We were about to graduate from college when my girlfriend, Serena, suddenly broke up with me. She gave me a villa, a Bentley, and eighteen million dollars, saying it was for my four years of companionship. I was completely lost. I wanted to know why. But her voice was cold. "Liam, for people from my kind of family, love and marriage are two separate things. I have to go back for an arranged marriage now. Do you understand?" My girlfriend was engaged, but her fiancé wasn't me. When I rushed to the engagement party, I saw Serena on the stage. She was wearing a haute couture gown and dazzling jewelry, looking impossibly beautiful and elegant. The man standing opposite her, however, was maybe five-foot-three, overweight, and his face was covered in oily, glistening pimples that looked ready to burst. My girlfriend was going to marry a man like that? Thinking back to last night, it felt like a lifetime ago. I had just gotten back to the villa from my internship when Serena pushed me onto the bed. She leaned down, her lips on mine, and whispered in a husky voice, "Tonight, treat me like I'm not human." And then, she devoured me. But when I woke up, she was gone. Her phone number was disconnected. Her social media accounts—all of them—were deleted. It was as if she had vanished from my world without a trace, leaving me completely blindsided. Then, her lawyer showed up. He arrived at noon. He said Serena had specifically instructed him to come at noon, so as not to disturb my rest. Then he handed me a document. I read it, completely bewildered. It was a gift deed. It stated that Serena was voluntarily giving me the villa, the Bentley, and eighteen million dollars in cash as a thank-you gift for our four years together in college. So, she had dumped me out of the blue and was now treating me like some boy toy, throwing money at me to make me go away? But I didn't need her money. I'd told her that when we first got together. She had just smiled confidently and said, "No matter how rich you are, you're not as rich as me." I didn't argue. I was in love with her. But why break up, just like that? Last night, she had been so passionate, so fierce. She had spent the whole night telling me she loved me. How could this be happening? I forced myself to calm down and used my family's resources to find out what was going on. And that's how I ended up at her engagement party. I could tell Serena wasn't happy. Was she being forced into this? "Kiss her! Kiss her!" someone in the crowd yelled. I saw the man reach for Serena's hand. She recoiled instinctively, pulling away. The man's face darkened. His thick lips moved, spraying saliva as he spoke. "Have you already forgotten what you promised me?" Serena's face went pale, but she took a step forward. She was being threatened. I pushed through the crowd and shouted, "Serena, if you're in trouble, tell me! Don't do this to yourself!" Every head in the room turned to look at me. When Serena saw me, a flash of joy crossed her cold eyes, but it was instantly replaced by a glacial frost. "Who the hell is this guy?" the man demanded, glaring at me. "You're calling my fiancée's name like you know her." I was about to declare who I was when Serena cut me off. Her beautiful brows furrowed. "He's just some pathetic dog who follows me around. Have security throw him out. Ignore him." A pathetic dog? I could feel the contempt in every stare directed at me. Who ever respects a desperate follower? But that wasn't me. Serena and I met at a club fair. I had just finished playing basketball and was starving, so I swiped some snacks from my roommate. He gave me some grief and jokingly told me to call him "daddy." It was just dorm-room banter, so I did it. Serena, who happened to overhear, stepped in to defend me. She said you shouldn't bully people just because they're poor, but then she also told me off for stealing. She had that take-charge, justice-warrior personality. So, I played the part of the poor, pitiful guy. I followed her around everywhere, and before long, we were together. The whole campus knew she was "keeping" me. People would whisper about her and her boy toy. Worried it would embarrass her, I told her my family was actually loaded. She just shrugged it off. Our four years together weren't some epic romance, but our love was deep and sweet. We almost never fought. That's why I couldn't accept her sudden departure. I had to know why. I stared at her on the stage and started walking toward her. Before I could say a word, the short man stepped in front of me. He was so short he had to crane his neck to look up at me. "You've got some nerve coming up here." He jumped, trying to slap me. I stepped back, dodging the blow, and looked at Serena. "You broke up with me to marry this… thing?" "What are you talking about?" Serena strode forward and slapped me across the face. I had dodged the man's attack. But I didn't dodge hers. She was wearing high heels, and I was afraid she would fall. She was about to marry someone else, and I was still worried about her. How pathetic was I? I touched my stinging cheek, my eyes filled with pain. "So, you're Serena's college boyfriend?" the man sneered, stepping closer. "A kept man, trying to act tough in front of me? Do you know who I am? I'm Cole Miller. The Millers are the richest family in this city." I ignored him, my eyes still on Serena. "Leaving without a word. That's not fair to me." "Fair?" she retorted. "The villa, the car, the money… I gave you everything. What more do you want? Stop making a scene, Liam. We're over." Her brows were knitted together. "You know how it is for people from my kind of family. Love and marriage are separate. Thank you for the last four years, but my husband can only be Cole