Chapter 1

I spent millions planning an extravagant proposal for my girlfriend, but she beat me to it, arranging a fleet of drones to confess her feelings to me first.

My heart was full of joy, believing that our love story was finally getting its fairy-tale ending.

Then she took a phone call. Her expression instantly transformed, and she looked at me with chilling disdain.

"I was only playing around with a stray dog. I never expected you to take it seriously. A peasant like you really thought you had a shot with me?

Do you even understand what it means to be in the same league? Only a man from a true old-money dynasty deserves me."

I stared at her sudden 180 in pure disbelief. Just as I opened my mouth to reveal who I actually was, she flicked a ten-million-dollar check right into my face and turned away.

"Consider this compensation for the years you wasted on me. Now get lost."

Did she not realize that the untouchable dynasty she craved was mine all along?

The surprise proposal I had planned came to an abrupt halt thanks to my girlfriend Vivian’s sudden outburst.

I couldn't fathom how the woman who had held me so tightly in her arms just the night before could become a complete stranger overnight.

Right before my eyes, Vivian slid into the passenger seat of another man’s luxury sports car.

I stepped in front of the vehicle to block them. I wasn't about to let our relationship end so vaguely.

The man in the driver's seat got out. He scanned me from head to toe, letting out a mocking sneer.

"Vivian, this pretty boy you picked up isn't even all that."

With every chuckle, his massive beer belly bounced up and down.

I couldn't understand why Vivian would trade a man who loved her deeply for a bloated, greasy slob like him.

Just a week ago, we were daydreaming about our future together.

It was my birthday, and she had personally prepared a unique gift for every year of my life.

We bared our souls to each other, promising to stay by each other’s side forever.

That night, Vivian let down her usual shyness, igniting a fierce passion between us.

Yet the very next day, she vanished, claiming she had an urgent business trip and telling me to wait for her return.

Every day she was gone, we FaceTimed, pouring out our longing and love for one another.

The moment she left town, I had thrown myself into organizing the proposal. I never expected her to hand me an entirely different kind of shock.

She tried to dismiss five whole years of devotion with a measly check.

And now she was hopping into another man's car right in front of me.

From the moment we started dating, I had told Vivian more than once that money was the one thing I never lacked.

She had simply assumed I was putting on a front because I felt inadequate next to her.

All because during college, I ran a campus convenience delivery hustle, delivering snacks and packages straight to dorm rooms.

Back then, I had merely rejected my parents' plan for my college major. In a fit of rage, they cut off my allowance. I wanted to prove to them that I could thrive entirely on my own.

Back then, Vivian had given up high-society galas during the holidays just to pull long hours alongside me to support my small business.

If she had just been playing with my heart, why would she have gone to such lengths to treat me so well?

"What, isn't Vivian’s money enough for you?" the greasy man sneered. "If you get down on your knees and bark like a good boy, I might throw ten grand your way. Consider it table scraps tossed to a stray."

Just as I opened my mouth to hit back, Vivian hurried out of the car. Her brow was furrowed with irritation. She grabbed his arm, without casting a single glance in my direction.

"Chad, didn't you say you had a surprise for me? Don't waste your breath on a peasant like him."

Vivian’s slender frame couldn't budge Chad at all. Out of options, she spun toward me. "Ethan, why aren't you leaving? Just looking at you makes my skin crawl."

Chad tried to cross his chubby arms over his chest, but his rolls of fat restricted the movement.

Watching his ridiculous antics only deepened my confusion about Vivian's choice.

How could a piece of trash like this ever be worthy of her?

Besides, Vivian had always been a sucker for good looks. There had to be an underlying reason.

I gazed deeply into her eyes, searching for a trace of a hidden struggle, but she turned her face away in disgust.

Chad was visibly thrilled by her coldness. He reached out a greasy hand to stroke her face, even though she visibly stiffened with revulsion.

"He's just a boy toy, a stray dog to pass the time. My clever Vivian knows how to make the right choice."

Vivian cut her eyes at me and said icily, "A good dog doesn't block the road. Get lost."