On my birthday, my boyfriend publicly announced his engagement to someone else in front of the entire company. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I simply went to him, seeking an explanation. But then, I overheard his conversation with a friend: “Aren’t you afraid Celeste Miller will be mad if you do this?” “I can’t help it. If I don’t marry Vanessa, her family will marry her off to some stranger. I can’t just stand by and watch her suffer.” “Besides, Celeste has been with me for eight years. Everyone knows she’s mine; she has no choice but to wait for me.” Later, my family arranged a more suitable strategic alliance for me. To my surprise, my wedding day coincided with his. As the groom, Jason was restless, plagued by a bad feeling. He told his groomsmen to keep a close eye on the ceremony and make sure I didn’t show up to cause a scene. At that moment, one of the groomsmen awkwardly said, “Didn’t you know? Celeste Miller is getting married today too…” “Mom, is Julian Reed’s marriage proposal still on the table?” At my words, my mother’s hand, holding her teacup, trembled slightly. She looked at me, utterly shocked. “Celeste, why are you asking about that?” Her eyes held undisguised worry. Just moments ago, the video of Jason Hayes proposing to Vanessa Scott last night had gone viral online. Everyone knew a wedding was just around the corner for the Hayes family, but the bride wasn’t me, the woman he’d been dating for eight years. Seeing my silence, my mother anxiously said, “Celeste, marriage is a big decision. Please don’t act rashly.” I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and shook my head. “Mom, I’ve just come to my senses. The fact that you didn’t immediately reject the Reed family’s offer of marriage means you believed he was more reliable than Jason, right? I trust your judgment.” At this, my mother sighed deeply. “Julian Reed, the youngest son of the Reed family, is indeed quite impressive. But perhaps you two should meet first, and then make a decision?” “No, you can just arrange it. I’m fine with whatever.” After discussing this, I had dinner at home and then returned to my own small apartment. What I didn’t expect was for Jason Hayes to be there. Hearing the door open, he slowly put down what he was doing and looked over. “Was work busy today? You’re home quite late.” I changed my shoes and asked him, “Why are you here?” “I happened to pass by on my way back from a business dinner, so I thought I’d drop in and see you.” Jason approached as he always did, intending to hug me. As he got closer, I caught a familiar scent of women’s perfume. It was the perfume Vanessa often wore. A wave of resistance rose within me. I instinctively stepped back, avoiding his embrace. My nose unexpectedly stung with a sudden ache. “You’ve seen me. You can go now.” Jason’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air. Hearing my words, a faint smile appeared on his face. “Don’t be silly, Celeste. Weren’t you just asking me to spend more time with you a few days ago? I specifically cleared my schedule to be with you today.” Yesterday was my birthday. I waited from morning until night, but he didn’t call. It wasn’t until evening, when I couldn’t bear it anymore and decided to go look for him, that I received a video from an unknown number. It was a video of Jason proposing to Vanessa in the company, in front of all the employees. In the video, many people cheered happily. I couldn’t believe it. I rushed to his company, wanting to hear his explanation directly. But instead, I accidentally overheard his conversation with his friend. That’s when I realized that in this game of love, I had become the ultimate fool. Remembering the things he said last night, my heart felt like it had been brutally stabbed, aching to the point of suffocation. I looked up at the man before me, his eyes gentle. My eyes welled up, tears blurring my vision. I didn’t know why, but I felt so awful, like I couldn’t breathe. Jason saw my tears falling and panicked. He awkwardly wiped the tears from my eyes. “Why are you crying? Who upset you? Tell me, I’ll go take care of them!”
Growing up, Jason Hayes was the neighborhood troublemaker, unruly and incredibly mischievous, often getting chased by his mom with a broom. I, on the other hand, was a premature baby, and my health wasn’t great when I was little. My parents kept a very strict eye on me. They rarely let me go out and play with other kids, so I’d just sit by the window, enviously watching them run around freely outside. Whenever Jason saw me sitting by the window, lost in thought, he’d always sneak over to bring me little snacks, then pinch my chubby cheeks and whisper, “Little sis, when can you come out and play with me?” In junior high, my health gradually improved, and my parents finally felt comfortable letting me go out. Back then, he’d always carefully look after me, telling me, “Celeste, if anyone ever bullies you when you’re out, just tell them my name, and they won’t dare bother you.” From then on, I was never alone when I went out. He’d always accompany me wherever I wanted to go. If anyone bullied me, he’d be there in an instant, becoming my strong and powerful protector. When we got to college, we naturally fell into a relationship. He became even more gentle with me, showering me with all his special affection. It wasn’t until our junior year that Vanessa Scott’s appearance shattered all the beauty between us. She was smart, beautiful, efficient, and effortlessly graceful. She was also Jason’s classmate. They had a way of communicating that I couldn’t understand. At first, Jason would help translate for me. But later, he grew tired of it, saying, “You don’t understand what we’re talking about anyway, so why don’t you go do your own thing?” They talked about everything, from real life to online, from morning until night. Meanwhile, my conversations with Jason gradually dwindled to mere snippets. Friends warned me to pay more attention to their closeness. I brushed it off, because I believed that even couples deserved their privacy. I also trusted him; he wouldn’t fall for someone else. But reality hit me hard. That night, Jason didn’t leave. He said he was worried about me. I silently watched him for a long time. “Suit yourself.” Then, I went back to my room, locking the door just as he tried to follow. Jason stood outside the door, his eyes filled with a complicated mix of emotions. He paused, then said, “Celeste, I’ll be right outside. Come find me when you’ve calmed down, okay?” I ignored him, scalding tears falling onto my cold hand, spreading a burning sensation. Jason, I don’t want to love you anymore. I woke up the next morning, rubbing my throbbing temples, and stepped out of my room. I saw Jason frantically pulling on his jacket to leave. “Celeste, I have an urgent matter to deal with right now, so I’m heading out. I’ll pick you up tonight, and we can go out for dinner.” Without waiting for my response, he rushed out. He was so fast that before I could even react, he was gone. I pressed my lips together and looked at the sofa where he had slept, noticing that in his haste, he had left his phone. I walked over and picked it up. I was about to send it to him later. Just then, a message popped up. Jason hadn’t set a password, so any incoming message was visible. The message was from someone named “My Sweetie.” In the photo, Vanessa was sitting disheveled in the emergency room, smiling and flashing a peace sign at the camera. The message read: “Don’t rush on your way here, drive safely. I’ll wait for you here.”
