Chapter 1

On the night of our engagement party, Ethan abandoned me to fly across the world to Chloe—his first love.

I begged him to stay. He just looked at me with cold annoyance and said, "We're not even married yet. Who the hell do you think you are?"

That same night, Chloe posted on Instagram: “It feels so good to be cherished.”

In the photo, she was wearing a diamond ring. It was the exact engagement ring Ethan hadn't even given me yet.

A week later, he received a wedding invitation. It was for my wedding to an Upper East Side billionaire. He flew back overnight.

Seeing the glittering ring on my finger, the usually arrogant Ethan completely lost his mind.

"Serena, please take it off. I’ll buy you a new one. I swear."

I flashed my marriage certificate in his face and sneered, "I'm already married. Who the hell do you think you are?"

......

The wedding was meticulously designed, creating a dreamlike fairytale atmosphere.

The guests raised their crystal champagne flutes, whispering in awe, "Only the elite could pull off a wedding this lavish."

My husband, worried I’d get tired, handled the guests all by himself. He only wanted my best friend, Ava, to keep me company.

When the reception finally wound down, my husband walked over and gently massaged my shoulders. He leaned down and whispered in my ear:

"You worked so hard today, wifey."

"You have no idea how worried I was that Ethan would crash the party and steal you away."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Are you kidding? That's impossible."

My husband pulled out his phone, looking annoyed but amused. "Look at the digital invitation views. Ethan checked it exactly 1,019 times today."

I froze for a second, then smiled. "People like him aren't worth our time."

"Serena, thank you for marrying me."

My husband pulled me into his arms, whispering with deep gratitude.

Who would have thought that just a week ago, I was almost married to Ethan.

That night, Ethan stood in the corner of the banquet hall, frowning at his phone for the longest time.

After greeting the guests, I noticed his strange behavior and walked over to ask what was wrong.

Through the corner of my eye, I saw a text on his Snapchat from Chloe: “Ethan, I’m leaving the country.”

Whenever Chloe was involved, Ethan completely lost his mind.

"Ethan, it’s our turn to go on stage for the toast."

Suppressing the sharp pain in my chest, I reached out to grab his hand, but he violently pushed me away.

Ignoring me, Ethan grabbed his suit jacket, preparing to leave.

With tears in my eyes, I begged, "Ethan, please don't go."

There was no warmth in his eyes, only cold indifference. "It’s just a formality. Just make up some speech yourself."

He pinched my chin, his voice dropping to a low, dismissive murmur. "Be good. I’ll be back in a few days. What gift do you want?"

Ethan loved buying me gifts to placate me—except for rings.

He rarely bought Chloe gifts, but every single one he gave her was a ring.

I took a deep breath, staring at his cold, handsome face, and humbled myself one last time:

"Ethan, can you please just leave a little later?"

Ethan’s face darkened, his voice dripping with impatience. "Serena, don't push it."

"We're not even married yet. Who the hell do you think you are?"

I stood frozen, watching his silhouette disappear from the hall.

During the toast, the guests saw me walking up to the stage alone. Whispers broke out instantly.

I grabbed the microphone, my voice steady. "The engagement is officially off. The groom ran away. Please enjoy your dinner and head home."

For about thirty seconds, the massive hall was dead silent.

I dropped the microphone and walked out of the venue.

My heart felt like it was being ripped apart. Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

Everyone knew I was the one who chased Ethan.

I washed his clothes, cooked his meals, and even acted as a messenger between him and Chloe.

The night he got into a huge fight with Chloe, he got drunk and held me tightly in his arms.

"Do you really love me that much?"

I stroked his furrowed brows and gathered the courage to nod.

When Chloe and Ethan didn't work out, we became a couple.

Our families had been business partners for generations. Hearing we were dating, our parents rushed to arrange the engagement, terrified of missing the chance.

But Ethan still cared about Chloe. Even when she called him drunk in the middle of the night, he would throw on his clothes and rush to pick her up.

Ethan always left without a single explanation.

I thought that once we were engaged, things would change.

I was delusional.

He still chased Chloe across the world, without giving me a single thought.

Because I loved him, I used to pretend I didn’t care.

Until Chloe posted a selfie on Instagram, flaunting the ring on her finger.

It felt like a bucket of ice water poured over my head, making me shiver to my bones.

That was my engagement ring.

Ethan had told me to pick any ring I wanted.

I spent weeks choosing it, only for it to end up on Chloe's finger.

The anger built up inside me until my teeth clenched so hard they clicked.

Love isn't a necessity for marriage, but respect is.

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Ethan.

"Serena, what the hell is your problem? What do you mean 'the groom ran away'?"

"Call my dad right now and explain. Tell him I had an urgent business emergency and had to fly out of the country."

His panicked voice made me realize just how much face the Sinclair family had lost.

I let out a cold laugh. "That’s your family's problem, Ethan. It has nothing to do with me."

Shocked by my attitude, Ethan raised his voice, shouting, "Are you insane? I told you I’d be back in a few days! Stop being so stubborn!"

Before I could speak, a sweet, whiny female voice came through the receiver.

"He wore me out after just one day. If he stays any longer, I won't survive."

"Go back, Ethan, or your little wife is going to get mad."

Chloe really knew how to stir the pot.

Then, Ethan’s dismissive voice echoed in my ear:

"We're not even married. She’s not my wife."

His tone was so casual, so certain that I could never leave him. "I’ll have Chloe pick out a necklace for you tomorrow. She has great taste. Consider yourself lucky."