Good Riddance!

I stared at the screen in a daze, watching Joel Whitaker, all suited up. My coworker elbowed me and whispered excitedly, "Wow, this guy really went all out! Renting this screen for New Year’s Eve? The price for just half an hour is at least a hundred grand!"“I heard he reserved this spot with the marketing team a month ago. Talk about dedication!”However, I found it all hard to believe. He told me he was going out of town for a business trip tonight and wouldn’t be back until next month. Yet, here he was, standing in front of my family-funded scholarship student, Esther Jones, looking at her with the kind of affection you’d expect from a lovesick puppy.I’d told Joel before that I worked at a shopping mall, but the funny thing was, he never asked which one. I guess he just didn’t care enough to know.With just five minutes left before midnight, the countdown to the new year, Joel suddenly dropped to one knee on the big screen. He held out a massive diamond ring and shouted with

Esther, with tears streaming down her face, said in a trembling voice, "Shirley, I know you’re proud, and I get that everyone has their secrets, but… But wasn’t Joel your boyfriend? Why couldn’t you just tell him?"I let out a cold laugh, knowing that explaining anything to them would be a waste of time. "Esther, did your dad, who’s worked as our family’s butler for so many years, ever tell you one thing? My dad is the most doting father you’ll ever meet. If he finds out about this, what do you think would happen?"Esther’s face paled as she looked nervously at Joel. “It’s not like that, Joel! Shirley is probably just trying to find a way out…”Tears started rolling down her cheeks again. "It’s fine… If it makes her feel better, let her have it."Joel immediately wrapped her in his arms, protective as ever. "She’s always been this shallow. Just ignore her."I was too tired to deal with either of them, so I squatted down and started searching the grass for the ring. That ring was w

“Mr. Jones?" The executives froze, dropping the gift baskets they were holding. "But you’re supposed to be Mr. Jones!"I crossed my arms and smiled. "A51 is just one of the smallest, most unremarkable projects in my family’s portfolio. Every time my dad sends someone over to deliver documents or sign paperwork, it’s always the butler, Tim Jones."Feigning surprise, I added, "What? Don’t tell me you all thought he was the actual Mr. Jones?""Your dad?" Joel recoiled as if he’d been struck by lightning. He let go of Esther’s hand and hurried over to me. "Shirley… how can he be Mr. Jones? And how is your dad him?"I couldn’t help but laugh. "Joel, I told you before, I took my mom’s last name. I was actually planning to come clean after New Year’s and bring you home for the holidays. But… too bad, you missed your chance."Esther staggered, nearly falling off the bed as she whispered weakly, "Dad… how can this be happening?"At that moment, Tim roughly yanked her off the bed, barkin

A few days after the New Year’s Eve proposal at A51 Mall, the event went viral. Videos and pictures flooded every social media platform, and the comment sections exploded with excitement."Oh my!""A diamond as big as a bird’s egg, a hundred thousand dollar screen, and fireworks lighting up the sky? What kind of fairy tale romance is this? A51 Mall really knows how to do romance right!""Ladies, tag your man. He needs to take notes!"I chuckled bitterly as I scrolled through the comments. If only they knew that the stars of this “proposal of the century” were a cheating scumbag and a rich girl wannabe, I wonder what they’d think then.That said, the buzz definitely brought a ton of foot traffic to the mall. From that day onward, all the screens for proposal displays were fully booked.Watching the revenue soar, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. However, as people said, good things wouldn’t last.It wasn’t long before some sharp-eyed netizens noticed something was off."Wai