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Just a few weeks before my wedding to Hudson, his ex-girlfriend moved in next door to us.
She constantly made a huge deal out of the fact that her father had sacrificed his life to save Hudson, and even destroyed my wedding dress, yet Hudson just stood by and comforted her.
Just as I secretly found out I was pregnant, he publicly announced that he was going to hold a “fake wedding” with her, claiming it was for her psychological therapy.
This news quickly went viral online, sparking the fury of netizens who even ganged up to attack me, causing me to fall to the ground and bleed heavily.
I lost our child, and the doctor told me that my hopes of ever becoming a mother again were almost completely destroyed.
As I lay in the hospital bed, my heart completely dead inside, Hudson appeared in the ward.
“Please understand why I have to hold this fake wedding for her.”
He begged me to support his fake wedding, and my heart was thoroughly shattered.
After he left, I immediately packed my bags, contacted the wedding venue, and changed the groom’s name to the man who had always stood by me through thick and thin.
When he found out about this, he actually went crazy trying to win me back at all costs!
He Chose Her, I Chose Myself novel Chapter 1
Caitlin’s POV
Just a few weeks left until my wedding, but a wave of icy dread gripped me tightly. It all started the day Bella Peterson moved into our apartment building.
Of course, I knew her name. My fiancé, Hudson Rice, had always harbored a deep sense of guilt toward her—her firefighter father had sacrificed his life to save Hudson years ago.
That afternoon, I was walking my golden retriever in the apartment building’s private garden. Suddenly, it excitedly broke free from the leash, ran over to the rose bushes, and nudged out a shivering white stray cat with its nose.
As I gently stroked its fur, I noticed a small silver tag on its collar. Engraved on the silver tag was the word, “Snowflake.”
I flipped the tag over, and sure enough, there was a number engraved on the back, along with a brief message: “This is my kitty. If found, please contact me, thank you so much. —Bella.”
My breath hitched. Bella? The name echoed in my mind, and I had a very bad premonition.
“Snowflake!” A soft voice broke the tranquility of the garden.
I looked up. A few yards away stood a woman with long, jet-black hair. She was younger than I had imagined, possessing an almost fragile quality.
“Oh, Snowflake, my little baby!” She gathered the cat into her arms, hugging it tightly. The cat let out a loud purr, clearly enjoying the feeling of being back in its owner’s embrace.
“Thank you, thank you! I was so worried. I just moved in here, and she ran out. I didn’t even know what to do.”
“It’s nothing. She is a beautiful cat.”
“I’m Bella Peterson.”
“Caitlin Norris.” I wore an increasingly stiff smile, my mind in utter chaos.
Bella Peterson. This couldn’t be a coincidence. This was Hudson’s ex-girlfriend, whose father had died saving him.
“It’s nice to meet you, Caitlin,” Bella said, her eyes still fixed on the cat in her arms. “You are so kind.” She looked up, her gaze meeting mine. “Norris… that last name sounds a bit familiar. Do you live nearby?”
“Yes, I live here.”
We walked toward the apartment building entrance together, but the unease in my heart grew heavier.
“I just moved back from abroad and rented a unit in this building.”
“Rented an apartment in this building?” I asked, unable to stop myself from taking a sharp breath. This building was one of the most luxurious apartments in the whole city, and the rent was terrifyingly high.
Bella smiled, a fragile smile that seemed to hide an unspeakable sorrow. “Yes. This building is beautiful. And… it’s close to my past.” She paused, her eyes dimming.
“You wouldn’t happen to know Hudson, would you?” I tried to make my voice sound casual, but my curiosity was intense.
Bella just offered a small, meaningful smile. “Yes, and Hudson has actually mentioned you to me, saying you are very understanding.”
“Oh, really?” I forced a very strained smile.
The elevator doors opened, and we both simultaneously pressed “15.”
“Well, I’m here.” She walked toward the door of 1503, but just as she reached it, the door of 1502 opened.
Hudson stood there, dressed in casual clothes, his hair slightly messy. He held a bag of groceries in his hand, a small smile on his face.
