"Miss Bradshaw, your marriage certificate is fake."

Chloe Bradshaw watched the receptionist hand her the certificate she’d just given over. The woman’s tone was polite, sure, but that little smirk on her face was unmistakable.

Chloe let out a soft laugh as she took it back. "Why on earth would I bring a fake marriage certificate just to mess with you?"

"Maybe for the anniversary promo we’re running?" The receptionist raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching like she found the whole thing mildly amusing.

Chloe blinked. Promo? She had no clue about that. She only picked this restaurant because she loved their rooftop garden—seemed like the perfect spot after three years of marriage to Liam.

"You can’t just say it’s fake without any proof. I have every right to file a complaint," Chloe's voice dropped colder.

That seemed to amuse the receptionist even more. She just shook her head like she was watching someone totally clueless.

Chloe frowned. "And what makes you so sure?"

The receptionist tapped at her keyboard for a moment, then turned the screen toward Chloe.

"When I entered your husband’s ID, his details came up."

"And?" Chloe leaned in, hopeful.

"He’s signed up for our anniversary dinner package."

Chloe’s expression softened. "Wait, he did? So he planned something too?"

The receptionist looked at her like she was living in a bubble. "Liam Thompson did book it, yes. But the reservation isn’t for you."

"...What?"

"It’s booked under someone else’s name. His actual wife’s."

Chloe’s smile froze on her lips. She bent down to check the system again—and there it was. In the “Mrs. Thompson” slot: Melanie Harper.

Melanie. Her best friend. Her closest friend.

What the hell was going on?

"And the couple’s currently celebrating their third anniversary upstairs in the rooftop garden—"

Before she could finish, Chloe had already sprinted toward the stairs.

Her heart pounded as she ran. No. No, this couldn’t be happening. Liam and Melanie? That had to be a mistake. It had to.

But when she reached the rooftop and saw them locked in a tender embrace, she froze.

Liam looked sharp in a tailored suit and bowtie. Confident, calm. Melanie glowed in a red evening gown, eyes bright, smile sweet. They gazed at each other like they were the only two in the world.

Behind them, a huge screen lit up with soft music playing. The title read: Time Music Box.

Then the photos started scrolling. The first—clearly candid. Melanie, phone in hand, smiling shyly as Liam stood in the distance. One snapshot after another: stiff poses in the early days, gradually growing more relaxed, more intimate. Dinner dates, laughter, shared moments.

All those memories. All those years. And Chloe had been just a background extra.Even the front passenger seat in Liam Thompson’s car—where Chloe Bradshaw had always thought was hers—was now occupied by Melanie Harper.

Then, they went on business trips together, traveled together, and even visited Melanie’s hometown.

And the worst part? Chloe, who thought she was Liam’s wife and Melanie’s best friend, had no clue about any of it.

There were photos of them kissing in sunsets, laughing in bed together, even one snapped after the deed—Melanie lying curled up in Liam’s arms, both of them obviously unclothed…

Then the last picture showed Liam slipping a diamond ring onto Melanie’s finger.

While that image was on the big screen, Liam also picked up a massive bouquet of roses from the table and dropped to one knee in front of Melanie.

“Mrs. Thompson, you look stunning tonight,” he said.

Melanie caught the roses and immediately threw herself into his arms, kissing his chin with a ridiculous smile on her face.

Liam gently stroked her hair, his eyes full of adoration.

Chloe stared at the pair, trying to convince herself maybe she was mistaken. Maybe it was someone else who just looked like them. But…

But she wasn’t blind.

Right in front of her—it was Liam Thompson and Melanie Harper. The man she loved, and her so-called best friend.

She forced herself to stay calm and stepped aside into the hallway to make a call.

Not long after, the call came back.

“Miss Bradshaw, we confirmed that Mr. Thompson was legally married on June 6th three years ago.”

June 6th?

But she and Liam had registered their marriage on June 16th.

“What about the spouse’s name?” she asked.

“Melanie Harper.”

Chloe’s throat tightened. “Are you...sure?”

