The day before the wedding, my fiancé presented me with a sapphire ring. As I lay vulnerable on the surgical table, touching my swollen belly, I asked him for a divorce. Not long after, his young secretary called me, tears in her voice. "Please, Ma'am, I beg you not to hold Mr. Connor responsible; the fault is entirely mine." Connor held her in his arms, soothing her gently for a long time, leaving me with just one sentence: "You're already carrying my child. Can you really bear to leave me?" "Ma'am, please confirm once more. The baby is already four months along. Are you sure you don't want it?" "I don't want it, " I said firmly. On the other end of the line, the woman's soft cries continued incessantly, mingling with the man's gentle reassurances. I hung up the phone and closed my eyes calmly. The surgery felt interminable. When I weakly opened my eyes, the tiny embryo had already developed, lying on the cold steel table. I hastily shut my eyes again, yet the familiar sting in my nose that comes before tears made it impossible to escape the reality. I had personally ended my child's life for a man who wasn't worth it. My phone vibrated with a message from Connor. "Once you've had enough drama, come home. You're too grown-up for such behavior." "Don't assume that just because it's me, others should revolve around you. Brynn, I advise you to know your place." Those two indifferent sentences from Connor made it clear to me where I stood. Karina was young and beautiful, a graduate from a prestigious university with a good family background. Meanwhile, I was no longer in my youthful prime, and despite giving my all to help Connor build his company, all I got in return were his cold mockeries. I blocked their numbers. This way, no one could accuse me of taking myself too seriously. Whatever happened, it was my own business. I cremated the tiny embryo. Perhaps it was the crematorium's first time handling such a request; their gazes were filled with a mix of curiosity and judgment, unused to such a personal request. As the flames roared, reflecting on my face, it was as if they burned me, even though they didn't touch me. The sensation crawled along my nerves, reaching my heart. When the urn was brought out, my fragile defenses finally crumbled. Tears slid down my cheeks, and I realized I had nothing left. My husband, who once loved me the most, the life I had painstakingly nurtured, the future I had longed for—all had turned to ashes. On the way home from the hospital, I saw the massive billboard for Fengxing Group. Standing in the center were two people, a perfect match, seemingly destined for each other. Around Karina's neck, a dazzling blue light gleamed—a sapphire necklace. With the keen eye of a jewelry designer, I sensed that it matched the ring I received the day before the wedding. I carefully took out the ring from my pocket and couldn't help but laugh. Compared to the elaborate necklace Karina wore, my ring seemed so plain, like a freebie. I tossed the ring into the trash bin, along with the love that had grown cold over the years. "Connor, I don't owe you anything anymore."

The next morning, I was jolted awake by the shrill ring of the phone. Groggy and bleary-eyed, I heard Connor's voice yelling hysterically in my ear. "Brynn, what on earth are you doing? The wedding is about to start, and you want to embarrass me in front of our elders?" Even at a time like this, all he cared about was saving face. To maintain the appearance of this marriage, the Fengxing Corporation had invited numerous prominent media outlets. But what did that matter to me? "I told you yesterday that I want a divorce." "Do you think causing a scene is amusing?" Connor persisted relentlessly. "If you're unhappy with the wedding gift I gave you, just tell me directly instead of beating around the bush to threaten me. If you truly don't want to marry me, there are plenty of women waiting in line. Don't think you're irreplaceable. I'll give you one hour to get to the wedding venue. If you don't show up, don't ever appear in front of me again." He hung up furiously, leaving no room for me to struggle or explain. Holding the phone, I was momentarily dazed, recalling the once ambitious young man who held my hand under the sun and gently promised, "Brynn, for the rest of my life, there's only you." Snapping back to reality, the Connor of today only saw me as dispensable. It was time for a more formal end to this. I applied my makeup meticulously and arrived at the hotel where we were engaged at the appointed time. As I stepped out of the car, a swarm of reporters rushed towards me. "Mrs. Song, today is your big day with Mr. Song. How do you feel?" "We've heard you two were long-time lovers. Does Mr. Song still love you as he did back then?" I had no interest in addressing the reporters' roundabout questions because I overheard someone teasing Connor beside him, "Mr. Song, you really know how to handle your wife. One phone call, and she comes right over." Connor, unusually smug, replied, "Women are easy to manage. As long as you don't spoil them, they know their place." However, the moment he saw me, his gaze turned cold and distant once more. "So you came back? Don't think being pregnant makes you untouchable. Without me, Brynn, you're nothing." I said nothing, just stared at him blankly. "What are you waiting for? Waiting to be the laughing stock?" Connor looked at me with disdain and gave me a hard shove. I didn't have time to react, and in full view of everyone, I fell hard to the ground. Pain shot through my joints, and I groaned in agony. Connor merely glanced at me with indifference. "Stop acting. Get up and stop embarrassing yourself." I forced a pale smile, getting up on my own. Before I could even fix my dress, I was "accidentally" knocked down by someone else.

Karina stumbled to the ground with me, her arms full of gifts. "Madam, I... I'm so sorry, are you alright?" Karina asked, her expression like a deer caught in headlights, feigning concern. Connor arrived upon hearing the commotion and immediately started scolding me. "Brynn, are you addicted to acting now? Didn't you see Karina carrying so much stuff?" He then quickly checked Karina for injuries, asking gently, "Are you okay? What were the staff thinking, letting you carry all this?" Karina responded with a hint of grievance, "I'm fine. It's just that Madam arrived too late today, and we didn't anticipate such a change, so some things weren't prepared adequately." "I know Madam isn't fond of me, so I thought I'd try to make a good impression today and not be so disliked." My already tender joints were aching from the fall, and I couldn't stomach their charade any longer. "Connor, with so many reporters around, are you that eager to reveal Karina to the public?" My harsh sarcasm caught him off guard. "Brynn, just because your heart is tainted, don't assume everyone else is too." "If it weren't for the fact that you're pregnant, should Karina get hurt in any way, I'd make you pay back tenfold." With that, he hurriedly carried Karina off to the medical room, leaving me and a group of wide-eyed reporters staring at one another. Looks like I won't have to start any rumors myself; the headline about the Connor couple's marriage breaking down will likely hit tomorrow's papers. I pulled myself together and forced a brave smile for the media. "Sorry for the spectacle." After enduring his coldness and sarcasm for so many years, what's one more time? After all, doesn't Connor believe that because I'm pregnant, I can't leave him? I'll show him that once a heart is dead, once a decision is made, there's no turning back. It wasn't until everyone was ready that Connor finally arrived, conspicuously late. People around him watched with silent eyes, but he seemed oblivious. "What are you all staring at? Let's get on with the ceremony." It turned out... he hadn't even prepared an engagement ring. The officiant had no choice but to press on, "Mr. Connor, do you vow to love and cherish Brynn here, in sickness and in health, and choose her as your wife?" I saw a flash of contempt in Connor's eyes, but he reluctantly uttered, "I do." The officiant then turned to me. "Miss Brynn, do you vow to remain faithful to Mr. Connor, in sickness and in health, and choose him as your husband?" Camera flashes lit up the room as countless media journalists awaited my response. And I, in front of everyone, told the officiant, "I do not." The room erupted into chaos. Reporters erupted into a frenzy, and Connor's eyes widened in disbelief for the first time. Yet, they still held disdain and mockery. As he was about to speak, likely to say something humiliating, I cut him off decisively. "I've ended the pregnancy." "There is nothing tying us together anymore. With everyone present and the media as witnesses, I, Brynn, and Connor will be strangers from now on."