Chapter 1

I, Calvin Perry, have made quite the name for myself. Everyone knows I'm the biggest simp to ever exist.

For the last five years, despite being known as Suzanne Harper's fiance, I have never once pestered her to start planning our wedding. I don't insist that she marries me, and I don't restrict her from doing as she pleases either.

All I want is for Suzanne to donate her bone marrow to my mother.

When she cheats on me with an actor, I dispel the scandalous rumors for her. When she's photographed making out with a singer, I pay off the paparazzi to stop the photos from being released.

When she causes the fiancee of her latest fling—an online celebrity—to suffer a miscarriage, I even step in to clean up the mess for her.

All the gossipy ladies of elite society tease me with a mix of pity and contempt.

"Your life seems rather pathetic, Calvin."

Even then, I remain unfazed.

The same night Mom passes away, Harper Group faces a financial crisis. I sell off the only heirloom my father left to me to help Suzanne overcome the hurdle.

She finally decides to reward me with a legally binding relationship. Tossing the ring at my feet, she says, "Let's set a time to register our marriage. Consider it my way of thanking you."

I look at the ring, but instead of picking it up, I say, "That won't be necessary. I was just repaying a debt of gratitude. Let's end things between us, Suzanne."

Chapter 1

When Suzanne Harper heard what I said, she finally looked up from the document in front of her and met my gaze.

"I heard from the doctor that your mother's condition has finally improved. She'll be able to undergo a bone marrow transplant soon. If you're breaking up with me now, does that mean you don't care whether your mother dies anymore?"

I didn't answer. I simply tightened my grip on the document I was holding—my mother's death certificate.

"Are you the one who told Nathan Lloyd which ward in the hospital my mother was in?" I asked.

Suzanne snorted, a knowing smile appearing on her face. "So that's why you suddenly want to break up with me. I was wondering what had gotten into you. Yes, I did. He heard she was sick, so he wanted to visit her.

"Based on your reaction, I'm guessing he said some unpleasant things to her. Well, he can be a little childish at times. If it's such a big deal, I'll just talk to her myself in a few days and explain things to her. You—"

She didn't get to finish before I tossed a newspaper onto her desk. The headline read, "Harper Group CEO's New Beau Dumps Fiancee for Her; Suzanne Harper's Discarded Fiance Reduced to Housekeeper and Backup Lover."

The photo under the headline showed me helping Phoebe Quentin, Nathan Lloyd's ex-fiancee, out of the hospital. The tabloids didn't hold back with their words.

According to them, Phoebe had miscarried, and I—Suzanne's fiance in name—was so desperate for money that I willingly degraded myself, waiting on Phoebe like a dog so that Nathan and Suzanne could focus entirely on their whirlwind romance.

Nathan had shown this article to Mom. Having spent her entire life working as a teacher, she cared more about dignity than anything else—and my actions had shattered it.

She refused to accept further treatment. In fact, she even lost her will to live.

The doctors rushed her into the operating room for emergency treatment. The light stayed on all night. When they finally wheeled her out again, a white cloth had been pulled over her.

I held out Mom's death certificate and said, "You owe me an explanation, Suzanne."

However, Suzanne had lost her patience. She couldn't even be bothered to look at the death certificate. She simply frowned, as if irritated by my refusal to know my place.

"You're demanding an explanation from me? Calvin, have you forgotten your place? First of all, we're not married. And even if we were, you wouldn't have the right to dictate what I could and couldn't do. But since you did help me out, stop acting up and pick up the ring.

"Once things at the company settle down, I'll explain the situation to your mother.

"As for Nathan, I'll handle things with him. Anyway, I'm busy, so you can head back first."

She lowered her head and went back to her documents. Her indifference chilled me to the bone. My hand was still outstretched, with the death certificate hanging in the air.

With a bitter laugh, I recalled Mom's last words to me.

Outraged, she'd slapped me across the face. Tears spilled down her face as she shrieked, "I refuse to accept that I ever gave birth to a son as pathetic as you! I'd rather die than have you whore yourself out like some filthy gigolo!

"And what's worse, you even fell in love with your sugar mommy? Can you be any more shameless, Calvin?"

She was right. I had no shame at all.

I put the death certificate away, turned around, and walked toward the door.

"The ring," Suzanne reminded me without even looking up.

I turned back to look at her. Her head was bowed, her attention fixed intently on a document.

I remembered how, when we had first started dating, Suzanne had looked just as serious when she said to me, "Your mom is my mom, too. So what if her medical expenses cost millions every year? I can afford that.

