Chapter 1

Chapter 1

At our seventh engagement party, Zackary Taylor was about to abandon me for his childhood sweetheart yet again.

We had been together for ten years. This was our seventh attempt at an engagement.

Every single time, something happened to his precious Cynthia Young.

This time, I couldn't help but try to stop him.

"We are seconds away from exchanging rings. It won't take long," I whispered.

"She only has a slight fever. Can't it wait an hour?"

Zackary's face instantly darkened with rage.

"Jane, stop being so damn dramatic! You know Cynthia has been physically fragile since she was a kid!"

"Besides, we've been together for ten years. Who cares about one stupid ceremony?"

He turned and walked out, leaving me standing there.

But this time, I was finally, truly done.

I stood in the center of the stage. Zackary didn't even look back.

It was always like this. He never cared about the judgment from our relatives or the whispers from the crowd.

I was turning thirty-five next year. This was our tenth year together.

Zackary and I were practically born into each other's lives. Our families had made a joke about us getting married before we even left the womb.

Nobody took it seriously except for me. I had loved him since I was a little girl and dreamed of that arrangement becoming real.

Years later, Zackary's father made some terrible business decisions. His company's stock tanked, and they were facing bankruptcy.

The Taylors suddenly brought up the old marriage pact. They wanted a merger to save their failing empire.

My parents, being veteran business moguls, saw right through them. They were ready to say no.

But I overheard the conversation and threw a tantrum. I insisted on being with Zackary.

My parents finally gave in, letting us start a trial relationship.

Everyone, including my parents, thought I was just going through a phase. With my looks and money, I could have had anyone.

Nobody expected it to last ten years.

This was our seventh party. There were far fewer guests now than the first or second time.

Even my parents hadn't shown up.

The only people left were those desperate to suck up to my family's business.

I decided to give myself one last chance to be a fool. I called him on speakerphone in front of everyone.

"Zack, stop this. Everyone is waiting for the engagement to start."

"This is the seventh time we've done this."

The host held the microphone to my phone. Zackary's voice boomed through the ballroom.

"Jane, how many times do I have to tell you? Cynthia has a fever. Is a life more important than some shallow ritual?"

"Don't you trust me after ten years?"

"Stop calling me. I'll make it up to you later."

Before I could say another word, he hung up. The crowd erupted into hushed giggles and sighs.

This wasn't the first time he had humiliated me in public. I should have been used to it.

Like the previous six times, I calmly arranged for drivers to take the guests home. I swallowed the insults and the pity.

My parents had practically disowned me over my obsession with him.

After the last guest left, I saw Cynthia's latest post on social media. It was a photo of two hands locked together.

"In a strange city, I'm so lucky to have him by my side," the caption read.

The man in the photo wore a coral bead bracelet. It was Zackary.

Cynthia had handmade that bracelet for his birthday years ago.

I remembered giving Zackary a diamond-encrusted watch once. He had sold it and given the cash to Cynthia for her expenses.

Yet, he never took that cheap coral bracelet off.

I had confronted him about it once. He just looked at me with pure annoyance.

"Once you give me a gift, it's mine to do what I want with," he had said.

"Cynthia is struggling in this city and her health is poor. As friends, why shouldn't we help her?"

"Besides, she made this with her own hands. It has heart. Unlike your expensive, soulless rocks."