After the Auction, He Wants His Bride Back

"Miles, that Instagram story where you auctioned off your wife's first night must have racked up a few hundred likes by now."

My husband, Miles Kingston, tipped a smug smile and nodded. "Give or take."

"Aren't you worried Aria will find out and come after you?"

Miles snorted. "Please! I'll say I was joking. What's she going to do, throw a fit?"

His buddies clasped their hands in mock prayer and laid it on thick.

"Miles, you have real charm. Why else would Aria have pursued you? But what could she have done to make you so mad that you posted about selling off her first night?"

Miles raised an eyebrow, pleased with the flattery. "She was bragging to Chloe that we're getting married. Not marrying Chloe is the biggest regret of my life. If I don't put Aria in her place, she'll flaunt in front of Chloe forever."

He kept scrolling through his phone, then hooked a grin. "Found it!"

He held the screen up. "Pretty good, right? These are Aria's private shots. Look at those curves. Worth bidding on, don't you think?"

They whistled and hooted crudely.

I wanted to storm in and shut him up, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking. My throat felt blocked and raw, stinging with pain that wouldn't ease.

My engagement with Miles had been arranged when we were kids. Three years ago, when the Kingston family hit a cash crunch, Miles suddenly showed up in my life.

I fell for him at first sight and did everything I could to win him over until he finally agreed to be my boyfriend.

When I was with Miles, he would carefully pick out the fish bones for me, peel the shrimp, open the car door, and somehow always have my favorite dishes waiting before I even asked.

The attention to detail made everyone around us jealous.

Seeing how happy I was, my parents doubled down on their support for the Kingstons. They not only helped Kingston Group expand into the semiconductor market but also secured two major contracts for the company.

Before long, the wedding discussions shifted from casual talk to a set timeline.

But just a month before the wedding, a woman named Chloe Bennett showed up at my door, claiming to be Miles' one true love.

What had Miles done?

He crouched in front of me, his eyes full of panic and fragile innocence. "Aria, don't listen to Chloe. I only love you. Just don't let her know anything about us, okay? She'll make it a whole thing."

I believed him. I told myself Chloe loved Miles, but he never loved her.

But then, I posted our wedding photo on the social media and forgot to hide it from Chloe.

That night, Chloe posted a drunken, tear-streaked video, her eyes red and glassy, a single tear clinging to her nose. It was pitiful enough to evoke sympathy in anyone watching.

Around dawn, Miles' friends brought him back. He was so drunk that he could barely stand. I rushed over, asking what had happened.

One of them shot me a sideways glance and muttered, "He couldn't marry the woman he actually loves."