Chapter 1

My wedding was just around the corner, yet my girlfriend insisted on a last-minute business trip.

When she returned, she frowned and hugged me, whispering, "How did you get so much taller?"

I looked at the faint red marks on her neck and stayed silent.

While she was showering, I caught a glimpse of her notifications. I couldn't help but check her chat with a stranger.

"I wish I could have spent more days inside you. Don't take any pills. If you get pregnant, we'll keep it."

"Don't let him touch you!"

"Even after the wedding, you belong to me, understood?"

My girlfriend replied with a thirsty emoji, "Yes, Master."

I never imagined my supposedly conservative girlfriend, who insisted on waiting until marriage, could be so wild behind my back.

Staring at those disgusting photos, I texted my mother.

"Mom, change my bride. I'll marry the older sister, Sia Vance, instead."

"As for Yara, she's too dirty for me."

1.

The door handle turned, making a slight click.

I calmly put my phone down and pretended to look out the window at the city skyline.

Yara walked in, towel-drying her hair. Her eyes darted between me and my phone.

She forced a playful smile. "Quinn, why are you standing there? You weren't checking my phone, were you?"

I turned around and met her gaze with a half-smile. "And what if I did?"

Her face froze instantly. I noticed her knuckles turning white as she gripped her phone.

I let out a soft chuckle. This tiny reaction didn't escape me.

She was so bad at hiding her emotions. Why hadn't I noticed that before?

Seeing me smile, she finally relaxed. She pouted her lips in a fake display of affection.

"Then go ahead and look. You're the man I love most, after all."

She wrapped her arms around my waist as usual, her soft body pressing against mine.

My mind was flooded with the graphic images I had just seen on her screen.

At this distance, I could clearly see the hickeys on her neck. My stomach turned.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

We both felt a surge of relief, as if we had been granted a temporary escape.

She stepped into the study to take the call. After a moment, I followed and leaned against the door.

"I know, Mom. I won't let Quinn find out," she said, her voice dropped to a whisper.

Maybe because she was busy with her hair, she had put the call on speaker.

Mrs. Vance's voice came through clearly. "If it wasn't to get the Sterling family's backing, I wouldn't want you marrying that loser Quinn!"

"I heard he's practically shooting blanks. Once you're married, just get pregnant by your guy on the side."

"That way, the Sterlings will give us everything we want..."

I stood there, feeling like I'd been hit by a sledgehammer.

Yara frowned, sounding a bit annoyed. "Enough, Mom. Don't keep calling him a loser. He treats me well."

"What good is that? A man who can't perform is just..."

Mrs. Vance's shrill voice continued, but I couldn't listen anymore. I retreated to the bedroom.

The woman who always called me a "good boy" to my face was this malicious behind my back.

She even wanted me to raise another man's child.

And Yara, the woman who swore she loved me, was going along with this insane plan!

My world felt like it was crumbling.

Anger, humiliation, and pure disgust swirled inside me.

A text from my mother popped up.

"Son, Sia agreed to the marriage, but she wants it soon. Is the engagement party the day after tomorrow okay?"

I stared at the screen for a second. Another message followed.

"What's wrong, honey? You're not still hung up on Yara, are you?"

I replied with a bitter smile. "No. Let's do it. The day after tomorrow."

It was time to cut the ties with this fake relationship.