All because her young assistant, Aiden, threw a drunken scene at our engagement party, sobbing that she couldn't marry me, my fiancée, Luna, publicly slipped off the diamond ring I had just placed on her finger. She looked at me, her face a mask of distress, her eyes pleading.

"Ethan, if we continue with the ceremony, Aiden will truly break down. I swear, as soon as I calm him down, we'll get married immediately."

"Don't worry," she whispered, "I only see him as a little brother. You will always be the man I love most."

I watched her tear off her veil without a second thought and rush to Aiden's side, her voice a soft murmur of comfort. And in that moment, I knew I had to call it off.

She would never know that I had made a sworn pact with my family. If I wasn't married in three days, I would have to return home and accept the alliance they had arranged for me.

It seemed our time was finally up.

1

The first time Aiden caused a scene, shouting for Luna not to marry me, she had shut him down instantly, her face stern as she publicly reprimanded him.

But as I prepared to place the ring on her finger for the second time, he started again.

He smashed a wine bottle on the floor, held a jagged shard to his own neck, and sobbed uncontrollably. "Luna, if you marry Ethan Quinn, I'll die right here in front of you!"

This time, Luna panicked.

She was no longer the strong woman who, just moments before, had defended my honor by scolding her unruly assistant. Instead, she frantically pulled the ring from her finger, tossing it aside as she rushed to him, her voice a gentle plea for him to be calm.

She turned to me, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Ethan, Aiden is unstable right now. We have to stop the engagement. I know it's not fair to you, but darling, our engagement can be postponed. Aiden only has one life."

"And don't worry," she added, her eyes locking with mine. "Even if we cancel this, you are the only man I will ever love."

When I remained silent, she bit her lip, her voice turning bitter with unshed tears. "The choice is yours. But no matter what you decide, my love for you will never change."

I saw the suppressed pain in her expression and understood. She was giving me a choice in name only. The decision had already been made for her.

In that instant, I didn't feel sadness. I felt a profound, chilling sense of desolation.

Luna and I had been in love for six years, and this wasn't the first time she had chosen Aiden's feelings over mine. I had been jealous, I had argued with her, but every time, after soothing me with gentle words and promises, she would turn around and meet with him again.

Over time, I'd learned to let it go. After so many years, the thought of breaking up was unbearable, especially with our wedding so close, the culmination of a long-held dream.

But today's spectacle made one thing brutally clear.

There was no going back.

"Fine," I said, my voice flat. "Cancel it."

Luna's eyes filled with a mixture of tenderness and pity. But her next words were for him. "So, the rest of the ceremony..."

She didn't have to finish. I knew what she wanted. She needed me to dismiss the guests, to give Aiden an out.

So I did as she wished.

"Everyone," I said into the microphone, my face a blank mask. "Today's engagement ceremony is canceled. Thank you all for coming. Please, you may leave."

As I spoke, I saw Aiden lower the shard of glass, his breathing steadying.

But the guests were not so calm. Their whispers followed me, sharp and critical. One man even walked up to me, his lip curled in a sneer. "What a doormat. Another man steals your fiancée right in front of you, and you just let him?"

Arguing felt pointless, so I said nothing. But Luna wouldn't stand for it.

She rushed over, shielding me protectively. "What do you know?" she snapped at the man. "My Ethan does this because he loves me! As long as I'm here, no one gets to bully him. Now get out!"

The guest, taken aback by her ferocity, muttered something under his breath and scurried away.

A bitter irony washed over me. No one gets to bully Ethan? But you're the one doing the bullying, Luna.

As the crowd thinned, she turned to me, her voice soft again. "Ethan, don't worry. I'll plan the next engagement party myself. I promise, you won't be wronged again."

I didn't respond. Just then, Aiden shuffled over, his head bowed in mock shame. "Ethan, I'm so sorry. I was just drunk. I'm sober now. Why don't you two... continue with the engagement?" He looked up, his dark eyes wide and sincere. "I promise I won't cause any more trouble. Really."

If he had said that before every last guest had walked out the door, I might have actually believed him.

Luna frowned at him. "You may be sober, but you've already ruined the party," she chided gently. "Aiden, you were completely out of line this time. You've caused Ethan a great deal of trouble. He's my fiancé, your future brother-in-law. You need to apologize to him properly."

Aiden mumbled a weak apology, then looked up at her with a pathetic, pleading expression. "Luna... you know you promised to go to that spa retreat with me? I already bought the tickets. Can we... can we still go later?" He glanced nervously at me. "If Ethan doesn't agree, then... we don't have to."

Luna's expression softened with pity. She paused, then turned to me. "Ethan, why don't the three of us go together?"

Before I could answer, Aiden chimed in again, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry, Ethan... the tickets... they're for a couple's package. They're all sold out now. Maybe you and Luna should go. I'll just... stay behind."

