Chapter 1

On our anniversary, my girlfriend announced her engagement to another man in front of the entire company.

I went looking for an explanation, only to overhear her talking to her best friend:

“Parker’s mother is dying, so I’m just giving him a ceremonial wedding.”

“Besides, Sawyer has been with me for eight years. He cut ties with his wealthy family just to be with me.”

“He has nowhere else to go. He has no choice but to stay with me.”

For the first time, I felt completely drained by this love.

Without hesitation, I accepted the arranged blind date my family had set up for me.

On the day of her wedding, she anxiously told her friend to intercept me, terrified I would cause a scene.

Her friend looked at her in utter confusion.

“What are you talking about? He’s getting married today, too!”

Indeed. She took her vows, and I took mine.

From that day forward, we were strangers.

1.

I dialed the wedding planning agency. “I want to cancel the wedding.”

“Sir, may I have your booking reference number?”

I gave her the number. The line fell silent for a few moments as she checked the system.

When she spoke again, her tone was filled with awkward apology.

“Sir, I’m terribly sorry, but... your wedding can’t be canceled.”

I frowned. “Why not?”

“Because... the groom’s name has been changed.”

Her voice grew smaller and smaller. “Technically, it’s not your wedding anymore.”

A bitter laugh escaped my throat as an overwhelming sense of absurdity washed over me.

Using my money to pay for their wedding.

Sadie, you really know how to squeeze every last drop out of me, don’t you?

My voice turned icy. “Send the entire bill to Sadie. Let her and Parker settle the tab, and refund my money immediately.”

The planner had clearly never encountered such a mess before. She stammered for a moment before weakly agreeing.

After hanging up, I called my mother.

“Mom, is that blind date with the Montgomery family still on the table?”

There was a pause on the other end, followed by my mother’s cautious voice.

“Sawyer, what about your wedding...?”

I forced a dry smile, though my voice sounded remarkably calm.

“Mom, you were right. We’re not from the same world, and forcing it will never work.”

My mother breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “It’s still on. Come back to New York as soon as possible, and we’ll arrange the ceremony.”

“Thank goodness it’s not too late. I knew from the start she wasn’t the one for you.”

In the past, I would have argued fiercely, defending how deep my love with Sadie was.

Now, I only felt a hollow irony, completely speechless.