Chapter 1

At the lavish proposal she had supposedly planned for me, my girlfriend suddenly announced that she was her past flame’s secret mistress.

She declared proudly: “So what if I’m his mistress? Simon and I were together for eight years. We gave our firsts to each other, and we are each other’s true love.”

Then, Simon appeared on cue. Right in front of my face, she got down on one knee, proposed to him, and kissed him passionately.

I turned around and proposed to her older sister instead.

On our wedding day, I looked right at my ex and said: “So what if I’m your ex-boyfriend? All you need to know is that I’m your brother-in-law now, and your sister is my true love.”

That day, she completely lost her mind.

1.

The engagement ring slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the cold floor. I stared at Alana in pure disbelief.

Her chin was held high, her face glowing with unearned pride.

“Besides, the person who isn’t loved is the real intruder,” she continued smoothly. “So technically, I’m not even a mistress.”

Gasps rippled through the entire banquet hall.

“Holy shit, Alana is insane! She really just admitted out loud to being a homewrecker!”

“Poor Declan. He came here with his heart full of hope, only to be humiliated like this.”

“So what?” Alana snapped, casting a cold, indifferent glare at the crowd.

“Life is short, and everyone deserves to be with the one they truly love. I have the guts to speak my truth, but do any of you?”

The room fell dead silent.

Suddenly, a woman in the back dabbed her tears. “Alana, I honestly admire how bold and fearless you are!”

“Right? At least she’s brave enough to follow her heart.”

“I heard she even lost a baby for Simon years ago. They really are soulmates.”

I stood frozen by the edge of the stage, my body stiff as stone.

I was her boyfriend of seven years, yet right now, I was nothing more than a pathetic punchline.

I knew she and Simon shared a long past.

But Simon was married now and had a toddler at home.

I truly thought Alana had moved on from him.

I never imagined she would willingly degrade herself into being his side piece.

Listening to the crowd’s twisted praise, Alana’s smirk widened.

She pulled two luxury velvet ring boxes from her purse, both bearing the emblem of an exclusive bespoke jeweler.

“Today, in front of everyone, I’m proposing to Simon,” she announced cheerfully.

Her tone was light and bubbling with genuine joy.

She sounded happier than I had ever heard her before.

A few days ago, I accidentally saw texts on her phone where she planned this grand surprise with her best friend.

She wrote: 【I’m going to buy the one-of-a-kind ring for him.】

【I want to give him the most unforgettable proposal in the world.】

【I love him with all my heart.】

Years ago, she had made a sweet promise to me, swearing that one day she would get down on one knee and buy me that exact ring.

I foolishly believed that the “him” in those texts was me.

That was why I rushed here early this morning, my heart racing with excitement.

I never imagined I would walk in on this nightmare.

She saw me standing in the crowd, yet she looked right past me as if I were a ghost.