+25 BONUS When William and Rachel arrived at the bridal shop , an assistant greeted them warmly and led them to the dressing rooms . William went in to change first . When he stepped out , even the store staff froze for a moment . He was tall and lean , with not an ounce of extra weight on him , thanks to regular workouts . He looked like he'd stepped straight out of a magazine , the kind of man who made anything he wore look better . Then , Rachel walked out in the dress William had designed . She saw him sitting on a bench , looking down at his phone . His tie was neatly knotted , his black suit sharp and clean . As she stood silently behind him , she accidentally caught a glimpse of the text message on his screen . [ William , my stomach hurts . Can you come pick me up ? ] Before he could reply , a second message came through . [ Oh , you're doing wedding photos with Rachel today , right ? Never mind . I'll just go home on my own . ] Then , it disappeared . The sender had deleted it . Rachel sneered inwardly . Who waited a full minute to delete a sent message ? That was no accident . William hesitated , his thumbs pausing over the screen before he finally typed : [ I'll see how things go . Send me your location . ] Rachel's hands tightened around the edge of her dress , her knuckles turning white . It felt like something was being ripped out of her chest , making it hard to breathe . She pressed a hand to her heart . So , William still couldn't say no to that woman . As Rachel slowly crouched down , William finally sensed that something was wrong . When he turned around and saw her pale face , he hurriedly stood . " Rachel ? What's wrong ? Are you feeling sick ? I'll take you to the hospital right now . " She looked at his face , and couldn't help but inwardly sneer at how it was so full of worry , just like always . But was he really worried about her , or was he just waiting for an excuse to run back to that woman ? Rachel forced herself to stay calm . " I'm okay . Just haven't been sleeping well the past few days . Can you take me home ? " she said quietly . William nodded quickly . " Of course . Let's go . " He turned to speak with the store staff , then gently helped her outside . Just as they stepped out , his phone buzzed again . He checked it quickly , frowning . Sliding his phone back into his pocket , he turned to Rachel and signed with quick , slightly urgent movements as he spoke . " Rachel , an emergency came up at work . I might not be able to stay with you tonight . Is it okay if I just drop you off ? " Rachel looked at his face - still warm , still pretending to care - and her stomach turned . She forced a smile . " It's fine . I feel much better now . I'll take a cab home . " But William reached for her hand , holding it gently , like she was the only person in his world . " Work can wait for a bit . Your health matters more . " She smiled faintly , lips pale . " Really , it's fine . Go ahead . I'm okay now . " 1/3 Chapter 2 William studied her for a moment . Her face wasn't as pale as before , and she seemed steadier . " Alright . Get some rest . I'll try to come home early . " +25 BONUS Rachel nodded and watched him drive away . As soon as his car disappeared around the corner , she raised her hand and hailed a cab . " Follow that black car , " she told the driver . By now , the sky had darkened . After a while , Rachel saw William's car pull over . When he stepped out , a beautiful woman rushed into his arms . Rachel leaned forward in her seat , eyes locked on the scene . When she saw the woman's face , her breath caught . It really was Samantha Judd , William's first love . Back in school , everyone talked about them . They were the kind of couple who turned heads in the hallways , completely wrapped up in each other . But then one day , she left , going abroad for some reason . After that , they lost touch entirely . And now , she was back ? Of course she was . Samantha's face was glowing , her big , dark eyes shining like she was on the verge of tears , but in the prettiest way possible . It was the kind of look that made men want to protect her . " I knew you'd come , William . I've been waiting for you , " she said . William stepped back just enough to look her over from head to toe , his usually cold eyes full of concern . " Didn't you say your stomach hurt ? " Samantha gave him a playful smile and tilted her head . " It stopped hurting the second I saw you . " William's tense expression softened instantly . His deep - set eyes and naturally sharp gaze gave him an intense look . But when he smiled , it was strangely captivating . " You little liar . Don't do that again . You scared me , " he chided . Samantha pouted , grabbing his hand and swinging it lightly . Her voice turned soft , like she was about to cry again , but in a prettier way . " Okay . I just missed you too much . I didn't mean to mess up your day with Rachel , " she said . William reached out and gently brushed her lips with his thumb . " I better not happen again . " Samantha giggled . She tugged at his collar , eyes sparkling with mischief and something more . " Come here … I have a surprise for you . " Their fingers laced together as they strolled down the beach toward a small wooden cabin near the water . Rachel stood frozen behind the trees , her body pressed against the bark . She didn't even notice the way her nails were digging into her palms as hot tears slid down her cheeks . She thought she could face this calmly , but the moment she saw them together , the pain cut so deep that it felt like her heart was being torn apart . From the beginning of their relationship , William had loved Rachel with everything he had . He cared about how she felt , always making sure she felt safe and valued . Even when things got intimate between them , he would hold himself back with visible effort . She could feel how hard it was for him to restrain himself , and sometimes , her heart softened . But he would just hold her gently and whisper , " I want our first time to be on our wedding night . For you , I can wait . " Even on their wedding night , he had been patient . He took his time and never rushed her . He had buried his face in her neck and murmured , " Rachel , promise me you'll never leave . I love you . " 2/3 Chapter 2 +25 BONUS At that moment , she had truly believed I that even losing her r hearing for him had been worth it . He was worth it . the But now … He had broken promise he made . He had fallen in love with someone else , and everything they to each other had swore t shattered . ww Chapter 3 Chapter 3