Chapter 1

At our engagement party, Adrian Reese stood there in his custom suit, carefully setting his hand on Isabelle's belly before leading her right up to me.

"Leah, Isabelle is carrying my heir. I have to take responsibility for her.

"Isabelle isn't like you. She's just the housekeeper's daughter. If she has a child out of wedlock, her future will be unbearably hard.

"I hope you can be kind enough to agree to break off the engagement. Otherwise, I'll immediately end the cooperation between our families, and your family can wait for bankruptcy."

The moment he finished speaking, the entire room erupted in shock.

"What's wrong with Adrian? He's abandoning the Madison heiress to marry a housekeeper's daughter?"

"How can he call off the engagement at the engagement party? This is humiliating—absolutely unforgivable!"

My father's face turned white with anger, his hand shaking violently around his wineglass.

"Adrian, you've gone too far! You proposed to her in a livestream watched by the whole internet—everyone knows Leah was supposed to be your bride.

"And now you're dumping her for another woman in front of everyone? You're making her a laughingstock in this entire city!

"This can't just be brushed aside. You owe Leah an explanation!"

Adrian looked at me—eyes slightly red—and a trace of guilt flickered across his face as he opened his mouth to speak.

But suddenly, Isabelle burst into loud, dramatic tears.

"Please don't fight Adrian because of me, Leah! It's all my fault. I shouldn't have gotten pregnant with Adrian's child!

"I—I'll hide somewhere tomorrow, far from anyone. I'll raise the baby alone, quietly. I won't ever stand in the way between you two.

"As long as you can stay together, I don't mind suffering a little."

She wiped her tears as she turned to Adrian.

"Adrian, I'm leaving. I just want you to be happy."

Her performance nearly made me laugh from sheer fury.

"Isabelle, my happiness doesn't stem from your blessing, so you can save it."

Isabelle's face went pale. She rubbed her fingers together awkwardly.

"I'm sorry, Leah, I spoke out of turn. I know I'm just a housekeeper's daughter, unworthy of being compared to you. But you didn't have to humiliate me like that. Does being poor mean I don't deserve dignity?"

Her voice was full of grievance, but her eyes glittered with triumph.

Seeing her like that, Adrian immediately pulled Isabelle behind him, shielding her. When he turned to me, the guilt in his eyes had completely vanished.

"Leah, that's enough! Just because you come from a good family doesn't mean you can talk down to people like this!

"Isabelle is gentle and kind. She's been trying so hard to suppress her feelings for me. If she hadn't shown up the night I was drugged, who knows what would've happened.

"You should be grateful she was there, but instead, you insult her. Why can't you learn to be as considerate as she is?"

My lips trembled with anger. After a long moment, I took off the crown on my head and tossed it to him.

"This is your family's heirloom. I'm returning it now. This engagement is void. From this moment on, we have nothing to do with each other."

Adrian froze, stunned by how easily I agreed. He stared at me again and again, disbelief flooding his eyes.

"Leah, you agreed so quickly—have you already fallen for another man?"

His chest rose and fell violently, anger tightening every word.

"No man will accept a woman who gets dumped in public! And you—sharp-tongued, narrow-minded—no one will ever tolerate you the way I did!"

I tightened my grip around the bouquet, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill.

"We have nothing to do with each other now. My life is none of your concern."

With the guests gasping around us, I walked toward Gordon Hunt, who was on the verge of bankruptcy.

"Gordon," I said, "would you still be willing to be my fiancé… and the main character of today's event?"