Once The Bride He Discarded, Now The Love He Can't Forget

"The wedding is grand enough on its own, but did you hear? Richard's childhood friend is up on the hotel rooftop, threatening to jump!" someone said.

Brynn Morgan caught the whispers drifting in from the hallway, and a slow ache gathered in her chest.

Rena Davis, Richard Yates' childhood sweetheart, had staged a suicide scare ninety-nine times already.

Brynn once believed she had grown numb to it. Yet today felt entirely different. Today was the day she was supposed to marry Richard.

With Rena making another dramatic scene, Brynn understood she would be the one who had to bend again.

She had loved Richard for five long years, and Rena had been stirring trouble for exactly that amount of time.

Every single time, Richard chose to run to Rena before he ever thought of his own girlfriend.

Brynn often wondered if she was nothing more than the extra woman in their tangled relationship.

Richard had insisted the last time he left her for Rena that it would never happen again.

Brynn held on to that promise, and believing in it was the reason this wedding existed at all.

"If she truly intends to die, then let her. Why should I be the one they call?" Brynn jerked her head up, startled. The balcony door remained slightly open, and Richard's even, indifferent tone slipped through. "Jump from the roof? She won't. How many times has she acted out these so-called suicide attempts? Has she ever shed a single drop of real blood?"

A few quieter words followed, though Brynn couldn't make out what he said next.

Richard ended the call and turned around, his eyes landing directly on hers.

Brynn's heartbeat quickened. He had stayed. He hadn't run to Rena this time. Had he truly kept his promise?

"Why are you staring at me like that? The ceremony is about to begin. Are you prepared?" Richard asked, his face devoid of emotion.

Even so, Brynn felt happiness bloom inside her. She understood that he came into the world with a distant nature. His feelings rarely aligned with anyone else's.

However, from the innocent affection she once held to the deeper love she carried now, she believed she had finally earned a place in his heart. She felt certain she mattered to him. Otherwise, why would he choose to marry her at all?

She stepped forward with a radiant smile and slipped her arm through his, joy brightening her eyes. "Richard, we're finally about to be married..."

Richard gave no change in expression. "Yes. I'm aware."

As the soft melody of a piano filled the hall, the ceremony began.

Dressed in a tailored suit with a crisp shirt, Richard walked down the aisle. Reaching the front of the aisle, he took his side of the wooden altar, his hands resting at his sides.

The groomsmen, dressed in complementary suits, stood beside him, offering quiet grins.

Then, the piano melody shifted-soft strings joined in, weaving a lyrical tune that signaled the arrival of the bride. All heads turned toward the doors, where Brynn stood, radiant in a flowing gown.

As she took her first step down the aisle, Richard's phone rang.

She paused mid-aisle, her smile faltering. That ringtone belonged only to Rena, and it struck her like a terrible reminder.

Richard retrieved his phone and answered it. "Hello. What is it this time?"

The silent officiant took a step forward, attempting to push the ceremony back on track. It must have been the most embarrassing moment he had ever handled.

Before he could say anything, Richard spoke again. "I'll come immediately."

He walked away without hesitation.

The entire venue stirred with confusion as voices rose all at once.

"Please don't go..." Brynn begged as she hurried after him, lifting her wedding gown and wearing a look of raw desperation. "You promised me that would be the last time."

Richard drew his brows together, appearing to quietly measure his choices.

After a short pause, he offered a steady explanation. "Rena actually jumped this time. I need to see her condition. I'll return soon."

"Richard!" Brynn grasped his wrist tightly and refused to let him walk away. "If you leave now, I won't marry you!"

Richard loosened her grip and stepped back. "Then be sure you can live with that."

Brynn felt something break inside her, and tears spilled before she could stop them.

Richard's composure wavered when he saw her crying, yet he understood she was yielding to him again. Just like every time before, she couldn't picture a world that didn't include him. He was fully aware of how deeply she cared for him. She had set aside every comfort to build a life with him. Through every setback, she chose to stay by his side. Her deepest dream was to become his wife.

