My fiancé preferred his first love, so I ran away

chapter 3

On the fifth day of the countdown, Ariana submitted her resignation to the school.

Back then, to be with Stefan, Ariana had declined Professor Tate's invitation to continue her advanced studies in the lab, choosing instead to follow Stefan to Boston to teach at a school.

Her colleagues were all shocked to learn of Ariana's resignation.

"Ms. Watson, why are you suddenly resigning? Just a few days ago you were handing out wedding invitations to us. Are you planning to go home and be a full-time housewife? Mr. Jenkins is so lucky," one colleague joked.

Ariana hugged the cardboard box and smiled, responding softly, "No, the wedding's been called off."

When she got home and pushed open the door, she saw Stefan, who hadn't been back for a week, sitting on the couch with Jane.

Seeing Ariana carrying the box, Stefan instinctively asked, "What are you doing with all that stuff?"

Ariana replied casually, "These are things I don't need anymore. I brought them back."

Stefan nodded and looked around the house, speaking with slight confusion, "I've only been gone a week. How come it feels like there's a lot less stuff in here?"

Ariana put the box back in the bedroom and answered calmly, "I cleared out some unnecessary clutter."

Stefan was about to say something more when Jane interrupted, "Ariana, Stefan worked so hard accompanying me on this trip these past few days. Thank you for agreeing to let him take wedding photos with meit fulfilled a dream of mine. How about I treat you both to dinner as a way to thank you for taking care of me? I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you both for a while longer. I hope you won't mind."

Ariana looked at the barely concealed smugness in Jane's eyes and roughly understood her intention.

After all, since receiving that pregnancy test report, she hadn't reacted at all or questioned Stefan even once.

But Ariana didn't want to engage in any pointless arguments with her now.

In five more days, she wouldn't be part of Stefan's life anymore.

Right now, she just wanted to handle everything in front of her to make leaving easier.

Seeing that Ariana didn't respond, Jane's eyes immediately reddened, "Stefan, is Ariana upset? After all, you two were supposed to get married, but..."

Hearing Jane say this, Stefan frowned deeply and reproached Ariana with displeasure, "Jane is sincerely trying to thank us. What's with that attitude? It's just dinnershe's not going to poison you. You have to go!"

Before Ariana could say a word, Stefan had already labeled her as the one in the wrong.

In the end, she was still dragged to the restaurant by Stefan.

When the server came to take their order, Ariana had just opened the menu when she heard Stefan say, "No parsley in any of the dishes."

After all the food arrived, Stefan attentively took care of Jane and pushed a plate of shrimp toward Ariana, "Jane can't eat seafood right now. I ordered this especially for you."

Looking at that plate of shrimp, Ariana instantly lost her appetite. She put down her fork and said softly, "I'm allergic to seafood."

How ironic.

After five years together, Stefan didn't know his girlfriend was allergic to seafood, yet he knew Jane's dietary restrictions inside and out, even remembering details like her not eating parsley.

Stefan looked momentarily dazed, and when he looked at Ariana, a flash of guilt crossed his eyes. He then ordered several more light dishes.

But Ariana had lost her appetite and just silently sipped the water in her glass.

Right after they walked out of the restaurant, Ariana received a call from Sarah, "Ariana, Mr. Wood asked me to confirm once moreare you sure you want to participate in the project according to the normal experimental schedule? The first experiment involves confidential content, and you might not be able to contact the outside world for a year or two."

Ariana's gaze fell on Stefan and Jane ahead of her.

The two walked side by side, and when going down the steps, Stefan carefully supported Jane's waist.

Ariana's voice was calm, "I'm sure."

Sarah sighed with relief after hearing this, "That's good. Mr. Wood was worried you wouldn't be able to bear leaving your fianc."

Ariana looked away and turned to walk in another direction, "The wedding's been called off. I'm ready and can leave anytime."

Just as she finished speaking, a confused voice came from behind her, "Who's leaving?"

Stefan had just helped Jane into the car when he heard her final words.

Ariana realized he hadn't caught what she said earlier, so she made up an excuse: "My friend is leaving soon."

Stefan nodded without pressing further.

Four days before the departure, Stefan brought back his and Jane's wedding photos.

He held his phone in one hand for a video call with Jane while displaying the framed photo with the other, his eyes filled with tenderness: "Jane, our wedding photos are ready. When I picked them up, the staff said they turned out beautifully."

Just then, Ariana came out to get some water.

A flash of awkwardness crossed Stefan's eyes as he looked at Ariana, seeming to want to explain something.

Ariana glanced at the photo and commented earnestly: "They really do look nice."

She had paid top dollar for this photographer, hoping to capture the most loving moment between her and Stefan.

She once thought that seeing the final photos would bring her unprecedented happiness.

Stefan in his suit was indeed as handsome as she had imagined.

The only difference was that the bride standing beside him wasn't her.

And her heart no longer stirred with even the slightest emotion over it.

From the day she learned of Jane's pregnancy, she had completely withdrawn her feelings for Stefan.

Stefan, however, was stunned.

He suddenly realized that Ariana hadn't really talked to him properly in a long time.

Even during the week he and Jane went traveling, she hadn't sent a single message.

This unusual behavior made him somewhat uncomfortable.

Jane continued chattering away on the video call. Stefan shook his head, pushing down that hint of unease, attributing it to Ariana being too tired from wedding preparations lately.

Two days before departure, Ariana went to the hospital to stock up on medications, only to run into Stefan and Jane just finishing a prenatal checkup.

A rare flash of panic crossed Stefan's eyes. He was about to say something when Jane beat him to it.