He looked at me, and then his gaze landed on Bella.
His smile vanished, and he was so surprised that the grocery bag almost slipped from his hand.
Seeing Hudson, Bella froze in place. Snowflake, still in her arms, let out a soft meow.
Bella’s eyes filled with tears, and her lower lip began to tremble.
Time seemed to stretch out. I stood between them, feeling like a redundant outsider. The silence was suffocating.
“Hudson,” I said, my voice flat. “You know Bella, right?”
Hudson blinked, as if waking from a dream. He looked at me, then at Bella, a complex and conflicted expression surfacing on his face. “Bella, what are you doing here?”
Bella nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek. “Yes, Hudson.”
“I need to lie down for a bit,” I said, my hands trembling as I unlocked my apartment door. Shaking, I closed the door behind me, shutting out that oppressive scene.
Through the thick door, I heard Bella go from soft sobbing to heart-wrenching, agonizing wailing.
“Bella, shh, it’s okay now.” I heard Hudson’s voice, deep and gentle.
The crying gradually subsided, turning into soft whispers. The hallway finally fell silent.
I don’t know how much time passed before I gently cracked the door open. The hallway was empty, and the door to 1503 was shut tight. Hudson and Bella were inside, a lone man and a lone woman.
The future I had so carefully planned completely collapsed in this very moment.
He Chose Her, I Chose Myself novel Chapter 2
Caitlin’s POV
Despite the world outside turning upside down, I desperately tried to maintain a pathetic sense of dignity inside the apartment. The wedding was fast approaching, and my wedding dress was still waiting for my final fitting.
I clung desperately to these anchors of the future, constantly brainwashing myself: Hudson is just acting out of survivor’s guilt. He won’t abandon me. As long as he helps Bella stabilize her emotions, we can get back on track.
Late that night, Hudson finally returned to the apartment. I pretended to be asleep, listening to him tiptoe into bed, my body stiff and my breathing heavy.
The next morning at the breakfast table, I decided to break the ice. “So, Bella moved in next door to us.”
Hudson’s hand trembled, and he nearly spilled his coffee. He didn’t dare look at me, his face full of guilt. “Yeah, it’s… it’s complicated, Caitlin.”
“Indeed. She cried terribly yesterday, and you were busy comforting her next door.” My tone was sharp.
Hudson ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “She had an emotional breakdown yesterday, it was really serious! Her therapist suggested she move somewhere she feels safe. She had no idea we lived here.”
“Her therapist suggested she move next door to the ex-boyfriend whose life her father saved?” I raised an eyebrow, the skepticism in my tone barely concealed.
Hudson finally looked at me, his eyes full of pleading. “Caitlin, please. She’s not doing well, her mental state is very fragile. We can’t just abandon her. Her father… he sacrificed himself to save me. I owe her.”
“You do owe her.” I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to maintain that “understanding” facade he had praised. “But what about our wedding? The final fitting for the wedding dress is next Tuesday. Are you still going?”
He hesitated for a long second, a second so long it made my skin crawl. “Of course,” he finally promised. “Everything goes according to plan. Bella will get better, we just need to take care of her feelings a little bit.”
I nodded, but my heart shattered piece by piece. That night, Hudson tossed and turned in his sleep, muttering a name under his breath. I couldn’t hear it clearly, but I knew for a fact it wasn’t “Caitlin.”
Next Tuesday, I arrived at the bridal boutique with anxious anticipation. It was an ivory silk wedding dress designed specifically for me, with hand-sewn pearls and lace perfectly matched.
The moment I put it on, I felt as if I saw the reflection of happiness once again.
The boutique owner, Mrs. Albright, looked at me with absolute awe. “It’s too beautiful, Caitlin! Hudson is going to be head over heels for you.”
Just as I was handing the dress back, my phone buzzed. A text from Hudson came in: “Going to be late. Bella had another episode, I have to rush over to her now.”
My heart plunged into an ice cellar. Bella again. Always Bella.
Then, Bella stood in the middle of the store. Her eyes were bloodshot, her gaze frantic, and in her hand, she tightly gripped a pair of sharp, heavy tailor’s scissors. Mannequins around her were knocked over, and high-end fabrics were scattered all over the floor.
“She wants to destroy everything!” Bella screamed, her eyes locked onto the wedding dress hanging on the rack.
The next second, her eyes ignited with the mad fire of jealousy. “What right do you have to have him! What right do you have to steal our life!”
Before I could react, she lunged forward like a lunatic. The owner screamed and dodged out of the way, while I froze in place.
The cold steel of the scissors flashed.
Riiip—
The silk was slashed, the lace was torn, and pearls bounced all over the floor. Bella frantically wielded the scissors, shredding the wedding dress of my dreams into pieces, cut by cut.
“Stop!” I finally screamed at the top of my lungs, but it was too late.
After the destruction was complete, the scissors clattered to the floor. She fell to her knees amidst the shredded fabric, trembling all over as she began to sob delicately.
Bang! The door burst open, and Hudson rushed in, looking panicked. He surveyed the chaotic store, me standing with the shredded dress, and Bella kneeling on the floor.
His gaze briefly met mine, revealing a fleeting trace of helpless apology.
But that look vanished in an instant. His eyes immediately darted to Bella. “Bella! Are you okay?” He knelt beside her, pulled her into his arms, and comforted her.
“We have to call the police,” the owner said, trembling.
“No need.” I was surprisingly calm, my cold gaze locked on Hudson and Bella. He was still holding her, and Bella had buried her face in his shoulder, crying pitifully. He was heartbroken, but his heartbreak existed only for her.
Customers around us gathered and whispered, and some even took out their phones to record. I had become the most pathetic clown in this farce.
“Caitlin, I can rush to make you a new dress, or try my best to repair this one…” the owner suggested cautiously.
“No need.” I cut her off decisively. What was destroyed wasn’t the dress, it was this damn marriage. “I will pay for all the damages, settle the bill for me.”
Without any lingering attachment, I turned and walked out of the bridal boutique. The cold wind hit my face, and not only did it fail to blow away the pain in my chest, but it also made me completely sober.
I didn’t return to that so-called home. I didn’t want to hear any of Hudson’s hypocritical apologies and excuses.
I took a taxi straight to an unfamiliar private hospital.
A nameless fear haunted my heart, making me instinctively place my hand over my still-flat lower abdomen.
I had to confirm whether my child was still safe and sound.
He Chose Her, I Chose Myself novel Chapter 3
Caitlin’s POV
The cold white fluorescent lights of the clinic buzzed overhead. I lay on the examination table, my heart pounding with anxiety. Dr. Evans finally straightened up, a gentle smile appearing on her face.
“Caitlin, although it’s still very early, everything is completely normal.” She pointed to the blurry image on the screen. “Here is the heartbeat. It’s strong and steady.”
A sense of profound relief brought tears to my eyes instantly. My child, this fragile little life, was still stubbornly surviving after experiencing the chaos, the betrayal, and the shredded wedding dress.
“Thank you, Doctor,” I choked out. “Thank you so much.”
Dr. Evans handed me a tissue. “Congratulations, this is wonderful news. Have you told the child’s father?”
The smile on my face froze. Tell Hudson? Share this sacred joy with him? It felt like an absolute fantasy. All of his attention, sympathy, and his entire being had already been completely swallowed up by Bella.
How could I dare entrust this precious secret to a man who couldn’t even protect my wedding dress or my dignity?
“Not yet,” I said, my voice dropping. “Too much has happened, I’m not ready yet.”
Dr. Evans nodded, her eyes showing understanding, but she also became more serious. “Take your time. But given your past medical history, you must avoid any stress or physical exertion. We will monitor your condition closely.”
Her reminder awakened my deepest fears. Two heartbreaking miscarriage experiences. When I lost the first one, Hudson held me and cried for days; but the second, late-term miscarriage a few years later almost drained all of our energy.
