's wrong with that?" I wondered if she knew how absurd she sounded. I took a deep breath and had nothing left to say. "Get out." Charles looked at me as though I had just told him a joke. "You want me to get out? I've paid for a lot of things over the years. The renovations, the property fees, the parking space, and plenty of other expenses. Do you really think you could have afforded to live here on your own? This will be mine and Diana's home from now on. If you have a problem with that, you can get out." I stood there without moving for a long time. I had saved the down payment for this apartment little by little after I started working. On the day we signed the contract, my hands trembled with excitement. Charles had held me in his arms and told me that this would be our home from then on. I had even taken a picture of the keys and sent it to Diana. She had replied, 'That's wonderful.' As it turned out, she had been waiting for this since then. Not wanting to argue any more, I efficiently packed up my belongings. As I walked out the door, I heard Charles say behind me, "If you walk out that door, I won't give you another cent." I stood inside the elevator, my fingers clenched tightly around the suitcase handle. I had bitten the inside of my mouth until I tasted blood, yet I could not feel the pain. All I could feel was an overwhelming sense of humiliation. Still, I left without looking back. I was determined to get as far away from their world as possible. Chapter 3 Things I Thought Were Mine I had nowhere to go, so in the end, I could only check into a cheap budget hotel. The room was pitifully small, and even the curtains were old. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I called Rosalie first. The moment she answered, the first thing she asked was, "Ju, have you been crying?" My nose stung, but I still told her I had not. She was silent for a moment before asking softly, "Did you and Charles fight? People online have been talking about you." My heart sank. The thing I had feared most had still happened. As soon as I hung up, I checked social media. The story was not high on the trending list, but it was high enough for everyone who mattered to see. And the headline was painfully conspicuous. 'Pregnant Best Friend Registers Marriage, Homewrecker Makes a Scene' They had put together a whole collection of pictures underneath it—the video from the private room, photos outside the vital records office, and old pictures of Charles and me together. The most disgusting part was how thoroughly they had twisted the timeline. They claimed that Charles and Diana were the couple, and that I had inserted myself into their relationship later. They even said that because my sister's illness had cost so much money, I had desperately clung to Charles because I needed someone to financially support me. The comments were filled with every kind of vicious accusation, yet I read them one by one. My eyes burned terribly, but I could not even cry. Before long, a message came from my company as well. Because the negative public attention surrounding me had affected the company's image, I was formally notified that my employment had been terminated. I stared at those words for a long time without reacting. I had worked myself to the bone for that job. When I first started as an intern, I stayed up all night with clients revising proposals, so exhausted that I secretly wiped away tears in the bathroom. Later, as I took on more projects, there were often days when I barely slept more than a few hours at a time. I had thought at least one thing in my life was entirely my own. But apparently, even that was not truly mine. … By evening, I still went to the Graysons' place. Not because I still had any hope left. I simply wanted to see what I had really meant to them after all these years. I had never been to that estate before. After seven years of dating Charles, I had never met his parents even once. Every time I brought them up, he told me that his family was traditional and that we would talk about it later. And I had actually believed him. When the door opened, Charles' mother, Laura Hawkins, noticed Diana first. She immediately took Diana's hand and greeted her warmly. "You must be Diana. Come in, dear." I stood at the doorway, being ignored like I was invisible. When Laura finally noticed me, she frowned and asked Charles, "Who is she?" Suddenly, I felt inexplicably nervous. But after only half a second of silence, Charles answered coldly, "She's a new chauffeur the company hired." I stood there, looking down at my plainly dressed self, and understood everything. Compared with Diana, I was not someone he was proud to bring home. I was not presentable enough for his family. Laura immediately lost interest in me and turned back to Diana, enthusiastically chatting with her. Invitation samples and bridal magazines were spread across the coffee table. I only glanced at them, but it felt as though someone had suddenly yanked hard at my heart. That invitation was one I had chosen. Six months ago, Charles and I had stayed up late choosing it together. He told me that when we eventually held our wedding, we would use that exact design. The design sketch tucked inside the bridal magazine was also one I had once loved. At the time, I had thought it was too expensive and had not had the heart to order it. Charles had held me in his arms and promised that once his year-end bonus came in, he'd buy it for me. So, it was not that he had refused to buy it. He had simply bought it for someone else. Laura flipped through the invitation samples and said softly, "Make sure the names are changed." Charles took it from her and casually called the wedding planner. "Change the name to Diana Sayer. And take her measurements again." Even as he said those words, his expression did not change in the slightest. I listened to them and felt as though my chest had been hollowed out. Only after Laura took Diana upstairs did Charles finally walk over to me. "I…" I looked at him without saying anything. He sighed. "I'm sorry. Whatever you need, I can still help you." I suddenly wanted to laugh. "Did you always think I stayed by your side because you had money?" Charles frowned. "Wasn't that the reason? Unlike you, I never wanted anything from you. I don't owe you anything." I looked at him, and the last remaining warmth in my heart went completely cold. Just then, I got a call from