Seven Years of Love Lost, After the Stand-In Left, He Went Mad

For seven years, Elise shaped herself around Cody Mitchell: high heels, tight skirts, long curls, and a 9.9-dollar engagement ring she never took off. Then, at his first love Brittany Aston's birthday party, Cody hands Brittany the family heirloom bracelet meant for a daughter-in-law. Elise slips off the ring, places it on Brittany's hand, and walks out.

She calls her manager, Mr. Brooks, and accepts the overseas design training she once refused, cuts her hair, and trades the heels for clothes she actually likes. Cody expects her to crawl back as always, but Elise ignores his messages and plans her departure. Then a doctor tells her she is pregnant, and the pregnancy is not stable.

When Cody calls on her birthday to invite her to the Orchard Hotel and bury the past, Elise wavers for the baby's sake. She arrives late through the rain, unsure whether to keep the child or the man.