Chapter 1

Tags: Broken Engagement, Revenge & Face-Slap, Regretful Ex, Sweet Romance

The day after my family went bankrupt and my father jumped from the roof of our estate, my fiancé, Jason Harris, showed up at my front door with his lawyer to call off our wedding.

We hadn't even had time to set up the memorial service yet. The house was in absolute shambles. Distant relatives were weeping, and my mother was sobbing uncontrollably in the living room.

Jason stood in the doorway, dressed in an immaculate, tailor-made suit, completely untouched by the misery surrounding him.

"Elena, step outside," he said. His voice was as detached and cold as ever, utterly devoid of emotion.

He slid a check for twenty million dollars across the patio table toward me. "The Vance family's debt is a bottomless pit. The Harris Group cannot afford to get dragged down with you. My mother has already arranged a new marriage for me."

He paused, and a rare, subtle blush crept up to the tips of his ears.

"My new bride is Chloe Quinn."

The polite smile I had been forcing instantly shattered.

Chloe Quinn. The woman he had spent three whole years chasing in college—his untouchable, pure white moonlight.

After that, I handled my father's funeral entirely alone, liquidated every single asset I had, and dragged myself back out of hell.

We met again at his and Chloe’s engagement gala.

With bloodshot eyes, he begged for another chance, swearing that I was the only woman he had ever truly loved.

I pulled my hand from his grip with a faint smile, holding up the ultrasound report I had just picked up from the clinic that morning.

"Mr. Harris, I'm already married."

After laying my father to rest, I began selling off whatever was left of our family’s assets.

The mansion, the luxury cars, the fine art... everything that could be converted into quick cash was put up for sale.

Even with the twenty million Jason gave me, it was a drop in the ocean compared to the mountain of corporate debt my father had left behind.

Overnight, I went from a pampered, sought-after heiress to a ruined outcast buried under millions in liabilities.

The so-called "friends" who used to shower me with praise now avoided me like the plague.

My phone was completely dead, save for the relentless calls from debt collectors ringing right on schedule.

That afternoon, I packed a few limited-edition designer handbags into a tote and headed to the largest luxury consignment boutique in the city center.

The owner, Clara, had known my family for years, and I used to be one of her best VIP clients.

The moment I pushed the glass door open, I saw several familiar faces.

It was Jason’s childhood buddies, Kevin and Liam.

They were crowding around a slender, elegantly dressed woman who was trying on pieces from the newest high-jewelry collection.

I froze, my fingers going numb against the handles of my tote.

That woman was Chloe Quinn.

The second Kevin spotted me, a sneer twisted his lips. "Well, well. If it isn't the great Elena Vance! What's the matter? Fallen so low you're hawking your old bags?"

Liam chimed in with venomous sarcasm, "Hey, Kevin, don't be so harsh. She’s being totally independent now, so inspiring! Though I wonder if that twenty million Jason tossed her was even enough to keep the loan sharks away?"

I tightened my grip on the tote bag, digging my fingernails deep into my palms. My face stayed completely blank. Refusing to give them the satisfaction of a reaction, I walked straight past them to the counter and set the bags down in front of Clara.

Clara looked at me with open pity. She lowered her voice and said, "Elena, honey, you don't have to do this alone. If you need help, talk to me. Don't carry it all by yourself."

I shook my head, forcing a smile that felt weaker than tears. "I'm okay, Clara. Just please tell me how much I can get for these. I need the cash today."

Chloe overheard us.

Clicking across the marble floor in her designer stilettos, she glided over gracefully. Her eyes drifted over the bags on the counter with a delicate sweep, the corners of her mouth curling into a faint, knowing smirk.

"Elena, I really didn't expect to run into you in a place like this."

Her voice was soft and gentle, but her gaze was dripping with condescension. "These bags... weren't they birthday gifts Jason gave you over the years? Rushing to pawn them off already... you really must be desperate for cash."

Her words were like fine needles, stabbing straight into my chest.

Right then, the chime above the boutique door rang, and Jason walked in.

When his eyes landed on me, his face instantly darkened. His brow furrowed in undisguised irritation.

"Elena? What are you doing here?" he asked coldly. "Are you stalking me?"

I was so furious that the anger circled back into complete numbness. A chill swept through me. I lifted my chin and looked at him calmly. "I'm just here to sell some personal items, Jason."

My lack of emotion only seemed to agitate him more.

Chloe quickly stepped forward and linked her arm through his, speaking in a sweet, soothing tone, "Jason, please don't be mad. I'm sure Elena just happened to be passing by. Her situation is really difficult right now, we should be understanding."

Her picture-perfect display of grace and compassion made me look like nothing more than a pathetic, clingy ex.

Kevin immediately fueled the fire from the side. "Bro, she’s clearly still obsessed with you! She’s trying to claw her way back into your life. Women like her are toxic, you gotta keep your distance!"

Jason’s expression grew even more disgust-filled. Looking like he couldn't stand breathing the same air as me for another second, he pulled a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills from his wallet and slammed it down onto the glass counter with a heavy thud.

"I'm buying these bags," he said, staring at me with eyes as cold as ice. "Elena, I told you, we're completely done. Take the cash, and never show your face in front of me again."

That contemptuous tone, that arrogant act of charity, hit me harder than a physical slap across the face.

The thick stack of cash on the counter seemed to scream at me, mocking every shred of dignity I had left.

I stared at the money, then glanced at Chloe smiling softly beside him, and Kevin and Liam grinning with petty amusement. Suddenly, the whole scene felt utterly absurd.

My hands trembled slightly at my sides.

A few seconds later, I took a slow, deep breath, forced down the burning lump in my throat, and stepped forward.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, I reached out and picked up the stack of bills.

Then, right in front of them, I counted through the bills one by one, deliberate and steady.

Looking up, I flashed Jason a tight, rigid smile. "Exactly twenty thousand dollars. How generous of you, Mr. Harris. These bags cost a lot more when they were brand new, but since they're just second-hand junk now, I suppose this will do."

I stuffed the bills into my worn canvas tote. Turning to Clara, I spoke softly, "Clara, you can keep the bags here for him. Mr. Harris has already paid."

Jason clearly hadn't expected me to react like this. A flicker of shock flashed across his handsome face, quickly replaced by a deeper, darker scowl.

I didn't spare him another glance. I didn't look at anyone else, either. Keeping my spine ramrod straight, I turned and walked out of the store, one step at a time.

The moment I cleared the front doors and the cold afternoon wind hit my face, my tears finally broke free.

Clutching that worn canvas tote stuffed with twenty thousand dollars of pity money, I crouched on the busy street corner and sobbed like a lost child.

Turns out, when harsh reality crushes down on you, pride really can be ground into dust.