The night before my wedding, Asher’s first love was betrothed to Veridia City’s most notorious, ruthless heir. He felt so sorry for her, supposedly crying her eyes out every single day. So, he ditched me to save her. At the wedding venue, he and Ivy were locked in a passionate kiss, their embrace lingering in a hotel room throughout the night. I was about to become the laughingstock of the city’s elite. But then, unexpectedly, Adrian Vance suddenly appeared at the wedding the next day. He cornered me against a wall, gripping my chin as he asked, “Asher took my fiancée. What he owes me, shouldn’t it be you who repays my loss, Mrs. Vance?” “I agree.” My answer seemed to catch him off guard, given how unfair his proposition was to me. Adrian stared at me, stunned for a good while, before he finally spoke again. “Good. As expected of the eldest daughter of the Sullivan family.” “I’ll marry you in a week. Don’t you dare back out.” With that, he released me, turning to leave. Before he walked away, he slipped a business card into my hand. I stood there for a long time, unable to process what had just happened. This Adrian was very different from what I’d imagined. Rumors painted him as ugly and ill-tempered. Soon after Adrian left, Asher finally arrived. My face darkened, and I couldn’t even stand to look at him. “Mr. Thompson, what are you doing here? Fresh from a romantic night with your new wife, and now you’re here to gloat?” A flicker of guilt, quickly masked, crossed Asher’s eyes. He tried to take my hand. “Chloe, can’t you understand me?” “Ivy’s health has always been delicate. How could she marry that kind of playboy? Her whole life would be ruined!” So, to protect Ivy, he was willing to break off our engagement and let me become the joke of all Veridia City? The moment I found out he went to Ivy’s place the night before, I decided to sever all ties with him. “Mr. Thompson, please leave. The wedding is canceled. I’ll return all the wedding expenses.” Asher wouldn’t let go, stepping forward, trying to hug me. “Chloe, I was wrong. Even though I signed the marriage license with her, my heart still belongs only to you.” “Ivy even said she’d be okay with sharing me, with us living together as a… trio.” I almost doubted my own ears. What era was this? Asher was actually dreaming about some archaic, polyamorous fantasy. As the eldest daughter of the Sullivan family, what kind of men hadn’t I seen? This was a complete insult. I scoffed, pushing him away. “Asher, you’re delusional. Get help.” Seeing my hostile attitude, Asher got annoyed. “Why are you talking like that? You can’t seriously expect me to go divorce Ivy right now? Can’t you consider my feelings for once?” Consider his feelings? Who did he think he was? I’d been too lenient with him, letting him say such outrageous things. Who ran off to cheat the night before their wedding? I, Chloe Sullivan, a prominent heiress, was stood up at the altar and became the laughingstock of Veridia City. How dare he ask me to consider *his* feelings? I was utterly disillusioned with him. My gaze firm, I repeated, “Didn’t you understand me? If you’re sick, go get therapy.” Seeing I wasn’t giving him an easy out, Asher finally lost his temper. His face darkened, a dangerous warning in his eyes. “Chloe Sullivan, you’re truly disappointing! So what if you’re the Sullivan family’s eldest daughter? You’re just some used-up trash I’ve played with for years. Who else would ever want you besides me!” He scoffed, turning on his heel and walking away, as if he hadn’t just insulted me to my core. I stared at his retreating back, tears blurring my vision from anger. The man who, just this morning, held me and whispered words of love, spent the night entangled with another woman. Now, he was Ivy’s husband. I should have seen it coming. Whenever it came down to a choice between me and Ivy, he always, without hesitation, chose Ivy. Six years of shared moments couldn’t compare to his two-month-old ‘first love’ infatuation. I should have let go ages ago.
