Chapter 1

After chasing Ethan Crawford for eight miserable years, I finally gave up and accepted Julian Montgomery, the man who had been pursuing me with relentless devotion.

When Julian proposed, he lit up the New York skyline with nine hundred and ninety-nine drones. It was a viral sensation.

But on the eve of our wedding, he vanished without a trace.

When I finally tracked him down, he was on a luxury yacht in Savannah, his arm wrapped tightly around his gorgeous, newly returned ex’s waist. He raised a glass to his friends, laughing coldly.

"I only pursued Chloe to get revenge for my Melody."

"I disappeared on purpose. Once my family seizes the Sterling family’s estate, I’ll call off the wedding publicly. I want to utterly humiliate her and her family."

"I’m going to make Chloe suffer. A cheap, illegitimate daughter like her doesn't deserve happiness."

So, I decided to grant his wish. I cut up my wedding dress and stood him up at the altar.

But later, the great Julian Montgomery went completely insane. He destroyed my family’s rivals and tore the city apart, desperately begging for the return of the bride he could no longer find.

Julian stood me up on the day we were supposed to try on our wedding outfits.

I searched every single corner of the city he might go to, but there was no sign of him.

On the sixth day of his disappearance, I received an anonymous text saying he had gone to Savannah.

I booked the earliest flight and traveled through the night. When I finally saw him, he was drinking on a luxury yacht.

Seeing him safe and sound, the knots in my chest finally loosened.

But just as I was about to call out his name, my feet froze.

Dazzling fireworks lit up the night sky.

In the middle of the crowd on deck, Julian dropped to one knee, looking up at the woman in front of him with pure devotion.

"Melody, will you marry me?"

The crowd erupted in cheers. The woman blushed, biting her lip shyly.

My eyes welled with tears instantly.

I watched as Julian pulled her by her slender waist, planting a soft, tender kiss on her cheek.

"You know my proposal to Chloe was just a trap," he murmured.

"From beginning to end, you’re the only one I’ve ever loved."

The woman in his arms tilted her face up.

Under the moonlight, I recognized her. It was Melody Sinclair, the girl who had gone to study in the UK five years ago.

His friend, Austin Crawford, teased him. "You already have your true love, yet you still chased Chloe for so long? Don't tell me you felt sorry for her after she failed to win my brother's heart for eight years?"

When I finally gave up on Ethan Crawford after eight painful years of unrequited love, Julian had been the one to save me from the dark.

He told me it was love at first sight. I didn't believe him at first, but his passionate devotion lasted for five long years.

Now, I wanted to ask him. If you didn't love me, Julian, why spend five years acting out such a perfect romance?

Was it just because you pitied me?

Hearing Austin's question, Julian scoffed with utter indifference.

"I did it to get revenge for Melody. Why would I actually fall for a hand-me-down that Ethan Crawford didn't even want?"

With Melody standing right there, Austin didn't ask further. He only asked how the marriage alliance between the Montgomerys and the Sterlings would end.

Julian lowered his gaze, his voice turning cold.

"I disappeared to make Chloe anxious. Once we secure the Sterling family assets, I will publicly tear up the wedding contract. I want to leave the Sterlings utterly ruined and humiliated."

Another friend raised his glass.

"But Julian, Chloe has been frantically searching all over New York for the past six days. She’s probably going out of her mind. Aren't you worried at all?"

Julian didn't answer. He just looked into Melody’s gentle, innocent eyes.

"Melody, just wait for me a little longer. It will be over soon."

A sudden chill flashed across his eyes.

"I will make Chloe fall from the height of her happiest moment straight into hell. I want her to suffer so much that she wishes she were dead. She needs to understand that a filthy, illegitimate child does not deserve happiness."

Looking at his face, I couldn't find a single shred of the love or tenderness he had shown me over the years.

There was only venom and deep-seated hatred.

It was as if he had endured years of torture just to witness this moment of triumph.

It felt like a dagger had pierced my heart. The pain was so intense I could barely breathe.

I once believed that meeting Julian when I was at my lowest was a gift from heaven.

From my initial skepticism to slowly letting my guard down, I truly believed that "forever" existed.

In the third year of his pursuit, I finally accepted his confession.

That day, he spun me around like a happy child, his eyes filled with nothing but my reflection.

In our second year together, his grand proposal went viral on TikTok.

He rented nine hundred and ninety-nine drones to perform a spectacular light show over New York. Every single display ended with a deeply romantic confession of love.

I thought that romance was his unique, exclusive love for me.

I never imagined it was just a cruel play staged for Melody's amusement.

Today, his five years of fake devotion and his financial support to my family were finally coming to an end.

He had fooled everyone who genuinely looked forward to our wedding, only to turn around and welcome his true love.