Chapter 1

My gaze swept over the red marks on Monique Walton's neck, my heart feeling as though it was being repeatedly stabbed by a blunt knife.

We'd known each other for 25 years since we were kids, and I knew that I wanted to marry her from the moment I took my first steps.

I distanced myself from all other women just to make her feel more secure. She would also lean on my shoulder while discussing how many children we would have together and what our future home would look like.

However, things changed when Terry Caldwell appeared.

He managed to get into the prestigious high school through a special admissions program in which he'd scored the highest marks. He also wore a faded uniform to school, but there wasn't a single trace of pity or inferiority in his eyes. Rather, he carried himself with grace and dignity, and his back was always straight.

I noticed that Monique kept looking at him with curiosity and admiration.

Eventually, she also began financially supporting him, helping him pay off his family's debts, and even letting him move into her apartment off campus.

We'd fought and quarreled about this before. However, each time, she would look at me coldly while stating, "I never thought that you were such a cold and heartless person like this, Brayden Park. I'm only classmates with him. Stop thinking lewd things about us just because you have a perverted brain."

Ever since that argument, I would just watch quietly from the shadows as she got closer and closer to Terry.

However, after graduating from high school, World War Three broke out in the Walton household.

Monique insisted on following Terry to further her studies in Novaria up north, and her family did everything in their power to make her stay back.

When Terry left for Novaria on his own, she collapsed into a puddle of tears at the airport and nearly passed out. And for the next six months, she was nothing more than just a walking corpse.

I was the one who kept her company the entire time, talking to her, taking her out to dinners, and just keeping her company. I also stayed up the whole night outside her door when she was sick.

One rainy, stormy night, she suddenly hugged me tightly and said, "Let's date."

I was overjoyed.

However, I knew from the bitter smile on her lips that she still hadn't gotten over Terry completely.

I lied to myself, saying that time would eventually heal all wounds, and she would soon forget about him and see me for who I was.

Yet, I was wrong.

Terry returned home about half a year later, and she immediately hired him as her personal assistant.

When I went to the company to look for her, I realized that the door to her office was slightly ajar, and Terry had her bent over her desk as he rammed into her.

I froze at once and felt my blood run cold. I didn't even know how I managed to make it home by myself.

That night, Monique came home with an impatient look on her face.

"What the hell is the matter with you? What's with that long face all the time? Who do you think you're trying to garner pity from with that dark face of yours all the time?"

I stared at her.

"I heard that Terry's back."

She immediately responded like a cat that had just had its tail stepped on. Her voice was sharp and shrill as she screamed at me, "Can't you be more open-minded about things? He's a very talented worker. So what if I hired him?"

She then softened after that and said, "But don't worry. I'll still marry you."

At that moment, something snapped in me. That was the only thing that had been holding me together for years, and now, it was gone.

I stared at her again for a long time until she finally got uncomfortable and a hint of unease showed in her eyes.

I reached out, grabbing her by her wrist, and lowered my head, trying to kiss her. She immediately looked away, and my lips lightly brushed against the side of her cheek.

A split second later, a tight slap landed on my face.

She glared daggers at me, her chest heaving as her eyes quickly filled with tears and a hint of disgust.

"What the hell do you take me for? I already told you that I was saving my first time with you for our wedding night! What's the difference between you and those disgusting perverts out there now?"

Then, she slammed the door behind her as she stormed out.

I was dazed only for a moment before following her out.

She didn't go back to her home. Instead, she went to a hotel.

Half an hour later, Terry arrived there too. The moment she saw him, she fell into his arms, sobbing and choking.

"H-He wanted to touch me today… I feel so disgusted… I don't want anything, Terry. I only want you…"

Terry just let her hug him however she wanted, but his arms were hanging limply by his sides. He didn't hug her back.

"Monique, we're people from two completely different worlds. I think we should put a stop to this."

She anxiously exclaimed, "No! It's not like that. This afternoon, we even…"

Yet, Terry calmly replied, "I'm just here to tell you that whatever happened between us this afternoon was a mistake. We should only continue as colleagues—you the superior, and me the subordinate. I hope we can keep our distance."

Monique couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed him by his collar and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips. Her voice was shaky as she exclaimed, "No! Please, Terry, just for tonight. I need you."

"Fine, then only for tonight. After tonight, everything will go back to how it was."

Then, Terry picked her up in his arms, bridal style, and walked into the hotel.

I felt as though there was a massive hole in my heart. It hurt too much to even breathe at this point.