Chapter 1

The day after my engagement, I suddenly received a wedding invitation from my high school deskmate.

Since the wedding date clashed with my business trip, I sent a polite refusal.

But he wouldn't let it go.

"Grant Zeller, weren't you always the big shot? Why are you too scared to show up to my wedding!"

"Oh, right. You chased Aria for three years and she never gave you the time of day. Now, she's about to become my wife!"

"Whether it was high school or now, you'll always be a loser compared to me!"

I frowned at the flurry of messages and clicked on the digital invitation.

The bride's face in the photos was an exact match for the woman currently set as my phone's wallpaper.

Looking at Aria Young's familiar, beaming smile in the wedding photos, my body went numb.

The woman who just got engaged to me yesterday was trying to marry another man behind my back?

No wonder she insisted on booking my flight for this trip.

She just wanted to make sure I would be out of town!

Before I could even process the shock, Xavier Rush sent another provocative text.

"Grant, you probably don't know this, but Aria bought me a mansion at Riverwood Estates just for our wedding!"

"Oh, I forgot. A country bumpkin like you probably hasn't even heard of Riverwood. It's the most expensive neighborhood in Chicago. Any house there is worth over a hundred million!"

"On top of that, she gives me two hundred thousand dollars a month for pocket money. I never realized Aria was such a rich heiress back in high school!"

"Grant, no matter how good your grades were or how much the teachers loved you, it was all for nothing. You're just a pathetic wage slave!"

I stared at the messages, completely stunned.

If I wasn't mistaken, that mansion at Riverwood was the wedding gift I had just given to Aria!

I never imagined she would turn around and use it to pamper Xavier.

And that monthly allowance? It was likely coming straight from the black card I gave her!

Thinking of this, I typed back a short reply:

"I'll be there on time."

I exited the chat immediately.

A second later, Aria called.

"Honey, you're leaving for your trip tomorrow, and you'll be gone for half a month. I decided to cook all your favorite dishes tonight!"

If I hadn't seen the invitation, I would have been touched by her words.

But now, my heart felt like lead, filled with the bitter sting of betrayal.

Seeing my silence, her voice turned curious.

"Honey? Hubby, are you there?"

I pressed my lips together, my voice cold.

"I've changed my mind. I'm not going on the trip."

There was a sudden silence on the other end. Then, Aria's voice spiked in pitch.

"What? Why not? Didn't you say this partnership was crucial for the company?"

"Honey, don't be impulsive. I know you work hard, but a man has to prioritize his career."

Her reaction shattered the last bit of hope I had left.

I clenched my fists, forcing my emotions down as I spoke without warmth.

"I was just joking."

"I have a lot of work to finish before tomorrow. I'll talk to you later."

I hung up before she could respond.

Aria and I were high school classmates; we had known each other for ten years.

Just as Xavier said, I really did love her back then.

But she always kept me at arm's length, playing hot and cold.

After we went to different colleges, we lost touch.

That was until last year, when she suddenly contacted me and confessed her feelings.

She claimed she had rejected me in high school because she didn't want to distract us from our studies.

She said she had spent a long time tracking down my new number.

After so many years, my feelings for her had faded, so I turned her down over the phone.

But she didn't give up. She pursued me relentlessly for six months.

One day, a motorcycle spiraled out of control and headed straight for me.

Aria appeared out of nowhere and pulled me out of the way just in time.

After that accident, I decided to give us a chance.

During our year together, she took perfect care of me.

I worked long hours and often forgot to eat, so she would bring me homemade meals every day, rain or shine.

When I was hospitalized once, she stayed by my side for a whole week without sleeping.

I saw her kindness and felt it in my heart.

I truly believed that marrying such a devoted woman would be the greatest blessing of my life.

So, I proposed to her. I gave her a mansion and a life of luxury.

But those wedding photos in the invitation made everything feel like a pathetic joke.

I even started to wonder what her real motive was for coming back into my life last year.

Whatever the truth was, I was going to that wedding.