In the past, whenever Rena caused trouble, Brynn was the one who helped him smooth everything over.

This time, though, her refusal to marry him showed how far she had been pushed.

Even so, Rena's situation seemed genuinely serious.

He refused to let Brynn's emotional outburst influence his decision.

He parted his lips, ready to offer comfort, but his phone vibrated again. He answered immediately and sprinted toward the exit without stopping to think.

For several seconds, the guests stared at one another in astonishment. What exactly had they just witnessed? The groom had run out of his own wedding.

Seeing the ceremony fall apart around her, Brynn brushed her tears away, steadied her breathing and said to the crowd, "I'm sorry, everyone. The wedding will not continue today..."

Another wave of noise spread across the venue.

However, Brynn had no energy left to care about the reaction. She understood that by tomorrow, she would be the subject of relentless gossip.

Everyone knew how fiercely she loved Richard. They knew she had chosen him over countless suitors who came from wealth and privilege. The two of them had endured every hardship together, and just when joy seemed finally within reach, Richard had walked away from her on their wedding day.

Brynn rushed out of the hotel only to discover that the entrance had been swallowed up by a dense crowd.

A short distance away, Richard had already lifted Rena off the rescue air mattress. She wore a wedding gown of her own, and her eyes were swollen from crying.

"Richard, how could you abandon me like that? Didn't you promise we'd stay together forever?" Rena said.

"Stop causing trouble," Richard replied with a faint crease between his brows, his tone steady and cold.

Rena framed his face with her hands and stared straight into his dark eyes. "I won't stop!"

Brynn immediately assumed that Richard would recoil or scold her for touching him like that.

Memories surfaced of her younger self gently holding his face, only for him to look back at her with cold detachment. "I don't like being touched," he had said to her, his voice cold and his gaze empty.

But now, he didn't move away. He let Rena pinch and tease his face until her sobs dissolved into shaky laughter.

Brynn had always believed he kept his distance from everyone, that he simply wasn't capable of warmth. Watching him carry Rena toward the ambulance, she finally understood the truth.

She had convinced herself that love would slowly soften him, that patience over the years would bring light into his distant eyes, and that someday he would look at her with affection. But she saw now that she had only been deceiving herself.

Eventually, the truth settled in-she had misunderstood everything. He could love someone. He simply didn't love her.

Brynn let out a brittle laugh, and tears slipped after it.

Over the last five years, what role had she truly played in his life? How blind she had been.

Five years had passed like one long, hopeful dream. And now that dream had collapsed, forcing her at last to open her eyes.

With her decision firm, she walked back to the dressing room, removed the wedding gown, and slipped into her own clothes again.

The uproar sparked by the ruined wedding still echoed everywhere. So when Brynn stepped into the law firm, her coworkers-who had been buzzing with gossip-fell silent in unison.

Brynn didn't spare them a glance. She had grown thick-skinned long ago, back when she became the school's favorite topic after openly announcing her plan to win Richard's heart, the celebrated scholar of the law department.

Fueled by innocent resolve, she had kept going without looking back. Now, however, the truth made itself painfully clear: Richard never cared for her the way she dreamed he would.

She settled into her workstation and printed out a resignation letter. She signed her name and walked it straight to Richard's office, placing it neatly on his desk.

Hardly a moment passed before her phone vibrated.

Richard's name appeared on the screen.

"I heard you called off the wedding. Why didn't you discuss it with me first? Do you understand how damaging this is for the firm's image?" he asked.

"What choice did you expect me to make?" Brynn shot back, her voice cold and steady. "Should I have asked the guests to wait politely while you ran off to save someone else?"

Richard paused for several seconds, as if stunned that Brynn had finally spoken to him without restraint.

Since the beginning, she had always approached him with softness. She met him with patience, bright smiles, tireless enthusiasm, and an affection that followed him everywhere. She had never once raised her voice at him.

He answered with measured calm, "I take responsibility. I didn't consider the consequences properly."

