Chapter 1

The day before my wedding, I was driving a friend to their hotel when I ran into my fiancée and her ex-boyfriend checking into a room together.

Just ten minutes earlier, she'd texted me: "Babe, can't wait for you to make me your wife tomorrow."

I swallowed my rage and recorded a video of them kissing.

The next day at the wedding, I played the video for everyone to see.

The moment the cheating video started playing, the venue exploded.

Michelle's brother Anthony reacted fastest, pointing at the staff and shouting.

"What the hell did you people do! Playing this kind of video at a wedding!"

"You dare humiliate the Thompson family—does your event planning company have a death wish!"

"Where's your manager! Get me..."

Anthony quickly fell silent, frozen like the other guests, staring at the screen.

I nodded with satisfaction.

"Everyone, today is Michelle's and my breakup party. From now on, we're done. Please, eat and drink your fill."

Michelle realized she was the star of the video and rushed over frantically, trying to grab me and explain.

But I'd already dropped the microphone and walked out.

The second I left the hotel, my dad called.

I let my AI assistant handle him.

When I'd first told him I was marrying Michelle, he'd been so thrilled he went on a three-day drinking binge.

He'd told everyone he met that I was marrying a rich man's daughter, bragging about how capable I was.

Now that this marriage was falling through, he'd be the first to object.

Back home, my dad kept calling non-stop.

The more I looked at it, the more irritated I got. I just yanked out the SIM card.

After tossing my wedding suit in the trash, I headed to a bar.

With a new phone, I couldn't see whatever chaos they were in.

The bar owner spotted me and came over with a teasing smile.

"Flying solo today? Where's your fiancée?"

I glanced behind me and smiled. "She'll be here soon."

The next second, a familiar figure appeared.

Michelle was frantically pushing through the crowd.

Eyes on her phone, she squeezed her way toward me.

A man who'd been watching me suddenly rushed toward her, but Michelle fought him off hard.

I couldn't hear what he said, but it made her face twist with resentment as she shoved him away ruthlessly and kept searching through the crowd.

The man watched Michelle from a distance, his expression desolate and pained.

In the flickering bar lights, I couldn't make out his face clearly, but he looked familiar somehow.

I assumed he was one of Michelle's friends who'd spotted me and tipped her off.

But thinking back, I couldn't place him at all.

Then the bar owner called out to me. "George, your fiancée's been calling my phone.

What, you two have a fight?"

I looked up. The bar owner thought I wanted to answer and just picked up. Very considerately put it on speaker too.

The moment he answered, Michelle's shouts came through.

"I know you're at the bar. Please tell me where. Just give me a chance to explain."

I hung up immediately. The owner looked stunned.

"Aren't you going to find your fiancée? Aren't you worried she might be in danger?"

I glanced at the man from before—he'd already disappeared into the crowd.

I muttered distractedly, "She's not my fiancée. She doesn't need me."