Luna was trapped. I could see the conflict warring on her face, the words to send him away stuck in her throat. I remembered clearly how much she despised public spas; she'd always said they were unsanitary when I'd invited her. But for Aiden, she was suddenly interested.

I decided to make it easy for her. "You two go," I said, my voice devoid of emotion. "I'm going home to rest."

I turned and walked out of the hotel.

Luna, her face etched with guilt, hurried after me. I could see her wrestling with the decision, wanting to say she'd stay with me but unable to form the words. We reached the parking garage. We'd only brought one car. Aiden had mentioned the spa was thirty miles away.

Snow had begun to fall, dusting the pavement in a fine white powder.

"Take the car," I said, handing her the keys. I decided to walk home. It was only a couple of miles.

She watched me, a lone figure turning to face the cold, and her expression deepened with heartache. A moment later, she ran to catch up, her hand instinctively reaching for mine. "Ethan, your hands are freezing!"

Without another word, she unwound her scarf and pulled off her gloves, bundling them onto me. She leaned in close, her breath warm against my ear. "Don't overthink this, Ethan. I'll arrange the wedding soon. I promise."

Her eyes were liquid pools of affection.

I didn't answer. I just nodded and walked away.

The snow was coming down harder now, catching in my hair, the cold seeping into my very bones.

My phone rang.

"Ethan. We heard the engagement was canceled." The voice was cold, familiar. "As per our agreement, you have three days. Then you will return home and fulfill your obligation to this family."

2

I was supposed to be the heir to the Quinn dynasty of Sterling City. But I refused to be a pawn in their corporate alliances, so I left for the quiet city of Oakhaven to make my own way.

That's where I met Luna. We fell in love. When my family found out, they used all their power to try and force me back. I stood my ground, and we struck a deal: if I wasn't married within three years, I would return and accept their terms.

I used to think marriage was just a formality, a piece of paper that couldn't change the love Luna and I shared.

Reality had just slapped me in the face.

After agreeing to my family's terms, I walked home. The winter air was biting. Even with Luna's scarf and gloves, I couldn't stop shivering.

As if on cue, a text from her lit up my phone: Are you home yet?

I typed back, Home, then stepped into a scalding hot shower.

When I emerged, a new voice message from Luna was waiting. I pressed play. The background was filled with the sound of splashing water and laughter.

"Stop it, Aiden, you little monster! You're getting my robe all wet!"

"Look, Luna! I'm swimming over to you!"

I knew their voices instantly. A bitter taste filled my mouth.

A moment later, the message was retracted. Then, my phone rang. It was her. I let it ring a few times before answering.

"Ethan? Did you... did you get a message from me just now?" Her voice was tight with anxiety.

"What message?" I said coolly. "I just got out of the shower."

I heard her breathe a sigh of relief. "Oh, nothing," she said with a forced laugh. She told me to stay warm, that she probably wouldn't be coming home tonight.

I grunted in acknowledgment and hung up.

A suffocating sadness settled over me. Looking around our home, everything—from the pattern on my pillows to the style of the furniture—was a testament to our shared history. She used to look at me with stars in her eyes and say, "Ethan, you're the light of my life. I will love you forever."

How could a love like that just... change?

I threw myself into my work. If I was leaving, I had affairs in Oakhaven to wrap up.

An email notification popped up. My inbox, which was synced with Luna's, was flooded with over a thousand photos. I opened one.

It was them. Luna and Aiden at the spa.

Under the warm, ambient lighting, they posed in matching robes, laughing in the thermal pools, lounging on tatami mats. The pictures were playful, intimate. The chemistry between them was palpable, their gazes charged with a restrained heat.

I scrolled through them, one after another, a creeping numbness spreading through my chest.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by a call from Luna. She was frantic.

"Ethan, you saw the photos, didn't you? Aiden and I were just messing around, I swear. Please, don't get the wrong idea."

3

"Ethan, if you're angry, just yell at me. I know I crossed a line with Aiden," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry. It will never happen again. Please don't keep it bottled up. Please?"

My silence only made her more agitated. Finally, I spoke. "It's fine."

She didn't believe me. "No, it's not," she said, her voice cracking with a sob. "I know you're hurting. Wait for me. I'm packing now, I'm coming home. I'll explain everything in person. Please, Ethan, don't be upset."

She hung up abruptly.

I glanced at the clock. A little after seven. Time to pack my own bags.

As I was zipping up the last of my suitcases, our housekeeper saw me and gasped. "Sir? Are you leaving? Miss Luna will never allow it."

She was right. Everyone who worked for us knew how much Luna adored me. The day she brought me here, she had gathered the entire staff and declared, "Ethan is the master of this house. His word is law. You must take care of him above all else. No one is to ever make him unhappy."

