Chapter 1: A Proposal Gone Wrong

Ethan Montgomery never imagined his proposal would end in disaster.

Yet here he was, standing in the middle of The Grand Oak, one of the most elegant restaurants in the city, staring at the woman he had planned to spend his life with—only to see panic flicker across her face. The small velvet box in his hand felt heavier than it should. The engagement ring inside, something he had spent months picking out, now felt like a mistake.

A hush had fallen over the restaurant. Conversations had died down, forks and knives had paused mid-air, and all eyes were now on Olivia Reynolds.

The woman who was supposed to say yes.

Instead, she looked as though he had just asked her to walk a tightrope over a pit of fire.

"Ethan…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he could hear the unease in it.

His heart pounded. He had expected nerves. He had expected maybe even a few tears. But not this. No hesitation.

"Olivia," he said, keeping his voice steady. "I love you. We've been together for two years, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

The words hung in the air.

Olivia sucked in a breath.

Her hands gripped the edges of the white linen napkin on her lap.

And then, the worst possible thing happened.

She shook her head.

Not an immediate, forceful no—but a slow, conflicted shake that made his stomach drop.

Oh God.

A murmur rippled through the nearby tables. A waiter holding a tray of champagne flutes hesitated mid-step. Even the pianist in the corner, who had been playing soft background music, seemed to falter over a note.

"Ethan," Olivia said, her voice filled with regret. "I… I can't."

His throat went dry.

She can't?

This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

This was the moment where she was supposed to smile through happy tears, say yes, and throw her arms around him. Where the restaurant would break into applause and their love story would take its next perfect step forward.

Instead, he was standing here, ring in hand, as the woman he loved told him she couldn't marry him.

"Olivia," he said, still trying to process what was happening. "What do you mean?"

She closed her eyes briefly before meeting his gaze. "I mean… I'm not ready for this."

His chest tightened. "We've been together for two years."

"I know." She exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "And I love you, Ethan. But marriage? We've never even talked about it."

"I thought it was obvious," he said, voice clipped. "I thought we were serious."

Her lips pressed together. "Seriously, yes. But marriage is a huge step. And this—" She gestured around them, the candlelit table, the champagne bucket, the quiet crowd of spectators hanging onto every word. "This is a lot."

His fingers curled into a fist around the box.

A lot?

He had planned this moment for weeks.

He had imagined this proposal a hundred times in his head.

He had never imagined this.

"So you're saying no." The words felt like acid in his throat.

She hesitated. "I'm saying… not right now."

The distinction didn't matter. It still felt like rejection.

The pity in her eyes was unbearable.

Ethan forced himself to nod. He snapped the box shut, shoved it into his pocket, and reached for his wallet. The moment he dropped a few bills on the table and pushed back his chair, Olivia's eyes widened.

"Ethan, wait—"

But he was already standing, already stepping away. "Enjoy your dinner," he said tightly.

And then he walked out, leaving behind the love of his life, a table full of uneaten food, and the remnants of a shattered dream.