My Wedding Dress Belonged to His First Love

The night before my wedding, my fianc and I went to try on wedding dresses.

The legendary store owner, Sophia---who had studied abroad but never showed her face---personally attended to us.

When I saw her in person, I didn't miss the flash of shock on my fianc Julian's face.

Sophia brought over a wedding dress I hadn't selected, her smile ambiguous. "This one was designed by me and my first love together. You and I have similar profiles and figures---it'll look stunning on you."

I said nothing and took it into the fitting room.

It did look stunning.

When I pulled back the curtain, Julian was deep in intimate conversation with Sophia, their posture suggestive.

I asked him, "Does it look good?"

He jerked his head toward Sophia, his eyes reddening, visibly losing his composure---a rare sight.

The woman looked understanding. "It's understandable that Mr. Walker lost his composure for a moment."

I smiled and walked out. "Probably because the one wearing this wedding dress isn't you, his first love."

Then I turned to Julian.

"You've seen me in a wedding dress now. Let's break up."

Dead silence.

I suppressed my smile and repeated myself.

"Why?"

Julian finally snapped out of it.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Sophia beat me to it, her voice thick with tears.

"Miss Rivers, this is my proudest creation. I just thought it would suit you. If you don't like it, you can say so directly. There's no need to slander others!"

"Julian and I are in the past. I have nothing but blessings for you two, truly."

Her tears fell in steady drops.

A flash of heartache crossed Julian's face. He instinctively reached out, then froze mid-air.

He strode forward and gripped my shoulders. "Just because of this wedding dress?"

"We're about to get married. You'd better not make a scene over nothing."

The words stuck in my throat, making it tight.

I pulled a stack of photos from my bag and thrust them at him.

"Look carefully! Who's the one making a scene?"

My chest filled with dense, stabbing pain.

I had always thought Julian was my soulmate.

Until three months ago, when I started receiving photos of him with a strange woman---all angles, intimately close.

The times and locations all matched Julian's schedule perfectly.

The woman in the photos bore a sixty percent resemblance to me, becoming a thorn lodged in my heart.

I tossed and turned at night, my emotions drowning me like waves.

When I met Sophia, everything became clear.

Why Julian loved taking profile photos of me, why he liked me in bright colors.

First love and substitute.

He didn't even look. He snatched the photos away and scattered them.

As the photos fluttered down, he said, "She and I..."

"Undying first love! Rekindled romance! Need me to help you remember?"

I interrupted loudly, blinking to force the tears back.

Sophia's sobbing grew louder.

Julian shouted, "Enough! Did you come here just to cause trouble?!"

The overwhelming sense of grievance stuck in my throat. I shoved him hard and strode away.

But the next second, my wrist was gripped tightly. Julian yanked me back into the fitting room, his tone forceful.

"It's raining. This fabric can't get wet. Change out of it!"

I looked down at the wedding dress, unable to hold back the tears that filled my eyes.

Right---it was designed with the woman he loved, so even after ten years, he remembered every detail of the fabric clearly.

A deliberately lowered voice drifted through the curtain. I peered through the gap.

Julian had his back to me, his shoulders trembling.

"Why did you bring out that dress? It was clearly..."

Sophia cut him off, her eyes red. "Because it's time to let go. Julian, we shouldn't contact each other anymore."

"I never wanted to interfere with your relationship. As long as you're happy, I don't mind losing you again."

He pulled her into his arms. She struggled, but he held her tighter.

Sophia looked up, shot me a provocative smile, then buried her head in the man's neck.

A sharp pain pierced my heart. I suddenly couldn't breathe.

Every expression on that face reminded me---

I was a fake.

I couldn't control my tears anymore. I grabbed my bag and ran out.

Julian caught up from behind and forcibly pulled me into the car.

He wiped the rain from his face, started the engine, then reached over to hold my hand.

"Vivian, we're about to get married. Stop being paranoid."

"Sophia and I aren't as sordid as you think."

The next second, his phone rang. The hand holding mine instantly withdrew.

"Julian, the wedding dress is torn. It was deliberate..."

