After fulfilling his first love's wish, I became the bride he lost forever.

At the party celebrating my upcoming wedding to Oswald Harding, his ex-girlfriend suddenly flew back into the country.

Dawn Henson stood in the doorway, dragging a suitcase behind her, a gentle smile on her lips.

Don't ask me something as silly as why I came back. I wanted to see you. It's that simple.

The noisy private room went dead quiet in an instant.

Dawn smiled, unbothered, and fished a worn, glossy die out of her pocket.

"This. You haven't forgotten it, have you?"

Oswald's eyes softened in a heartbeat.

"I remember. You made it yourself."

The smile at the corner of her mouth deepened.

"Then you must still remember what you promised me."

"If you rolled six pips, I'd grant you one request, no questions asked."

Dawn tossed the die onto the table.

It settled. Six pips facing up.

She lifted her eyes to Oswald.

"My request is this: be my lover for seven days. Give our five years together a perfect ending."

Everyone thought Oswald would refuse.

He was silent for two seconds, then nodded and agreed.

I thought to myself: it was about time I took back my own die.

The whole room fell into a deathly hush.

Nina was so furious she slammed the table, shot to her feet, and shouted, "Dawn, are you sick? Oswald's marrying Millie Fox the day after tomorrow! Who exactly are you trying to disgust with this little act?"

Oswald frowned and looked over at me.

I understood that look perfectly.

He was waiting for me to speak up and tell Nina to shut up.

But I said nothing.

A second ago, I'd thought he would refuse too.

After all, I'd been with him for three years.

I stuck with him through his poorest days. I pulled him out of the shadow of a breakup.

Even when his mother had surgery, I was the one at the hospital, cleaning up after her, waiting on her hand and foot for a whole month.

And the day after tomorrow was supposed to be our wedding.

Nina turned to glare at Oswald again. "She's lost her mind, and so have you? Do you even hear yourself? What do you mean, 'fine'?"

"You and Millie fought your way all the way to a wedding, and you do this? Did you spare a single thought for how Millie feels? Are you even a man?"

"Stop yelling."

Oswald waved her off, his gaze landing on my face.

He reached out to take my hand. I stepped away from him.

His expression darkened.

His tone was the kind you'd use to coax a child, but laced with an authority that left no room for argument. "Millie, don't be difficult. A promise I made back then can't just not count. A man keeps his word."

"It's only seven days. Think of it as giving her a dignified goodbye. It's better for everyone."

"I'll talk to the hotel about the day-after-tomorrow wedding, push it to the eighth day. It's just a few days' difference, no real impact, hm?"

"Be good. Don't give our friends something to laugh about."

Be good.

Those two words again.

For three years, every time he went to clean up one of Dawn's messes, every time he dropped me to go see her friends, every time he chose her over me, he said the same thing.

Telling me to be good.

Telling me to be understanding.

Telling me not to cause him any trouble.

I looked at that die on the table, the one carved with a little red bean, and suddenly I smiled.

Oswald thought I was throwing a tantrum. He frowned, about to say something more.

Instead, I picked up my bag and stood.

"Sure. I have no objection."

He blinked, caught off guard, as if he hadn't expected me to agree so readily.

A flicker of surprise crossed Dawn's eyes too.

I raised my glass to him, my voice as calm as if I were remarking on the weather. "Since the wedding's off for now, there's no reason for me to stay here. I hope you two have fun."

With that, I turned and walked out of the room.

Behind me came Oswald's voice. "Millie, where are you going? Don't be angry. I'll come find you the moment I'm done."

I didn't look back.

When I reached the roadside, the wind blew, and only then did the tears land on the back of my hand.

A delicate die, set with red beans does it know how the longing cuts to the bone?

He thought I didn't understand what that die meant.

But I wasn't as foolish as he believed.

I took out my phone and dialed the number of the blind-date match my mother had pushed on me countless times.

She'd been urging me to settle down soon.

She said the Hardings were just an ordinary family, and even if I stuck by Oswald while he built everything from scratch, none of the rewards would ever come to me.

But I always just smiled and said that if you want to marry a general, you have to be with him back when he's still a foot soldier.

