We’d been together for three years. I found out that every single one of his social media handles was “July.” I thought it was just because he loved the summer, loved the month of July. I never dug deeper. Until the day we got married. His ex-girlfriend sent a gift. The card inside the box was signed— Julia. I finally understood. He didn’t love July. He loved Julia. In that instant, my heart sank to the bottom of the ocean... 1. At my wedding to Carter, a girl in a white dress had too much to drink. Carter’s face was dark as he told her to stop making a scene. She ignored him and turned to smile at me. “Hey, I heard you’re pregnant. Have you picked out a name for the baby yet?” I touched my stomach and answered gently, “We’re calling him July.” “July.” Her gaze shifted to Carter, her smile widening until tears squeezed out of the corners of her eyes. “Why would you call him July? It’s not even July.” I froze, a little confused. In the tense silence, Carter’s childhood best friend broke the ice: “Man, she’s wasted. I’ll take her back to the hotel.” After they left, I couldn't help but ask Carter, my tone slightly probing: “Carter, who is she?” Carter looked at me intently, his expression completely normal. “An old college friend.” I wanted to ask more. But he quickly changed the subject. “Babe, some important clients from work are drinking too much. I need to go check on them.” “Okay…” I struggled to get the word out, swallowing down all the questions I wanted to ask. I didn’t know why, but watching him walk away in a hurry, I felt an inexplicable sense of unease. 2. When my best friend Chloe came to find me, she was holding a beautifully wrapped gift box. She tossed it in front of me, speaking incredibly bluntly: “Mia, this was left by your rival.” “Ri…val?” My heart gave a violent lurch. My mind immediately jumped to the girl in the white dress, and the color drained from my face. “Yeah, the girl who was just crying her eyes out over there.” Chloe puffed out her cheeks and rolled her eyes. “Crying over someone else’s groom at their wedding. How shameless…” Hearing this made me even more uneasy. Chloe patted my shoulder comfortingly, her tone extremely certain. “Don’t worry about it. Your Carter is famous for being obsessed with you. He’d never do anything to betray you.” It was true. Carter spoiled me rotten. Everyone said I had married for true love. I shouldn't doubt him. I let out a long breath, deciding not to look for trouble where there was none. While chatting with Chloe, I absentmindedly played with the gift box. Suddenly. The name on the box caught my eye. I looked closer. So, her name was Julia. Wait. Julia… July… The string in my brain violently snapped. I sat there with my mouth hanging open, my straight back slumping as if I couldn't bear the weight. My world suddenly went pitch black. “Mia, why are you crying? Don’t scare me.” “Where is Carter? Help me find Carter. I need to see him. I need to see him.” “Okay, okay, I’ll find Carter. You’re pregnant, you can’t keep crying like this.” 3. With trembling hands, I handed my phone to Chloe. I desperately needed to know where Carter was. My voice shook uncontrollably. “I want to FaceTime him.” Chloe nodded. The call had barely gone through before Carter declined it. I gripped the hem of my veil tightly, tilting my head back, but the tears kept falling against my will. “Call him again.” After declining the video call countless times, Carter finally called back on audio. His voice was a little hoarse. “Babe, what’s wrong?” “Where are you?” By this point, my emotions had already shattered. “I’m at…” He hesitated for half a second, then changed the subject. “I’m heading back right now.” I asked, almost hysterically, “Are you at the hotel? Did you go find her? Yes or no?” I couldn't go on. I leaned helplessly against the corner of the wall, my nose incredibly congested. “Carter, tell me. Who is Julia?” Dead silence on the other end of the line. I clutched my chest and began to sob uncontrollably, crying until I couldn't catch my breath, crying until the tears finally stopped coming. I felt so pathetic. On my wedding day, my husband’s "one that got away" showed up. He abandoned me and went with her to a hotel. What was even more pathetic: I had been with Carter for three years. Every single one of his social media handles was "July." Even after I got pregnant and asked him what we should name the baby. Without even thinking, he blurted out, “July.” Even though I had wondered what special meaning that month held for him. I respected him and never dug deeper. Until today, I found out his true love’s name was Julia… How could he use my child to commemorate their love with such a clear conscience? What was I to Carter? What were my three years worth? I didn't understand. If he hadn't moved on from her, why did he get together with me? What did I do wrong? 