Chapter 1

On my wedding day, a video of a girl about to commit suicide popped up on the big screen.

And just like that, my groom ran out on me. That girl was his "white moonlight"—his precious ex.

He said, "Chloe, we can have our wedding anytime, but her life is on the line."

Later, he literally cried his eyes out, begging me: "Baby, please give me another chance."

"Baby? You should call me Aunt Chloe!"

Under the dazzling spotlights, I held my father’s arm, dragging the long train of my white wedding gown as I walked slowly onto the stage. At that moment, I was still fantasizing about our beautiful future together.

But just as the officiant was about to start the vows, a girl suddenly appeared on the giant projector screen.

"Ethan, I regret it. Please don't leave me. Without you, my life has no meaning."

Gasps echoed through the crowd. In the video, the girl held a razor blade and slashed her own wrist.

Ethan immediately let go of my hand. He turned to leave.

"Ethan?"

My eyes welled with tears as I called out to him. I didn't want him to abandon me for another woman.

"Chloe, we can have our wedding anytime, but her life is on the line."

With that, he left me standing there, running out of the venue without even looking back.

In this gorgeous, lavish hall, I had become a laughingstock. I looked at the whispering guests below the stage.

I snatched the microphone from the host. "Is there anyone in this room willing to marry me today?"

I was probably losing my mind. Actually, no—I was just driven mad by Ethan's sheer disrespect. I have the looks, the body, and a degree from a top-tier Ivy League business school. Why on earth should I act like he was my only choice?

Our relationship wasn't some epic love story. Our families had been doing business together for years and wanted to merge our empires through us.

When I first met Ethan, I thought he was exactly my type.

Six months later, he asked me out, and we naturally transitioned into a relationship.

The entire hall fell dead silent. My parents, terrified that I was having a breakdown, rushed up to pull me back.

I turned my head and noticed a devastatingly handsome man sitting in the corner, staring at me with cold, piercing eyes.

"Damian Vance-Cole, would you marry me? Right now, today..."

I shook off my parents' hands, holding the mic tight as I walked toward him. He was Ethan’s young uncle. Though he was only five years older than me, he had already taken complete control of the Cole Group.

The silence in the room grew almost suffocating. I stood tall, biting my lip as I locked eyes with Damian.

Just when everyone was waiting to see me humiliate myself, Damian stood up. He walked over and took the microphone from my hand.

"Miss Vance, it would be my honor. Let's spend the rest of our lives together."

The moment the words left his mouth, the crowd went wild with disbelief. The Miller family, embarrassed out of their minds, spat out some angry words and stormed out of the hall.

The rest of the wedding was a chaotic blur. My family wrapped things up in utter awkwardness.

That night, out of pure spite, I went home with Damian. But the second we stepped into his mansion, regret washed over me. I barely even knew him.

Sensing my discomfort, Damian told me I could have the master bedroom while he took the guest room.

"Wait..."

I called out to him. I wanted to explain my impulsive behavior.

Damian seemed to understand. He gently patted my head and told me not to overthink it. Since we hadn't signed the marriage papers yet, today was just a show. If I wanted to back out later, I could just tell him.

I was stunned. Why didn't he care about his own reputation? Why did he help me? All he said was that he would give me an answer in a month, and then he left.

A million questions kept me awake all night. My brain kept replaying everything that had happened with Ethan.

The next morning, Damian had already left for work. He left a note on the table.

*I might be a bit late tonight. If you're bored, feel free to visit your parents. I'll pick you up after work.*

He wrote his phone number at the bottom. For the first time, I felt like this marriage wasn't such a bad idea after all.

I took a cab back to my parents' house. As soon as I walked in, I saw the anger on their faces. I thought they were mad at me for going home with Damian.

But then I found out the Millers were actually using my "sudden marriage" as an excuse to demand compensation for their losses. They were even threatening to pull out of our business partnerships.

So, Ethan was allowed to run off to save his precious ex, but I wasn't allowed to find someone else?

I talked to my dad and decided we should cut all ties with the Millers. In all our years of partnership, they were always the ones leeching off us anyway.