At that moment, I finally understood why he had been in such a hurry to leave. I gave a bitter laugh, then called a local courier service to send his phone to his office. Afterward, I headed to work. I had joined my family’s company right after graduation. My father, wanting to train me, had me start as a junior staff member. By now, I had worked my way up to department manager through my own abilities. As soon as I arrived at the office, my assistant brought over a project proposal. “Ms. Miller, there’s a document here you need to handle. All the procedures are complete; it just needs your signature.” I took it and read it carefully. It was a project collaborating with the Hayes Group, but I had no recollection of this project whatsoever. “Did Mr. Miller approve this?” “No.” My assistant paused, then quickly replied, “Didn’t you say before that for any non-critical collaborations, the Hayes Group was always our first choice?” That’s when I remembered. I had indeed said something like that, thinking at the time that our two families would eventually become one, and it didn’t matter who earned more or less, so I hadn’t overly scrutinized the project’s profitability. “Let’s skip this one. Next time, for such matters, prioritize the best option. Company interests come first.” After working hard all day, I packed up my things after work, planning to check out a newly opened high-end restaurant. But when I arrived, I found the restaurant was already packed with customers. Just as I was about to leave, I heard a familiar voice. “Ms. Miller, are you having dinner here too?” I turned around to see Vanessa Scott and Jason Hayes sitting at a table, smiling sweetly. Jason saw me, his expression momentarily freezing, then he quickly said, “I was just about to call you to come have dinner. I can’t believe you’re already here! Come, join us for dinner.” He waved to a waiter and asked for an extra setting. I hadn’t eaten much for lunch, and by now I was starving. So, I decided to stay and sat down. “Ms. Miller, I remember you like spicy food. Should we order a few more dishes for you?” I glanced at the table; it was filled entirely with bland, mild dishes. Jason and I both couldn’t live without spicy food. He used to say that without chili, a dish was soulless; eating it felt like torture. Yet now, facing a table full of bland food, he showed no reaction. Jason gave Vanessa an annoyed look and playfully scolded, “I think *you’re* the one who wants spicy food. Don’t forget what the doctor told you today; you can only eat bland things right now.” Vanessa, scolded, let out a mischievous huff. “Alright, Bossy Pants, I’ll listen to you, okay?” Watching their interaction, my heart, which had been torn to shreds, felt strangely calm. He shook his head helplessly. “You two start eating. I’m going to make a call.” As Jason left, the smile on Vanessa’s face slowly faded, and she shot me a challenging glare. “Celeste Miller, you actually impress me. You know Jason proposed to me, yet you’re still chasing him? You’ve got some nerve.” Hearing the disdain in her voice, I looked up at her. “Is stealing someone’s boyfriend something to be proud of? Something worth flaunting in public?” “You…” Before she could finish, thick smoke suddenly billowed from the restaurant kitchen. Someone saw it first and screamed in terror, “Fire!” At those words, the bustling restaurant instantly descended into chaos, everyone scrambling in panic. I quickly reacted and stood up. Just as I was about to leave, a figure suddenly crashed into me. Before I could steady myself, I heard a familiar, anxious voice: “Vanessa, don’t be scared! I’ll get you out of here!” Jason didn’t stop, quickly pulling Vanessa out. His heart pounded with a sense of relief, a joyous feeling of having escaped disaster. He abruptly hugged her. “Thank goodness, thank goodness you’re okay…” As he said this, something suddenly occurred to him. He sharply turned around and saw me standing not far away, watching them with cold eyes. His voice caught in his throat, and he stammered, “Celeste, I… I was just so rushed, I didn’t mean to leave you…” “I know.” I interrupted him coldly. In that moment he embraced her and left, I clearly realized that the Jason Hayes who once promised to protect me for life had long since changed. Seeing that I wasn’t angry, he visibly relaxed and offered to drive me home. “No need. Ms. Scott seems quite shaken. You should take her home first.”
In the days that followed, I stopped contacting Jason. Instead, I focused on preparing for my wedding. At that time, I received a message from the designer, so I used my lunch break to pick up my custom-made wedding gown from the store. It was originally meant for *my* proposal to Jason, but I would never have that day. As luck would have it, just as I stepped into the store, Vanessa followed right in after me. She saw the gift box in my hands and looked at the designer arrogantly. “I want to try on that wedding dress.” “I’m sorry, ma’am, this is a custom order for Ms. Miller. Ownership belongs to Ms. Miller.” Vanessa scoffed disdainfully. “Oh, a custom wedding dress? Acting like you’re getting married soon…” As she said this, she seemed to realize something and suddenly bristled. “Are you planning to wear this wedding dress to ruin my wedding?!” Seeing her frantic demeanor, I couldn’t be bothered with her. “If you’re sick, go get treated. Don’t come here to make a scene.”
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