4. Half an hour later, Carter burst into the bridal suite, sweating profusely. He asked Chloe to leave, wanting to talk to me alone. “What do you want to talk about?” I raised a pair of red, swollen eyes, looking at him blankly. He crouched in front of me, devoid of any emotion. “Julia is my ex-girlfriend.” “How long were you together?” “Seven years.” “How long have you been broken up?” “Four years.” “Do you still love her?” Carter didn't answer. He tacitly admitted it. I wanted to laugh, but the more I laughed, the more tears fell. “Why are you two doing this? She can't let you go, so she comes and crashes my wedding. You can't let her go, so you abandon me to go find her. Carter, what exactly did I do wrong to deserve being collateral damage for you two?” I pulled at my veil as I cried. “Can you stop making a scene, please?” Carter pressed his lips into a thin line and held down my hands. “I haven't done anything with her. I just went to check on her.” I stared at him with wide eyes. I didn't know how he could say something like that so self-righteously. “So what you’re saying is, in the future, whenever she cries, you're going to abandon me and go to her?” I asked hysterically. Carter fell silent again. I don't know how much time passed before I heard his voice: “I’m the one marrying you. Just pretend this never happened.” My vision went dark. It felt like a thunderbolt had struck right above my head. A sharp, piercing pain, followed by a massive surge of anger welling up inside me. He thought marrying me was some kind of favor? I didn't care. I really didn't care. I stumbled backward, leaning against the wall, my face deathly pale, breaking out in a cold sweat. The baby in my belly seemed to feel my pain. It gave a small flutter, but I was in agonizing pain. I clutched my stomach, filled with sorrow. Baby, this is your first time kicking. Why did it have to be at a time like this? 5. Carter frowned, reaching out to help me up. I couldn't stop myself from screaming at him, “Don't touch me! You're dirty.” “Please don't be like this, okay?” Carter stared at my stomach and sighed. “I never wanted to leave you, I mean it.” Hearing those words made me sick. He was so disgusting. If I hadn't met him, I could have had a clean, uncomplicated romance. I could have been happy. He destroyed me. I grabbed my phone, not caring about anything, and threw it at him. “The wedding is off. We’re getting a divorce right now.” Carter froze. A few seconds later, his face grew visibly colder, his words full of sarcasm: “You come from a single-parent household yourself. Do you really think your mom is going to agree to you getting a divorce while pregnant?” I never in a million years thought Carter would use my family against me. My heart felt like it was being carved into a thousand pieces by a sharp knife. Every piece was being gnawed at, corroded, pierced. I held my head and leaned against the wall, crying out loud until my throat went hoarse. I didn't even notice when he left. 6. After that day, Carter and I entered a total cold war. I moved back to my own place. As Carter said, I was a child of a single-parent household. Before my dad died, my mom lived in a loveless, "widowed" marriage, so she couldn't empathize with me. When it was time for Carter to come pick me up, she couldn't wait for me to leave. “Carter gave you an out, you should take it.” My mom kept nagging me. “Don't hide in your room, hurry up and come out.” I practically begged her. “Mom, tell him to leave.” “You're pregnant, what are you making such a fuss about? You have to swallow this.” “I can't. I just can't swallow it.” “Marriage is about turning a blind eye.” She threw off my blanket. Facing my red, swollen eyes, her tone softened slightly. “Besides, Carter didn't actually cheat on you.” It wasn't like that. Emotional cheating is far more terrifying than physical cheating. My tone was incredibly desolate. “We’ve been together for three years. He sleeps next to me, but thinks about another woman. What am I?” “You just overthink things. Let me tell you right now, no matter how much you guys fight, don't even think about getting a divorce. I can't afford to lose face like that.” This was the first time I disobeyed her. “I am getting a divorce.” My mom looked at me with an expression of deep disappointment. “At the end of the day, isn't it your own fault for being useless? If you were perfect, I don't believe Carter would still be thinking about his ex.” “Mom—” I interrupted her, breaking down. I covered my ears; I didn't want to hear another sound. “Please stop talking. I’m begging you.” Endless grievance quickly spread through my chest, squeezing my eyes until they couldn't hold back the tears. It wasn't my fault. Why blame me? Does this world really have to be this absurd?
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "401604", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel