A Thousand Clicks to Unlock His Betrayal

Before Cameron Finch goes on a business trip, he gives me a doll that looks exactly like him. "Babe, whenever you miss me, you can press this button on the doll. Once you've unlocked the easter egg, I'll come back and spend time with you." Later on, the plane Cameron had boarded crashes. I can only hug the doll he's given me, unable to sleep a wink at night. All I can do is press the button repeatedly until my fingertip goes numb and stiff. When I press it for the thousandth time, the doll lags momentarily. Then the recorded voice takes on an entirely different tone. "This marks the thousandth time you've hit this button! Congratulations on unlocking the easter egg! "Gwen, Mari and I have already registered our marriage. Our wedding will take place at the end of this year. I know this is unfair to you, but there's no such thing as 'first-come, first-served' in romance. I hope that you can give us your blessings. "Mari wants me to tell you that you will always be the bridesmaid of her wedding. I really hope you can attend our wedding since our families are friends and all. I will always be an older brother figure to you." My finger freezes at the message. As soon as the last word falls, I feel my phone buzzing. Marissa Becker has texted me. "Gwen, I'm getting married soon! I've reserved a slot for you as my bridesmaid! You must attend the wedding, okay?" Chapter 1 My breath caught in my throat. Unable to believe what I'd just heard, I pressed the button again. Only when Cameron Finch's voice sounded again did I realize I hadn't misheard the first time. With trembling fingers, I tapped into Marissa Becker's Instagram, where the latest post was unmistakably a photo taken in a bridal shop. The caption read, "Picking out wedding dresses with the love of my life! I'm going to be the prettiest bride." The man in the photo was only half-visible, but I'd recognize that silhouette anywhere, even with my eyes closed. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I typed out a message to Cameron, my hands still trembling. "Marissa said she's getting married. Is it with you? You're not dead? Why aren't you answering me? Why would you lie to me?" Hours passed, and all I got was complete radio silence. I opened Marissa's Instagram again, only to find that she had already deleted that post. The only thing pinned to the top now was a post looking for bridesmaids. My heart ached as if thousands of needles were piercing it. Still shaking, I used a newly created alternate account to add her on Instagram. That was when I saw all the posts she'd hidden from me. "Seven years of waiting finally paid off. From now on, we'll walk hand in hand into the future." The photo showed Cameron on one knee, proposing to her on the beach. The date below read July 23rd. That was the day Cameron's plane supposedly went down, the day I got into a car wreck looking for him and lost our baby. That day, I had spammed him with countless texts, but I didn't get a single reply. So he hadn't been on a business trip. He had gone to the beach to stage a romantic proposal for her. I clamped a hand over my mouth, choking back a sob, and kept scrolling. "The person who loves me understands my pain." In the picture, Marissa was wearing a dark dress, raising a wine glass. On her wrist was a vibrant emerald bracelet. Agnes Field, Cameron's mother, had talked about that bracelet ever since I was little. She'd always said that she'd give it to me as a wedding gift when I married Cameron. Yet even on the day of our engagement, it never made an appearance. At the time, Cameron said he had forgotten to bring it and would give it to me at our wedding. It turned out that he hadn't forgotten. He had simply given it to someone else. "Graduation at last. Oh, shooting stars, please let me be with the one I love." I remembered that night. I got trashed at our graduation party and got cornered by some creeps in an alley. I called him dozens of times, but he never answered once. Afterward, he told me he had passed out in the lab from exhaustion and slept through his phone ringing. I believed him without a second thought. I even blamed myself, feeling guilty that I was no longer untouched. My heart clenched painfully. I pressed a hand to my chest and took a deep breath before scrolling all the way to the very first post in one go. "I ran into my crush on campus today and finally got the nerve to ask for his Instagram. Oh my gosh! It's the first time I've met someone who's on the same wavelength as me." That was the exact day Cameron and I officially got together. I'd been so stupidly happy that I sent Marissa a picture of him to show off. "Look, this is my boyfriend. Isn't he hot?" So for the past seven years, there had always been someone else who secretly shared all our sweet and happy moments. I laughed through the pain, yet my tears still fell against my will. Just then, my phone buzzed. Marissa had sent a message to my alternate account. "Hey, miss, I need someone with great style and a good vibe. Could you send me a full-body picture?" I stared hard at that message. After a long pause, I sent her a picture of my cousin, who was studying abroad. Marissa quickly agreed to have me as her bridesmaid and sent me an address. "My wedding is at the end of this month, so you'll need to show up a day early. Someone might try to crash the wedding and make a scene. I'm hoping you can help stop them. Don't worry. There will be security guards, so it won't be dangerous." She had it all figured out. She even predicted I was going to crash it. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed my car keys off the table, pulled up the address, and headed out. As soon as I got to the wedding venue, I spotted them. Chapter 2 When I got there, Marissa and Cameron were busy instructing the staff on how to set up the venue. Before I even got close, I heard Marissa say, "Cam, if Gwen finds out you're alive, will she crash our wedding? I'm a little scared. She is my friend of many years, after all." Cameron pulled her into his arms and planted a kiss on the top of her head. He said calmly, "Don't worry. She wouldn't dare make a scene. "Gwen's parents had no idea we were dating back then. Besides, her parents are both teachers. They care too much about their reputation to make a scene and embarrass themselves. "You just focus on being the happiest, most beautiful bride. I'll handle everything." He sounded so sure of himself, and every single word he said felt like a knife to my heart, leaving it bloody and torn. "Gwen!" Marissa was the first to notice me. Her face instantly turned pale. She squirmed, trying to get out of Cameron's arms, but he just wrapped his arms around her tighter. "So you came after all. You just can't let me go, can you?" Cameron let out a sigh, looking annoyed, as if I were some clingy burden he simply couldn't shake off. My heart throbbed with pain. I stayed silent but kept my gaze on him. "Now you know that Marissa is the one I love. I've already made her wait for seven years. I don't want to do that to her anymore." With that, he fixed me with a cold stare, his tone unmistakably threatening. "Gwen, don't make a scene. It won't end well for either of us if you do." Right as he said that, my phone rang. It was my mom. The second I answered, her frantic voice blasted through the speaker. "Gwendolyn Lockwood, are you the other woman in someone else's relationship? Your father has been hospitalized because of you! Get back here this instant!" I hung up, turning to Cameron. The tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over. "Did you do this?" Cameron arched a brow, his voice even as he said, "Gwen, I just don't want you ruining our wedding. As long as you behave yourself, I can clear things up with your parents." Unable to listen to another word, I turned and sprinted toward the hospital. The second I walked into the hospital room, Mom slapped me hard across the face. "Look at what you've done, Gwendolyn! Your father and I have been utterly humiliated because of you." She threw a thick stack of papers at me. Every page detailed how I had supposedly come between Cameron and Marissa, casting me as the other woman in their story. The dull pain in my chest returned once more. I shook my head over and over, my voice cracking. "I'm not the other woman. Cameron and I got together first." She slapped me again. "Stop lying! Cameron already told me everything. If you don't apologize to him in person, the Finch family won't lend us 500,000 dollars. That's the money needed to save your father's life!" 500,000 dollars? I bit down hard on my lip and said nothing. Seeing this, Mom panicked. "What are you still hesitating for at a time like this? If you won't go, I will! I don't care if I have to throw away my dignity at my age. I'm going to get that money for your father!" I dug my nails deep into my palms, though I couldn't feel a thing. "Fine. I'll go." The moment I stepped out of the ward, my phone rang. It was Cameron. His voice was still as gentle as ever, yet every word he said sent a chill down my spine. "Gwen, when you're ready to behave, come apologize to Mari. As for the apology gift, you can just use that wedding dress you designed. Mari and I will be waiting for you at our new place." Chapter 3 The wedding dress? Our new place? I let out a hollow laugh. I had almost ruined my eyesight by hand-stitching that dress, all so I could marry Cameron. After Cameron and I got engaged, our parents had pooled our money to buy that apartment. But from the day of our engagement until now, I had never once set foot inside. Cameron had told me I would always be the apple of his eye, and that I didn't need to stress over trivial things like renovations. But it wasn't until I stood in front of the new apartment and saw Marissa's belongings filling every corner of it that I realized just how empty those words had been. "Gwen, you're here. Come in and have a seat." Marissa opened the door like she owned the place, even thoughtfully pouring me a glass of warm water. With a weak, tight-lipped smirk, I threw the wedding dress on the floor. "Here's what you wanted." I turned to Cameron. "When are you transferring the money?" Cameron gave a soft scoff, his tone dripping with contempt. "What's the rush? Once Mari is satisfied, the money will hit your account." I watched helplessly as Marissa took the dress I'd spent seven years designing and slipped it on. The moment she walked out of the bedroom, Cameron's eyes lit up in absolute awe. He couldn't help stepping forward. "Mari, you look beautiful. This dress looks like it was tailor-made for you." They kissed right in front of me as if I didn't exist in my house, with her wearing the wedding dress I had painstakingly designed. Even though I already knew they were together, seeing this in person still made my eyes burn. And before I knew it, my hands were wet with tears. "Oh." A loud ripping sound suddenly echoed through the room. The wedding dress on Marissa split apart piece by piece, falling to the floor like paper. Marissa covered her chest in embarrassment, rushing back into the room. Cameron shot me a vicious glare before chasing after her. Sobs came from the room, and a moment later, Cameron stormed out in a rage. He slapped me hard across the face. "Gwendolyn, how can you be so vicious? Are you trying to humiliate Mari at her own wedding?" My cheek stung, and inside it felt like my heart was rotting away. Without looking at him, I knelt down, picked up the shredded pieces of my dress off the floor piece by piece, and shoved them into my bag. I got up and looked at Cameron with a calm expression. Then, I said in an icy voice, "Marissa had been holding onto this wedding dress the entire time." Cameron hit me again. "Even now, you're still trying to slander Mari? What kind of woman would ever treat her own chastity as a joke? Only someone as filthy as you has no respect for her own reputation." His casual words struck my heart like a sledgehammer. I stared at him in disbelief, my voice rising. "Cameron Finch, if my father hadn't helped your family back then, you and your mom would still be out there digging through trash." Back when Agnes first came to this unfamiliar city alone with Cameron, it was my parents who supported them, helped Agnes find work, and got Cameron enrolled in school. When Cameron couldn't afford tutoring, my parents paid for it as well. All these years, my family never once held it over their heads, but the Finch family never once offered to repay the favor either. For a split second, a look of shame crossed Cameron's face. But his eyes instantly turned as cold as ice as he looked at me. "Gwendolyn, if my mom hadn't wanted to repay the favor, do you really think she would have agreed to the marriage? "With your family's current situation, do you really think you're worthy of me? I already said I'll give you the money. Now get out. Right now!" As I made my way downstairs while fighting back the tears, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Mom. "Gwen, your father is going into surgery. Did you get the money from Cameron? Listen to me. Apologize to him properly. Your father's life is on the line." I gripped my phone tightly, but the tears wouldn't stop falling. Gritting my teeth, I called Cameron in the end. "What exactly do I have to do for you to lend me the money?" Cameron said nothing for a moment. He then answered in a cold and unyielding tone, "Come back upstairs. Get on your knees and apologize to Mari." My tears completely dried up right then, leaving my eyes raw and stinging. A weak smile appeared on my face, and after a long silence, I said, "Fine." Chapter 4 I dragged myself back up to the apartment. Cameron was holding Marissa on the couch. Her eyes weren't even the slightest bit bloodshot, yet Cameron was looking at her like she was the most pitiful thing in the world. I pushed the door open and dropped to my knees right in front of Marissa. My body didn't feel like my own anymore as I spoke numbly. "I'm sorry. Everything earlier was my fault. I'm on my knees to apologize to you." I turned to Cameron with a gaze as lifeless as still water. "Now, can you lend me the 500,000 dollars?" Marissa giggled as if she had found something amusing. A second later, I heard my voice coming from her phone. "I'm sorry. Everything earlier was my fault. I'm on my knees to apologize to you." My body trembled violently, and I stared at her in disbelief. Only then did I realize she had recorded a video of me kneeling. "I'm not as mad anymore. Cam, let's give Gwen 200,000 dollars for now. "As for the remaining 300,000 dollars, we'll give it to her only if she agrees to be my bridesmaid at the wedding and proves to everyone that I was always the real girlfriend." I dug my nails into my palms and gulped, forcing down the metallic taste rising in my throat. Cameron's voice sounded from overhead. "Fine. We'll do as you say." I looked down at my phone. Mom's messages were popping up one after another. "Your dad can't wait any longer!" I threw whatever was left of my dignity out the window and dropped my head to the ground. "Cameron, I was wrong. I'm so sorry. I'll do anything as long as you pay for my dad's medical bills." "Anything?" I gave an uneasy nod. A cunning, malicious look crossed Marissa's face. "Then bark like a dog for me." I turned to Cameron, and he actually looked hesitant. While holding his arm, Marissa shook him. "Cam, don't forget. When you faked the plane crash back then, I was the one who desperately went to look for you. Gwen couldn't care less whether you were dead or alive, even though you had gone to all that trouble staging a grand proposal for her. "Good thing I was there to salvage the situation. If I weren't there, there wouldn't have been anyone for you to propose to." At that, all hesitation vanished from Cameron's face, replaced by pure ruthlessness. "Asking you to bark is letting you off easy. Jobs only pay a few thousand a month. Why should I give you hundreds of thousands anyway?" I fought back a sob before forcing out the truth. "Cameron, when that accident happened, I got into a car crash looking for you. I even lost our baby." Cameron kicked me hard in the chest. It was the first time I'd ever seen him so violent. "You're still going to lie? "The moment that accident happened, you jumped straight into Julius Myer's bed. You were just terrified of losing a sugar daddy. A vicious woman like you deserves to end up like this." I deserved this? So that was how he really saw me. Mom's frantic texts popped up again. Enduring the pain, I barked. "Woof, woof." Marissa laughed, remarking, "Cam, she actually barked!" I did exactly what they asked. However, Cameron just turned his head away and threw a bank card at me, refusing to even look at me the whole time. "You'll get the rest when you go to the wedding tomorrow." After that, no matter how much I called after him, he never looked back as he left. "Cameron, you promised! I did everything you asked. Please save my dad!" Right then, Mom sent me another text. "We don't need the money anymore." My voice suddenly gave out. I choked down all my cries of pain. Marissa caught a glimpse of my screen and burst out laughing. "Is your dad dead or something?" There wasn't a shred of respect in her tone, only smug satisfaction. "I already knew Cameron was going to propose to you back then, so I was prepared to become the one he proposed to from the get-go. "I caused your car accident. I was the one who sent your parents the news. And I was the one who told Cameron you slept with Julius." She turned and walked away, her laughter echoing behind her. Tears poured out of me like an open faucet. Suddenly, all the strength left my body, and I collapsed onto the ground. I grabbed my phone and sent a message to that man. "I'll do it." On the day of the wedding, I turned on my phone and pinned a camera to my collar. The title of the live stream was, "My Fiance of Seven Years Is Getting Married Today, but the Bride Isn't Me."