Chapter 1

Yvonne Jamison was ready to get married after dating Jared Ford for seven years.

She had a wedding dress ready as she waited for him to say the words she'd been longing to hear.

Jared was Yvonne's first love and childhood friend. From campus to the workplace, she'd loved him so much she lost herself, becoming nothing more than his shadow.

…

Rumors were swirling in their social circle just days ago. Yvonne's close friends warned her to be careful because Jared was getting too close to Shirley Ember, the young woman in college he'd been sponsoring.

Yvonne was making an appointment for her premarital checkup in the hospital when she ran into Jared, who was supposed to be in a meeting.

He'd accompanied Shirley for her pre-employment checkup and was anxiously comforting her as she teared up from a blood test.

With a trembling hand, Yvonne threw away the final postponed checkup slip.

…

"Have you given any more thought to the blind date I mentioned last time, Yvvy? Simon Quillan's nephew just returned from abroad, and he's been wanting to set the two of you up," Lily Tanning, Yvonne's mother, carefully asked from the other end of the line.

When Yvonne remained silent, Lily quickly changed her tone. "I'll turn him down if you really don't want to meet him."

"Mom, you can tell Mr. Quillan that I'll attend the blind date," Yvonne replied calmly.

"Are you really agreeing to the blind date?" Lily was surprised. She'd expected Yvonne to turn it down firmly like the last time. Worried, she asked, "Will you have time? Didn't you say your job as a secretary keeps you busy?"

Yvonne replied, "I'm no longer a secretary anymore. I transferred to a different department, so I can leave on time now. Just let me know when the blind date is set."

After ending the call, she took the gift bag she'd picked up from the mall counter and got out of the car.

…

The banquet hall on the hotel's fifth floor was elegantly decorated. Jared had specially arranged tonight's lavish buffet to celebrate Shirley's new job.

Shirley was surrounded by a crowd as she stood in a white Dior cocktail dress, a tiara resting on her head. She looked every bit like a beloved princess.

Her colleagues playfully urged her to toast Jared, and she bashfully linked arms with him before they clinked their glasses.

However, she couldn't hold her alcohol well and drunkenly collapsed into his arms after drinking half a glass.

At that moment, someone noticed Yvonne entering the hall. Their expressions stiffened. "Hello, Yvonne."

The lively atmosphere fell silent in an instant.

With a flushed face, Shirley struggled to get away from Jared's arms. However, he pulled her even closer, not at all fazed.

"Why are you late?" He completely avoided mentioning how he'd missed the premarital checkup.

Yvonne smiled as she replied, "It was raining, and I got stuck in a jam."

Jared took the gift bag from her. "I promised you that I'd buy you a gift once you start your internship at Ford Corporation, Shirley."

Shirley opened up the gift box and found that it was a diamond ring. "It's my favorite ring! Thank you, Jared!"

"Let me put it on you." Jared put the ring on her carefully, as if he was proposing to her.

The other colleagues were even taking photos at the side. "You guys just shared a drink together, and now he's putting a ring on you. From now on, you're Mr. Ford's woman, Shirley."

Jared pulled Shirley closer and whispered in her ear, "How do you want to thank me?"

She tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek.

Jared smiled affectionately as he announced to everyone, "Shirley is my secretary from now on."

Yvonne's breath caught in her throat as memories came rushing back to her.

…

When she was seven, new neighbors moved to the house next door. It was a beautiful woman with a young boy.

He complimented her looks during their first meet. Every day, he'd come find her to play and always held her hand, saying that he'd protect her.

Jared took his promise seriously and protected Yvonne ever since then. He wouldn't let anyone bully her, refused to let other boys look at her, and prohibited her from dating.

The night after her coming-of-age, she drank a glass of wine and shattered the unspoken understanding between the two of them. "Why won't you let me date? I'm grown up now, and I want to date."

Jared looked solemn as he cornered Yvonne in a secluded spot. His tone was domineering when he said, "If you want to date, you can only date me. I've protected you for 11 years, and I won't allow you to be with other men—because I like you."

Her first kiss was innocent and sweet, sending flutters through her heart.