A hollow laugh escaped Brynn. She couldn't believe how foolish she had once been, thinking she could warm the heart of a man who seemed incapable of feeling anything deeply.

Her eyes drifted toward the resignation letter on the desk. "Richard, about my res-"

Before she managed to finish, another voice chimed brightly through the phone. "Richard, my back is aching. Come help me massage it."

"I'm in the middle of something. We'll discuss this later," Richard said quickly, and the call ended without another word.

Brynn drew in a long breath, steadied the ache inside her chest, and shifted her gaze toward the window.

Warm sunlight flooded the city below, and the roads pulsed with steady movement.

A memory surfaced of how the now-renowned B&R Law Firm had once occupied nothing more than a cramped little office.

During that time, she sold her only house so Richard could afford the rent.

Now, he owned the entire floor.

She recalled that the day they chose this office had also been bright with sunshine.

"Why don't we call the firm B&R?" Brynn had suggested.

"It makes no difference to me," Richard had answered with a blank expression. "You can name it."

Brynn had leapt into his arms in excitement, only for him to push her away without hesitation. "I don't enjoy being hugged," he had said.

Still, Brynn had laughed as though nothing was wrong. "But I want to hug you."

She once carried dreams far too big for her own shoulders and told Richard she would help him become the finest lawyer in town. He claimed the title didn't matter to him and insisted that her happiness meant more.

She fulfilled her promise. But every word he spoke had been nothing but a lie.

......

Brynn owned so many personal items at the firm that she needed quite a long time to gather everything into boxes.

Throughout the years from the firm's creation until now, she has stood behind Richard, organizing plans and managing every detail.

Even though Richard's name sat on the ownership papers, the company carried her sweat and effort as well.

The employees quietly watched Brynn pack but traded confused looks among themselves. None dared ask questions.

Everyone clearly knew what had happened at the wedding.

Still, Richard was their employer, and no one would risk gossiping unless they wanted trouble.

Right when Brynn taped up the final box and reached for her phone to call a moving service, it started ringing.

The caller ID showed Richard's mother, Michelle Yates.

Brynn answered and pressed her lips together.

"Hello, is this Miss Morgan?" Michelle's housekeeper spoke anxiously. "Mr. Yates isn't responding to his phone. His mother suddenly became ill and was taken to the hospital. Can you come right away?"

"Alright, I'll go now," Brynn replied without hesitation.

When Brynn arrived at the hospital, she saw Michelle sitting upright on the bed, eating an apple the housekeeper had just peeled for her.

Brynn stepped into the room, and Michelle's pale features tightened with a mix of worry and irritation. She immediately lashed out, asking, "What's wrong with you and Richard? How could you treat something as important as a wedding so carelessly? Canceling it on the very day-do you realize the scandal it will create?"

Sweat gathered along Brynn's brow. Watching Michelle muster enough force to scold her made it clear the older woman wasn't gravely ill, only overwhelmed by anger over the ruined ceremony.

"Michelle, please try not to let this upset you," Brynn said gently.

"How am I supposed to stay calm?" Michelle snapped, her frown deepening as her breathing turned uneven. "We both know Richard is stubborn and unpredictable. Why didn't you talk sense into him? Why allow him to act so recklessly?"

Brynn steadied herself and spoke with care. "Rena jumped from a building earlier today."

Michelle's eyes widened. "What did you say? Is Rena safe?"

"She's alright. Richard already brought her to the hospital," Brynn said.

Michelle pressed a hand to her chest, relieved. "You nearly frightened me. Thank goodness nothing happened to her."

Once she understood the situation, she gradually settled down and urged Brynn to clean up the fallout from the canceled wedding so Richard wouldn't face more difficulties.

After speaking for quite a while, her weakened body ran out of strength, and she drifted into sleep.

"Miss Morgan, thank you for coming. I'll manage things here, so you may return to your work," the housekeeper said in a timid, apologetic tone.

