Chapter 1

Every time I argued with my boyfriend, Ethan, he would call off our wedding.

We had been together for three years, and he had postponed our big day ninety-nine times.

On the hundredth time, during a severe storm, his ex-girlfriend’s power went out. He literally kicked me out of the car in the pouring rain just so he could rush over and spend the entire night with her.

When he came home the next morning, he handed me a box of cake. I didn’t take it.

He sighed, his voice laced with impatience.

"Stop acting crazy, Chloe. Nothing happened between us. I just stayed with her because she was scared."

"If you're going to make a scene over this, consider next month's wedding canceled again!"

Right then, his phone rang. He turned around to answer another call from his ex.

This time, I didn't chase after him to apologize. I just calmly called the venue and canceled the wedding myself.

Just like every other time, Ethan slammed the front door on his way out.

I knew he did it on purpose.

He was waiting for me to swallow my pride, run after him, and beg for his forgiveness.

But I just sat on the couch, not moving an inch.

There were no tears, no panic, and no desperate urge to fix things.

Suddenly, I was just incredibly exhausted.

I had done nothing wrong, yet I was always the one on my knees, begging for his love.

The AC was blasting, but the cake on the coffee table was already starting to melt.

Just like my relationship with Ethan.

No matter how hard I tried to patch things up, the cracks between us only grew wider.

I dipped my finger in the cream and tasted it.

It was sickeningly sweet, but it couldn't mask the bitterness in my heart.

Ethan and I had been dating for three years.

In our first year, on the night of our engagement party, he ran off to Hailey’s house to fix her fuses and didn't come back all night.

In our second year, when we were supposed to finalize the wedding date, he took Hailey on a road trip to a neighboring city because she "needed a friend."

And today, because of one phone call from her, he left me stranded in the middle of a storm.

As I sat there in a daze, the bedroom door suddenly opened.

My heart skipped a beat as Ethan walked toward me.

Seeing a bit of cream on the corner of my mouth, he let out a soft, helpless sigh. He pulled out a tissue and gently wiped it away.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. I lost my temper earlier."

"I know you don't like her. I'll try to avoid seeing Hailey in private from now on."

My defenses crumbled. Hearing those words, tears finally rushed to my eyes.

This was the first time in three years he had ever initiated an apology.

But before I could even speak, he continued:

"When I was at Hailey's last night, someone took a picture of us and posted it on Instagram. Now everyone is calling her a homewrecker."

"She lives alone, she was terrified of the blackout, and now she’s being dragged into our drama. I need you to post a statement on your Snapchat and Instagram to clear her name."

In an instant, all my warmth turned into a sick joke.

He had abandoned me time and time again for his ex.

And now, the only reason he was lowering himself to apologize to me was to protect that very same woman.

I looked at the face of the man I had loved for five long years, and a laugh escaped my lips.

Ethan took it as a yes.

"I knew you’d understand, Chloe."

"I'll send you the screenshots. Once you clear the air, maybe write a quick apology to Hailey so everyone can move on..."

Before he could finish, I cut him off.

"In your dreams."

Ethan froze.

The tenderness on his face vanished, replaced by instant irritation.

"Chloe, there is nothing going on between Hailey and me! Why do you have to be so malicious?"

"Do you know what these rumors are doing to her reputation? She was crying hysterically on the phone just now!"

I stood up from the couch, staring directly into his eyes.

"I don't care about her feelings, and I don't want to hear her name."

"You want me to defend her? Not a chance."

I clenched my fists, forcing my voice to remain steady.

Ethan let out a bitter laugh.

"Fine. Fine. Fine."

"If you're going to be like this, next month’s wedding is officially off."

"And Chloe, don't you dare come crawling back to me this time!"

***