Chapter 1

I was scrolling through my phone when I came across a video of Phillip Riley proposing to Victoria White.

I was on a trip to Tabriat at the time.

In the video, Phillip looked at Victoria with so much love and said, "Let's get married on the fifteenth of next month."

The man who promised to marry me when I returned from my trip and the date I had picked with so much care belonged to someone else.

I picked up my phone and sent a message to the family group chat.

I typed: [I'm okay with the arranged marriage. Let's set the wedding for the fifteenth of next month.]

If Phillip wouldn't marry me, I'd marry someone else.

*****

The wind in Tabriat cut right through her skin.

Sylvie tightened her thick jacket around herself, but the chill still crept in through her collar and settled deep in her bones.

She stood on the endless snowy plain, gazing at the distant, rolling snow-capped mountains. The breath she exhaled was quickly swept away by the wind.

Her travel buddy, Mabel Murphy, was filming with her phone, excitedly shouting, "Oh my god, it's so beautiful."

Sylvie smiled, keeping quiet. She'd been planning this trip to Tabriat for ages.

She'd been with Phillip for five years, ever since he was that shy college guy who'd save her a seat in the library.

Now, he was a project director in a sharp suit, with his own office in a downtown high-rise.

She'd been there for every step of his journey.

Her friends always said she was blinded by love.

"Sylvie, are you out of your mind? You're the heiress of the Thornton family. Guys are lining up for a chance with you, and yet you insist on hanging yourself on Phillip's tree?"

"Sure, he's not a loser, but look at the way he treats you. You're always the one reaching out and giving in. What has he done for you?"

"A social climber is still a social climber. No matter how much you give, he'll never care about you."

Sylvie had been hearing all that talk for five years.

It wasn't that she didn't hear it. She just refused to believe it.

She always thought that if she poured her heart out, Phillip'd love her back.

She loved him with everything she had, saw him as her true love. There was no way he could stay indifferent.

But in the end, maybe she was kidding herself.

For once, Phillip was gentle before she left for the trip.

He wrapped her in his arms, his chin resting on her head, and said in a low, tender voice, "Sylvie, stay safe on your trip.

"I'll be here waiting for you to come back, and then we'll properly talk about our wedding."

That single promise lingered in Sylvie's mind throughout the entire flight.

She gazed at their photo on her phone, her fingers gently tracing his face on the screen, and her smile wouldn't fade, no matter how hard she tried.

He said they were getting married.

She'd been waiting for those words for so long.

"Sylvie, you have to see this," Mabel suddenly squealed, almost jabbing her phone at Sylvie's face.

Sylvie jumped, instinctively leaning back. "What's going on?"

Mabel said, "Someone's proposing at that famous square downtown. It's huge. Tons of people are crowding around to watch."

Mabel's eyes were sparkling, totally in gossip mode. "The guy's pretty handsome. Take a look."

Sylvie shook her head with a smile, not wanting to see, but Mabel had pushed the phone under her nose.

The video started playing.

The lights were dazzling, and the crowd was packed. A massive LED screen displayed "MARRY ME," and roses covered the ground. It was a truly extravagant scene.

The camera zoomed in, locking onto the man kneeling on one knee.

Sylvie's smile stiffened on her face.

It was Phillip.

He was wearing that deep blue suit she'd spent all afternoon helping him pick out, holding a massive bouquet of red roses.

He looked at the woman in front of him with gentle eyes, her makeup perfect, his voice overflowing with love and confidence.

Phillip said deeply, "Victoria, marry me. I'll treat you right for the rest of my life. Next month on the fifteenth, we'll get our marriage license.

"We'll throw the biggest wedding. I'll make you the happiest woman in the world."

Victoria nodded shyly and jumped into his arms. They hugged each other tight as the crowd burst into applause, confetti flying everywhere. The whole scene was so romantic.

The video kept playing on repeat.

The comments section was flooded with jealous reactions.

[That's the perfect boyfriend.]

[He's hot. She's stunning. Total couple goals.]

[The fifteenth of next month is a perfect date. Congrats and best wishes.]

Sylvie stood in the freezing wind, feeling like every drop of blood in her body had turned to ice.

She stared at the screen, fixated on that familiar face, the same man who'd held her several days ago, promising they'd talk about their wedding when she got back.

Now, he was holding another woman, pledging forever to her.

They set the wedding date on the fifteenth of next month.

How ironic it was.

That was the date Sylvie had casually told him was her favorite.

She remembered lounging on the couch, flipping through the calendar, grinning as she said, "Wouldn't it be romantic to get married on this day?"

He was busy on his phone, didn't even look up, and muttered a distracted "yeah."

She thought he'd remember.

He did remember, but he saved that day for another woman's wedding.

Five years of love and devotion had become the biggest joke.

It felt like an invisible hand was crushing her heart, the pain so intense that she could hardly catch her breath.

Sylvie's eyes stung and turned red in an instant, scalding tears bursting forth and hitting her cheeks, only for the icy wind to make them sting even more.

"Sylvie, isn't that your boyfriend?" Mabel asked softly, her voice trembling as she looked at her.

Sylvie didn't say anything.

She stood there, frozen, watching that video play over and over again.

She watched the man she'd loved for five years say all those words she'd always dreamed of hearing, only he was saying them to another woman.

And then, Sylvie smiled.

It was a soft, barely noticeable smile, carrying a kind of relief she hadn't even realized was there.

She didn't love him anymore.

Right there, in the freezing wind of Tabriat, Sylvie told herself that she had stopped loving Phillip.

Five years of love ended right here.

She let her gaze drift away and brushed the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Her movements were slow and gentle, as if she was erasing everything that had happened before.

She took out her phone, not to call Phillip, not to text him, or leave a comment under that video.

She opened up the family group chat.

A few days ago, Sylvie's mom had sent over Melvin Norton's profile, asking if she wanted to meet him.

At the time, Sylvie'd replied, "Mom, I have a boyfriend. You know that."

Now, she opened that message again, typed out a few words, and hit send.

Sylvie: [I agree to the arranged marriage. Let's set the wedding for the fifteenth of next month.]

The group chat instantly blew up.

The elders were excited, spamming the chat with voice messages. [Great.] [I'll get everything set up right away.], and [The Norton family will be thrilled.]

Sylvie stared at her phone screen, an icy smile tugging at her lips.

She made up her mind. If Phillip wouldn't marry her, she would marry someone else on that day.

From this moment on, they were finished. No more ties, no more drama. It was over for good.

Meanwhile, Phillip had Victoria in his arms, smitten and lost in bliss.

It never crossed his mind that Sylvie would have seen that video.

He'd told all his friends and family to keep Sylvie in the dark, planning to wait until everything with Victoria was sorted out before breaking the news to Sylvie.

In his mind, Sylvie was head over heels for him, so madly in love that she couldn't imagine life without him.

Even if she found out the truth, he figured she'd throw a fit and beg him not to leave, and he could easily brush her off with a few sweet words.

He believed Sylvie would never find anyone better than him, that she'd cling to him forever, like he was her only option in this life.

Arrogant and full of himself, Phillip had no idea what he was about to lose.