Brynn looked toward Michelle, who was already asleep in the bed, and replied, "From now on, please don't call me about anything concerning Michelle. I-"

Before she could finish, the housekeeper rushed to explain again, "Miss Morgan, please don't be upset. Mrs. Yates didn't mean those harsh words. She speaks bluntly. She helped raise Miss Davis, so her affection leans toward her. But she truly likes you as well..."

Brynn gave a faint, aching smile. Even the housekeeper recognized Michelle's preference for Rena.

"I'm not upset with her. Richard and I are no longer together, and his affairs have nothing to do with me anymore. If anything comes up about her, contact Richard," she said calmly.

After saying that, she turned away without acknowledging the housekeeper's startled look.

When she walked out of the hospital room and lifted her eyes, she noticed Richard and Rena standing a short distance away.

Brynn held Richard's gaze. Every time she looked at him, she found no flaw in his striking features.

That was the truth. If he hadn't been so impossibly handsome, she would never have fallen for him so completely.

"Why aren't you dealing with the fallout from the canceled wedding? People keep calling me instead," Richard said, his brows drawn together.

Brynn felt a sharp ache in her chest when she heard his words, understanding at last that he had never cared for her. He only needed someone to tidy up whatever chaos he left behind. Naively, she had persuaded herself for years that these moments meant affection.

Even so, they had created memories that once felt bright. Every one of them had been precious to her, giving her the courage to keep going through disappointment after disappointment.

But clarity finally told her that it was time to let go.

"Brynn, I'm really sorry I ruined your wedding today. Truly, I apologize," Rena said, her sweetness artificial as she clung to Richard's arm. Her voice turned gentle again. "Richard, look, I already apologized. You won't stay angry with me, right?"

"Alright," Richard responded with no trace of emotion before giving a small nod.

Rena's expression brightened with satisfaction, and she shot Brynn a proud, taunting look.

Brynn met Rena's gaze with cold indifference. These little performances were tricks Rena relied on far too often.

In earlier years, Brynn would have confronted Rena directly.

Now she simply lacked the desire to fight.

She shifted her attention away and said in an even tone, "I'm heading back to the company to finish packing."

As she stepped past him, Richard caught her wrist.

She turned around and met the depth in his gaze.

"I need to discuss-" Richard started to say.

Before the words were complete, Rena suddenly sagged into him, her body slack.

Richard reacted instantly and held her upright. "What's happening?"

"I'm getting lightheaded. Maybe it's because I haven't had a blood transfusion in so long..." Rena whispered faintly.

Hearing the phrase "blood transfusion" made Brynn tense without meaning to.

Rena lived with a congenital blood condition that required regular transfusions. Her blood type was extremely rare. And Brynn shared that same rare type.

Back when Brynn was innocent and trusting, she agreed to donate blood, believing Rena was merely Richard's cousin.

Later on, she continued doing it because she thought it would make Richard smile.

In those early days, she had been foolish enough to believe that anyone important to Richard deserved her devotion as well. She eventually lost track of how many times she donated blood for Rena.

Richard turned toward her without hesitation. "Brynn, prepare for another transfusion. Rena will need it soon."

At that point, Brynn nearly let out a bitter laugh. It almost seemed as though Richard wanted both a caretaker for himself and a walking blood supply for Rena.

"I'm not doing it," she answered with absolute resolve.

Richard's brows tightened. "Her condition is dangerous. Without a transfusion, she might not survive."

"Then let her die," Brynn replied calmly.

Richard froze in surprise. Never had he imagined Brynn would speak with such sharpness, especially when she had always yielded to him before.

He remembered clearly how frightened she was of needles, shaking uncontrollably whenever she faced an injection, needing ages to calm down afterward.

And still, she had offered her blood to Rena again and again because she cared for him.

Thinking of that, Richard hesitated, his expression shifting as he looked at Brynn. "Then-"

Before he could finish the sentence, Rena cut in, crying loudly, "Brynn, how could you say that? Do you want me to die?"