“There’s no mistake.”

Her heart felt like it had been shattered into a million sharp pieces.

So… Her husband wasn’t even hers. He belonged to her “dearest” best friend.

Right then, violin music started playing from outside, pulling her mind back.

Under the stars, in a scene full of flowers and romantic music, Liam took Melanie by the hand and started dancing.

The big screen switched again. Now it was a shot taken on a cruise ship.

Chloe had a copy of that picture. Except in hers, all three of them were in the frame.

In this version, she’d been cropped out.

Wow. That whole trip? She'd planned everything.

God...

Chloe felt like her rage was about to explode out of her. Her hands clenched into fists, and she strode forward.

She was done. She needed the truth. She wanted to rip off their masks and hear from their own mouths why they had done this to her.

Before she could get close, Melanie suddenly pulled something out of her bag and waved it in front of Liam.

Liam’s eyes went wide the second he saw it. He snatched it out of her hand and inspected it carefully, and then his face lit up like a kid at Christmas.

Chloe froze.

It was a pregnancy test.

She'd used too many of those herself. Every time ended in heartbreak.

“I’m gonna be a dad! I’m gonna be a dad!” Liam shouted, unable to contain his joy.

For once in his life, he looked overjoyed, like he wanted to announce the news to the world.

And right then… Chloe finally got it.Two hours later, Chloe Bradshaw drove and followed Liam Thompson and his group back to the Thompson residence.

As soon as Melanie Harper stepped out of the car, Mrs. Thompson came rushing out of the house.

“Melanie, my lovely daughter-in-law! Liam just called and told me you're pregnant—oh my goodness, what wonderful news! Back then, the reason I didn’t let Liam marry Chloe Bradshaw was because she had an accident and damaged her uterus. She can’t have kids, you know!”

Melanie grasped her hand gently. “I’m okay with it, really.”

“Sweet girl, that’s what I love most about you—you’re so understanding.”

Chloe stood there, watching her cold and distant mother-in-law gushing over Melanie, holding her hand, calling her “dear daughter-in-law” over and over again, and welcoming her into the house like she was some cherished gem.

So it was true. The reason they rejected her was because she couldn’t conceive. But the accident that caused all this? She only got hurt so badly because she risked her life to save Liam Thompson!

The Thompsons weren’t ready to carry the burden of being ungrateful traitors, so they handed her a fake marriage certificate and played her like a fool...

Three whole years. They fooled her for three long years.

Right then, her phone rang. It was someone she once thought was a complete lunatic.

Chloe took a deep breath. “Did you already know my marriage to Liam was fake?”

The person on the other end of the call was Mr. Morris, head of the powerful Morris family—basically the royal family of Yuncheng. She had met him once during a business collaboration with Tianyuan Group.

Only later did she realize that Mr. Morris wasn’t reaching out because of business—he wanted her to marry his son.

“As long as you’re willing to marry my son and give the Morris family a grandchild, all of our family assets will belong to you one day.”

When she first heard it, she thought Mr. Morris must have lost his mind.

How could she, a married woman, marry someone else? Absurd. Totally ridiculous.

But looking back now, it was pretty clear—he must’ve looked into her first and found out about the deception.

“Miss Bradshaw, I’m sorry this truth had to hurt you. But between being lied to and learning the harsh truth, I believe you’d rather face reality.”

“You’ve done your homework, then you must know... I had an accident. It’s really difficult for me to get pregnant.”

“I know a traditional Chinese doctor who once checked your pulse. She’s confident you still have a good chance. I trust her.”

Chloe had no idea who this doctor was or when she supposedly saw her. But after everything, she found it hard to doubt Mr. Morris anymore.

She turned her gaze to the Thompson house again, its lights glowing brightly.

Once, that place had meant home to her.

Now? Not anymore.

“Alright. I’ll marry your son.”

“Excellent!”

“But I want a big wedding. One that makes headlines.”

“Of course. When the Morris family holds a wedding, the whole city’s going to know about it!”

The wedding would take time to prepare, so they set the date for a month later.