"I'll donate my bone marrow to her. I'll donate whatever she needs to save her. I'm going to marry you someday, Calvin. We'll be together for the rest of our lives."

She made all the promises one could make, but after all these years, I came to the painful realization that promises meant nothing.

Withdrawing my gaze, I looked down at the ring box. It was open, and the diamond-studded wedding band shone so brightly it almost hurt my eyes.

With a swift kick from me, the box went flying. I didn't wait around to see where it landed.

Chapter 2

I booked a flight scheduled to take off three days from now, bound for the other side of the world.

After selling the watch my father left me, I had quite a bit of money left. It would be enough to buy Mom a decent plot at the cemetery and still leave me with enough to start a new life abroad.

Five years ago, I had to give up on my plan to study abroad. Now, I could finally dust off the folder filled with all the notes and information I'd gathered back then.

I found an old note from Mom wedged in the folder. After Dad passed away, she often consoled me by telling me that we had to keep moving forward in life.

Now that she was gone as well, I used her words to comfort myself once more.

I stayed up that night, too scared to fall asleep. I was afraid I'd dream of Mom—that I'd hear her chew me out again.

But I was also afraid that I wouldn't see her—that she'd be too angry to even appear in my dreams.

So I stayed awake all night, packing everything up.

Around 9:00 am, I heard a commotion downstairs, but I didn't bother to see what it was. After all, this villa belonged to Suzanne. I also had an appointment this morning to check out a cemetery plot for Mom.

I had packed most of my things and was just about to drag my suitcase downstairs when a male voice suddenly came from behind me.

"Calvin, you packed up so fast!"

I turned around. It was Nathan. He raised his left hand to show me the gleaming ring on his finger, his expression smug.

"Sorry about this. Suzy proposed to me last night. She said she wanted us to have the wedding as soon as possible, so I had to move in as quickly as I could.

"After all, a certain someone had been her fiance for five years and still couldn't get a ring on his finger. I've only known Suzy for a few months, and she's already willing to let me become a part of her family, so I had to show her just how much I cherish her love for me! Thanks for stepping aside for me."

I merely glanced at him, then withdrew my gaze without a word. Honestly, I despised Nathan, so I didn't even want to show him the most basic of courtesy. I simply headed downstairs with my suitcase.

Alas, young men were often hot-headed. My indifference had failed to satisfy his ego.

He stood in my path and asked, "Does the ring look good, Calvin? I heard it cost millions! Even when Suzy had that financial crisis at her company, she didn't even think about selling it off. I never realized just how much she loves me.

"You have to come to our wedding, Calvin. I'll save you a seat in the front row!"

I glanced at the ring on Nathan's finger. What a coincidence. It was the exact same one I'd kicked away yesterday.

Truth be told, I had half a mind to inform him that the only reason Suzanne didn't sell off the ring was that diamond rings had poor resale value. It had nothing to do with love or affection.

For someone like her, love was the last thing on her mind.

Suzanne told me she loved me, but all she gave me was the title of fiance. She said she needed novelty and excitement in her life, so she cheated on me with someone like Nathan, kissing him and taking him to bed with her right in front of me.

At the end of the day, the only person she had ever loved was herself.

"Sure. When the time comes, do remember to send me an invitation," I said.

My indifference made Nathan feel like a clown. He stamped his foot in anger before grabbing the handle of my suitcase.

"Hold it! You can't leave just yet. How do I know you haven't stolen all the valuables in the house? Now that I'm going to be the master of the house, I'm the one who stands to suffer a huge loss if you turn out to be a thief. Open up the suitcase! Let me see what's inside!"

I couldn't be bothered to entertain his hissy fit, so I brushed his hand away and tried to leave. He grabbed onto me, and we were mid-tussle when Suzanne abruptly came back.

I was a little taken aback. At this hour, she should have been at the company for her usual morning meeting. When she saw Nathan and me grabbing at each other, she instinctively shielded Nathan behind her and confronted me.

"Have you been picking on Nathan?"

The wary suspicion in her eyes filled me with nothing but weariness.

"He wants to search my suitcase," I replied.

Nathan explained, "Suzy, I just wanted to see whether Calvin secretly took the house key with him. After all, this is going to be our marital home. I wouldn't want any unwelcome guests dropping in on us to disturb us. Is that really too much for me to ask for?"

His voice was soft and aggrieved, tugging on Suzanne's heart, so she targeted me instead.