Miller. Do you understand?" "I'm only asking you one thing," I said, my gaze unwavering. "Do you love me?" I knew all about arranged marriages between wealthy families. My own parents were a product of one. But they were lucky; they had grown up together, childhood sweethearts whose love story was a natural progression. As for me… I was supposed to have an arranged marriage too, but I didn't have to. My family's standing in New York was so secure, we didn't need alliances to maintain it. "Love?" she scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, Liam. I've known since I was a child that I would have an arranged marriage. I don't believe in love. I was with you because you were good-looking and poor enough to be easily controlled." A sarcastic smile played on her lips. "There. You have your answer. Now go." So, what I thought was a deep, sweet love was just an illusion. In her eyes, I was just a handsome, obedient boy toy. How laughable. I nodded. If that's how it was, then so be it. My heart ached, but I could let go. I came here to win her back. If I couldn't, I would walk away. I looked at her, a bitter smile on my face. "Alright then. I wish you happiness." With that, I turned to leave the stage. Serena's hand clenched, but she looked away, refusing to meet my eyes. But Cole Miller blocked my path, a sneer on his face. "Since you're here, you might as well stay for the ceremony. If you leave, you're disrespecting me, the Miller family, and the entire city!" "That's a bold claim," I said with a laugh. I'd heard lines like that before. New York is a big city; not everyone knows who I am. It's inevitable that some people will try to act tough in front of me. But after I put a few of them in their place, the talk died down. Cole didn't catch the disdain in my voice. He clapped his hands. Suddenly, a group of men in black suits emerged, surrounding the stage. "Kid, if I'm not happy today, you're not walking out of here," Cole said. Serena rushed over, glaring at me. "Get out of here! I don't want to see you again!" "Did I say you could speak?" Cole's face turned cold. "You think I'm a fool? You think I can't see you're protecting him?" Protecting me? I looked deeply at Serena and saw the worry in her eyes. Maybe what she said earlier was a lie. But she shook her head. "I just don't want anything to do with my past. And besides, it's our engagement party. What does it look like if my ex-boyfriend is here? It's embarrassing for you." Her tone softened. "Cole, I'm thinking of you." Cole's expression eased slightly, but he still said, "I'm not afraid of being embarrassed. In this city, I am God!" He pointed at me. "Go sit down and watch the ceremony." I nodded, a half-smile playing on my lips as I glanced at Serena, and walked off the stage. The moment I stepped down, four men in black suits surrounded me. They led me to a corner table and sat me down. They were making sure I couldn't escape. From the stage, Cole called out to me, "You just sit there and watch, kid. You're not leaving until I say so." "If you don't let me leave now," I said with a faint smile, "when you want me to leave, I might not want to." "Shut up!" Serena snapped. I just smiled and said nothing. They wanted to play this game. They shouldn't blame me for what happened next. Cole added, "I hear you're from New York. That's great. Some important people from the city are coming later, all from the upper crust. I'll introduce you. It'll be a real eye-opener for you." "Well, thank you in advance," I said, unable to suppress another laugh. Just then, a group of young, arrogant-looking people walked over. Cole's friends, no doubt. "Kid, you must have a death wish." "You really think Serena can protect you?" "Let me tell you, even if you hadn't shown up today, Cole wasn't going to let you off the hook. You think he'd let the man who slept with his fiancée for four years live?" "I've got my phone here. Should I call the cops for you?" They laughed openly. I kept my head down, fiddling with my phone, not bothering to engage with them. But one thing was clear: Serena was trying to protect me. The engagement ceremony soon ended. Next was the reception, a time for guests to eat, drink, and network. Cole led Serena from table to table, accepting fawning compliments from everyone. I had taken a moment to look up the Miller family. They were indeed the richest in the city, but they were new money, with no real heritage. They had risen to prominence because of connections in New York, which allowed them to secure major projects in the city. But they had never managed to break into the city's old-money society. So, the guests here today were either dependent on the Millers or were Serena's family and friends. Serena's family, on the other hand, was old money, but they had fallen on hard times. The marriage was a mutually beneficial arrangement. The Millers wanted a ticket into high society. Marrying a woman from an established family was their way in. Serena's family wanted money to restore their former glory. I had seen countless marriages like this growing up. It was nothing new. It was a tale as old as time. Marriage, after all, has always been a strategic move. Just then, a young girl, maybe sixteen or seventeen, sat down next to me. She had a sweet, pretty face with a hint of baby fat, and she looked a lot like Serena. "I'm Sophie, your ex-girlfriend's sister." "Don't say a word. Just come with me." She looked adorable, but her voice was ice-cold. She grabbed my hand. But I didn't move. "Did your sister send you?" "What do you think?" she said, frowning. "Let's go, now, or you won't be able to leave!" At that moment, several men in black suits closed in on us.
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