Brynn returned Rena's theatrics with a cold stare. Her cruelty, her obsession, and her flawless performance always fooled Richard without fail. Or maybe he wanted to be fooled.

A cold smile tugged at Brynn's lips as that thought crossed her mind. She spoke with unwavering resolve. "Anyone else can give her blood if they want to. I'm done."

Rena tightened her grip on Richard's arm and spoke in a hurt tone. "Richard, did you hear her? She wishes I'd land in the ICU just like my mom."

Sharon Davis, Rena's mother, had once saved Richard's life and had remained unconscious ever since.

Because of that sacrifice, Richard carried a deep sense of guilt toward Rena and found himself unable to refuse her.

Rena relied heavily on that guilt, dragging Sharon into every outburst, and Richard usually let her get away with it.

This time, though, something shifted. When Sharon's name left Rena's lips, Richard's brows drew together.

He could never forget the moment five years earlier when a truck barreled toward them. Sharon had shoved him to safety and ended up beneath the wheels herself, a pool of blood spreading around her.

However, Brynn had given up much for him as well.

Brynn noticed Richard's lingering silence, and a fragile hope rose inside her. Just once, if he chose her over Rena, she would believe her years of devotion had meant something.

She would convince herself he didn't reject her-only that he didn't know how to love.

"Brynn, could you donate blood for Rena one last time? Please. I swear this will be the final request," Richard said as he lifted his gaze to her, her reflection captured in his eyes.

The small flicker of hope inside Brynn vanished instantly.

A humorless laugh escaped her-how foolish she had been to expect anything different from him.

Whenever a decision had to be made, his choice never changed. And she was always the one he placed on the altar of his compromises.

Rena quietly exhaled in relief and looked at Brynn with blatant triumph. "Brynn, it seems I need your help again. Thank you in advance!"

Brynn shot her a sideways glance, seeing clearly now that Richard's worry belonged solely to Rena.

Once, she had convinced herself that he simply loved in a slow, quiet way. Now he was proving, with the same coldness he always carried, that he would never love her at all.

Brynn returned her attention to him, letting her gaze sweep over him without emotion. "I already said I'm not giving her blood."

Richard's brows pulled together, unsettled by the distant look in her eyes.

He found himself recalling the very first time he noticed her. On that brilliant summer afternoon, her smile shone even brighter than the sun above. But somewhere along the way, that smile had faded.

"What am I supposed to do? If Brynn refuses to give me blood, I'll die!" Rena cried, her voice trembling. "Richard, you promised my mom you'd always protect me..."

Richard answered with a tone that held no warmth, "I'll look for another donor right away. I'm not letting you die."

Rena's eyes flew open in shock as she stared at him. "What if no one else matches? Brynn has donated to me so many times-our blood types work perfectly. Why replace her now?"

Richard offered no reply.

Tears spilled over Rena's lashes as she pushed the threat further. "Alright then. If you don't care, I'll go to Michelle!"

With that, she darted off toward Michelle's hospital room, still sobbing.

Soon after, Rena returned with Michelle beside her.

Michelle looked groggy from being awakened so soon after falling asleep.

Whatever Rena had said clearly had an effect, because Michelle's gaze drifted to Brynn with a trace of blame.

Michelle finally spoke to Richard. "Richard, stop scolding Rena. Her mother ended up in a coma because she saved your life. Now she only needs a bit of blood from Brynn. It's hardly anything. Brynn has donated countless times already, and nothing bad has ever happened. But if Rena doesn't receive blood right now, she might actually die!"

Richard tightened his jaw, frustration lining his face. "I'll look for another donor. There's enough blood in the bank. Brynn doesn't have to be the one."

"Michelle, did you hear that?" Rena cried, clutching at the opening. "He cares only about Brynn and not about me at all!"

Michelle pressed her fingers to her temple, clearly irritated, but Richard kept his stern composure, his cold stare warning everyone that his decision wouldn't change. She understood perfectly that once he settled on something, no one could sway him.

