Chapter 1

Brian Shaw cheated.

Chloe Spencer stood outside the fitting room of a bridal boutique and watched her fiancé fool around with another woman.

“Brian,” the woman said with a teasing smile, “tell me, does this dress look better on me or on your fiancée?”

“Of course it’s you. I can’t get enough of you in bed. Doesn’t that prove how irresistible you are?”

She laughed softly, pleased with his answer.

“I want you to remember me forever. On your wedding day, on every anniversary, you’ll always think of this moment. You’ll think of me.”

Listening to their whispers, Chloe felt her whole body go cold.

She finally knew why he had been taking all those business trips lately. The man who’d always seemed so devoted to her had found someone else.

Her stomach turned. She forced herself to walk away, got into her car, and drove off.

They had been together for seven years. They built their company, ‘Vision Studio’, from scratch, side by side.

Her sister had warned her that Brian wasn’t a good man. Even now, a message from her flashed on the screen: ‘We, the Spencers, won’t be attending your wedding. You’re on your own.’

Chloe’s eyes burned as she typed back,

‘Then there won’t be a wedding.’

It took a while before her sister replied.

‘If you mean it, come home to Brookshire in a month. If not, don’t ever call me your sister again.’

Chloe sent a single word—‘okay’—and put her phone away.

She started the car and drove off.

Moments later, Brian stepped out of the boutique with his lover in his arms. When he spotted Chloe’s license plate disappearing down the street, his expression stiffened. He pushed the woman’s hand off his arm and straightened his clothes, instantly regaining his usual polished composure.

“I’ll have my assistant drive you home,” he said flatly.

“But you promised to go shopping with me,” she pouted.

Brian reached out and ruffled her hair, but his gaze cold and penetrating. “Be good.”

The warning in his tone made her back down immediately. She sulked but followed his assistant out.

Once she was gone, Brian looked at his reflection in the car window. There was no trace of guilt, no hint of the man who’d just betrayed his fiancée.

When he returned home, Chloe’s car was still in the garage. She was sitting in the driver’s seat, staring down at her phone.

“Just got back?” he asked, opening her door. He tossed his suit jacket onto the passenger seat and leaned in close.

His black shirt was half-unbuttoned, revealing the edge of his chest muscles, clean and unmarked.

No trace of another woman.

When she didn’t answer, he bent down as if to kiss her.

Chloe locked the screen and raised a hand to stop him. Her tone was sharp.

“Are you that scared I’ll go out?”

He paused. “Of course not. You can go anywhere you want. I just don’t want you to feel lonely when I’m away.”

He smiled, wrapped an arm around her waist, and spoke in that coaxing tone she used to melt for.

“Tell me, sweetheart, who made you so upset?”

Chloe just looked at him icily. His handsome face was as charming as ever, and his ability to read her moods had once felt like love. Now it felt like a performance.

She shook her head and turned away. Her voice was calm but distant.

“Brian, you’ve been busy lately. Maybe we should call off the wedding. I wouldn’t want you to spread yourself too thin.”

Brian’s face darkened. He thought she was being unreasonable. After all, he was someone important now.

“What did you just say?” His tone hardened.

Chloe met his eyes.

“I said our wedding isn’t necessary anymore. I don’t want to get married.”

When she tried to leave, he grabbed her arm, his anger rising fast.

“I’m working this hard for us… For our company, for our future! Do you want our child to start life at a disadvantage? I just got back from a business trip, and instead of welcoming me home, you throw a tantrum? When did you become like this?”

Chloe stared at him, listening to his self-righteous words, and almost laughed.

The man standing before her felt like a stranger. Every word out of his mouth was a lie, the kind most men tell because even when they cheat, somehow it’s always the woman’s fault.

As if his betrayal was something she’d forced him into.

The wedding was two months away. Her sister had given her one month to handle everything.

In one month, Chloe would make sure Brian Shaw disappeared from her life completely.

Chloe went straight upstairs, into her room, and then to the bathroom to wash up.

Brian followed her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and softening his tone.

“It’s all my fault, Chloe. I’ve been too busy lately and didn’t think about how you felt. I’ll cancel all my dinners for the next few days and come straight home after work, alright?”

Chloe looked up at the mirror. The reflection showed a man speaking gently, trying to please her, and her lips curved into a faint, mocking smile.

“What’s the point? I—”

Before she could finish, Brian’s phone started ringing. The ringtone was a sweet, romantic pop song that had recently gone viral.

He’d always used plain system tones before. Chloe remembered when they first started dating, back when their company was just getting off the ground. She’d once asked him to change his ringtone to a love duet so they could match. He had refused, saying it wouldn’t look professional when meeting clients.

So it wasn’t about professionalism—it was just that she wasn’t worth the change.

Brian glanced at his phone and quickly hung up. “Spam call,” he said casually.

Chloe’s lips pressed into a thin line. She had clearly seen the caller ID: My Candle.

She gave a quiet “oh” and said nothing.

The phone rang again. He declined. Then again. Finally, he turned his back to her and answered.

“There are a few big projects at work right now,” he said. “I’m really busy, so I need you to understand. I’ll be working late tonight, but I’ll take you to the bridal fitting tomorrow morning. Don’t wait up. Get some rest.”

Chloe didn’t respond. She just kept brushing her teeth, watching his reflection in the mirror as he left the bathroom.

Once he was gone, she picked up her phone and searched online for the song she’d just heard.

The first comment at the top read:

They say love burns fast, but the right person keeps the flame steady.

A dull ache spread through her chest.

Without hesitating, she opened a real estate app and listed their villa for sale.

In a month, she’d be leaving for Brookshire.

Everything here… this house, this city, and Brian Shaw meant nothing to her anymore.