Sophia's tearful voice filled the car.

The car jerked to a stop.

"Don't cry. I'm coming back now."

He looked at me, his eyes filled with disgust and indifference.

"Using such despicable tactics. Get out."

I met his gaze stubbornly. "The innocent have nothing to fear. Check the surveillance footage and you'll know."

"I said get out!"

I stood in the rain, watching him scan the car interior before finally unbuttoning and tossing his suit jacket at me.

"No umbrella. Make do with this."

Then with a roar, he disappeared into the rain.

Tears mixed with rainwater splattered on my phone screen, which displayed a message about starting work in a week.

Without hesitation, I accepted and booked a flight to San Francisco.

I walked home through the rain.

My phone buzzed. My special follow had posted an update.

It was Sophia.

I had traced her account months ago but never had the courage to ask anything. I'd been secretly following her for three months.

Her latest post showed just one image---

A small asteroid named Sophia.

Caption: Whose stars am I?

Julian's first comment: Mine.

I stared until my eyes stung.

The night he proposed successfully, Julian took me to a mountaintop to watch the stars for three hours.

How fortunate I thought I was---a CEO worth millions per minute willing to waste time with me.

Tears dripped onto the screen, making the little asteroid shine even brighter.

So he'd been reminiscing about her all along.

Julian, when you gazed at the stars, did you ever think about whose hand you were holding?

I hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day. My stomach suddenly cramped.

The pain made me break out in cold sweat. I stumbled up to find medicine.

After joining the company, I was determined to catch up to Julian. To close deals, I could drink through three to five business dinners for one contract.

That's how I ruined my stomach.

I picked up a box---empty. They were all empty.

My face pale, I curled up on the bed and gradually lost consciousness.

When I woke, my forehead was pressed against Julian's chest.

His breathing was steady, his arm around my chest, naturally holding me close.

My eyes stung a bit. I blinked to force the tears back.

I sat up.

Don't let me keep misunderstanding.

Misunderstanding that you, holding me so tightly, actually love me.

The movement woke Julian.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"You're awake? You got caught in the rain today. Let me get you some hot water."

He brought the cup to feed me, but I turned my face away and choked out the words.

"We've already broken up."

"How long are you going to keep this up?!"

Julian's expression changed. He slammed the cup heavily on the table.

"I told you, she and I aren't what you think. The wedding dress---if you don't like it, we'll change it. Besides, you already ruined that one!"

I laughed coldly. "You convict people without evidence?"

"You don't need to deny it. Sophia doesn't plan to hold you responsible or even make you apologize."

Tears streamed down my face. "I don't want to hear anything about her. I said we're breaking up! I told you before---if you ever fell in love with someone else, I would hate you."

Julian reached out to wipe my tears and sighed.

"Vivian, you're wrong. I loved Sophia first. You're the one who came later. Are you going to hate yourself?"

"But none of that matters. I told you I'd marry you. Stop being childish, okay?"

"You love Sophia so much---go marry her! Sleep beside her every night!"

"Get out! We've broken up. This is my home. Get out!"

I knocked his hand away and pushed him toward the door.

He personally tore away the last shred of dignity, voiding all the promises he'd made.

True Sophia had arrived, and I, this cicada, should obediently die immediately.

Julian watched calmly as I lost control, then sneered.

"Your home? Vivian, everything you have now---which part didn't I give you? I even funded your college education."

"How is it that after all these years, you still haven't learned to use your pride in the right place? You always act like you don't need me!"

His eyes reddened as he spoke through gritted teeth.

"Since you don't need it, I'll take it all back."

Like being slapped across the face, tears rolled down in fat drops. I bit my lip hard to keep silent.

From the very beginning, I was just a poor student he kindly sponsored.

I couldn't refute that.

But standing shoulder to shoulder with him now was something I fought for through more than a thousand grueling days and nights.

The self-respect I desperately protected was trampled underfoot. His casual words knocked me back to my original wretched state.

Do people always need to bleed something from their bodies to dilute the pain?

My stomach churned. Tears mixed with vomit fell into the trash can. The sound of the door slamming made my heart go numb.