"Open up your suitcase, Calvin."

Frowning, I shook my head with a look of exasperation. "This villa uses a fingerprint lock, Suzanne. You've never even given me a key. I know you want to stick up for your beloved fiance, but you should at least be reasonable. At least let me keep the last of my dignity after our breakup."

I didn't know what part of those words had struck a raw nerve with Suzanne. Her expression suddenly darkened. She summoned her butler, Denise Graham, and the rest of the household staff.

In a warning, threatening tone, she demanded, "You'd better cooperate with me. I'm just doing what Nathan wants to keep him happy. Why should your dignity matter to me? Now open it up. Don't make me force you."

Chapter 3

I stared fixedly at Suzanne. Honestly, I just felt tired. Even anger felt unnecessary.

I crouched down and opened the suitcase. There wasn't much inside. After spending five whole years waiting for Suzanne, all I took with me when I left were a few changes of clothes.

Nathan was determined to humiliate me. He didn't even bother to bend down. Instead, he raised his foot and used his sneaker to kick through my clothes, pushing them around and stomping on everything until they were scattered all over the floor.

Only after he had thoroughly ruined them did he finally seem satisfied.

He put an arm around Suzanne, his expression scornful. "All done. Guess you didn't take anything after all. Now hurry up and leave. You're getting in our way. Suzy didn't sleep at all last night. She must be exhausted from worrying about the company. We need to get some rest."

I looked at the clothes scattered around me. Most of them were no longer wearable. Even the suitcase had been kicked around and stomped on. There was no point trying to pack everything up again.

Turning to Denise, I said, "I can't use any of this anymore. Could you please have someone clean it up?"

She gave me a sympathetic look and agreed.

Just as I was about to walk out the door, Suzanne suddenly called after me, "Calvin!"

I stopped, but didn't turn around.

"Apologize to me for kicking the ring, and I'll make Nathan move out. Otherwise, if you dare walk out that door today, I'll tell the hospital to stop your mother's treatments and medication. In fact, I won't even donate my bone marrow to her anymore!"

Mom's death certificate was still in my briefcase. To me, Suzanne's threats now sounded almost comical.

I turned around and met her eyes. She was leaning over the second-floor railing, her face flushed with anger.

Honestly, I didn't know what she was so angry about. She looked like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. She'd already gotten everything she wanted, yet she still insisted on tormenting me.

"You disgust me," I spat out before marching out the door with my back straight.

Suzanne's eyes widened, as if she couldn't believe what she just heard. She was even more shocked by the unmistakable flash of abhorrence she spotted in my eyes. Her heart began pounding, and panic slowly crept over her.

Standing beside her, Nathan tried to appease her by saying, "Calvin went too far! How could he say something like that to you? You look so pale. Did you not get enough rest? Let me help you back to the bedroom.

"Actually, I've always been meaning to tell you something. Phoebe was never my fiancee. All those things the paparazzi have been saying online are just rumors.

"When I was little, my family did jokingly suggest that Phoebe and I should get married, but no one ever took it seriously. That woman has always had plenty of men around her, and who knows who her child's father is? She just wanted to pin it on me. You believe me, right, Suzy? You're the one I love."

An indescribable frustration settled over Suzanne, and she had no way to vent it. Looking at Nathan's attractive face, she allowed him to lead her into the master bedroom.

But just before their lips met, she closed her eyes. What appeared before her was the sight of me walking out of the house without the slightest hesitation.

As well as the look of abhorrence in my eyes when I said she disgusted me.

Suzanne's eyes flew open, and she pushed Nathan's arm away. Her tone was dismissive as she said, "You can rest by yourself. I've got things to do."

She'd only taken a few steps before turning back toward Nathan, whose eyes were filled with anticipation.

"Move back out. You shouldn't be staying in this villa."

She hurried downstairs, ignoring the sounds of Nathan angrily smashing things inside the master bedroom upstairs.

After grabbing her keys, she headed straight for the garage. As she hurried past Denise, who was carrying my suitcase away to throw it out, she stopped and said, "Don't throw it out."

Denise nodded.

"This isn't the first time I've brought someone back to the house. Since he's always had a good temper, it's not a big deal this time either, right?" Suzanne asked.

When Denise's only response was a blank, clueless expression, Suzanne turned away and headed for her car.

As she drove off, she attempted to reassure herself by saying, "I'm just pissed that he tried to ask for a breakup. I know he loves me. His mother is still in the hospital, and that watch his father left him is still up for auction.