Looking at it now, those words were unbelievably stupid.

The moment the call connected, I sniffed back the tears.

"Dr. James, that marriage you mentioned before I accept."

"The wedding is set for eight days from now. I've prepared everything, so you don't need to worry about a thing. Just show up."

After I hung up, I deleted Oswald from the top of my pinned chats.

When I woke, the sky was already bright.

Out of habit, I reached over to the other side of the bed.

The space beside me was empty.

Oswald hadn't come home all night.

I picked up my phone.

At three in the morning, he'd sent me a message:

"Dawn just landed and needs to adjust to the time difference, so I'm keeping her company. I won't be back tonight. Get some sleep."

Below it was a post Dawn had put up on her feed ten minutes ago.

The location was tagged at the bridal shop I'd spent three months choosing.

In the photo, she was wearing the mermaid gown I'd fallen for at first sight.

The veil draped down over her shoulders, and she looked as pure as an angel.

Oswald stood behind her, head bent as he helped arrange the train of the dress, his eyes full of a tenderness I'd never once seen.

The caption read:

"Day one. Finally got to wear the wedding gown I've always wanted. Thank you."

Below it, a few mutual friends had tactfully dropped some question marks:

"?? Isn't Oswald getting married?"

Dawn replied:

"Just settling an old regret. Millie's very generous, she won't mind."

I stared at that photo for a long time.

My finger pressed against the screen, but I didn't know where to put it.

The phone rang.

The screen lit up with two words: "Hubby."

I answered.

There was a hint of a smile in his voice.

"You're up? You're not mad about last night, right? Dawn and I just tried on the gown, she's always wanted to wear that style, so I went along with her. You'll be wearing it for the wedding anyway, so think of it as me checking the fit ahead of time for you."

"Oh."

I answered flatly.

He seemed pleased with my reaction and went on:

"Oh, right I canceled today's prenatal checkup we had scheduled. Dawn's stomach is bothering her, it's an old problem, so I'm taking her for a gastroscopy. You're fine on your own, right? I know my wife's the most understanding."

Understanding.

The time I was hospitalized with a bleeding stomach, he'd said the same thing.

Back then Dawn had gotten into a fight and was detained, and he'd gone to bail her out, leaving me to hire a caregiver myself.

He'd said:

"You're understanding, you can handle it yourself. Dawn's a girl in there alone, I can't stop worrying."

I gripped the phone, my fingertips ice-cold.

"Oswald."

I said softly:

"My stomach hurts too."

There was a pause on the other end, then his impatient voice came through:

"Can you not make a fuss? Dawn's is a chronic condition, it hurts bad enough to kill her."

"You're just hungry. Can't you cook yourself some porridge? It's only seven days, just bear with it, and once the wedding's over I'll take you to the hospital every single day."

I said nothing.

He clicked his tongue.

"All right, all right, I'm busy over here, I'm hanging up now. I'll bring you something good to eat tonight."

The call ended.

I set down the phone and climbed out of bed.

I opened the closet and took out the other wedding gown, the one I'd prepared long ago.

I smoothed it out and tucked it into my suitcase.

A whole day passed, and Oswald still didn't show up.

The next morning, the doorbell rang.

I hurried over and opened the door.

Dawn stood outside, waving and smiling at me.

"Millie, sorry to barge in."

And with that, she stepped right past me and walked in like she owned the place.

"That man, Oswald. Yesterday after the gown fitting he dropped me off at the hotel, then walked through my room checking everything, insisting an outside hotel wasn't safe, going on about hidden cameras. He holed up and slept there the whole night. No matter what I said, he wouldn't listen."

"I thought one night would put his mind at ease. But this morning he took it even further. He canceled my room behind my back and said I had to stay at his place."

"Every other room at the hotel was booked, so I had no choice but to swallow my pride and come bother you."

When she finished, she turned around, hands clasped behind her back, and smiled at me.

"Miss Fox doesn't mind, does she?"

I lowered my eyes.

"I don't mind."

"I knew Oswald's taste was never off. He said you were reasonable, and it turns out it's true."

With that, she walked into the kitchen and started looking around like she'd done it a hundred times.

Every so often a little remark drifted out.

