Chapter 1

Ethan Vance, my boyfriend of ten years, was asking me to register our marriage at City Hall for the 100th time.

He sent me a text, his tone unusually solemn:

"Put on your wedding dress and come to City Hall right now. I'm serious this time. I won't lie to you again."

For the past ninety-nine times, he had used fake proposals to trick me into rushing to City Hall, only to place bets with his childhood best friend, Chloe Miller, laughing at my desperate reactions.

But this time, he promised me over and over that this would be his last prank. He even swore that on our 100th time, he would finally keep his word.

I believed him.

Until I pushed open the doors of the hall, and erupted into a wave of mocking laughter.

Ethan curled his lips into a smirk:

"You actually came? I bet Chloe you wouldn't show up this time. I bet against you, and she bet on you."

"The stakes were: if I won, we’d get married today. Since I lost, I guess we’ll have to wait until next time."

He shrugged. "So, I lost the bet. Guess we’ll get married next time."

Looking at Ethan’s casual, mocking face, my heart sank to the bottom of the ocean.

So, in his eyes, our marriage was nothing more than a joke to gamble on with his friends.

He didn’t even remember that today was our ten-year anniversary.

I took off the promise ring I had worn for ten years and dropped it into his palm.

"Ethan, I waited for your 100th proposal."

"But I don't want to marry you anymore."