Chapter 2

“Do you think Hubert might still be alive?”

Ryan froze for half a second before quickly regaining his composure.

“H-how could that be? They already recovered his clothes and shoes from the river. You saw them yourself.”

A week ago, Hubert’s car had plunged into the river late at night.

The police concluded he’d been swept away by the current while trying to escape from the vehicle.

I’d stayed by the riverbank all night without closing my eyes.

The rescue team searched for days and only found his jacket and shoes. I’d been so devastated I nearly passed out.

Today was supposed to be our wedding day.

I held our photo and cried until my head throbbed.

And now, to learn all of it was staged by him…

My grief had been nothing but a cruel joke.

[The male lead really outdid himself this time. Cheating and playing the victim? That’s just pathetic.]

[Right? At first, I thought this story was going to be a sweet romance. Turns out it’s just heartbreak served cold.]

[The female lead’s such a stunning socialite from Ashford’s high society. If he doesn’t want her, I’ll take her any day.]

The nausea and ache in my chest eased a little, thanks to those comforting comments.

Ryan spoke again. “Rose, don’t let your thoughts run wild. If Hubert could see you right now, he’d be heartbroken.”

Heartbroken, huh…

What an ironic word.

I had even thanked him for helping me arrange Hubert’s funeral just this morning.

It turned out they were all just the same underneath.

Following the comments’ hints, I searched for the account of Hubert’s mistress on social media.

That was when I discovered she’d appeared right under my nose countless times.

She was a small influencer under Hubert’s media company, named Jenna Song.

Her account was called “ParkerAndJenna.”

The latest video showed a street in Westin, where two people held hands and embraced like they’d finally reached the end of a long journey.

And I could recognize that small mole on the man’s hand.

The caption read: “In the year of purest love, he left behind the fiancée his family had chosen for him and crossed more than ten thousand kilometers to find me, all the way from Ashford to Westin.”

The video went viral, and the comment section was filled with praise for their ‘beautiful love story.’

“It’s like a real-life forbidden romance! A billionaire chasing his lover across the world—so romantic!”

“This plot feels familiar. The ‘billionaire-chasing-his-runaway-lover’ story just came to life for real! Ahhh!”

“Rich men really are hopeless romantics. Where can I find a sugar daddy?”

Then the messages appeared again.

[Are these commenters even real? This isn’t romance, it’s an affair scandal.]

[Fiancée his family had chosen for him? Please. Stop glorifying the cheater. The fiancé the female lead’s family set her up with before was literally supposed to be the story’s main villain!]

Hubert and I weren’t in an arranged marriage.

We met back in high school.

By then, my parents had already chosen a match for me.

He was Liam Park, the heir to one of Ashford’s most powerful families.

But I didn’t want to marry him.

My parents’ marriage had been built on interests, not love.

Growing up, I watched them act affectionate in public, only to bring different lovers home in private.

The rare times they were together always ended in shouting and blame.

I was tired of that kind of hollow, broken relationship.

So, I rejected the idea of marrying for convenience.

During my second year of high school, Hubert was assigned the seat behind me.

When I was at my lowest, he came into my life like a ray of sunshine—warm, persistent, and impossible to ignore.

Saying yes to his confession felt completely natural.

We grew together from high school sweethearts to a couple planning our wedding.

Not long ago, we even returned to our old school to give a talk.

Everyone envied us as the perfect match.

People said our story was a school romance come to life, and I believed them.

I truly thought I’d found real love.