Chapter 1

Just as things between Evelyn and me reached their peak, a nickname slipped from her throat in a low moan. "Ry..."

That was when I knew she'd fallen for her youngest student.

So while she lay there afterward, still in a daze, I gave her one last chance.

"Let's go get our marriage license tomorrow."

She flatly refused. She said she was going abroad with Ryan Cole for a closed research program.

Calmly, I gave her two options.

Either she stayed here, or she broke off our engagement.

Evelyn was allergic to alcohol, but she drank all night. When she woke up, she gave in.

"I'm not going."

From that day on, she drank behind my back and ended up getting her stomach pumped more times than I could count.

Then came our wedding day. The officiant had just announced, "You may kiss the bride."

At that exact moment, several of Evelyn's students suddenly stood up to take Ryan's side.

"Professor Monroe, you broke Ryan's heart, and now he's getting married tomorrow!"

Evelyn went white. Like a madwoman, she threw down her wedding ring and ran off the stage.

I snatched the microphone from the emcee. "If you go after him, we're done!"

Her whole body jolted, but she still got in her car and sped away.

I laughed.

Evelyn, you can't have it both ways.

You chose love, so I'll take your career.

...

A minute after Evelyn left, the guests started pointing and whispering.

"Evelyn just ditched her own wedding to run off with the other man. That's a slap in the face to the whole Hayes family!"

"Who would've thought even Nathan, the Hayes heir, could get dumped like this?"

"Guess even someone as even-tempered as Evelyn couldn't put up with his rich-boy temper!"

The gossip drifted into my ears.

But Evelyn's parents looked even paler than I did.

"Nathan, what happened today is Evie's fault. Don't worry, we'll drag her back tonight, and the two of you will have your wedding night!"

"Richard, have you lost all sense of shame?" My mom scoffed and stepped in front of me. "What Evelyn did today wasn't just a slap in my son's face. She openly declared war on the entire Hayes family!"

My dad and my sister wore icy expressions. The pressure coming off them was suffocating.

Diane, pale-faced, pleaded with me. "Nathan, that boy seduced Evie! You know her. She's always been so principled. She never would've done something like this before!"

Before?

I let out a cold laugh and turned the word over in my mind.

Evelyn was a professor at a top university. She was quiet and awkward. She couldn't even be bothered to send me a sweet message on Valentine's Day, let alone remember any other holiday.

Every time I brought it up, she brushed me off, irritated. "Nathan, these holidays are a waste of time and energy. I'm not in the mood to waste either on them."

So, time after time, I made excuses for her in front of my parents and friends.

But when she forgot my birthday yet again, her clueless student, Ryan, posted on social media.

[Thanks to my amazing professor for gift number 99!]

The photo showed a bed covered in designer watches, luxury car keys, and key cards to a villa.

All together, it was worth millions.

That night, Evelyn made it up to me by pulling me into bed herself.

But what she didn't know was that the name she called out in the heat of the moment gave away who she really loved.

Afterward, she took the chance to bring up going abroad with Ryan to do research. For three years.

That day, I finally saw it clearly.

It wasn't that Evelyn didn't know how to love. She just didn't want to love me.

I shook off Diane's grip.

My voice was calm. "As of today, Evelyn and I are no longer engaged."

If she couldn't love me, then she didn't get to love anyone.

"Call off the engagement?!" Richard shouted. Then something occurred to him, and he forced a smile. "Nathan, what about your promise to help me with our cash-flow problem..."

Before I could say anything, my sister sneered. "Richard, you've got some nerve. The engagement's off. Of course everything else is off, too!"

Richard and Diane turned ashen.

Monroe Group was in the middle of a cash-flow crisis.

Only our two families knew. This marriage was less a match between two families and more Evelyn's plan to save her family's company.

Too bad she'd blown it.

I was about to leave when Richard, refusing to give up, rushed in front of me, his face twisted. "Nathan, don't worry. I'll give you an answer by tonight!"

I didn't think much of it. When I got home, I burned every gift Evelyn had ever given me, all of them academic papers.

Back then, I'd thought she just wasn't romantic. I'd even treasured the research papers she'd dashed off for me.

When I was done, a notification popped up on my phone.

Ryan had posted again, bragging.

[Finally got a taste of my crush!]

The photo showed a red bite mark on a woman's chest. It said everything.

I smiled and took a screenshot.

The next second, Evelyn called.

"Nathan, I was wrong to run out on the wedding today, but Ry is my student. I can't just ignore it when he does something stupid."

I laughed. "Something stupid? What does his wedding have to do with you, Evelyn? You humiliated me in public today. You should've thought about the consequences."

That shut her up.