Chapter 2

"Aria, Caelan is a grown man. I don't believe he's incapable of taking care of himself. My dad is in the ICU, and we really can't afford to wait any longer. If you're not willing to marry me this time, then let's break up."

Aria's face instantly darkened as she yanked the ring off her finger and hurled it at my face.

"Brent, are you taking advantage of my kindness? How dare you speak to my mother like that! And you have the nerve to threaten me with a breakup! Let me tell you something – I'm rejecting this proposal! That's your punishment! Go and reflect on your actions!"

I picked up the ring, nodded silently, and grabbed the bags of holiday gifts I'd brought. Without looking back, I left Aria's house.

As the door closed behind me, I heard Mrs. Channing scolding Aria, "It's fine to throw a tantrum, but why involve the ring? That diamond looks huge and expensive..."

Aria cut her off irritably, "Have some self-respect, will you? With the way he fawns over me, it won't be more than a few days before he comes crawling back with an even bigger diamond ring for his nineteenth proposal. I can always accept then, can't I? If I said yes every time, people might think I'm easy to win over. That wouldn't look good if word got out!"I sneered and tossed the diamond ring into the sewer drain in front of her house.

She knew it too - proposing eighteen times and getting accepted every time wouldn't sound good if it got out.

But we'd been together for nearly ten years. How would it sound if people found out I'd proposed eighteen times and still couldn't marry the girl I'd been with for a decade?

What's more, my dad was lying in the ICU, only hoping to see me get married before he passed. Yet the news of my failed proposals kept worsening his condition.

These eighteen proposals were my way of doing right by our ten-year relationship.

If even such burning passion couldn't warm Aria's cold ass, then so be it.

I'd rather throw this ring away than give it to her again.

Before I got home, I received a message from Caelan while still in the car.

"Young Master Langdon, what can I say? I won the bet again! I had no idea I held such an important place in Aria's heart. Ah, I'm truly sorry for messing up your marriage plans with Aria."

It was my first time tasting this bitter brew of male pettiness, and it made me nauseous.

While waiting at a red light, I opened the chat window. Along with the message was a screenshot of a conversation.

The screenshot showed that Caelan had deliberately sent his parents on an overseas vacation for the New Year, getting them out of the way.The money for the two elderly folks' vacation, and even the arrangements for their flights and hotel, were all taken care of by Aria herself, bustling about to handle every detail.

Aria knew full well that I would propose to her for the eighteenth time on our anniversary, and she was perfectly aware that the timing of Caelan's parents' vacation was entirely her decision. Yet she still chose to postpone our marriage.

It's only because she takes me for granted, naturally assuming that since I've proposed eighteen times already, there will surely be a nineteenth.

I can't help but feel a pang of regret. We weren't like this before. Aria used to be so clingy, to the point where she'd throw herself into my arms and whine adorably if we were apart for even a moment.

When exactly did things start to change...

Lost in my troubled thoughts, I was slow to accelerate for a second, and the car behind rear-ended me.