If I tried to leave, she would fight tooth and nail to keep me. She couldn't imagine a life without me.

"It's okay," I told the housekeeper. "I'll talk to her."

I was gone before Luna got back. I checked into a hotel downtown.

Two hours later, there was a frantic knocking at my door. I opened it to find Luna, her hair a mess, tear tracks staining her cheeks. The moment she saw me, she sagged with relief and threw herself into my arms.

"Ethan, why did you move out? You scared me to death!"

Before I could respond, Aiden appeared from around the corner, his expression wounded. "Ethan, all we did was go to a spa to relax. Do you really need to run away from home just to get attention? You're doing this just to hurt me, aren't you?" His voice choked. "If that's the case, maybe I should just go die and stop being a burden to everyone!"

Luna immediately pushed me away and rushed to Aiden's side. "Aiden, don't say things like that!" she hissed. After a few quiet words to him, she grabbed my arm and pulled me back into the room, closing the door behind us.

She looked exhausted, her voice low and strained with disappointment. "Ethan, I know you don't like Aiden, but can you please not provoke him? I told you, you're the only man I'll ever love. You don't need to test me like this. It just makes everyone miserable."

The desolation in my heart deepened. "Sorry," I said flatly. "It won't happen again."

My calm demeanor seemed to soften her. "Okay, Ethan," she said, her voice gentle again. "I'm not blaming you. I just don't want you to be jealous. Now, come home with me. Stop sulking, okay?"

I pulled my arm from her grasp. "I'm not coming back. Let's have dinner tonight. There's something I need to tell you."

A flicker of unease crossed her face. Before she could speak, Aiden reappeared at the door. "Luna, my head hurts," he whined. "Can you take me to the doctor? I feel like I'm going to faint... can you help me?"

Luna sighed, a flash of irritation on her face, but her body moved on instinct, stepping forward to support him. She had no choice but to leave with him.

I went downstairs and booked a private dining room, inviting a few of my closest friends from Oakhaven to join me that evening. It was time to tell them—and Luna—that I was returning to Sterling City for an arranged marriage.

As I was finalizing the plans, a new text arrived. It was from Aiden. A photo of Luna, wearing an apron, cooking in our kitchen.

The message read: Still waiting for Luna to come get you from your lonely hotel room, Ethan? Keep waiting. She's busy making me my favorite homemade soup. You're just a clown.

His taunts barely registered. I felt nothing at all.

That evening, the private room filled with my friends. Only Luna was missing. I called her five times. On the fifth try, she finally picked up.

"Ethan, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice filled with guilt. "Just wait a little longer. I'll be there as soon as I'm done here."

"It's fine," I said. I hung up and turned to the waiter. "We're not waiting. Bring out the food."

4

When I told my friends I was going home for an arranged marriage, they were stunned. But they didn't ask questions, just offered their congratulations. Someone mentioned that I should probably tell Luna, given our long and famously devoted history.

As I was debating what to do, the door to the room swung open. It was Luna, with Aiden in tow.

The mood in the room shifted. Even I was shocked that she had brought him here, to this.

"Ethan, I'm so sorry I'm late," she said, sliding her arm through mine. "I didn't realize you'd invited so many people." She smiled brightly. "I'll drink three glasses as an apology to everyone." She poured three shots of whiskey and downed them without hesitation.

Aiden chose that moment to speak, his tone dripping with faux innocence. "Wow, Ethan, you gathered all your best friends for this dinner. Are you planning some kind of surprise for Luna?" He sighed dramatically. "I shouldn't have come. I'm just being a third wheel and making you uncomfortable."

His cloying act made everyone in the room visibly cringe. Even Luna shot him a warning look. "Aiden, be quiet."

He stuck out his tongue and looked down, feigning hurt.

I watched them, a pair oblivious to the world, wearing matching couple's watches, emanating the same subtle perfume. And I knew with absolute certainty that the woman who had once loved me so fiercely was gone forever.

"So, Ethan," Luna said, turning her attention back to me. "You said you had something to tell me. What is it? Is this... a proposal?"

A shy, pleased blush colored her cheeks, mixed with a hint of apprehension. She leaned in, whispering, "Ethan, can we postpone the proposal? It's not really appropriate with Aiden here. Maybe next time..."

One of my friends couldn't take it anymore. "You've got it wrong, Luna," he said, his voice flat. "He's not proposing to you."

"He's telling you he's going home for an arranged marriage."

Every eye in the room turned to Luna. The smile on her face froze. She stared at my friend, then at me, her expression bewildered. "An arranged marriage? What are you talking about?"

Her voice trembled, but she forced a gentle tone. "Ethan, what are they saying? I don't understand..."

I could see the panic rising in her eyes. I took a deep breath.

"Luna," I said, my voice steady and clear. "I'm going back home to marry my fiancée."

"We're breaking up."