Chapter 1

On my birthday, my boyfriend publicly announced his engagement to someone else in front of the entire company.

I didn't cry or make a scene. I simply went to him, seeking an explanation.

But then, I overheard his conversation with a friend: "Aren't you afraid Celeste Miller will be mad if you do this?"

"I can't help it. If I don't marry Vanessa, her family will marry her off to some stranger. I can't just stand by and watch her suffer."

"Besides, Celeste has been with me for eight years. Everyone knows she's mine; she has no choice but to wait for me."

Later, my family arranged a more suitable strategic alliance for me.

To my surprise, my wedding day coincided with his.

As the groom, Jason was restless, plagued by a bad feeling. He told his groomsmen to keep a close eye on the ceremony and make sure I didn't show up to cause a scene.

At that moment, one of the groomsmen awkwardly said, "Didn't you know? Celeste Miller is getting married today too..."

"Mom, is Julian Reed's marriage proposal still on the table?"

At my words, my mother's hand, holding her teacup, trembled slightly. She looked at me, utterly shocked. "Celeste, why are you asking about that?"

Her eyes held undisguised worry.

Just moments ago, the video of Jason Hayes proposing to Vanessa Scott last night had gone viral online.

Everyone knew a wedding was just around the corner for the Hayes family, but the bride wasn't me, the woman he'd been dating for eight years.

Seeing my silence, my mother anxiously said, "Celeste, marriage is a big decision. Please don't act rashly."

I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and shook my head.

"Mom, I've just come to my senses. The fact that you didn't immediately reject the Reed family's offer of marriage means you believed he was more reliable than Jason, right? I trust your judgment."

At this, my mother sighed deeply. "Julian Reed, the youngest son of the Reed family, is indeed quite impressive. But perhaps you two should meet first, and then make a decision?"

"No, you can just arrange it. I'm fine with whatever."

After discussing this, I had dinner at home and then returned to my own small apartment.

What I didn't expect was for Jason Hayes to be there.

Hearing the door open, he slowly put down what he was doing and looked over. "Was work busy today? You're home quite late."

I changed my shoes and asked him, "Why are you here?"

"I happened to pass by on my way back from a business dinner, so I thought I'd drop in and see you." Jason approached as he always did, intending to hug me.

As he got closer, I caught a familiar scent of women's perfume.

It was the perfume Vanessa often wore.

A wave of resistance rose within me. I instinctively stepped back, avoiding his embrace. My nose unexpectedly stung with a sudden ache.

"You've seen me. You can go now."

Jason's outstretched hand froze in mid-air. Hearing my words, a faint smile appeared on his face. "Don't be silly, Celeste. Weren't you just asking me to spend more time with you a few days ago? I specifically cleared my schedule to be with you today."

Yesterday was my birthday. I waited from morning until night, but he didn't call.

It wasn't until evening, when I couldn't bear it anymore and decided to go look for him, that I received a video from an unknown number.

It was a video of Jason proposing to Vanessa in the company, in front of all the employees.

In the video, many people cheered happily.

I couldn't believe it. I rushed to his company, wanting to hear his explanation directly.

But instead, I accidentally overheard his conversation with his friend.

That's when I realized that in this game of love, I had become the ultimate fool.

Remembering the things he said last night, my heart felt like it had been brutally stabbed, aching to the point of suffocation.

I looked up at the man before me, his eyes gentle.

My eyes welled up, tears blurring my vision. I didn't know why, but I felt so awful, like I couldn't breathe.

Jason saw my tears falling and panicked. He awkwardly wiped the tears from my eyes. "Why are you crying? Who upset you? Tell me, I'll go take care of them!"