"This guy, three years and he still keeps this pot? I nearly let it boil dry back then. Can this thing even still be used?"

"Wow, he kept the dinnerware I picked out too. This was my favorite set..."

I stood where I was, my mind full of that night a year ago when I'd called Oswald in the dead of night.

There had been violent pounding on the door outside my hotel room, and I'd been too frightened to sleep. I begged him to drive over and pick me up.

But the call had woken him, and his voice carried nothing but irritation.

"A hotel that big has no security? You can't just call the front desk if something's wrong? By the time I drive all the way over there it'll be morning, and then I'd have to drive back for work. You really can't handle a little thing like this yourself?"

I drew a deep breath, turned, and went back into the room.

I locked the door and didn't come out again.

That evening, Oswald came home.

I'd just finished cooking and set everything on the table.

And there was Dawn, wearing my slippers, clinging to Oswald's arm, her eyes rimmed red.

"Millie, I'm so sorry. I just wanted some water, and I accidentally knocked the cup off your table and broke it..."

She pointed at the shards on the floor.

It was Oswald's and my couple's mug. The limited edition.

I'd hunted for half a year before I finally got it.

Oswald's brows knit at once as he turned to me, his tone accusing.

"Millie, why would you leave a cup at the edge of the table? Dawn just got here. She isn't familiar with the place yet."

I looked at him.

"She broke my cup, and you're blaming me?"

"Who else?"

He pulled Dawn over impatiently and shielded her behind him.

"Would she be crying like this if you hadn't gone at her? Can't you be a little bigger about it? It's just a cup. Apologize to her and we'll let it go."

I laughed out loud.

"I apologize?"

"Oswald, get this straight. This is my home."

His face darkened.

"What's all this 'my home, your home'? Dawn's a guest. Can't you give a little ground? It's only seven days. Once she's gone, I'll buy you ten of the exact same thing. Stop being unreasonable."

Behind him, Dawn lifted her eyes on the sly and flashed me a smug little smile.

I looked at the shards scattered across the floor, and all at once it all felt utterly pointless.

I untied my apron and tossed it on the table.

"I made the food. You two eat. I'm going out."

I grabbed my bag and headed for the door.

Behind me, Oswald shouted, "Millie, what are you throwing a fit about now?"

I didn't look back.

By the time I reached the street below, I got a call from the wedding planner.

"Miss Fox, we've changed the wedding setup exactly the way you asked. Was there anything else you'd like?"

"No, that's all. Thank you."

I hung up and walked into the hotel beside me.

The third day was my birthday.

It was the day we'd originally planned to get married.

He'd said he would surprise me at the wedding. Two happy occasions at once.

Now it seemed that was off the table.

He'd already shortchanged me. I wasn't going to shortchange myself too.

I paid extra for the hotel staff to decorate my room, and got ready to celebrate my birthday alone.

At noon, I went home to grab a few things.

The moment I opened the door, I froze where I stood.

The living room was filled with white baby's breath.

Candles had been arranged on the floor in the shape of a heart.

My dead heart suddenly slammed hard against my ribs.

I couldn't stop myself. I lifted my feet and moved closer, one step at a time.

There was a cake on the dining table.

The cake read:

"Happy Birthday, Dawn."

The pounding in my chest stilled all at once, and went back to dead silence.

I turned my head toward the master bedroom.

Dawn was sitting on the bed in my silk nightgown, and Oswald was bent over her, fastening a necklace around her neck.

It was the one I'd saved three months of my salary for, and never let myself buy.

Hearing my footsteps, they looked up at the same time.

Oswald flinched, as if something had just come back to him, his expression a little stiff.

"Millie, why are you home? It's Dawn's birthday today, so I'm throwing her a little celebration, you"

"Today is my birthday too."

I cut him off.

The air went silent in an instant.

Dawn's eyes reddened immediately. She stood up, looking flustered all over.

"I'm so sorry, Millie. I had no idea today was your birthday. Here, take the cake, I won't have any"

"No need."

I looked at Oswald.

"You remember her birthday but not mine. Is that it?"

His face darkened.

"Millie, are you serious? She hasn't celebrated her birthday in three years. What's wrong with me throwing her one?"

