The day after our engagement party…
I discovered that my fiancé had gotten another woman pregnant.
And that woman was not a stranger.
She was my future sister-in-law.
The moment I saw the message, my hands trembled so badly that I almost dropped my phone.
But I still called Gabriel.
I needed to hear him say it.
I needed to know whether the man I loved would still choose me.
The call connected.
“Gabriel…”
There was silence for a moment.
Then his voice came.
Not guilty.
Not afraid.
Not even apologetic.
Only tired.
“Elena.”
“I know I failed you.”
My fingers tightened around the phone.
He continued:
“The day you accepted my proposal, I drank too much.”
“I mistook her for you.”
My mind went blank.
Mistook her?
That was his explanation?
“The baby is innocent.”
“My brother just died.”
“She already lost her husband. She can’t lose her child too.”
I closed my eyes.
My fiancé.
The man who was supposed to marry me.
Was asking me to sacrifice my entire future for another woman’s mistake.
“Stay calm.”
“I will tell everyone the child is my brother’s posthumous son.”
“I’ll just take responsibility.”
“I’ll take care of them.”
Then came the sentence that almost made me laugh.
“You are still my only wife.”
“Tomorrow, we will go register our marriage.”
I didn’t argue.
I didn’t cry.
I didn’t ask why.
Because suddenly…
Everything became clear.
I silently hung up.
Then I removed the engagement ring from my finger.
The ring Gabriel had placed there while promising me forever.
I walked to the window.
And threw it out.
No hesitation.
No regret.
Then I opened my contact list.
There was one name I hadn’t contacted in years.
Alejandro.
My childhood friend.
The man who had confessed his feelings to me countless times.
The man I rejected every single time.
I typed:
“Do you still want to marry me?”
A few seconds later, another message followed.
“Let’s go to the registry office now.”
I was the only heir of the richest family in the city.
So why would I force myself into a marriage full of betrayal?
Why would I marry into a family that expected me to accept humiliation as “virtue”?
I had spent years choosing Gabriel.
This time…
I chose myself.
My phone rang almost immediately.
Alejandro.
His voice was uncertain.
“Elena…”
“Don’t joke about something like this.”
I smiled faintly.
“When you choose the wrong person, you need to know when to turn back.”
“If you don’t want to…”
Before he finished speaking, I heard chairs moving violently on his side.
His voice suddenly became urgent.
“What do you mean I don’t want to?”
“I want to!”
“More than anything in this world!”
“Wait for me.”
“I’m coming to pick you up right now.”
Then I heard him shout:
“Secretary!”
“Cancel the meeting!”
“I’m getting married!”
Half an hour later…
Alejandro was sitting beside me at the registry office.
Holding the newly issued marriage certificate.
Smiling like a child.
This was the same man who usually appeared on magazine covers.
The cold business genius.
The person everyone feared negotiating with.
But now…
He looked completely different.
Just happy.
“Elena.”
“From today on, you are my wife.”
I looked at him.
He smiled.
“Come on.”
“You need to meet your father.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Your father?”
He laughed.
“No.”
“Our father.”
“We need to discuss the wedding.”
When my father heard what happened…
He wasn’t angry.
Instead, his expression finally relaxed.
For years, he never approved of Gabriel.
He had always said:
“That man is too selfish.”
“He only knows how to accept sacrifices from others.”
When he learned I had ended the engagement…
His face immediately lit up.
Then he personally called Gabriel’s parents.
The engagement was canceled.
The symbolic dowry money they had given was returned completely.
No arguments.
No negotiations.
Nothing.
That was when Gabriel finally called me.
His voice was full of disbelief.
“Elena.”
“Everyone knows we were about to get married.”
“How can you suddenly cancel everything?”
“I already explained.”
“I am only taking care of Sofia.”
“Nothing more.”
“Are you really unable to trust me even a little?”
I almost laughed.
Trust?
A man who had gotten another woman pregnant…
Was asking me for trust.
“Elena.”
“Stop acting like a spoiled child.”
“Tomorrow morning, I’ll wait for you outside the registry office.”
Before I could answer…
He hung up.
Gabriel truly believed I was just angry.
He believed that, like before, I would forgive him.
Give him time.
Accept his excuses.
Because I had always loved him.
The difference was…
I no longer did.
The next morning, Gabriel sent me a message.
“Elena.”
“Sofia isn’t feeling well.”
“Her stomach hurts.”
“I’m taking her to the hospital.”
“We’ll register tomorrow.”
I stared at the screen.
A long time ago…
If I had casually mentioned wanting fresh pastries from my favorite bakery…
Gabriel would immediately go buy them.
No matter how busy he was.
No matter the weather.
Back then…
I believed those small things meant love.
Now…
His promises were worth less than meaningless noise.
I put the phone aside.
And went back to sleep.
Meanwhile, Alejandro was finalizing a major acquisition.
It was the most important stage of the project.
I didn’t want my personal problems distracting him.
As for Gabriel…
I would handle him myself.
I wanted everything ended cleanly.
When I opened the door to my newly purchased apartment…
I froze.
Sofia was sitting on my sofa.
In Gabriel’s arms.
The sofa I had personally selected.
The furniture I had spent weeks choosing.
The home I thought would become our future.
Seeing me enter…
A flash of guilt appeared in Gabriel’s eyes.
Only for a second.
Then he spoke.
“Elena.”
“From now on, Sofia will live here.”
“She is pregnant and needs someone to take care of her.”
Sofia immediately said softly:
“Don’t worry.”
“I won’t bother you.”
“I can cook.”
“I’ll prepare all three meals.”
I stared at her.
Then at Gabriel.
And suddenly…
I wanted to laugh.
Before this…
The person who spent all day cooking was me.
The person who managed the household was me.
Gabriel had never even washed a single dish.
But for Sofia…
He was willing to change everything.
I smiled coldly.
“So now this is your house?”
Gabriel frowned.
“Elena.”
“We already canceled the engagement.”
“Did you forget?”
His expression became colder.
“I know I am partly responsible.”
“But things have already happened.”
“I’m not asking you to take care of Sofia.”
“Do you really need to make this dramatic?”
“My brother died protecting his country.”
“Sofia is the widow of a fallen soldier.”
“Even if she wasn’t pregnant, I would still take care of her for the rest of my life.”
He paused.
“If you cannot accept this…”
“Then maybe this marriage should not continue.”
I laughed.
A real laugh.
“That’s wonderful.”
“Why would I accept the woman you betrayed me with?”
“If you want to take care of her forever…”
“Then do it.”
“Better yet, marry her.”
I looked directly at him.
“But don’t stand in front of me.”
“Because honestly…”
“You disgust me.”
Sofia finally couldn’t stay silent.
She placed her hand over her stomach.
Tears appeared in her eyes.
“Elena…”
“How can you talk to Gabriel like that?”
“He didn’t betray me.”
“What happened was only an accident.”
“Gabriel is a responsible man.”
“That’s why he promised to take care of me.”
I looked at her.
And suddenly…
I understood.
Neither Gabriel nor Sofia believed they had done anything wrong.
Because they had convinced themselves that responsibility could erase betrayal.
But they forgot one thing.
A person can forgive many things.
But they cannot forgive being treated like an option.
And Gabriel was about to learn…
The woman he thought would always wait for him…
Had already walked away.
