Chapter 1

At my fiancé Julian Sinclair's bachelor party, I watched as the man who couldn't stand the thought of sharing a glass with anyone drank casually from Chloe's cup. It was then I realized—Julian had fallen for his student, Chloe.

I let Julian and Chloe chat freely, moving seamlessly from project topics to life aspirations. I didn't confront them. Instead, that night, I had a private conversation with Julian. I gave him a choice: either call off our engagement or ensure Chloe's academic career was over.

Julian disappeared for the entire night. When he returned the next day, he looked defeated but said, "The wedding will go on as planned."

On the day of the wedding, Julian hesitated when he saw me in my wedding gown. His voice echoed through the microphone, filling the venue. "The bride I want to marry isn't you. I've made a mistake. I should never have let Chloe go."

He then posted a pre-prepared divorce agreement on Instagram, making me the laughingstock of our social circle. Images of him in his tuxedo, passionately kissing Chloe at the airport, went viral across Instagram and Facebook.

Everyone should pay for their choices. Ten minutes later, Sinclair Group's stock had dropped ten points. That was a $40 million loss. If Julian chose betrayal, I wouldn't hesitate to drive him to ruin.

......

My phone screen still displayed Julian's latest Instagram post. The caption was just one line: This time, I choose love.

In the photo, Julian wore the suit I had picked out for him, holding Chloe in a passionate embrace at the airport.

Our mutual friends flooded the comments section:

"Julian is so brave! What about Isabella?"

"Leaving Isabella at the altar, then kissing another woman at the airport? Poor Isabella, she really misjudged him."

"Has Julian lost his mind?"

I lowered the phone and glanced at the wedding ring sitting on my desk. Inside the band, our initials were engraved. Julian had designed these rings himself. He added a magnetic feature so that when the two rings came close, they would click together. He once explained that, because of his severe germaphobia, he might not always manage physical closeness. The rings, he said, symbolized his love for me. They proved he wasn't repelled by my presence, that he would overcome his phobia for me.

I respected him. I didn't push. I thought I understood his limitations. But at the bachelor party, I saw him lift Chloe's cup and drink from it without hesitation.

I wasn't the only one who noticed. Chloe turned to me with a smug smile. "Ms. Isabella Vaughan, don't overthink it. When we're in meetings for hours, everyone drinks from the same cups. It's just a habit. I'm sure you don't mind, do you?"

Before I could answer, someone looped their arm through mine and chimed in, "Isabella wouldn't care about something so trivial. You underestimate her grace."

They kept calling me "Isabella," subtly marking me as an outsider to their group while simultaneously placing me on a pedestal. If I showed any sign of being upset, I would appear insecure and distrustful of Julian. But how could I not care?

That night, I brought it up with Julian. He looked embarrassed and apologized, promising to be more mindful in the future. Looking back now, I see it clearly—those were just empty words to placate me. Julian wanted the Vaughan family's power and support, but he also wanted to keep the woman he truly loved. He was delusional to think he could have both.

My assistant knocked and entered the room. "Ms. Isabella, there's a call from Mr. Julian on the line. Would you like to take it?"

I glanced at the flashing name on the internal line. "How much?"

"Seven points so far, close to $40 million."

Not enough. That amount was nothing compared to the humiliation I endured. "Understood," I replied.

My voice was calm, devoid of any emotion.