"You celebrate your birthday every year. Would it kill you to skip it for one year? I already told you, just seven days. Can you stop picking at this one thing day after day?"

"Just seven days?"

I looked around at the baby's breath filling the room.

"Oswald, three months ago I told you I wanted baby's breath for my birthday."

"What did you say back then? You said it was a waste of money. Pointless."

He choked on that, then turned even more irritated.

"Wasn't this a special situation? When it's our wedding, I'll fill a whole room with it for you, all right? Don't throw a tantrum here and make Dawn laugh at us."

Dawn tugged at his arm.

"Oswald, maybe I should just go. I don't want to come between you two"

Oswald pressed her back down.

"Go where? You're not the one who should leave."

"Millie, if you can't stand the sight of it, then get out. Don't stand here ruining the mood."

I looked at him, and then I smiled.

"Fine."

I turned and walked out of the home I'd lived in for three years.

The moment the door closed, I heard Dawn crying inside, and Oswald soothing her.

The last four days.

Oswald took Dawn to the beach where we'd planned to shoot our wedding photos, and they did an entire couple's set.

Then he took Dawn up to a mountaintop overlook and hung a love lock there.

That was the place I'd asked him to go for a whole year, and he'd always refused, saying his knees hurt.

Dawn posted on her feed every day, and Oswald was in every photo.

Underneath the captions, she always added a line:

"Thank you, Millie, for letting us be together."

Nina was so furious she wanted to go after them and have it out, but I stopped her.

There was no point anymore.

On the night of the seventh day, I went home to pack my things.

When I opened the door, Oswald and Dawn were sitting on the couch, looking through the photos they'd taken over the past seven days.

Seeing me come back, Oswald rose to his feet, his face lit with a relieved smile.

"Millie, you're back. Seven days are up. The deal between me and Dawn is over. Tomorrow's our wedding, and everything's back on track."

Dawn stood up too, her eyes red as she apologized to me:

"Millie, thank you for putting up with all of this these past seven days. I'll leave tomorrow, and I'll never bother the two of you again."

As she spoke, she threw herself into Oswald's arms and started to cry.

Oswald patted her back, soothing her for a long while before he finally looked up at me.

He opened his mouth, hesitated, then said:

"Millie, tonight... Dawn says she wants to sleep in our wedding bed one last time, as a way to truly say goodbye to the past."

"Could you stay at a hotel tonight? Just this one last night. Tomorrow we'll be married."

I looked at him.

This man I'd loved for three years.

This man I'd thought I'd spend my whole life with.

Then I nodded.

"Fine."

He let out a breath and smiled:

"I knew you were the reasonable one. Get some rest early, then. I'll come pick you up in the morning."

I picked up my packed suitcase, pulled open the door, and walked out.

I didn't look back.

The next morning.

When Oswald woke up, Dawn was already gone.

He looked at the empty room, thought back on the absurdity of those seven days, and felt a flicker of guilt.

After asking around among his friends, he decided to set up a little surprise at the wedding to win her over.

He took out his phone and called the hotel.

He wanted them to make the wedding venue a touch more romantic, to add more baby's breath.

The call connected quickly.

Oswald said with a smile:

"Hello, this is Oswald Harding, the groom for today's wedding. Could you help me"

Before he could finish, the receptionist's startled voice cut him off:

"Mr. Harding? Why are you calling now? Aren't you supposed to be at the ceremony right now?"

The smile froze on Oswald's face.

"What? I haven't even gone to the hotel yet."

The receptionist faltered too:

"Mr. Harding, the wedding program has already started. Let me just confirm with youthe bride is Miss Millie Fox, correct?"

"Miss Fox arrived a while ago. I went over the program with her myself this morning, and you, the groom, were standing right there beside her. You... you really don't know?"

Oswald's voice came out as if forced through clenched teeth:

"I haven't left my place all morning. The groom you're talking about isn't me."

As the words left him, a server's urging voice carried through from the other end:

"Kitchen, kitchen! Ten more bottles of wine for the wedding hall. Miss Fox says the groom has a lot of friends, the guests are asking, get it done fast!"