Chapter 1

I knelt on one knee for the ninety-ninth time, holding a diamond ring to propose to Susan Lane, my girlfriend of eight years.

Amid perfect music, roses and candlelight, her phone lit up with "Simon Shaw", the childhood crush she cherished for over a decade and the one who ruined all my hopes.

I grabbed her wrist and begged hoarsely not to leave me, but she pushed me down, saying Simon had a fever and I was being unreasonable.

Eight years of love and ninety-nine proposals were ruined by his trivial sickness and bad moods.

Watching her leave without a glance, my eight-year devotion turned to ashes.

*****

My name is Lucas Reed, and I've been with Susan Lane for eight whole years.

During those eight years, I've treated her like a princess, dealt with all her moods, skipped every pointless gathering just to spend time with her, memorized all her favorites, and even cut off contact with other girls, just for her.

I always thought that sincerity could be exchanged for sincerity. As long as I kept holding on, she'd eventually move on from that unreachable Simon Shaw.

To give her a sense of security, I began asking her to marry me.

Once, twice, three times... Before I realized it, I've already proposed ninety-nine times.

Every single one of my first ninety-eight proposals got wrecked by Simon, no exceptions.

On our first anniversary, I was just about to propose when Simon claimed he'd fallen off his bike and gotten hurt. Susan grabbed her bag and dashed straight to the hospital without a second thought.

The second time, at the very top of the Ferris wheel, I pulled out the ring to propose. He said he'd been scolded by his boss and wanted to kill himself. She burst into tears and begged to go down with him at once.

The third time, I lined the street outside her place with candles. He said his water got cut off, so she grabbed a case of bottled water and rushed over to his place in the middle of the night.

After that, the excuses just got crazier and crazier.

He lost a game, and she dropped my proposal to go help him boost his rank.

He craved some late-night barbecue, so she skipped my birthday party and drove miles across town just to deliver it to him.

He just casually mentioned he was feeling down, and she canceled the trip proposal I'd spent a whole month planning.

Every time I confronted her, she remained unapologetically justified.

"Lucas Reed, can't you act a little more mature? Simon's not strong, he can't live without me," she'd say.

"I'm already with you, so why are you so jealous all the time?" she'd snap.

"Once he's back on his feet, I'll settle down with you. Just hang in there a bit longer," she'd promise.

I waited for her for eight years.

For this ninety-ninth proposal, I went all out. I picked her favorite restaurant, got the diamond ring she'd been dreaming about for months, and booked her favorite band.

I just wanted to finally seal our eight years together with something meaningful, hoping for a love that would last.

Kneeling on one knee, I couldn't stop my voice from shaking. "Susan, it's been eight years... please, will you marry me?"

The other diners burst into applause and cheers, and for a moment, it felt like we were living in a perfect dream.

But just then, her phone started ringing.

The name "Simon Shaw" lit up the screen. It burned into my eyes like a brand.

The smile instantly vanished from Susan's face, replaced by sheer panic and urgency. She snatched up her bag and rushed out.

My head went blank. I reached out and grabbed her wrist tightly, my knuckles turning white. "Don't go, Susan, please. This is the ninety-ninth time... don't leave me for him again."

She ripped her arm away with a sudden force, and I stumbled, hitting the floor hard.

The ring box popped open, and the diamond rolled under the table, its crisp, heartless clink echoing in the silence.

"Lucas, seriously, can you stop being such a pain?" Susan glared down at me, her patience gone. "Simon's got a fever, and there's nobody with him. Who will be responsible if something happens to him?"

"Then what about me?" I was sprawled on the floor, looking up at her as tears finally broke free. "I'm here, asking you to marry me. Do I even matter to you?

"Is eight years of my company not worth as much as a cold of his?"

"Don't be so damn selfish," Susan shot back, frowning like I was nothing but dead weight. "He's always been weak, not like you. You're tough, you can take it.

Lucas, even if you get down on one knee a hundred times, I won't say yes. Simon will always be the one in my heart. If you can't handle that, then just break up already."

She said "break up" like it was nothing, but those words hit me right where it hurt most.

I froze on the spot, my whole body icy cold.

So eight years of deep devotion amounts to nothing compared to a slight fever of her childhood crush.

So ninety-nine acts of submission couldn't make her stay even for a moment.

She didn't even look back at me. She hurried out in her heels, and when the door slammed shut behind her, it slammed the door on every hope I ever had for us.

The restaurant went dead silent, and everyone's eyes were on me. Some looked pitying, some sneered, and the rest were just there for the show.

I slowly got to my feet, then dropped to my hands and knees to reach under the table for the diamond ring. The sharp edges bit into my palm, stinging painfully, just another reminder of how much it hurt.

Eight years, ninety-nine proposals... I really can't love her anymore.

It's not that I don't love her. It's just that my heart's dead inside.

I sent the roses flying with a kick, jammed the diamond ring into my pocket, and walked out of the restaurant, expressionless.

The evening breeze chilled my face, and only then did I realize my cheeks were streaked with tears.

This time, I won't wait, and I won't take her back.