Chapter 2

My father is a business tycoon, owning numerous enterprises and consistently ranking among the top twenty in Forbes' list.

I'm the quintessential heir to a vast fortune.

However, when I first encountered Emily, she shared a poignant story about her childhood. Her father had been fatally struck by a reckless wealthy youth in a hit-and-run incident. The culprit, shielded by family influence and money, escaped serious consequences and was released within days.

Since that tragedy, Emily has nursed a strong aversion towards the affluent.

To win her affection, I concealed my privileged background. I rejected every advantage my family offered, relocated to a small town with her, and invested all my savings to help launch her business venture.

Until yesterday, I foolishly believed that Emily and I had achieved success together, that our sacrifices had been worthwhile.

Now, I comprehend the extent of my loss.

After ending a call, I returned to the modest flat Emily and I shared. The space was beautifully adorned—cozy and amorous. Candles shaped like hearts lined the floor, and at the center stood a bouquet of vivid blue roses.

Tucked among the blossoms was an exquisite diamond ring.

Next to it lay the title deed to a high-end residence—the one I had intended to surprise Emily with.

I had envisioned her reaction countless times, imagining the delight and affection in her gaze. But now, it was all meaningless. Emily would never even glimpse it.

I gathered everything—the ring, the flowers, the deed—and discarded it all in the rubbish bin.

Then, I booked a flight for the following evening. I required one day to conclude my work and hand over my responsibilities.

"Ding."

My phone alerted me to a notification.

It was a video from Ryan.

The footage showed Ryan carrying Emily in his arms, her cheeks flushed as she clung tightly to his neck, nestling her face against his chest. They appeared to be the perfect pair.

Around them, colleagues cheered and applauded, urging them to kiss.

The video vanished moments later, erased.

Subsequently, a message appeared.

"Whoops, my apologies, sent that unintentionally."

Naturally, I didn't believe him. Ryan had always been calculated in his actions. This was just another of his ploys.

Over the past few years, he'd orchestrated similar stunts numerous times.

Typically, I'd lose my composure, confront Emily, and end up being reprimanded by her.

"Can't you stop being so insecure? Perhaps concentrate more on your work instead of this nonsense?"

Initially, I thought I was being paranoid and overthinking. But once, when Emily was ill and semi-delirious, she called out Ryan's name.

That's when I realized her heart no longer belonged to me.

This time, I felt nothing. I simply blocked Ryan without hesitation and erased his contact information.

Shortly after, my phone rang.

It was Emily.

"Jake, did you block Ryan?" she demanded as soon as I answered, her tone frosty and accusatory.

She was unconcerned about Ryan's actions—only that I had blocked him.

"I did," I replied bluntly.

"What's the matter with you? He's your colleague! How is he supposed to perform his job now? He believes he must have done something wrong and has been sobbing incessantly. Add him back and apologize!"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you even aware of what he sent me?"

There was a pause on the other end, likely as she consulted with Ryan. Moments later, she responded dismissively, "So what if he sent the wrong image? It's not significant."

Of course. When it came to Ryan, nothing was ever significant.

I let out a bitter laugh. "You're right, it's trivial. Just like when he 'accidentally' sent the incorrect pricing sheet to a client, and we lost millions as a result."

That incident had been disastrous. Ryan had sent our minimum pricing to a partner, resulting in multiple contract terminations and renegotiations. A week's worth of diligent effort—and over a million dollars—had been squandered.

Emily hadn't cared then, either.

The line went silent for a moment. Evidently, she recalled the incident.

Then I heard Ryan's voice in the background, soft and raspy. "Emily, Jake's probably just upset about the shares you gave me today. I should apologize to him."

Emily's tone immediately softened. "No need, Ryan. It wasn't your fault. Let him cool off on his own."

And with that, she ended the call.

It was always like this. Whenever we argued, Emily would use the excuse that I needed to "calm down" to spend more time with Ryan instead.

But this time, I didn't feel angry.

I calmly composed my resignation letter and sent it to HR.