An Unexpected Beginning

That afternoon, after a long, exhausting day at work, I stepped out of the office and blended into the stream of people hurrying home. The sun had broken through, a light breeze brushed my face, and I thought it would be just another ordinary day. But fate had prepared a scene I would never forget for the rest of my life.

On the familiar street, car horns blared loudly. People started murmuring, stopping to watch as a line of sleek luxury cars approached from afar. They were decorated with vibrant flowers and ribbons, moving slowly in a row while wedding music played cheerfully.

My heart suddenly raced. “Who’s getting married on this road today?” I thought, stepping aside curiously. But then, when the lead car stopped right in front of me and the window slid down, I froze. The man in a white suit, smiling radiantly inside… was none other than Nam – my fiancé.

A Shattering Shock

In that moment, my mind went blank. Just a month ago, we had been planning our wedding together. My wedding dress was still hanging in the closet, the venue had been booked, the invitations were being printed. And now, here he was… the groom in another woman’s wedding.

Tears welled up, but I forced myself to push closer, to see clearly. There was no mistake. It was Nam. And beside him, in a dazzling white wedding gown, sat a beautiful young woman, her eyes brimming with happiness.

People around me cheered and congratulated. Only I stood there, lost in the crowd, feeling like my heart was being crushed in someone’s hand. I tried to call out his name, but the wedding music drowned out everything. Nam didn’t see me at all—or maybe… he deliberately avoided my gaze.

Memories Flood Back

Images of our days together suddenly rushed through my mind like a film in reverse. Nam once held my hand in the rain, promising he would always protect me. He once said that after we got married, we would buy a small apartment, adopt a puppy, and build a happy family.

I had believed it all, loved him wholeheartedly, even turned down good opportunities just to stay by his side.

But was it all a lie? When did he start betraying me? And how could he smile so brightly today, as if none of it had ever existed?

My Decision

The convoy rolled forward, leaving me stranded on the street. I collapsed onto the sidewalk, hands trembling, tears streaming uncontrollably. Passersby gave me pitying looks, but none of them knew that I had just witnessed the tragedy of my own life.

Inside, pain mingled with rage. I realized I had given my heart to a traitor. But at that very moment, a thought flashed across my mind: “I will not let myself fall apart because of someone unworthy.”

I stood up, wiped my tears, and took a deep breath. The road ahead was still long. Yes, Nam had betrayed me—but I still had myself, my family, and the dreams I had yet to fulfill. I would start over—stronger, prouder.

The Truth Revealed

In the days that followed, the memory of that fateful encounter haunted me. Night after night, I lay awake, asking myself: “Why did Nam do this to me? How could he be so cruel, leaving me without a word?”

Finally, a mutual friend, after much hesitation, told me the truth. The bride that day—Lan Chi—was the only daughter of a wealthy real estate tycoon in the city. Her family owned countless billion-dollar projects, their fortune so vast they could never spend it all.

And Nam? He was just an ordinary office worker with a modest salary, barely enough to live on. He had often complained to me about financial pressures, about his dream of changing his life quickly. But I never imagined that his thirst for wealth would turn him into a betrayer.

Nam had chosen the shortest path—marrying a rich wife to elevate himself. And I, the woman who had stood by him through hardship, had become nothing more than a shadow of the past he could easily discard.

Double the Pain

When I learned the truth, I cried and laughed at the same time. So, the love he once swore by was nothing but a transaction. All those sweet words, the carefully drawn plans for the future, vanished under the weight of money.

I didn’t know whether to mourn losing my love, or to hate being so devalued—reduced to nothing compared to material wealth. But one thing was certain: I would never forgive such betrayal.

That day, I lost the man I once called “my fiancé.” But it was also the day I uncovered a brutal truth, and from then on, I learned how to walk again on my own two feet.

Love can betray. People can change. But my heart—after enduring the deepest pain—would only grow stronger.

And I believe that one day, I will meet a man truly worthy, one who doesn’t need a fleet of luxury cars to prove his love, but only needs to hold my hand and walk with me through the most ordinary days. That alone will be happiness.