Chapter 1
I'd been dating Michael Kingston, the golden boy of Kinbruge's elite, for two years.
On the day of our engagement, I accidentally overheard him talking with his friend.
"Michael, you're something else. Playing with Charlotte all these years, and you still aren't tired of her?" his friend grinned.
"She's easy-going and hassle-free. She knows to take her pills afterward. What? You thinking about sleeping with her, too?" Michael stared at him.
"Spare me, man. If I ever messed with your future wife, you'd go ballistic on me." His friend waved his hands.
Michael scoffed, "My future wife? Don't joke about that. Nothing's settled yet. I'm free tonight. If you're up for some fun, swing by."
That night, I didn't think twice before taking the glass of wine Michael handed me. But he was the one who ended up regretting it.
*****
On the day of our engagement, I slipped into a mermaid dress and put on my most flawless makeup.
But as I looked at myself in the mirror, my palms were slick with sweat.
Nervous, I called my best friend, Jessica Lane. Her familiar voice came through the line. "What's up?"
"Jessica, do you think this is too sudden? He's been busy with all those social events lately, and I really don't want to make things harder for him," I said.
"It's the day you two planned together, so be bold," Jessica replied. "Babe, you're definitely going to be the most gorgeous bride. Go for it. You'll be fine."
"Take a deep breath. We'll count to three, then walk in and blow him away," I said. "Three, two—"
But before I could finish counting, a puzzled voice from inside the private room spoke up first. "Michael, why didn't you bring Sophie with you today?"
"She's in a mood. Got mad because I didn't use a condom last night and finished inside her. She's been giving me the silent treatment." As he spoke, Michael tugged off his tie.
His neck and chest were covered all over with scratches and hickeys. It looked like things got pretty intense last night.
His friends joked and laughed with him, clinking glasses and drinking as usual. Soon enough, their conversation quickly turned to me.
The teasing kept escalating, one jab after another.
Jessica suddenly fell silent on the other end of the line.
After a while, she finally spoke again, her voice hesitant. "Babe, are you okay?"
I forced out a couple of dry laughs, then scraped the nail polish off my ring finger.
"Actually, something urgent came up. I'll call you back at eight tonight." I hurriedly hung up, composed myself, and walked straight into the hotel's private room.
When Michael saw me, he looked genuinely surprised. "Didn't expect you here."
Pretending I hadn't overheard anything, I clung to his arm, acting as if everything was perfectly normal.
"Weren't we supposed to talk about our engagement today? Michael, come help me pick out a ring." Even as I spoke, I shot a glance at his best friend, Ethan Pierce.
Ethan clearly hadn't expected me to show up. When our eyes met, he quickly turned away, took a sip of his drink, and his ears flushed red.
A minute ago, he'd been going on and on about how hassle-free I was.
He looked like a real gentleman, all dressed up and polished.
After Michael headed to the restroom, Ethan handed me a gold-embossed business card. "If you ever need anything, give me a call."
His friends instantly started teasing him for making a move on Michael's girl, calling him shameless and threatening to make him drink as punishment.
I raised an eyebrow at Ethan, and he seemed to realize how out of line he'd been.
He quickly added, "My personal designer can help you create the perfect wedding dress, Charlotte."