Chapter 1

My CEO boyfriend of five years suspected my loyalty.

He demanded I collect 10,000 messages of goodwill from strangers before he'd even consider marrying me.

Yet, his ex, Seraphina—who had dumped him three times—just had to ask him during a game of truth or dare if he'd marry her, and he immediately plastered their official announcement all over the city's giant screens.

My mom, who had just arrived in the city to meet her future son-in-law, saw the announcement and was so enraged she suffered a heart attack and collapsed, ending up in the hospital.

I rushed to the public announcement site, fell to my knees, begging Julian to give me back my savings for her medical bills.

But he frowned, claiming that once my money was given to him, it was his.

He had no obligation to fund my family's problems and told me to figure it out myself.

Then, he turned around and used my savings to order a luxury car for Seraphina.

Because I couldn't pay the medical fees on time, Mom missed her crucial treatment window and tragically passed away in the hospital morgue.

With tears in my eyes, I arranged her simple burial, then accepted a job offer from a big overseas tech company and applied for my resignation.

Julian, though, just thought I was playing games.

He nonchalantly said:"At your age, where else would you go without me? Stop playing hard to get. Later, I'll take your mom out for a couple of days, just doing my duty as a son-in-law."

But then, when he saw me at the airport, why did his eyes turn red, begging me on his knees for forgiveness?