My phone vibrated repeatedly. Sophia had followed me back and sent a message asking to meet.

With shaking hands, I replied "okay," then listed both the house and car for sale.

Everything I'd saved from years of desperate work.

Julian, I'm giving it all back to you.

Sophia asked to meet at a coffee shop.

"Did you come here to humiliate me?"

I sat down expressionlessly.

"Did you offer yourself up for humiliation?"

Her aura was completely different from when she was around Julian.

I caught sight of her phone's lock screen---a photo of them together.

At an amusement park, she and Julian laughing wildly at the camera.

I'd never seen Julian laugh so freely.

Then my gaze dropped to his wrist, and my psychological defenses completely collapsed.

Sophia followed my gaze, triumphant.

"That's from the amusement park today---I randomly gave him that freebie. He loves it."

When we were dating, I once gave Julian a men's watch, spending all my savings.

He politely declined, raising an eyebrow with a smile. "I never wear watches. I have all the time in the world."

Now that cheap trinket on his wrist reached across time and space to slap me hard.

So, Julian---does your time only flow for her?

I suppressed the bitterness inside and said nothing.

"Vivian Rivers, you know better than anyone that you're not worthy of Julian. If I hadn't gone abroad back then, this marriage would never have been your turn."

She laughed lightly.

"Leaving him to pursue my dreams abroad is my biggest regret. You wouldn't understand. When Julian and I were dating, you were still following your mom around looking for a new husband."

Before my brain could react, my hand had already raised the coffee and splashed it at her.

Sophia screamed.

I trembled all over, hurt and angry.

I'd grown up in a single-parent home. My mom had been trying to remarry.

Julian had even told her that.

I shot to my feet and left without looking back.

She was right---I really did offer myself up for humiliation.

But walking aimlessly down the street, when the evening breeze blew, my eyes couldn't help but moisten again.

Julian, who am I to you?

My phone wouldn't stop buzzing. Julian's messages were pinned at the top.

He sent me an image---him leaning against the headboard smoking, Sophia sleeping peacefully in his arms.

Even though I was mentally prepared, my breath still caught when I opened it.

The next message read: "As you wished."

Eyes red, I replied "Congratulations."

After sending it, the screen showed "typing" intermittently.

My phone kept buzzing. I stared at the chat screen.

After a long while, he replied: "Since you don't need me, handle the online situation yourself."

Online?

Thinking of something, I immediately opened Sophia's profile.

Sure enough, her latest post showed her covered in coffee.

In a few words, she painted herself as the rightful partner being provoked by a mistress.

As a famous designer with a massive fanbase, her followers automatically charged into battle for her.

Following the clues she provided, they quickly traced everything back to me.

My inbox filled with all kinds of vile insults.

I wiped the tears from my face and laughed bitterly.

Julian, do you really not want to deal with this, or do you just feel sorry for her?

I unpinned Julian from the top of my contacts and canceled all the pre-booked wedding services one by one.

The wind lifted my hair. I repeated to myself mentally---

Vivian, don't look back.

I sold both the house and car at urgent prices. The final payment would hit my account next week.

I stood downstairs from the company and took a deep breath.

Now---time to resign.

But as soon as I entered the company, various stares stuck to me.

"She still has the nerve to show up? Guess the people online didn't curse her hard enough."

"I said all along she wasn't innocent---always throwing herself at Mr. Walker. Turns out she wanted to be a homewrecker."

The mockery drowned me. I clenched my fists hard.

Julian and I had dated for five years, but to avoid affecting work, we never went public.

Now it had become a boomerang stuck in my back.

"Vivian, the Marketing Director's surname is now Sophia." My colleague pointed. "Your workstation is over there."

I looked over. All my things were piled messily in the corner.

And the position I'd fought five years to earn now belonged to Sophia.

To please his first love, I had to hand over my life's work with both hands.

I told myself it was fine---at least I didn't need Julian's signature to resign anymore.

I looked away and crouched down to organize my things bit by bit.

Scattered laughter rang out.

When I looked up, Julian stood not far away, his expression dark.

