Chapter 1

At 2:00 am, Zac Daniels held my hand in a luxury apartment unit that took up the entire floor and had the best view in Riverdale. He said sincerely, "Celia Gordon, marry me. Don't worry. I'll let you make one condition. I'll agree to it no matter what."

Looking at everything before me, I froze.

Zac's friends around us immediately started to cheer.

"Say yes! Say yes!"

"We all know what Celia wants."

"Exactly. A life-saving debt ought to be repaid with marriage. Zac is about to give himself away!"

Hearing the commotion around me, I finally snapped back to reality. I did not joyfully agree to his proposal as everyone expected. Instead, I withdrew my hand and looked at him calmly. "Zac, can I really ask for anything?"

Zac paused for a moment. Then, he glanced at the pale pink scrunchie around his wrist as if an idea had struck him.

Conflicting emotions flashed across his eyes as if he had made up his mind. He tore the scrunchie off his hand and threw it into the trash can. Then, he resignedly raised his head and answered, "Yes. As long as you ask for it and I can do it, I'll agree to it."

I was about to break up with Zac when a figure suddenly rushed out from beside me. "Oh no! Aurora is about to jump."

As soon as that person finished speaking, Zac bolted out like an arrow.

His friends and I stared at each other, watching the atmosphere grow increasingly awkward.

In the end, it was I who suggested we go to the rooftop together to check out what was going on. By the time we reached the rooftop, a crowd had already gathered there.

At the very edge, Aurora Morgan stood in the wind, looking frail and thin while dressed in a white dress. Her eyes were red, her face pale yet pitiful. The mole at the corner of her eye only accentuated her pitiful demeanor.

She looked aggrievedly at Zac. "Zac, I know I was wrong, but I was frightened at the time. I know I've wronged you, so I'll die now to make up for my mistake. I only ask that you forgive me."

Aurora started crying as soon as she finished, which broke Zac's heart. He could only say gently, "Aurora, can you please come down first? Come down, and we can talk it out, okay?"

He stood there, looking anxious. His deep voice dripped with heartache.

After all, Aurora was the apple of his eye, even though he was my boyfriend. He said they were childhood sweethearts, so he would unconditionally stand by her whenever we argued. He said she was afraid of the dark, so he would rush to Aurora's side without hesitation whenever she needed him. It had happened countless times.

Even when I was having my period or when I needed someone to accompany me after my appendectomy, he would still rush to Aurora's side without hesitation to accompany her and protect her.

When my parents passed away, he attended the funeral as my fiancé but soon flew back to be with Aurora after a call from her.

I suddenly recalled our first few years together. In those years without Aurora, he would always protect and love me. He would put me first in everything that he did—big or small. I was the most important in his eyes.

When Aurora returned from abroad, everything changed. I became insignificant.

In my previous life, I had bottled up years of grievances in my heart. I had not wanted our relationship to end just like that, which was how the tragedy unfolded.

In this life, I would grant the couple before me their wish.