Chapter 1

I personally put my girlfriend into my cousin’s bed.

The moment the door closed,

I didn’t leave.

I sat at the far end of the hallway,

listening as the night fermented with ambiguous sounds,

counting down to the start of their judgment.

Tyler has been divorced for three years, yet he still receives a hefty monthly alimony from his ex-wife, living a life of luxury and indulgence.

One day he's dating a model, the next he's wooing a college girl. He's always busy with his conquests.

Recently, he set his sights on my girlfriend of six months, Skyler. I wasn't surprised that he discovered her so quickly. My mom had come to my rented apartment to pick up some things and happened to meet her.

My mom's biggest flaw in life is her constant need to compare herself to others, consumed by envy.

Tyler had married well, and even after the divorce, he still had an endless supply of alimony. Add to that my Aunt Lydia's relentless bragging in front of my mom.

It had become my mom's life mission for me to marry someone even better than Tyler's ex-wife. My lack of progress in this area had become her constant worry.

I met Skyler at a bar. I spotted her in the crowd and it took me over six months to finally win her over.

She was younger than Tyler's ex-wife, prettier, and even wealthier.

Wasn't this exactly what my mom wanted?

She immediately announced it in our family group text, even sending out a cash gift via Venmo to celebrate my impending marriage.

When I saw this, I could only respond with a waving hand emoji.

"It's not that serious, everyone. Don't make a big deal out of it."

My mom immediately fired back with a photo in the group text. "With looks like this and carrying a bag like that, you're not serious? Give me a break!"

Tyler chimed in: "Wow, where did our Ethan find such a gem? Do I need to check her out for you?"

I didn't respond, but I knew that whether I liked it or not, he would try anyway.

However, this time I was well prepared.