Chapter 1

In that instant, a wave of cheers broke out as people began moving around me, the noise gradually growing louder.

I snapped back to my senses after hearing their voices. As I looked around, I was stunned all over again.

I had actually returned to the exact day I proposed to Matilda Sutton ten years ago!

Matilda wasn't well-known at the time, being nothing more than an obscure singer. I had proposed to her at this event, which was just a small, private gig she invited only her close friends to.

I was caught off guard as I looked at her young and beautiful face on stage, unable to pull myself together for a moment.

It was then that a friend of mine, whose name I couldn't even remember, nudged me and shoved a huge bouquet into my hands. "What are you waiting for, Tyler? You're up next! Go on!"

In the meantime, the atmosphere around the stage had reached its peak, with fireworks erupting across the sky at just the right moment. In the middle of that picture-perfect scene, I walked over and dumped the bouquet into a nearby trash can.

"What are you doing, Tyler?"

My other friends were stunned.

I had asked all of them to come and help me with the proposal, and they knew how long I had spent planning it.

But I was fully aware that there was no reason to go through with the proposal in this life. It wasn't long before the fireworks ended, like the curtain coming down on a show, and I missed my chance.

Matilda and I were meant to end here anyway.

In my past life, I had spent years forcing a relationship that was never going to work, and in the end, I hadn't even gotten one sincere "I love you" from her.

I had accepted the bouquet from my friend back then and nervously walked up to propose to her. Matilda had just ended her performance, and the look of contempt she gave me was one that I would never forget.

"You think I'd marry you just because you bought all this, Tyler? You've got to be kidding me!

"You'd better not think you can insult me with your money just because you're a spoiled scion! Do you really think everyone just cares about your money, Tyler?"

I was so humiliated right then that I was completely at a loss, and all my excitement just died out. I later became the laughingstock across the entire social scene when someone uploaded the video of the incident online.

"Aren't you going to propose to Matilda, Tyler?"

I saw the confusion on my friends' faces and exclaimed, "I'm not proposing anymore! Come on, let's go grab some drinks! You guys have worked hard!"

I turned around and walked away with my friends, not even looking at Matilda on stage. I had barely taken a few steps when the crowd around us started to stir—Matilda had come down from the stage.

I scowled slightly, finding that things weren't playing out the way I remembered.

I didn't even have the time to react, as Matilda suddenly gathered her dress, walked toward me, and blocked my path. "Where are you off to, Tyler? D-Do you have nothing to say to me?"

I turned slightly to look at Matilda, whose youthful face was still flushed and pretty from all that running. I remained quiet as she stood there staring at me with intent, clearly waiting for something.

I instinctively backed up a little and kept my distance. "I have nothing to say to you. I have things to take care of, so I'll head off now."

I tried to walk around her and leave, but one of my friends grabbed me and shot me a look, as if telling me that I should propose to Matilda after making all those preparations. I still had the ring tucked in my pocket, after all.

I had truly decided not to propose to her anymore, so after a beat of pure silence, I made my move to go.

Matilda suddenly reached her hand out to me, biting her lip with a look of hesitation on her face. "Where is the thing, Tyler?"