The door opened.

Everyone in the room turned.

Adrian Shen stood there.

But this time…

He was not the powerful Major General everyone feared.

He was just a man looking at something he could not control.

Behind him were several soldiers.

And at the front was Damian Xie.

The man everyone in Jiangcheng had misunderstood for years.

He wore a black military uniform.

His expression was cold.

His eyes were calm.

But when he looked at me…

They softened.

—Estrella Lu.

His voice was deep.

—I have come to pick up my fiancée.

The room became completely silent.

Adrian’s face changed.

For the first time since my rebirth…

I saw panic in his eyes.

Not anger.

Not arrogance.

Fear.

Because he finally realized something.

I was no longer waiting for him.

Damian walked toward me.

He stopped beside me.

Then he looked at Adrian.

—Major General Shen.

Adrian clenched his fists.

—Damian Xie.

The two men looked at each other.

The atmosphere became tense.

Everyone knew their names.

One was the successor of the Shen family.

The other was the young master of the Xie family.

Two powerful families.

Two different worlds.

But tonight…

Only one thing mattered.

Who stood beside me.

Damian extended his hand.

—Let’s go.

I looked at him.

Then I looked at Adrian.

In my previous life, I would have searched Adrian’s face for regret.

I would have hoped he would stop me.

I would have waited for him to choose me.

But not anymore.

I placed my hand in Damian’s.

And I walked away.

Behind me, Adrian said:

—Estrella.

I stopped.

But I did not turn around.

His voice was lower.

—Are you really going to marry him?

I smiled faintly.

“Yes.”

Silence.

Then:

“Why?”

That question almost made me laugh.

Because it was the same question everyone asked.

Why leave the man you loved?

Why choose someone else?

Why give up?

I finally turned.

—Because he chose me.

Adrian froze.

Those four words were simple.

But they destroyed him.

Because in our entire relationship…

He had never chosen me completely.

He chose responsibility.

He chose reputation.

He chose Nora.

He chose his past.

But never me.

Damian and I left.

The moment we stepped outside, I released his hand.

—Thank you for helping me.

He looked at me.

—Helping?

I nodded.

—The engagement.

—The rumors.

—Your reputation.

Damian was quiet.

Then he said:

—Do you really think I would announce a fake engagement?

I looked at him.

He continued:

—Estrella.

—Do you know why everyone believes I like men?

I shook my head.

He looked toward the night sky.

—Because ten years ago, I rejected every woman my family introduced.

—They decided there was only one explanation.

I almost smiled.

—And you never corrected them?

“No.”

“Why?”

He looked back at me.

“Because I was waiting for someone.”

My heart moved slightly.

Before I could ask, he continued:

—Someone who would not choose me because of my family.

—Someone who would not choose me because of money.

—Someone who would look at me as a person.

I became silent.

Because suddenly…

I understood.

Damian Xie was not helping me escape Adrian.

He had been watching me long before tonight.

The next morning, the entire military district was shocked.

The wedding between Adrian Shen and Nora Gu had become the biggest scandal.

Not because of the marriage.

Because of what happened afterward.

The truth about Nora slowly appeared.

The video sent to the family group.

The rumors about the incident.

The reason Adrian felt obligated to marry her.

The truth was not as simple as everyone believed.

Nora had carefully created the image of a helpless woman who needed protection.

But when investigators checked the details…

Several contradictions appeared.

The timing.

The witnesses.

The missing records.

Everything Adrian had sacrificed for…

was built on a lie.

Meanwhile, my wedding with Damian was prepared.

Unlike my first wedding…

There was no waiting.

No fear.

No uncertainty.

My parents looked at me with complicated expressions.

My father finally said:

—Are you sure?

I smiled.

—For the first time in my life, yes.

On the wedding day, Damian waited for me at the altar.

He did not look away.

He did not receive a phone call.

He did not leave.

When I reached him, he whispered:

—Are you afraid?

I shook my head.

“No.”

A small smile appeared on his face.

—Good.

“Why?”

“Because this time, I don’t want you to marry someone who chooses you only after losing you.”

My eyes became slightly wet.

Because that was exactly what I needed to hear.

Not promises.

Not beautiful words.

Just understanding.

After the wedding, Adrian came to see me one last time.

He looked exhausted.

Older.

Different.

—Estrella.

I looked at him.

—Why are you here?

He lowered his head.

For a man who had never apologized to anyone…

This was difficult.

—I was wrong.

Silence.

—I thought because you loved me, you would always forgive me.

A pause.

—I thought I could protect everyone.

“But I hurt the person who trusted me the most.”

I looked at him.

In my previous life, those words would have saved him.

They would have made me forgive him.

But now…

They only made me sad.

—Adrian.

He looked up.

—The person I was before died.

His expression changed.

—The woman who waited for you.

“The woman who begged you to choose her.”

“She is gone.”

A long silence.

Then I said:

“But I hope you become better.”

“Not for me.”

“For yourself.”

Adrian closed his eyes.

Because he finally understood.

Regret could arrive.

Apologies could be sincere.

But some opportunities only came once.

Years later, people still talked about the woman who cut her wedding dress and walked away.

They called it reckless.

They called it impossible.

They called it a scandal.

But I knew the truth.

That day, I did not destroy my wedding.

I saved my life.

Because a woman should never have to beg to be someone’s first choice.

And sometimes…

the greatest revenge is not making someone suffer.

It is finding a person who chooses you without hesitation.