Breaking Free Before It's Too Late

It was Jacklyn. She had been carrying an armful of gift boxes when she fell to the ground with me.

"Mrs. Nolan… Ow… I didn't mean to do it on purpose. Are you okay?"

Jacklyn gave me a pitiful look as she pretended to look concerned about me.

Meanwhile, Archer just started yelling loudly at me again, "Selene! Are you out of your mind? Are you done with your stupid acting yet? Can't you see that Jacklyn is carrying a whole bunch of things?"

Then, he immediately crouched down and checked Jacklyn's body for any injuries. He asked her gently, "Are you okay? Are the staff crazy? How could they make you carry so many things on your own?"

Jacklyn just answered pitifully, "I'm fine. It's just that Mrs. Nolan arrived a little too late today, and we didn't anticipate it. That's why we hadn't prepared for it.

"I know Mrs. Nolan dislikes me, which is why I want to do well today and make sure she doesn't hate me so much."

My ankle was already painful enough without taking a second fall. I was in great pain now, and yet, I was still forced to watch them being lovey-dovey with each other.

I couldn't stand it any longer.

"Archer, the press and media are still here. Are you that impatient to introduce them to Jacklyn already?" I asked mercilessly, making him lose his cool.

"Selene, it's because of how filthy you are that you think everyone is as filthy as you. If it weren't for your pregnancy, I would have made you suffer a hundred times the pain Jacklyn is going through now!"

With that, he picked Jacklyn up from the ground and rushed her elsewhere for first-aid treatment, leaving me and the other paparazzi behind.

Perfect! I didn't even have to make any official announcements—I was sure that news of our broken marriage would surely make it to top news the next day.

I carefully got back on my feet and cast a less pitiful smile at the cameras. "Sorry about that."

I'd already suffered years of Archer's mocking insults anyway. One more time wouldn't make much of a difference. After all, didn't Archer think that I'd never be able to leave him because I was carrying his baby?

I was going to tell him once and for all that once I'd made my decision to give up on him, there would never be a second chance for him, ever. I'd never look back.

It wasn't until everything else was in place that Archer finally showed up. Everyone just stared at him in silence. However, he never realized that people were staring at him weirdly.

"Why are you staring? Start the ceremony!"

So, he hadn't even bothered preparing a ring after all.

The officiator had no choice but to start the ceremony without the rings. He asked, "Mr. Archer Nolan, do you, in sickness and in health, take Ms. Selene Larcell to be your lawfully wedded wife?

"Do you promise to love her, cherish her, never betray her, and place her first in whatever you do for the rest of your life?"

I saw a hint of disgust flash in his eyes. However, he still responded, "I do."

The officiator then turned to me. "Ms. Selene Larcell, do you, in sickness and in health, take Mr. Archer Nolan to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

He went through with the rest of the question, and all eyes were on me, including the cameras, waiting for me to respond.

To the officiator, I simply said, "I don't."

There was a chorus of gasps, and all the reporters and paparazzi immediately zoomed closer for their next scoop.

Archer widened his eyes in shock. It was the first time I'd seen him staring at me in disbelief. However, I could still see the hatred and ridicule in his eyes.

Just as he was about to speak, no doubt to humiliate me further in some sort of way, I interrupted him, "I've aborted the baby.

"It's also impossible for us to ever get back together. Since everyone is here today, along with the media, I would like you all to be my witness.

"I, Selene Larcell, will no longer have anything to do with Archer Nolan. We are through."