Chapter 1

I decided to call off this fake wedding.

"Lucas, I know you're about to get married, but this opportunity to further your studies is really rare. You need to decide whether to prioritize your future or your family..."

"I'm willing to take this opportunity," I decisively interrupted my advisor before he could finish. Clearly surprised by my quick decision, Joseph Franklin broke into a relieved smile.

"You're willing to go? That's amazing! I'm sure you'll do really well."

I swiftly scanned the flight details.

"Yes, I can complete the enrollment procedures by next week."

After hanging up, I booked the ticket immediately.

In exactly seven days, Sophia Bennett and I would have our wedding. Today, we were supposed to select our reception menu together. Sophia sent me a message saying she had to personally handle an important client.

"You can decide. I completely trust your judgment," she said.

It had been less than an hour since she left when the explosive news appeared on social media, making me marvel bitterly at the power of the internet. I pointed at the most expensive menu option and told the hotel manager, "We'll take this one."

Since Sophia insisted on paying initially, this would be my last gift to her. As I left, I glanced at the matching bracelet on my wrist. The irony struck me hard, and I tossed it into a nearby trash can.

I had believed I could handle this calmly and control my emotions. But when I saw Sophia with another man in the car I'd bought her, right there in the garage of our new home, I completely lost it.

I gripped my phone so tightly that it felt as if it would break, eyes bloodshot. Through the car window, I clearly saw them passionately tangled together on the custom leather seats I had specially ordered for her. Those seats had become their bed of betrayal.

The dull ache in my chest exploded into a thousand sharp blades, twisting inside me and nearly choking me with pain. Five years of genuine devotion, yet I still couldn't understand how Sophia could cruelly stomp on it like this.

I opened the dashcam app on my phone, and the video showed Sophia cuddled in the arms of that man, whispering, "I've been thinking about doing this with you in this car ever since he gave it to me."

The man chuckled softly, kissing her lips. "Then let me fulfill your wish today."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, playfully whispering, "You're so bad. This is the new car my fiance gave me."

The man's feigned hesitation only made her more eager.

Leaning close, she breathed seductively into his ear. "Don't worry. Lucas is boring and strict. He won't even touch the car until our wedding day."

The man smirked, his fingers tracing her lips. "Aren't you worried he'll find out and call off the wedding?"

"Relax. He can't live without me."

As soon as she said that, she seductively pressed herself against him.

Nauseated, I forced myself to watch their intimacy as a kind of punishment. Once they left, my fingers trembled as I pressed "save" on the video.