Chapter 1

**Tags:** Biased Boyfriend, Brother’s Widow, Female Lead Awakening, Secret Marriage, The Regretful Ex

When Ethan’s older brother died in a tragic car accident, his widowed sister-in-law mistook Ethan for her late husband due to severe trauma.

To keep from triggering her, Ethan postponed our wedding.

And then, he started playing the role of another woman's husband.

For two long years, whenever Scarlett had an episode, Ethan dropped everything to be at her side.

Until tonight, at Scarlett’s birthday party, when the crowd started chanting for them to kiss.

Ethan cradled Scarlett’s face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers with absolute devotion.

Beside me, someone whispered that Scarlett had always been the one who got away—the girl Ethan loved but could never have. Pretending to be his brother was just his convenient excuse to finally hold her.

My heart stung, but a wave of relief washed over me right after.

It wouldn't matter much longer.

Next week, I was getting married.

The cheers and catcalls grew louder around us.

"What the hell is wrong with these people? They're taking this fake act way too far!" My best friend Chloe hissed, her eyes rimmed with angry tears.

I didn’t say a word.

Because Ethan was already wrapping his arm around Scarlett’s waist, smiling as he leaned down and kissed her.

My own boyfriend was celebrating another woman's birthday and kissing her in public, yet I couldn't even make a scene.

Behind me, someone murmured, "Ethan finally got what he wanted, didn't he? He couldn't marry Scarlett back then, but staying by her side like this... talk about true devotion."

My chest tightened painfully.

I knew Ethan had a girl he couldn't forget before he met me.

I just never imagined that girl was Scarlett—his own sister-in-law.

And I had been kept completely in the dark the entire time.

Chloe heard it too, and she was practically shaking with rage. "That piece of trash! Ethan has been lying to your face this whole time!"

Two years ago, on a rainy afternoon, Julian—Ethan’s older brother—drove to the airport to pick Ethan up. A semi truck lost control on the highway.

Scarlett was in the car. She lost her unborn baby and barely survived, but she developed severe PTSD and began confusing Ethan with her dead husband.

We were supposed to get married that very year.

Ethan told me her mental state was too fragile, that seeing us get married would break her completely.

I said, *Okay.*

Later, Scarlett fully convinced herself Ethan was Julian.

With anguish in his eyes, Ethan begged me, asking me to just let him humor her for a little while.

Again, I said, *Okay.*

So Ethan adopted his brother’s tone, his habits, playing the role of the perfect husband trapped in Scarlett’s fragmented memory.

He played that role for two years.

And our wedding was put on hold for two years.

"No, screw this. I'm going over there to ask him if he even remembers who his real girlfriend is!"

I grabbed Chloe’s arm. "Let it go. She's sick. Don't trigger her."

Chloe’s eyes welled with furious tears. "Just because she's sick, you have to be the one suffering every single time?"

"What other choice do I have?" I took a sip of my wine, the bitter taste spreading across my tongue.

What else could I do?

Ethan was reveling in this charade.

Hiding behind the noble excuse of caring for his late brother's widow, he got to be with Scarlett in plain sight.

Suddenly, I recalled the pitying looks his friends had given me over the past two years.

I thought they felt bad because I had to be patient. Now I realized they were pitying the foolish girlfriend who stood no chance against his untouchable first love.

Chloe squeezed my hand, asking in a hushed voice, "He obviously still has feelings for her. Are you two even going to make it down the aisle?"

I looked toward Ethan. Not once tonight had his gaze drifted toward me.

"I'm not waiting anymore," I said softly. "I'm getting married this month."