Chapter 1

After seven years together, my boyfriend finally got down on one knee and proposed. On that romantic night, I gave myself to him without reservation.

When I woke up the next morning, the spot beside me was empty. The only thing left was a note on the nightstand. The note said: [Yesterday was April Fool's Day. I was messing with you. Don't take it seriously.]

Suddenly, I heard Ryan and his buddies laughing outside the door. "See? Told you all it only took a fake proposal to get her in bed," one of them jeered.

"Damn, Ryan, you're a legend. That limited-edition sports car is all yours," another chimed in.

My tears dried up in an instant. I sent him a text: [I've got an April Fool's gift for you too.]

Their laughter echoed in the hallway outside. "Ryan, come on, tell us, what's it like? Sleeping with the girl you've been with for seven years, is it just like using your left hand?" one of his buddies joked.

Ryan laughed, sounding cocky as hell. "No way, man. This was a win that scored me an Aston Martin!" he boasted.

Their laughter grew even louder. I slowly walked over to the door and placed my hand on the cold doorknob.

Seven years, from my first year of university to my third year working. The best years of my life, it turned out, were nothing more than a wager worth a sports car.

And I was the cheap stake in it all.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from Ryan.

[Sienna, you're awake? Don't make a fuss. My mother is coming over this afternoon. Get ready and make yourself look presentable.]

Ryan: [Did you hear me? Reply.]

How ridiculous. He actually thought I was throwing a little tantrum.

I typed slowly and hit send. [Alright.]

The laughter outside faded away. They were probably off to admire the Aston Martin Ryan just won.

With a blank expression, I took off his shirt and tossed it into the trash. Then I walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and let the water pour down over my head, hoping it could wash everything away.

I wanted to cry, but my eyes felt painfully dry, and no tears would come. I just scrubbed my body mechanically, over and over again, as if trying to wash everything away.

At two in the afternoon, I put on a polished, carefully done makeup look and changed into a modest, appropriate dress, then sat on the sofa in the living room.

The door opened. Ryan walked in with an elegant, dignified woman in his arms; his mother, Jolene.

Jolene's gaze lingered on my face, her brows knitting slightly. "You've lost so much weight you hardly look like yourself. Anyone would think the Sutton family has been mistreating you."

I tugged at the corners of my mouth in a faint, meaningless smile and said nothing.

Ryan walked over and sat down beside me as if it were the most natural thing in the world, slipping an arm around my shoulders. "Mom, you know how Sienna is; she just has that kind of body type. She never gains weight."

He leaned in close to my ear, speaking in a voice only the two of us could hear. "Smile. Don’t look like a dead person."

I swallowed the nausea rising in my throat and forced my lips into a slight curve. "Hello, Mrs. Sutton."

Jolene gave a cold snort, which passed for a response.

She casually tossed an Hermès bag onto the sofa opposite and fixed me with a scrutinizing look. "Sienna, I'm here today to talk about your marriage to Ryan."

My heart gave a sudden jolt. Marriage? After what I had endured this morning, a deception that felt like slow dismemberment, they still wanted to talk about marriage?

Ryan squeezed my shoulder, silently signaling me to pay attention and listen properly.

Jolene accepted the coffee from the servant and blew on it lightly. "You know what kind of family the Sutton family is. You've been with Ryan for seven years; we're not unreasonable people," she said.

"Let's put it this way. You can get married, but I have a few conditions." She set the coffee cup down and turned her gaze toward me.

"First, a prenuptial agreement. Everything belonging to the Sutton family will have nothing to do with you. Second, quit that so-called programmer job of yours. It's not appropriate for a woman to be out there working like that.

"From now on, you'll stay at home and take care of the family. And third, this is the most important one."

She paused, then enunciated each word clearly. "Sign an agreement. If you ever get divorced in the future, you leave with nothing, and you will never be entitled to any of the Sutton family's shares or assets."

I looked at Jolene's well-maintained face and suddenly felt an urge to laugh.

Just a few hours ago, Ryan had trampled on our seven years together over a bet. And now, she was sitting there, calmly and matter-of-factly laying out the terms of marriage to me.

Ryan seemed to sense the tension in the air and quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Mom, why are you bringing this up? Sienna and I have such a strong relationship; there's no way we'd ever get divorced."

He then turned to me, his tone soft and coaxing. "Sienna, my mom's only thinking of what's best for us. Just agree to it. We're never going to break up anyway."

Never break up? I looked into his affectionate, earnest eyes and only felt a wave of nausea rise in my throat.

Before I could respond, a bright, coquettish voice came from the doorway. "Mrs. Sutton, Ryan; did I arrive too late?"

A girl in a Chanel suit walked in, carrying several large gift boxes in her hands.

It was Mariyah, the heiress of the Vargas Group and also the daughter-in-law, whom Jolene had always considered the perfect match for Ryan.

She caught sight of me and feigned a perfectly measured look of surprise. "Oh, Sienna is here too?"

Jolene stood up warmly and took Mariyah's hand. "Mariyah, you're here. Come, sit down. You didn't have to bring all these gifts."

"Mrs. Sutton, these are supplements my father brought back from overseas. He specially asked me to bring it to you to help nourish your health."

Mariyah, looking perfectly well-behaved, handed over the gift box, then smoothly produced a small box from her purse.