I thought Adrian was just joking. It wasn’t until I was woken up the next day by the procession of cars outside the villa that I realized he was serious. There were three entire cars packed with luxury goods alone. A man who introduced himself as Mr. Jenkins, Adrian’s butler, handed me a black card, saying it was a small token of Adrian’s appreciation. My parents, concerned by the bad rumors, were unsure about Adrian and urged me to reconsider. But I had lost love, so I was no longer indulging in fantasies. Even if Adrian was known for being a playboy, the Vance family’s standing in Veridia City’s business world was unparalleled. I decided to treat this as a strategic marriage for our family business. I would make sure to utterly crush Asher and Ivy. The Miller family’s business had only recently grown from a small, privately-owned business into a minor company. Marrying Ivy off to Adrian was mostly for money. I instructed the house staff to bring the luxury items into the villa, just as Asher and Ivy were about to leave. They both walked in, looking confused. Asher sneered, scanning the cars full of luxury items. Ivy’s face twisted with jealousy, her teeth practically grinding. “Chloe, what is all this?” Looking at Ivy’s hypocritical face, I nearly threw up right there. The daughter of a small, barely-registered business, didn’t she know her place? Even the wedding gifts Asher’s family gave her didn’t amount to ten thousand dollars. I casually glared at her. “Does it concern you?” Asher snorted, mocking me. “Chloe Sullivan, you move on fast! I just married Ivy, and you’re already running off to find some other man.” “Oh, come on, honey. We should be happy for Chloe.” “Honey, didn’t you get a gift for Chloe? Go on, give it to her.” Ivy poked Asher’s arm. Inadvertently, my gaze snagged on the pink diamond ring glinting on Ivy’s finger. I involuntarily gasped, my heart aching anew. I couldn’t mistake that pink diamond ring. Even if the Thompson family wasn’t top-tier, they still had a recognizable name in the city’s business elite. Asking Asher for a forty-five thousand dollar diamond ring wasn’t unreasonable. But he’d made every excuse, unwilling to buy it for me. Now, it was on Ivy’s hand. As if noticing my gaze, Ivy deliberately held her hand up in front of me. Asher scoffed, pulling a sealed bag from his pocket. Inside was a plain, thin band, which he casually tossed to me. “For you.” When I saw what it was, I almost burst out laughing from sheer exasperation. I picked it up and dangled it in front of Ivy. Then I tossed it back to her. “You actually dare to bring out this trash? Ivy, my dear, seems to love it so much, so I won’t spoil your fun.” Humiliated on the spot, Asher’s face darkened. He pulled Ivy behind him and shouted at me. “Don’t push your luck! If you don’t want it, just throw it away.” Ivy, ever the drama queen, chimed in again. “Chloe, my husband picked this out specially for you.” “I know you like my husband. I’m even willing to let you share him with me.” “Consider this my welcoming gift.” “Bringing out something so shameful? My pets’ leashes cost thousands of dollars each.” Was Asher even worth sharing? Disgusting. I looked Asher straight in the eye, mercilessly. “You two truly deserve each other. Both of you are insane!” “Get out of my house!” They still thought I was joking. Ivy, holding the ring, grabbed my hand and tried to slip it on. “Chloe, you’re just upset right now.” “See how perfect this ring looks on you.” My patience snapped. “Get away from me! You’re disgusting.” I didn’t even lay a hand on her, but Ivy dramatically collapsed to the floor right in front of everyone, letting out a little whimper before putting on a wounded expression. “Chloe, I know you hate me, but how could you hit me, sob sob…” Asher immediately flew into a rage. He couldn’t stand Ivy being upset. “Chloe Sullivan, if you don’t want it, then don’t take it. What was the meaning of laying hands on Ivy?” With that, he scooped Ivy into his arms and walked away. Ivy gave me a provocative look over Asher’s shoulder. That look… it was strangely familiar.
