Chapter 1 · Why I Walked Away

I broke up with my rich boyfriend, Benjamin Wilson.

On the phone, Benjamin went quiet for about ten seconds before saying, "I respect your choice, Gianna. But please, give me one more chance to take you out to dinner."

I stayed silent.

He continued, "Eight o'clock tonight. Valhalla Table. I'll be waiting."

Eight o'clock sharp, I walked into Valhalla as promised.

Surprisingly, Benjamin was wearing the gray suit I'd given him, holding a huge bouquet of red roses.

Feeling a little lost, I took the flowers. "Thanks."

Once we sat down, I couldn't take my eyes off him.

He was really good-looking. He was tall, handsome, with great taste. Even now, I had to admit. I was still drawn to him.

Benjamin looked at me with a gentle smile. "So? How do I look in the suit you picked out?"

"You look great," I said.

But I knew the truth. He'd never really liked this suit. It had been sitting in his closet for over half a year, and he hadn't worn it once.

The reason was simple. He thought it was cheap.

But back when I picked it out for him, I'd really tried my best. In the end, I went with this one, nine thousand, the absolute most I could afford.

To him, though, it was just something he wouldn't be caught dead in.

Still, I couldn't blame Benjamin.

I remembered the last time we went shopping together. He didn't even blink before buying me a seventy-thousand-dollar bag.

We ate our steak in silence.

Then Benjamin put down his fork and knife, looking at me seriously. "Gianna... thank you. Really, thank you."

I didn't dare meet his eyes. I was afraid if I looked too long, I'd start crying.

He went on, "I'm really grateful you came into my life. You're amazing, truly special. I like you a lot..."

I kept cutting my steak, listening quietly.

"If you change your mind," he said softly, "we can just forget this ever happened. Go back to how things were."

He repeated, "I really do like you."

I gathered my courage and looked straight at him.

"Benjamin, the gap between us is just too big. If not today, then tomorrow, or the day after... we'd end up breaking up anyway."

He reached over and covered my hand with his. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that we give it our all. Even if it doesn't work out, at least we can look back and say we tried, with no regrets."

"You always say you like me. But do you love me?" I asked.

He met my gaze, earnest. Just as I expected, he said, "I love you."

"Then will you marry me?" I asked. "Marry me tomorrow."

He fell silent.

Slowly, he pulled his hand back.

I forced a bitter smile and raised my glass. "Benjamin, let's toast to our year together."

His eyes seemed to shimmer under the soft restaurant lights, making him look like the perfect leading man tonight. Holding back the ache in my chest, I smiled at him. Knowing full well that after tonight, he'd be someone else's leading man.

Benjamin smiled back, lifting his glass to meet mine.

And just like that, we brought our short year together to a quiet, graceful end.

The next day, I took three days off from work.

I'd been lying around at home until the second day, when Ella barged into my place.

As soon as she stepped inside, she froze.

Seeing all the empty beer cans scattered across the floor, her eyes went wide with disbelief.

"What in the world are you doing? You're the one who broke up with him, and now you're moping around here like some tragic heroine. Seriously, get a grip," she said.

I just shrugged, not bothering to respond.

Shaking her head, she started tidying up the living room.

I dragged myself to the bathroom to wash up. She was right. I couldn't keep this up.

As she cleaned, Ella kept going. "What were you even thinking? Letting go of a guy like that, someone that good... I really wonder who you'll end up with now."

No matter how much she nagged, I stayed quiet.

Being with Benjamin did make me happy.

With him, I never had to think about where to go or what to do. He always had everything planned out perfectly.

Trips to Anvilhold, Archipelago, Lothlorien, Sol Invicta...

Or attending auctions with him, watching him drop millions on art he liked, pieces he said were undervalued.

To make my commute easier, he even bought a luxury apartment near my old rental. The night we moved in, I really felt like a princess in a fairy tale who'd finally met her prince.

Chapter 1

I broke up with my rich boyfriend, Benjamin Wilson.

On the phone, Benjamin went quiet for about ten seconds before saying, "I respect your choice, Gianna. But please, give me one more chance to take you out to dinner."

I stayed silent.

He continued, "Eight o'clock tonight. Valhalla Table. I'll be waiting."

Eight o'clock sharp, I walked into Valhalla as promised.

Surprisingly, Benjamin was wearing the gray suit I'd given him, holding a huge bouquet of red roses.

Feeling a little lost, I took the flowers. "Thanks."

Once we sat down, I couldn't take my eyes off him.

He was really good-looking. He was tall, handsome, with great taste. Even now, I had to admit. I was still drawn to him.

Benjamin looked at me with a gentle smile. "So? How do I look in the suit you picked out?"

"You look great," I said.

But I knew the truth. He'd never really liked this suit. It had been sitting in his closet for over half a year, and he hadn't worn it once.

The reason was simple. He thought it was cheap.

But back when I picked it out for him, I'd really tried my best. In the end, I went with this one, nine thousand, the absolute most I could afford.

To him, though, it was just something he wouldn't be caught dead in.

Still, I couldn't blame Benjamin.

I remembered the last time we went shopping together. He didn't even blink before buying me a seventy-thousand-dollar bag.

We ate our steak in silence.

Then Benjamin put down his fork and knife, looking at me seriously. "Gianna... thank you. Really, thank you."

I didn't dare meet his eyes. I was afraid if I looked too long, I'd start crying.

He went on, "I'm really grateful you came into my life. You're amazing, truly special. I like you a lot..."

I kept cutting my steak, listening quietly.

"If you change your mind," he said softly, "we can just forget this ever happened. Go back to how things were."

He repeated, "I really do like you."

I gathered my courage and looked straight at him.

"Benjamin, the gap between us is just too big. If not today, then tomorrow, or the day after... we'd end up breaking up anyway."

He reached over and covered my hand with his. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that we give it our all. Even if it doesn't work out, at least we can look back and say we tried, with no regrets."

"You always say you like me. But do you love me?" I asked.

He met my gaze, earnest. Just as I expected, he said, "I love you."

"Then will you marry me?" I asked. "Marry me tomorrow."

He fell silent.

Slowly, he pulled his hand back.

I forced a bitter smile and raised my glass. "Benjamin, let's toast to our year together."

Benjamin smiled back, lifting his glass to meet mine.

And just like that, we brought our short year together to a quiet, graceful end.

The next day, I took three days off from work.

I'd been lying around at home until the second day, when Ella barged into my place.

As soon as she stepped inside, she froze.

Seeing all the empty beer cans scattered across the floor, her eyes went wide with disbelief.

"What in the world are you doing? You're the one who broke up with him, and now you're moping around here like some tragic heroine. Seriously, get a grip," she said.

I just shrugged, not bothering to respond.

Shaking her head, she started tidying up the living room.

I dragged myself to the bathroom to wash up. She was right. I couldn't keep this up.

As she cleaned, Ella kept going. "What were you even thinking? Letting go of a guy like that, someone that good... I really wonder who you'll end up with now."

No matter how much she nagged, I stayed quiet.

Being with Benjamin did make me happy.

With him, I never had to think about where to go or what to do. He always had everything planned out perfectly.

Trips to Anvilhold, Archipelago, Lothlorien, Sol Invicta...

Or attending auctions with him, watching him drop millions on art he liked, pieces he said were undervalued.

To make my commute easier, he even bought a luxury apartment near my old rental. The night we moved in, I really felt like a princess in a fairy tale who'd finally met her prince.