Yvonne and Jared were inseparable in college. Whenever someone mocked him for being an illegitimate child, she would boldly defend him. She even gave him a rare emerald sculpture to help him reclaim his spot in the Ford family.

Later on, the Jamisons went bankrupt, and Yvonne's father passed away. Lily left the villa and moved back to their old house in the countryside, along with Yvonne and her brother, Ian Jamison.

That same year, Jared was brought back to the Ford family by his biological father.

Everyone thought Jared would abandon Yvonne. However, he hugged her—all sweaty after winning the long-distance race at their college sports meet—and publicly declared, "Yvvy is my girlfriend. We'll be together forever until our last breath!"

Yvonne was the happiest back then.

After graduation, she gave up the opportunity to study abroad and chose to join Ford Corporation as Jared's secretary. She stayed by his side, day in and day out, watching as he gradually solidified his place as the heir.

She looked forward to the future, thinking she'd marry him; they'd build a family together and spend the rest of their lives with each other.

It wasn't until Shirley showed up that Yvonne suddenly understood why the person who'd once promised to marry her when he grew up refused to utter the same words again when the time came.

It turned out that Jared had a change of heart.

…

"Come cut the cake with me, Yvonne!" Shirley smiled sweetly as she came over to invite Yvonne.

Yvonne avoided Shirley's touch. Her gaze and tone were cold and indifferent when she replied, "No need. Your cake has nothing to do with me."

Shirley hung her head low, her eyes reddening.

Jared noticed her reaction and quickly came over. His tone was laced with irritation when he said, "Why are you losing your temper with Shirley? It's her first job. So what if I gave her something she wanted the most?

"You asked to transfer to another department as soon as Shirley joined the secretarial department. Since when did you become so willful?"

Jared wasn't patient enough to wait for Yvonne's reply. He dug out a black card from his wallet and handed it to her. "That's enough. Stop making a fuss. Take this and get your favorite Chanel handbag."

Yvonne felt a pang in her heart. She couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. He'd clearly known what she wanted, yet he'd never thought of buying it for her.

They'd gone from being childhood sweethearts to barely being able to stand each other. They'd been together for seven years, yet they had no plans to marry. Since they no longer loved each other, it was better to just walk away.

"Let's break up, Jared," Yvonne said, her voice quivering and her eyes reddening.

Jared's gaze turned cold. He frowned as he said in anger, "You're the one who wanted to get married, Yvonne, and now you're asking for a breakup. Are you really making a scene over something so trivial?

"I can't always be the one coaxing you. You're the one who wants to break up, so you'd better not regret it!"

"Alright." Yvonne's breath slowly evened out.

Behind them, Shirley was gathering everyone for a group photo. Jared ignored Yvonne and left.

As Yvonne left the hotel, her phone buzzed with an Instagram notification. She opened it, only to find Shirley's new post. The caption read, "Today is the happiest day in my life, as I've met the most important person to me."

In the photo, Shirley was surrounded by her gifts, with the ring given by Jared placed in the middle. She'd even made a point to tag Yvonne in the comments section, thanking her.

Yvonne found it almost laughable. She used to care, but now, she didn't anymore. She even liked Shirley's post.

…

Some time past 3:00 am, the drunken Jared stumbled home. The lights were still on inside, clearly indicating that Yvonne had come back and was waiting for him.

"My head hurts from all the drinking, Yvvy. Come give me a massage." He collapsed on the couch and fell asleep instantly.

The next morning, Jared was woken up by a call from Frederick Manning, his assistant. "We have a meeting at 8:00 am, Mr. Ford. It's now 8:30 am—are you still on your way to the company?"

Jared glanced at the time, frowning due to the massive headache as he wondered why Yvonne hadn't woken him up.

As Jared's secretary and girlfriend, she always made sure to arrange his schedules perfectly without missing any details.

"Yvonne?" He searched the entire house, only to realize Yvonne wasn't home.

Jared was momentarily stunned before a mocking smile soon took over his face. "It seems I've really spoiled her. I'll have to ignore her for a few days to get rid of her entitled attitude. She'll return to me naturally then."