Chapter 3

I didn't know who recorded the wedding, but the clip of me looking cold and contemptuous toward Yasmin spread like wildfire. Within hours, it had been turned into countless memes. Overnight, I became the century's worst scumbag.

One comment read, "Who does he think he is, canceling a wedding over an old watch? Just another pampered heir throwing a tantrum."

Another said, "Yasmin is so pitiful. Ten years of her youth wasted, only to be humiliated publicly."

A third read, "I heard the watch belonged to a deceased friend of hers. Jayden is jealous of the dead? How narrow-minded. Is he even a man?"

The online community even dug up my company address and home. Every day, people threw eggs and paint at my door. Burke Corporation's stock lost billions in a single night.

Dad held a press conference to announce he had severed ties with me, making it clear that everything I did was personal and had nothing to do with the Burke family.

Relatives and friends who once clung to me for benefits were now blocking my number and cutting all ties, terrified of being associated with me. I had become a complete pariah.

Meanwhile, I was lounging in the penthouse suite of a hotel, watching Yasmin's interview on TV. She wore a simple white dress. Her face was pale and her eyes swollen red. She looked wronged yet unyielding—a woman full of tenderness and quiet suffering.

"Please, everyone, stop attacking Jayden," she said to the camera, her voice choking with emotion. "I believe he acted in the heat of the moment. Our ten years together were real. There must be a misunderstanding.

"He cares about me too much. That's why he reacted so strongly over the watch. I'll wait for him to calm down. We won't divorce. We'll be together forever."

Her performance was flawless. She came across as utterly selfless, forgiving and devoted, which only made my justified reaction look like childish, overblown pettiness.

The press cheered her generosity, and the public tributes flowed across social media.

I watched her flawless image on the screen and laughed out loud. I dialed her number, and the connection was immediate.

As the reporters realized who the caller was, they swung every microphone toward the speaker.

"Jayden?" Yasmin's voice overflowed with hope. "You finally called! Have you thought it through? I don't blame you for the wedding. Let's start over—"

"You're overthinking," I interrupted with a light chuckle. "Just a reminder, see you at the courthouse tomorrow at 9:00 am. Don't be late."

I ended the call, but her sharp gasp echoed clearly before the line went dead. The press conference instantly devolved into chaos. The cries of outrage were deafening.

"Scumbag! Beast! He's heartless after everything Ms. Walsh has been through!"

I could hear her crying over the phone, broken and desperate.

"Jayden… do we really have to go this far?"

I chuckled, ensuring my voice carried over the din. "Of course. We're not just divorcing. I will reclaim every property, stock, and fund I ever gave you. Not a single cent will remain. From now on, we will go our separate ways."

The next day, I arrived at the courthouse.

Reporters swarmed around me like sharks smelling blood, instantly closing the gap.

"Mr. Burke, are you really divorcing Ms. Walsh, the woman you've loved for ten years, over a single watch?"