Back then, the Miller family’s company had just started, and Ivy had pulled every string to attend a single business gathering. At the party, among all the heiresses, Ivy seemed completely out of place. She was even being picked on by Tiffany Hayes, the eldest daughter of the Hayes family. If I hadn’t stepped in to help, she would have been kicked out of the party on the spot. Later, I found out she was Asher’s first love. Every time Ivy faced trouble, Asher would defend her without a second thought, even secretly sending her many things behind my back. We had countless arguments because of this. Asher kept brainwashing me: “Ivy and I are long over. I just feel sorry for her.” At first, I even wondered if I was being petty, unfairly accusing Asher of ill intentions. It wasn’t until the night before my wedding, when Ivy was betrothed to Adrian Vance – the same man Asher tried to save her from. Asher ran off to crash *her* wedding. He offered me no explanation, no remorse, and spent the entire night entwined with Ivy in a hotel. That’s when I finally realized how important Ivy was to him. I had silently condoned his ‘kindness,’ and he repaid me by cheating? Today was my birthday, usually one of the most important days of my year, but this year, I couldn’t muster any enthusiasm. Every previous birthday, Asher had spent with me. My parents had offered to throw a birthday party for me, but I flat-out refused. This year, I would celebrate my birthday alone. I drove aimlessly, and without realizing it, I arrived at my favorite restaurant. Oddly, there was no one inside. Then I noticed a stand placed next to the restaurant entrance. **[THIS ESTABLISHMENT HAS BEEN BOOKED TONIGHT BY MR. ASHER THOMPSON. CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. ASHER THOMPSON AND MISS IVY MILLER ON THEIR WEDDING!]** **[THIS ESTABLISHMENT WILL NOT ACCEPT OUTSIDE GUESTS AFTER 10 PM TONIGHT.]** Exaggerated wedding photos of Asher and Ivy were plastered all over it. No wonder the place was empty. Asher was behind this. I sneered, about to turn and leave, when I bumped right into Ivy and Asher, who had just stepped out of their car. “Chloe? What a coincidence.” I rolled my eyes at her. How were these two so persistently annoying? Asher, with his arm wrapped around Ivy’s waist, seemed to understand something when he saw me, lifting his head arrogantly. “Oh dear! I’m so sorry, Chloe. I completely forgot this was your favorite restaurant. Asher, darling, insisted our first post-wedding dinner should be special.” “Sorry, I don’t frequent establishments that cater to trash.” I shot back immediately. This fake b*tch, playing innocent. Asher’s expression was priceless. He glared at me and retaliated. “Looks like someone’s got sour grapes, Chloe Sullivan. No need to stoop to her level, right, honey? Are you hungry, Ivy?” With that, they grandly walked past me and entered the restaurant. As soon as they left, Adrian’s car pulled up. Mr. Jenkins, the butler, stepped out. “Miss Sullivan, happy birthday. This is a birthday gift from Adrian.”
I stared at the transfer contract in my hand, speechless. Because this contract was for the very restaurant behind me. The moment I signed it, I would be the new owner of this establishment. This was the most thoughtful birthday gift I had ever received. My wedding to Adrian was tomorrow. I immediately signed the document and put the contract away. I wouldn’t hesitate at a moment like this. I didn’t sleep a wink. The next day, the entire Sullivan mansion was filled with joyous anticipation. I put on my pristine white wedding gown. I stared at myself in the mirror, feeling as if nothing was real. I was getting married. My husband-to-be wasn’t Asher, my boyfriend of many years, but Adrian Vance, Veridia City’s notorious playboy. The complex emotions were hard to describe. I patted my chest. Well, here I was. No turning back now. Whatever the future held, I would accept it. This was my choice, after all. Several cars pulled up in front of the villa. And out of them stepped… Asher Thompson. They weren’t fancy cars at all. Then I noticed the scratches on the lead car, and everything clicked. Asher truly didn’t listen. Not a single word I said yesterday sank in. With the pathetic display his family put on, he thought he could marry me? In his wildest dreams. Before I could even speak, Asher, seeing me in my flowing wedding gown, holding my bouquet, sneered. “Chloe Sullivan, can’t keep up the act anymore, can you?” “Who was it that didn’t want to share me with Ivy before? Now you’re so eager to put on a wedding dress.” He leisurely scanned me from head to toe, a look of absolute certainty on his face. How could anyone be so arrogantly delusional? “Asher, you’re really trying to pat yourself on the back, aren’t you? Who said I was marrying you? The man I’m marrying is Adrian Vance.” “My husband will be here soon. Now move these pathetic cars out of the way!” Asher didn’t get angry; instead, he laughed. He pointed at me. “Still playing tough, huh? You’ll regret this!” “If Ivy hadn’t begged me to give you another chance, I wouldn’t even be here today! I advise you to be smart, or you’ll really miss your chance to share me with Ivy!” Asher genuinely thought he was some kind of treasure. He and Ivy were like a trash can and a trash bag – who would want them? Suddenly, a long procession of cars approached. Asher’s eyes lit up when he saw them. “Whose heiress is getting married today?” Just as he spoke, Adrian Vance, impeccably dressed in a suit, stepped out of the lead car. He walked straight to me and intimately wrapped his arm around my waist. Adrian looked at Asher provocatively, his tone light. “Well, well, Mr. Thompson.” “Trying to steal my wife again?” Asher didn’t react immediately. After a few seconds of confusion, he realized the implication.
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