The Lies of Marriage, The Price of Love

He held the umbrella with one hand and carried her in his other arm, with Leona curled up in his embrace like a small cat. Dave didn't mind if his shoulders got soaked, as long as Leona stayed dry. He even forgot that Kate was still standing behind them.

She watched them walking towards the car, coldly observing their backs. It reminded her of the year she loved him the most, when he had also held Leona in his arms like this. Kate didn't have time to think too much. With a burst of energy, she rushed into the rain and got into the car. It wasn't until Leona had been comforted that Dave finally got out of Leona's car.

Seeing Kate drenched in rain, Dave was momentarily stunned before quickly reacting, immediately explaining, “Leona has always been frail and if she gets caught in the rain, she might fall ill. I just sent her to the car first. You're not angry, are you?"

"Darling, why didn’t you wait for me to help you up?" Realizing his actions, Dave quickly apologized.

Kate simply replied softly, "It's fine."

Dave, who knew that Kate wasn't one to hold grudges, felt relieved when she said it was fine. He believed there was no issue.

But in Kate's heart, Dave had long since decayed.

On the way back, Kate didn’t say a word. The two of them seemed like strangers who had just met. If she could, Kate would rather have never known him.

Kate went back to the Shawn Family, packed up all her belongings, leaving behind only a diary.

The diary contained all the memories of her childhood. She thought to herself, let it be her final gift to her parents.

No one knew the real reason she was packing her things, nor did anyone care. When her mother, Melanie, saw her carrying the suitcase out the door, she only left a cold remark.

"What's this? Are you really planning to never come back? Then you'd better pray that nothing troublesome happens to you, because we won't care anymore."

Perhaps, from the moment they discovered that Kate wasn't their biological daughter, they no longer considered her as part of the Shawn Family. They were eager to get rid of her and marry her off as quickly as possible.

Kate didn't respond. Instead, she turned and glanced at the woman who had raised her for twenty years.

"Is there really no emotion at all?" She looked at her mother and slowly said, "Goodbye."

Melanie had no awareness of it.

It was as if it was just another ordinary day and no one knew that this was her farewell.

She placed her things in a safe place, deciding that once she left, she would leave nothing behind.

When she returned home, it was already evening.

As soon as Dave saw Kate return, he immediately placed the wedding dress he had personally chosen in front of her. "The wedding is a one-time event, how can we settle for less? Quick, choose one you like!"

Kate stared at the neatly arranged white wedding dresses for a while, lost in thought.

When her gaze shifted back to Dave, her eyes inadvertently filled with tears.

It turned out that no matter how much love there seemed to be, it could all be faked.

He casually picked up a wedding dress and handed it to Kate. "This one suits you! Go try it on!"

Kate didn’t refuse, even though the dresses in front of her could never compare to the one she had designed herself.

When she came out in the second dress, she saw him answering a phone call. "Do I have to come out and shop with you now? But I’m with your sister trying on wedding dresses. Okay, I’ll be right there."

His voice was soft and barely audible as he hid in the corner.

But Kate still heard every word clearly.