Since then, a layer of cautious distance had grown between us. I was afraid to embrace hope again, and perhaps he was afraid of facing loss again.
Her reminder awakened my deepest fears, two heartbreaking miscarriage experiences. When I lost the first one, Hudson held me and cried for days; but the second, late-term miscarriage a few years later almost drained all of our energy. Since then, a layer of cautious distance had grown between us. I was afraid to embrace hope again, and perhaps he was afraid of facing loss again.
And now, with a new life awakening inside me, I couldn’t bear another blow.
Especially right now, with Hudson deeply entangled in Bella’s drama and completely ignoring me, it was highly likely he would treat this child as an unmanageable burden.
Leaving the clinic and returning to the apartment building, I didn’t go upstairs. Instead, I hid in the lounge area. I needed time to digest all of this.
My phone buzzed. It was a news push notification. Glancing at the screen, I started shaking with anger.
My face—that face covered in tear stains and shock inside the bridal boutique—was glaringly displayed on the cover of a viral video.
The video clearly captured the footage of Bella frantically shredding my wedding dress, and the most piercing scene of all: Hudson holding Bella tightly to comfort her, while I was left hanging to the side like a pathetic joke.
The title was highly inflammatory: “Homewrecker Caitlin Finally Gets Her Just Desserts! Bella Fights Back to Reclaim True Love Hudson!”
With stiff fingers, I scrolled through the comment section. The internet had thoroughly nailed me to the pillar of shame.
“Oh my god, poor Bella! She’s been through so much. Caitlin is obviously a gold digger trying to steal Hudson away.”
“Hudson and Bella are a match made in heaven. Caitlin should step aside.”
“Look at Caitlin’s expression, she’s so damn cold. Bella is clearly heartbroken. This woman is simply a monster.”
“Her father sacrificed himself to save Hudson! How can Caitlin be so cold-blooded?”
The direction of public opinion was ruthless and twisted.
Netizens quickly dug up Bella’s tragic background: the daughter of a hero firefighter, a genius artist deeply traumatized by her father’s sacrifice. Rumor had it she had received psychological treatment abroad and had now returned covered in scars, only to face the vicious woman who had stolen her high school sweetheart.
Bella, the tragic hometown goddess. Hudson, the hero tortured by conflict, forced to bear a debt of gratitude he could never repay. And me, Caitlin Norris, the vicious homewrecker.
The comments grew increasingly malicious, demanding that I leave, slapping all sorts of labels on me, and even starting to send threatening messages. An online campaign to support Bella had already begun.
Late that night, Hudson finally came back. He saw me sitting alone in the unlit living room, the cold light of my laptop screen reflecting those vicious insults.
Looking utterly exhausted, he sat down next to me. His hand hovered in mid-air, but ultimately, he didn’t touch me. “Caitlin, I’m sorry about today. Bella completely broke down. Her therapist just finished checking her into the hospital.”
“So you were with her the whole time,” I stated coldly.
He sighed. “She kept crying and calling my name, refusing to let go. This building is too triggering for her, and seeing you made her break down even more. She misunderstood everything, thinking you wanted to steal me away from her.”
“Misunderstood?” I laughed out of pure anger. “She shredded the wedding dress we were going to use for our marriage! And you held her in your arms, leaving me alone to watch my future turn into a pile of rags!”
Hudson rubbed his face in agony. “I know how bad this looks! But she’s sick, and she only feels safe when she’s by my side! I know this is unfair to you, but I’m begging you, can you please just endure this for a little longer? Once she stabilizes, I promise everything will go back to normal. We will get married, I swear.”
Looking at this face full of guilt, my heart hardened bit by bit.
“Alright, Hudson,” I said in a low voice, a cold tear quietly slipping down. “I will endure it.”
He let out a long sigh of relief, hugged me tightly, and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Thank you, Caitlin, you are the most understanding woman I have ever met.”
I closed my eyes in his embrace, letting my tears soak his shirt.
He was so immersed in his “great responsibility” that he didn’t notice my despair at all. As long as Bella remained his first choice, I would always be the dispensable one!
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