the hospital. The nurse sounded extremely urgent. "Are you Rosalie Whitfield's family member? The patient's emotions suddenly became unstable, and her condition has deteriorated. Please come to the hospital immediately." My vision went black for a moment before I turned and ran. … By the time I reached the hospital, Rosalie had already been transferred to the observation ward. The doctor said she had seen the things being said about me online, and her emotions had suddenly collapsed. Her health had already been poor to begin with, and the shock had nearly been more than her body could withstand. Chapter 4 No Reason to Look Back I stood outside the glass, staring at Rosalie lying in the hospital bed. Tears immediately welled in my eyes. Her face was so pale that there was not a trace of color in it. An oxygen tube rested beneath her nose, and the back of her hand was covered with needle marks. At that moment, I barely dared to breathe. When I entered, she was still awake. At the sound of my footsteps, she slowly opened her eyes. The moment she saw me, her eyes reddened. She reached for my hand, looking so weak that it seemed as though she might break at any moment. "Ju." I immediately tightened my grip on her hand. "I'm here. Don't be scared." She looked at me for a long time before tears suddenly spilled down her cheeks. "Ju, are you a homewrecker?" My entire body froze. I did not care if other people called me names. I did not care if they hurt me ruthlessly. But not Rosalie. Not her. If she had not donated a kidney to save me, I would have died long ago. And because of complications from the surgery, Rosalie had struggled to get out of bed ever since. I shook my head desperately, my throat raw with pain. "No. I'm not." She cried even harder. "But that's what everyone online is saying. They said you wouldn't leave a married man alone." I bent down and pressed my cheek against her hand, repeating over and over that it was not true. Just then, the hospital room door opened. I turned around, and my whole body tensed instantly. Diana had arrived with a fruit basket in her hands. Behind her stood Charles' younger brother, Cedric Grayson. I immediately got to my feet and stepped in front of the hospital bed. "What are you doing here?" "I came to explain," Diana said softly. "The things people have been saying online are awful. I was afraid Rosie would misunderstand." Rosalie's eyes brightened at once. She looked at Diana as though she had finally found the last bit of hope she could cling to. "Diana, my sister isn't like that, right?" I looked at Diana too. For just that moment, I actually hoped she would tell the truth, even if it was only one sentence. Diana nodded. "Right. She's not like that." Rosalie visibly relaxed. But in the very next second, Cedric laughed. "Why are you covering up for her, Diana? Isn't her sister a homewrecker?" The entire room fell silent. I whipped around. Rosalie froze as well. Cedric stood by the door, his tone light and casual, as though he were talking about something completely ordinary. "You're already legally married to my brother, yet she's still clinging to him. Tell me that's not homewrecker behavior!" Rosalie's face went deathly pale. She stared desperately at Diana, waiting for her to deny it. However, Diana merely stood there, her lips pale. She did not say a single word. And in that moment, I watched helplessly as something inside Rosalie shattered. The monitor began shrieking. Her breathing became erratic, and her chest heaved violently as her face drained of colour. "Rosalie!" I lunged toward her and pressed the emergency button before turning around and shoving Diana away. "Get out! Who told you to come?" The fruit basket fell to the floor, sending fruit rolling everywhere. Diana stumbled back two steps, her face turning pale with panic. "Juliet, listen to me. Cedric didn't mean it like that." I glared at her, trembling from head to toe. "Why didn't you clarify it then? You watched her have an attack and didn't say a single word!" … When the nurses and doctors rushed in, the room had descended into chaos. I called for the doctors while pushing those people toward the door. "Get out. All of you, get out!" Just then, Charles arrived. The moment the door opened, I thought that at the very least, he would look at Rosalie first. But instead, he went straight to Diana and steadied her. "Are you alright?" Diana's eyes immediately reddened as she clutched his arm. "Charles, I only came to explain, but Juliet suddenly shoved me." Charles immediately turned toward me, his expression darkening. "Enough is enough, Juliet! Diana only came to see your sister out of kindness. She's pregnant. Are you going to bear responsibility for frightening her?" I stood beside Rosalie's hospital bed, feeling something inside me suddenly turning hollow as I listened to his reproach. … Meanwhile, Rosalie was being resuscitated. Doctors and nurses crowded around her bed, and the monitor continued to shriek. Yet to Charles, Diana's unborn child was all that mattered right then. I looked at him and suddenly did not want to argue anymore. I simply raised my hand and pointed toward the door, my voice so hoarse that it barely sounded like my own. "Get out. All of you… Out!" At that moment, the doctor also sternly ordered everyone else to leave. The room finally fell silent. … It took a long time before Rosalie was finally pulled back from the brink. I sat beside her bed and stayed there until late into the night, when she slowly regained consciousness. The moment she opened her eyes and saw me, tears began to fall. I leaned down and wrapped my arms tightly around her. "Let's go." She trembled softly in my arms. I stroked her hair, my voice trembling as well. "Let's leave this hellhole. We'll sell the old house and never come back." Rosalie nodded through her tears. "I'll go with you, Ju." … For the next few days, I barely slept. A week later, we had finished all the necessary paperwork. Before the plane took off, I checked my phone one last time. There were no new messages. I snapped my old SIM card in half, then turned away without looking back. The hospital refunded the remaining treatment fees to the original account. The note attached to the transaction was simple: 'Patient transferred.' When Charles saw the notification, he was at the wedding venue. He frantically called my number again and again, but every call went unanswered.