She finally faced Brynn and said, "Brynn, please help Rena this time. Do it for me."

Brynn's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. She had predicted this ending from the start. Whenever Rena caused trouble, the burden always fell back on her.

And Michelle-her would-be mother-in-law-never hesitated to let her shoulder every injustice.

Brynn couldn't even bring herself to feel disappointed anymore. From the very beginning, she had been the one trying her hardest to win their approval.

She recalled meeting Michelle for the first time five years earlier during winter break.

At that point, she had only just begun her university life.

One night, while heading back to campus, she was dragged into a dark alley by a drunken thug. At the final moment, a tall and slender young man rushed in and saved her. She never saw his face clearly, but she did see the knife slash across his chest.

Later, after she recovered and left the hospital, she caught sight of a matching scar on Richard's chest.

She had already fallen for him the instant she first saw him, and learning he was the young man who rescued her only deepened that devotion.

Even though he spoke to her with nothing but indifference, she kept drawing closer with even more determination.

Although she was one of the most admired girls in the law department, she clung to him with unwavering persistence, ignoring every mocking whisper behind her.

During the next winter break, she couldn't bear the thought of spending a whole month without seeing him, so she secretly bought a train ticket to his hometown, defying her family's objections.

Growing up sheltered in the city, she had never endured real hardship before.

When she finally located Richard, she found him forced to the ground by someone holding him down.

One of the villagers tried to reason with Richard. "Why won't you listen? We told you there are wolves in that forest! Someone was bitten just recently! If you charge in now, you're practically asking to die! Your mother must have crossed paths with them, too. We already called the police. Wait for them. Don't act recklessly."

Voices filled the area as the villagers muttered among themselves.

Richard lay pinned to the ground, dirt streaking his face and grass tangled against his clothes.

Still, he kept his gaze locked on the forest ahead, a raw and frantic resolve burning in his eyes, fierce like a cornered animal.

"Let him go!" Brynn shouted as she ran forward, somehow summoning enough strength to shove aside the two men restraining Richard.

"Who are you? Stop making trouble here. We're stopping him for his own safety! It's almost dark, and stepping into that forest means becoming a meal for wolves!" one of the villagers shouted.

Richard sat silently where he fell, his long fingers curled tightly into fists, refusing to speak.

"There are so many of you standing around! Why not go into the forest and help search before it gets completely dark? Isn't that better than arguing here?" Brynn asked.

The villagers exchanged uneasy glances, but no one stepped forward.

Confronting wolves was a risk none of them dared to accept.

"If none of you plan to help, then stop holding him back!" Brynn insisted as she lifted Richard to his feet. "Come on. I'll go with you to look for your mother!"

Richard raised his eyes to her from where he had fallen.

"Let's move!" Brynn urged again, pulling him with her toward the forest's edge.

By then, the sky had already sunk into darkness.

"Richard, I'll help you find your mother," Brynn said as she inhaled sharply, fixing her gaze on the shadowed trees while forcing herself to stay brave despite the fear pounding through her chest.

"After we find her, we should learn boxing and self-defense together. Then no one will ever be able to hold you down again!" she said to him, hoping to stir some strength in him.

Watching Richard pinned helplessly moments ago had shaken Brynn deeply.

She finally understood that even someone as brilliant and proud as Richard could be driven into despair.

She never wanted to witness that again.

In her eyes, he was someone meant to stand tall, someone destined to be admired.

Fate had given them a moment to walk side by side.

As night finally settled over the sky, they discovered Michelle, barely conscious from losing so much blood.

She hadn't met any wolves after all. She had simply slipped, and a sharp branch had stabbed into her leg, leaving her bleeding heavily.

Richard lifted her in his arms without hesitation and carried her out of the forest.

Brynn recalled how Michelle had thanked her over and over, urging Richard not to let go of a girl as good as she was.

But that was years ago, and time had reshaped everything-including the people in it.

Now Michelle was standing on the opposite side of it all, asking Brynn to give her blood to another woman.