"Surely he wouldn't be able to just walk away from everything. I just need to appease him. Everything will be fine once I placate him…"

Chapter 4

It was difficult to get a cab from the fancy neighborhood the villa was in. I wasn't much of a speed walker, so the nearest bus stop was 30 minutes away. Luckily, the cemetery advisor swung by to pick me up for our appointment.

By the time Suzanne started driving around looking for me, I was already long gone.

At the cemetery, I flipped through the brochures detailing the options while the advisor showed me around. There were only a few good plots, so it didn't take long to decide.

Mom had been reluctant to part with Dad before, so she'd kept his urn at home. Now I could finally lay them to rest together.

I was afraid Mom was still angry with me. Dad had always been the gentle one in our family. No matter how badly I messed up, he always smiled and pleaded with Mom on my behalf. I pressed my cheek against the cold ceramic urn and tried to make a deal with Dad.

"You always loved me the most. Come visit me in my dreams. Help me convince Mom not to be angry with me anymore. It'd be even better if she agreed to visit me in my dreams, too, even just once. I miss her so much."

Before long, the grave held the two people who loved me more than anything in the world. In the past, they nagged me about everything, and I would just listen in silence. Now I was the one sitting at their grave, spilling my heart to them while they took it all in silence.

I poured a handful of soil over their urns myself. It wasn't until the grave was fully covered that the strength I had been forcibly holding myself together with finally ran out. All the anguish I'd kept at bay came pouring out.

Kneeling before the grave, I pressed my forehead against the ground. I would never feel the warmth of Mom's cheek again. All I could touch was the cold, hard dirt.

It was cold enough to make me tremble.

My tears burst out like water from a broken dam. My raw, broken sobs echoed through the cemetery.

The sun had set for hours before I finally stumbled out of the cemetery, but I didn't go home. I had no home to go to.

I'd booked an early flight, so I went straight to the airport.

…

Outside the old apartment building my family used to live in, Suzanne leaned against her car. The orange glow of the cigarette between her fingers kept flickering. She couldn't remember how many she'd smoked.

After leaving the villa, I'd vanished without a trace. Her calls and messages were met with radio silence.

She was belatedly hit with the realization that I didn't have any friends. The people who liked my social media posts and called me up occasionally were just staff from her PR department and the editors I got to know while dealing with her various scandals over the years.

Could anything be any more ironic than that?

Panic gnawed at her, and nicotine was the only thing she could use to dull the anxiety.

Suzanne vaguely began to realize that she might have made a mistake. She shouldn't have tacitly allowed Nathan to pick up the ring from the floor. She shouldn't have tossed the ring at my feet in the first place. That was not how a proposal should go.

There should have been flowers, fireworks, and a solemn promise to spend the rest of our lives together.

She knew how much I loved romantic gestures. I would've been moved beyond words. Once she put the ring on my finger, I would've closed my eyes and kissed her.

Just thinking about it now made Suzanne chuckle. A rush of anticipation rose in her heart.

Then she thought about Mom, who, as far as she knew, was still at the hospital. I might be a stubborn man, but she knew I cared a lot about Mom and would visit her often.

Besides, Mom's condition had improved enough to receive the bone marrow transplant. Surely that meant I would be spending even more time with Mom at the hospital.

Suzanne crushed her cigarette beneath her heel, opened the car door, and drove toward the hospital just as the sky began to brighten.

Meanwhile, an announcement played at the airport.

"Attention, passengers. Carodia Airlines flight CA886 to Longshire is now boarding. Please proceed to Gate 2 with your boarding pass."

The plane took off, soaring straight into the blue sky. I sat quietly in my seat and closed my eyes, awaiting the new life I was about to start the moment the plane landed.

…

Suzanne arrived at the hospital and rushed up to the ward. She opened the door, only for her smile to freeze.

The hospital room was empty. It didn't seem to be in use at all.

All at once, panic gripped her. She approached the bed. The sheets and bedding had all been freshly changed. The bathroom was empty, too. The glass vase was gone, along with the flowers I used to replace every day. Even the patient chart at the foot of the bed had disappeared.

A dizzying fear swept over Suzanne. She sprinted down the hallway, not caring how crazed she looked, and grabbed a passing nurse.

"Where's the patient in VIP Room 3? Was she transferred to another room or hospital? Where did they take her?"

The nurse eyed her strangely, looking rather confused. "Didn't Mr. Perry tell you about it, Ms. Harper? His mother passed away two days ago."