She walked up to Ariana, grabbed her hands, and spoke with a choked voice: "Ariana, I know you've never agreed to Stefan and me having a child, but I really can't wait any longer. The doctor says I have at most a year left, and I desperately want to see the baby born. Once the child is born, I'll leave Stefan immediately and won't interfere with your relationship."

Before Ariana could respond, Stefan tenderly helped Jane up: "You're not well. How can you do this to yourself?"

He then looked at Ariana with determination: "Since you already know, I won't hide it anymore. Don't worry, this won't affect our wedding."

A month ago, Ariana might have been furious, devastated, desperate, even wondering if she had done something wrong to make Stefan willingly have a child with another woman.

But after everything that had happened, she finally understood.

It wasn't that she wasn't good enoughStefan simply didn't love her.

Because he didn't love her, he could ignore her feelings and make such a decision.

Ariana had long known about Jane's pregnancy and had completely let go of all her feelings for Stefan.

So there was no need for them to keep pretending she was trying to sabotage their relationship.

She looked at them silently for a moment, then withdrew her gaze and said calmly: "I understand."

With that, she took her medication and prepared to leave.

Her departure was approaching, and she still needed to pack.

The two behind her clearly hadn't expected Ariana to be so calm.

Especially Stefan, who watched her retreating figure with complex emotions.

She had made such a fuss about the pregnancy for a month, yet now she seemed indifferent to everything.

An inexplicable unease rose in his heart, as if something had quietly changed without his notice.

Ariana had just reached the stairwell when Jane caught up and grabbed her sleeve.

With Stefan still behind them, Jane finally revealed her true intentions: "Ariana, how does it feel to watch your fianc have a child with another woman?"

Ariana didn't want to engage in pointless conflict and shook off her hand to leave.

But as soon as she applied force, Jane stumbled and fell toward the stairs.

Ariana instinctively grabbed her hand, preventing her from falling.

Before she could let go, an angry voice came from behind: "What are you doing?"

Stefan, who had been puzzled by Ariana's unusual calm, now understood everything upon seeing this scene.

She had only appeared calm on the surface while still unable to accept the situation internally.

Seeing Stefan approach, Jane immediately put on a pitiful expression, her eyes reddening as she clutched her belly: "Stefan, I just wanted to thank Ariana for being so understanding, but I never expected she would..."

Hearing this, Stefan's expression darkened: "Ariana, I never thought you were this kind of person! Apologize to Jane immediately!"

Hearing his accusation, Ariana couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "You want me to apologize? Go check the security footage and see if I actually did anything wrong. Don't you have any idea what really happened?"

She never expected Stefan to accuse her of trying to push Jane down the stairs without even reviewing the surveillance footage.

Stefan said, "Jane is a patient, and she's pregnant. Do you think she would deliberately hurt herself?"

Upon hearing this, a flicker of panic crossed Jane's eyes. "Forget it, Stefan. Ariana is upset about my pregnancy, so it's normal for her to treat me this way. Let's just go."

But Stefan refused to back down. "No way. She has to apologize to you today!"

Ariana stood her ground as well.

She would never admit to something she didn't do.

Jane worried that if they kept arguing, Stefan might actually check the surveillance footage, and then she'd be exposed.

So she clutched her stomach, claiming she felt unwell.

Stefan's angry expression instantly turned to concern. He immediately scooped Jane up in his arms and rushed off to find a doctor.

Watching their retreating figures, Ariana felt endless bitterness wash over her.

Twenty years of companionship, five years of living together day and night, yet it couldn't earn her even a shred of his trust.

Fortunately, she had finally come to her senses and could still pull herself out in time.

That night, Stefan didn't come home.

Ariana figured he was probably busy taking care of Jane.

On her last day before leaving, she shipped her packed belongings to the lab, keeping only one suitcase.

Late at night, Stefan finally returned.

His face still carried traces of anger. "Jane is still in the hospital. She's a patient, and the baby isn't stable either. Even if you didn't do it on purpose, couldn't you be a little more generous and tolerant? Do you have to be so petty about everything?"

Generous?

Ariana thought she had been generous enough.

She had given up the wedding dress and photographer that should have been hers, given up the man who was supposed to become her husband, letting him have a child with Jane.

Now, did she have to give up her place beside Stefan too?

Stefan inadvertently noticed the red mark circled on the calendar, and his expression softened slightly. "Alright, we're getting married tomorrow. I don't want to fight with you anymore. After the wedding, you can apologize to Jane, and then we'll go on our honeymoon. Have you arranged the honeymoon itinerary?"

Ariana didn't respond.

If Stefan had paid even the slightest attention, he would have noticed there were no wedding decorations in the house at all.

"We..." she was about to speak when the phone suddenly rang.

Jane's voice came through the phone, and Stefan's expression immediately grew tense. "Wait for me, I'll be right there."

After hanging up, he immediately got up and headed for the door. "Jane isn't feeling well. I need to go check on her. I'll be back before the wedding. Remember to go to the hotel tomorrow and wait for me."

The moment the door closed, the words she had been holding back finally escaped Ariana's lips. "Let's break up, Stefan. The wedding is canceled."

Her voice slowly faded in the empty room, with only the ticking of the wall clock echoing.

Ariana sat in the living room from night until dawn, watching the view outside the window change from pitch black to daylight.

Her phone suddenly vibrated.

A text reminder showed there were two hours left before boarding time.

She got up and walked into the bedroom, took out her already-packed suitcase, then picked up a marker and drew a big X over the heavily circled "10" on the calendar.

Then she wrote a message beside it: [Stefan, let's break up.]

She placed the calendar in the most visible spot, pulled her suitcase, took one last look at this home where she had lived for five years, then turned and left, taking a taxi to the airport.

Goodbye, Stefan.