He still wore that freebie on his wrist. I turned my face away.

"Vivian, pack up and come sign a contract with me."

Consider it the final punctuation mark---one last work handover.

When I got in the car, Julian was teaching Sophia.

How to grasp market trends, the company's product advantages...

Things I'd never heard from him.

He explained everything point by point on the computer, very professionally.

I used to look at him with the same admiration Sophia now showed, watching him so spirited and accomplished.

Then I vowed in my heart---I would become someone like Julian.

The wedding ring on his ring finger hurt my eyes.

I looked away and turned toward the window.

Through the rearview mirror, our eyes met.

I lowered my gaze.

I don't want to become someone like Julian.

Finally we arrived at the private room. When I saw who was there, my expression immediately changed.

I stared hard at Julian, asking in disbelief.

"Why are people from Sterling Group here?! This project belongs to Huarui!"

I'd worked overtime for three months to finally land this tough account.

If the collaboration went smoothly, Walker Corporation's year-end profits would rise two percentage points.

Sterling Group had been declining for years. They couldn't handle a project this large, and Sterling had always been at odds with Walker Corporation.

"I proactively canceled the partnership," he said. "Sterling Group needs this project more."

Slap!

I trembled with rage.

Julian turned his head, running his tongue over the inside of his cheek.

He grabbed the hand I'd hit him with, his voice low. "You said it yourself---you joined Walker Corporation to repay your debt. This is what you owe me too."

The impact didn't register. My hand shook until it went numb, the numbness spreading all the way to my heart.

I stared into his eyes and couldn't help but laugh.

Taking my life's work to pave the way for Sophia---he was so naturally good at it.

I pulled my hand free. "Fine."

I turned and entered the private room.

I saw Sophia give a look to Ms. Sterling across from her. The man immediately raised his glass and walked over to me.

" Ms. Rivers, I've heard so much about you. It's an honor to work together. I'll drink it all---you do as you please."

He drained his glass in one go.

The other two men followed suit.

Julian was about to speak when Sophia immediately clung to his arm. "Julian, when we broke up before, my father felt so guilty."

Julian fell silent.

Ms. Sterling laughed heartily. "Julian, once you marry my dear daughter, Sterling and Walker will be like family."

Julian tapped his phone a few times, then leaned over to whisper in my ear. "Don't worry. I had someone go buy hangover medicine."

He sat up straight and filled my glass, not daring to meet my eyes.

The high-proof liquor's scent shot straight to the top of my head.

I didn't look at him. I picked up the glass and drained it.

A round of cheers. " Ms. Rivers can really drink!"

An irrepressible nausea surged from my stomach. I suppressed it hard.

One glass, two glasses...

Soon the bottle was empty.

A strong burning sensation came from my stomach, constantly spasming. Each time felt like the pain of near-death.

I gasped weakly and rapidly, my face drained of color.

Julian suddenly pressed down on my hand, hissing under his breath. "Stop drinking!"

I shook off his hand and tilted my head back to pour it down.

A sweet fishy taste surged up my throat. I grunted and vomited a large mouthful of blood.

"Vivian!"

The world became very quiet.

I stared down at that pool of blood, actually feeling relieved.

Julian, I don't owe you anymore.

When I woke, I was in a hospital room. Cold liquid entered my body through an IV. Cold.

Julian heard the noise and jerked his head up.

His eyes were red. "You're finally awake. You scared me to death."

I didn't speak.

He hesitated.

"Rest well. Sophia was frightened tonight. I'm going back to stay with her. I'll come see you tomorrow."

I stared quietly at the ceiling.

Sleep peacefully. From now on, you won't wake up next to this fake anymore.

...

Julian got up early the next morning to make oatmeal.

He carried the thermos toward the hospital room but was stopped by a nurse.

"Excuse me, sir, there's no patient in the VIP room now."

He turned around. "The woman with stomach bleeding from last night."

"That lady checked out last night."

How is that possible?

Julian rushed forward and pushed open the door.

Clean---no trace that anyone had been there.

The thermos crashed to the floor.