Chapter 1

Nora Graham and Elliot Ward found themselves trapped in endless arguments just one month before their wedding. Every single argument was about the same thing—Elliot wanted to have a child with his professor's daughter. "Nothing physical will happen between us since it's just in vitro fertilization. Professor Reeves is gravely ill, and his biggest wish is to see Claire happy and have a child. She has no one else to turn to. I'm her only option," Elliot explained. Nora was stunned and furious when she first heard this ridiculous proposal. But now, after weeks of fighting, all she felt was exhaustion. "We're supposed to get married in a month, yet you want to have a child with another woman. Doesn't that sound insane to you?" she demanded, her voice trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to hold her tears back, but eventually, the dam broke, and the tears streamed down her cheeks. For a moment, Elliot was shaken. He'd never seen her cry before, after all. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get a word out, his phone chimed. Glancing at the screen, his face hardened, and all that conflict vanished. "I have to go. Maybe you should take some time to calm down," he said, turning away. As Nora watched him leave, she suddenly realized that she had always been the one staring at his back throughout all their years together. Back in university, Elliot was the kind of guy everyone admired. He was always at the top of the secret admirer lists, but he never accepted anyone's confession and ended it all by saying he wasn't interested in dating during university. Most women gave up because of his aloof attitude, but Nora stayed persistent and determined until she finally won him over, and he became her boyfriend. But even after years together, Elliot was always distant. Still, Nora never let it get to her, always playing the part of the sunshine in his life. She never imagined he would disregard her feelings and make such an absurd request. Just then, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Claire Reeves, with a screenshot of her conversation with Elliot. Claire said, "Elliot, my dad's not going to make it much longer. Let's not worry about Nora anymore. Can we just go through with the IVF? Please!" Elliot replied, "Okay. I'll come over." Nora felt like she'd been struck by lightning. So, that was why Elliot left in such a hurry. She didn't even know how to put her feelings into words. Everything was weighing on her chest, so heavy she could barely breathe. She wanted to scream and cry, but she was just too tired to do either. At that moment, she looked up and caught her reflection in the mirror. She barely recognized herself. She used to be vibrant and full of life. But now, her eyes were clouded with a sorrow so deep it felt like it would never fade. She didn't look anything like the person she once was. All of this was because she fell for Elliot. In trying to win his heart, she had lost herself. But in the end, Elliot ran off to have a baby with another woman, just weeks before their wedding. Suddenly, a thought crept in. If Elliot cared so little about their relationship, maybe she shouldn't, either. She took a deep breath, picked up her phone, and typed out a post for her social feed. After making sure Elliot couldn't see it, she hit send. "My wedding's in a month, but I'm thinking of swapping out the groom. Is anyone interested?" Most of her friends assumed she was joking. The comments section filled up with lighthearted replies. Nora scrolled through them, feeling emptier than ever. Just when she was about to put her phone down, a call came in. It was from Lucas Reynolds. Nora stared at the phone screen, stunned for a moment. It had been years since she'd heard from him. They'd grown up together. Back in school, she was the popular girl, and Lucas was the guy everyone crushed on, but the two of them were always butting heads. From kindergarten through high school, they'd bickered nonstop. Then, they went to universities in different cities, and their story faded out. Back in university, she fell for Elliot at first sight. She spent nearly every break trying to be with him, rarely going back home. After graduation, she stayed in Harbor City for Elliot and lost touch with Lucas, except for a random comment he left for her when she announced her engagement. "Can you not marry him?" She thought he was just being difficult, like always, so she ignored him. She never expected he'd be the first to call her now. As she picked up the call, Nora braced herself for his teasing, but Lucas went straight to the point. "Nora, if you're looking for a new groom, how about me?" As soon as he finished speaking, silence filled the air. Nora wasn't sure if he was joking or not, but she couldn't deny that Lucas was probably her best option. He was her equal in every way, and she knew him inside and out. After a long pause, she answered, "Alright. What's your condition?" "I don't have any conditions. Just one thing—if we're getting married, change my contact name from 'Butthead' to 'Honey.'" His request was so simple that Nora had to check if she had heard him right. "Is that it?" "That's it. Oh, also, I want everything regular married couples have." Nora was genuinely surprised. She'd assumed Lucas was just being pushed by his family to settle down. All these years, she had never pressured Elliot to get married. Since he had already agreed to be her boyfriend, she didn't dare to ask for anything more. However, with her grandfather's health getting worse and his wish to see her walk down the aisle, she decided to propose herself. But now, just weeks before the wedding, Elliot had thrown her this curveball. She tightened her grip on her phone. "I don't want a fake marriage. If I'm doing this, it's for real." Lucas laughed softly. "Good. I'll come to Harbor City and pick you up. Let's talk about setting a date for the marriage license and wedding." Nora went quiet for a moment. "Give me two weeks. I need time to wrap up a few things." She didn't need to explain what those things were. They both knew she meant Elliot. If this was going to be a real marriage, the past had to be left behind. Lucas understood and didn't say anything. When she hung up, the first thing Nora did was update Lucas' contact name. She stared at the new contact name and let out a mocking laugh. If Elliot could sneak around and have a baby with another woman, then fine. Nora would just go behind his back and get herself a new groom.