Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of my life, my engagement party to Alex Turner at the grand St. Regis ballroom. He was handsome, the heir to a fortune, and I had loved him for three years. As he reached for the ring, a woman stumbled in, disheveled and crying. "Alex!" she wailed, claiming she' d been drugged. It was Chloe Hayes, his childhood friend, the one he always called "just like a sister." Without a moment' s hesitation, Alex abandoned me on stage, scooping Chloe into his arms and disappearing into a private lounge. The crowd' s whispers and snickers burned my ears. "Did you see that? He just left her." "On their engagement night, too. How humiliating." My joy curdled into a cold, hard knot. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. How could he do this to me, after everything? Why was I always the one left behind, the one humiliated? Just as shame threatened to consume me, another figure stepped into the spotlight. It was Daniel Sterling, Alex' s business rival. He picked up the abandoned engagement ring, ascended the stage, and knelt before me. "He can' t even be bothered to give you the ring himself," he said, his eyes surprisingly kind. Then, he held up the ring and asked, "Jane Lim, he doesn' t deserve you. Will you marry me?" My mind went blank. He then pulled out a stunning emerald bracelet. "This is a Sterling family heirloom," he declared. "It belongs to the matriarch of our family. I want you to have it." In that moment, I saw a lifeline, a chance to reclaim my dignity. Looking at Daniel, a man I barely knew, offering more respect than Alex ever had, I took a deep breath. "Yes," I said, my voice shaking but clear. "I will."
Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of my life, my engagement party to Alex Turner at the grand St. Regis ballroom.
He was handsome, the heir to a fortune, and I had loved him for three years.
As he reached for the ring, a woman stumbled in, disheveled and crying.
"Alex!" she wailed, claiming she' d been drugged.
It was Chloe Hayes, his childhood friend, the one he always called "just like a sister."
Without a moment' s hesitation, Alex abandoned me on stage, scooping Chloe into his arms and disappearing into a private lounge.
The crowd' s whispers and snickers burned my ears.
"Did you see that? He just left her."
"On their engagement night, too. How humiliating."
My joy curdled into a cold, hard knot.
I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.
How could he do this to me, after everything?
Why was I always the one left behind, the one humiliated?
Just as shame threatened to consume me, another figure stepped into the spotlight.
It was Daniel Sterling, Alex' s business rival.
He picked up the abandoned engagement ring, ascended the stage, and knelt before me.
"He can' t even be bothered to give you the ring himself," he said, his eyes surprisingly kind.
Then, he held up the ring and asked, "Jane Lim, he doesn' t deserve you. Will you marry me?"
My mind went blank.
He then pulled out a stunning emerald bracelet.
"This is a Sterling family heirloom," he declared. "It belongs to the matriarch of our family. I want you to have it."
In that moment, I saw a lifeline, a chance to reclaim my dignity.
Looking at Daniel, a man I barely knew, offering more respect than Alex ever had, I took a deep breath.
"Yes," I said, my voice shaking but clear. "I will."
Introduction
04/07/2025
Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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Chapter 4
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Chapter 5
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Chapter 6
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Chapter 7
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Chapter 8
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Chapter 9
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Chapter 10
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Chapter 11
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Chapter 12
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Chapter 13
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Chapter 14
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Chapter 15
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Chapter 16
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Chapter 17
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Chapter 18
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Chapter 19
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Chapter 20
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Chapter 21
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Chapter 22
04/07/2025
Chapter 23
04/07/2025
Chapter 24
04/07/2025
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