Chapter 1

The younger relatives were still asking my stepbrother, Daniel Reed, in the group chat for advice on how to win someone over.

He replied, "There were plenty of guys chasing her, but I wasn't one of them."

Then he added, "That's right, she was the one who pursued me, so I don't really have anything to offer on that front. Why don't you guys ask Nicholas?"

They spammed my name all over the group chat, but I ignored them and turned off my phone.

So, Josephine Carter had been so hard to pursue because she already liked someone else. It took me three years just to pry open a small crack in her heart, only for it to turn out to be nothing but a lie.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh and went back to my room to pack. As I reached for the large suitcase on top of the wardrobe, an old tablet slipped off and hit the floor with a thud.

The screen lit up. I instinctively entered Daniel's birthday as the password, and it unlocked.

A group chat popped up.

"Jo, you're not actually going to marry Nicholas, are you?"

"Exactly. Are you still going to break up with him or not? We're still waiting on you and Daniel to get married."

Josephine sent a voice message, her tone carrying a hint of indifference. "That's up to Daniel."

Right after, she sent another voice message, but it was Daniel's voice that came through. "Hmm… Let's make it this year!"

At the end of the recording, a hint of Daniel's smug laughter lingered.

My heart pounded. I clutched the tablet so tightly my knuckles went white.

I opened their private chat. It was almost entirely Daniel venting his hatred toward me, with Josephine comforting him.

"That old man stole my mom away when I was a kid, and now he wants to take her money too. I hate him so much!"

"Jo, don't actually fall for him, okay? You know my mom never showed me any love growing up. I only have you. You're the only one I can rely on."

"Sweetheart, think about it. He's five years older than us and doesn't have a romantic bone left in his body. How could he understand you better than I do? Stop overthinking things. You'll always be the only one for me."

I couldn't bring myself to read any further. A heavy weight pressed down on my chest. The room was warm enough, but a sharp chill cut through me, settling deep in my bones.

It turned out Josephine didn't just dislike me; she even found me boring and old. Every time she called me Nick with that warm, familiar tone, it was nothing more than a perfunctory effort disguised as affection.

Every time she bragged to others about having a mature and stable partner, contempt lay hidden in her eyes. She once swore that when she had money, I wouldn't have to work so hard. It turned out she was afraid I would compete with Daniel for the inheritance and wanted to wear down my ambition.

What a ridiculous five years it had been. I would be 30 years old next year. My youth had been wasted on lies and betrayal.

I got up, looked at myself in the mirror, and lit a cigarette. A hint of exhaustion seemed to show at the corners of my eyes.

Was I really getting old? I didn't know. What I did know was that time would never come back, and I couldn't afford to waste any more of it.

I stubbed out the cigarette and quickly changed my flight booking. Then I grabbed my suitcase and headed out briskly.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

Josephine's hair was messy from the wind, and the panic on her face looked genuine. "What happened? Why did you suddenly return the money to me? Are you upset because I'm not going home with you for Christmas?"

She tried to take my arm as she usually did, but I stepped aside to avoid her.

She paused for a moment, then put on a coquettish look. "Nick, are you really mad? I truly am swamped. You know my company has so much going on right now."

In the past, hearing her speak so softly, I would have thought she was yielding to me. Now I understood it was nothing but mockery.

I gave a cold laugh. "It's fine. It's my fault. I'm too old and not good enough for you."

Josephine's pupils contracted instantly, her voice filled with panic. "W-Why are you saying that all of a sudden? You know I prefer mature and dependable men!"

I sneered. Maybe what she said was true, but it definitely didn't include me, the so-called boring man who was five years older than her.

She kept up the charade, going on about how much she loved me. She was already planning to go home with Daniel to meet his parents, yet she still wouldn't stop lying to me.

I kept my gaze locked on her eyes. "Josephine, do you actually want to marry me? Did you ever… truly love me?"

Her expression froze for a moment. Just as she opened her mouth to answer, I interrupted her. "I don't love you anymore."

I didn't look at her reaction and dragged my suitcase toward the door. I was done playing along with this pathetic performance.