Chapter 1

Light snow drifted from the sky as I asked the man standing next to me in front of the tombstone, "I had an ex-boyfriend of five years. Are you still willing to marry me?"

"I'm willing." The man wrapped a scarf around my neck, his eyes gentle yet firm. "Sydney, I like you far more than you can imagine."

My fingers tightened around my bag, but I didn't shy away from the scarf.

"Alright, give me five days. We'll get married then."

Then, I asked him to leave first so I could have a final moment with Dad.

It was the fifth day since Dad had passed. Yet, despite being my boyfriend for five years, Benji Warren hadn't even brought a single flower to pay his respects.

That was because the worlds we lived in were separated by an impenetrable wall.

Benji never took me to gatherings with his friends or cared to know who mine were. The trivialities of my life could never compete with the financial dealings of his company.

Hence, he didn't know Dad had died, or that the cause of his death was an unpaid surgery bill.

It was ridiculous to think that the girlfriend of a wealthy CEO was unable to afford her father's medical expenses.

I ran my fingers over Dad's photo on the tombstone, and my tears fell uncontrollably.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I won't hold on to someone who doesn't love me. I'll marry the person you approved of and live a happy life, just as you wished."

As the sky darkened and the snow thickened, the chill seeped through my body.

My phone rang at that moment.

It was Esme Lopez, Benji's childhood friend and assistant.

Her usual cold and aloof tone came through the receiver.

"Ms. Carroll, Ben will be attending a charity gala tonight. Please prepare some hangover soup for him."

Esme's instructions sounded more like a declaration of dominance. Even though I had already decided to end things with Benji, the sourness in my heart was hard to suppress.

In the five years I'd been with Benji, Esme had been a constant presence for four and a half. From what we ate on dates to gifts for special occasions, she was involved in everything.

Whenever I felt unwell and messaged Benji for comfort, it would be Esme who replied, "Ben is in a meeting. It's best not to disturb him."

That single sentence would always shatter my heart.

On rainy days, when I wanted to ride home with Benji, Esme would arrange a car instead and say, "Ms. Carroll, being seen too close to Ben at the office could cause misunderstandings. A car has been arranged, and the expense will be reimbursed by the company."

As if the car fare was what I cared about.

I hated this dynamic with a third party always hovering nearby in our relationship. I had confronted Benji about it multiple times, but he only looked at me with irritation, as if I was being unreasonable.

"Sydney, don't be narrow-minded. You don't understand the rules of high society. Esme grew up in that world and is helping ease your burden. Why can't you be a little more grateful?"

In the past, his words would cut deep and leave me feeling hurt and insecure.

But now, I'd come to terms with it.

He was right. Our worlds were different, so why force it?

I was just an ordinary girl from an ordinary family. How could I compete with someone like Esme, who grew up overseas with an elite education?

She was worldly and knew her way around the upper echelons. She was perfectly suited to accompany Benji to any event and care for him meticulously.

She was unlike me, who still worked as a project assistant at Benji's company after five years since the age of 22.

Though we were technically a couple, no one knew about us. On the contrary, everyone assumed Benji and Esme were together.

If that were the case, I would let them be. Why drag me into their mess?

A sarcastic smile tugged at my lips, and I replied, "Ms. Lopez, I'm not free. You can handle it."