Chapter 2

When I turned eighteen, I had a heated argument with my father about my choice of college major. In a fit of rebellion, I ran away to a city I barely knew, without a dime to my name. That’s when I met Raya Rodriguez, who had dropped out of high school to earn a living. She seemed like a godsend, offering me leftovers from the café where she worked. With no place to stay at night, Raya made room next to her single bed for me. Despite her own struggles, this generous girl insisted I sleep on the bed while she took the floor, worried I might catch a cold. That's when I fell for her.

During my four years at university, Raya and I secretly maintained a long-distance relationship, and I visited her whenever I could. After graduation, I announced to my family that I wanted to marry Raya. My mother was so distressed she ended up in the hospital, and my father resorted to old-school methods of punishment. But I stood firm—I wanted no one but Raya in my life. My father cut off my allowance, leaving me to work alongside Raya.

When things reached a deadlock with my parents, Raya initiated a breakup. She said, "Maybe your parents are right. We're from different worlds, and marrying me would only hinder the promising future you're meant to have. Let's move forward—love that isn't blessed by family will never lead to happiness." After that, she vanished from my life. Enraged and heartbroken, I lashed out at my father: "You have no idea what an incredible girl you drove away! Your ignorance has ruined my life!"

My father’s face was contorted with anger: "I can tell what kind of person she is at a glance! As long as I'm alive, she won't be part of this family!" How absurd! All he cares about is status and wealth!

As time went by, my mother's health worsened, and she began pressuring me to get married. But how could I, when I hadn't even dated anyone else? Around this time, the Moore family showed interest in acquiring one of our properties, and my father set his sights on their younger daughter, Eleanora Moore. In our social circle, Eleanora wasn't particularly remarkable. While other heirs pulled out all the stops to stand out, she remained an outsider, lost in her books. Despite achieving top marks in the city, she chose to study philosophy, which became a running joke among the elites, who favored more aggressive fields like finance or management—useful for running companies and seizing family assets.

Yet, Eleanora persisted with philosophy through her bachelor's, master's, and doctorate. With two older brothers ahead of her, her choices signaled she was giving up her inheritance rights, content with whatever leftovers might come her way. Her father bartered a piece of land to my father in exchange for Eleanora becoming my wife. I wasn’t particularly thrilled about her. With her ever-present glasses, bare face, and nose constantly buried in a book, what man would be drawn to such a dull and stiff woman?

So, I set three conditions for our marriage: first, we’d have a prenuptial agreement; second, we wouldn’t meddle in each other's private lives; third, we’d keep our marriage a secret. If either of us found someone we liked, the marriage would automatically dissolve. Eleanora agreed without a hitch, pushing up her glasses and extending her hand to me: "Mr. Parker, I look forward to being under your guidance." I shot her a cold look, ignored the handshake, and walked away.

Eleanora wasn’t bothered; she moved into my house and sensibly chose the guest room for herself. A few days later, I noticed a ring on her finger. "What's that?" I hadn’t bought her one. She shyly covered the plain band with her right hand, her cheeks flushing: "My brother asked why I wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. I picked one up on my way home from work."

I sneered: "The Parker family isn't too poor to afford a decent diamond ring." That day, I instructed my secretary, Malaysia, to buy a pair of wedding rings—one for Eleanora and one for myself. I didn’t tell her, but my mother had also questioned why I wasn’t wearing a ring, insinuating infidelity. Well, let’s both wear them, if only to silence the gossip.