Chapter 1

On the day we're supposed to register our marriage, my girlfriend Jenny Sutton has me removed from the city hall. She walks in with her childhood sweetheart, Ronald Walsh.

She looks at me without a flicker of guilt and says, "Ronald's kid needs his legal status sorted out. Once we divorce, I'll marry you."

Everyone assumes I'll wait. I'm the devoted fool who's already waited seven years, so one more month seems trivial.

That night, I went along with my family's plan and left the country for a marriage of convenience. I cut myself cleanly out of Jenny's life.

Three years later, I return to the country with my wife, Ellie Olsen, who's a CEO, to pay respects at her family's graves.

A last-minute issue pulls her away, and she asks the local branch to send someone to pick me up. I didn't expect Jenny, not after three years.

"You have dragged this out long enough. Come back. Ronald's kid will be starting kindergarten soon. You can handle the school runs."

Chapter 1

I was in the arrivals hall when I spotted someone holding a sign with my Elnish name on it. I walked over, and only then did I realize it was Jenny Sutton, my ex, whom I hadn't seen in three years.

She had Ronald Walsh with her, along with a few close friends. They were all craning their necks, watching the incoming passengers.

"Jen, isn't that your little lapdog, Peter Grant?"

Jenny looked just as surprised to see me, but she quickly masked it and spoke like she couldn't care less. "See? I told you. I knew he'd come crawling back sooner or later."

They broke into giggles as they looked me over.

"Peter, you vanished without a word back then. Now that Jenny has made something of herself, I bet you cry yourself to sleep every single night."

"And Peter, if you were trying to pass this off as a chance meeting, you could've at least dressed better. You didn't even bother to groom yourself."

"Or is it that without Jenny, you can't even afford decent clothes anymore? Things must not be going well for you!"

Back then, whenever I was going to meet Jenny, I always picked the clothes that suited me best. I dressed carefully and made sure she saw me at my best.

Now there was no reason to bother.

My wife, Ellie Olsen, stopped dressing formally after she got pregnant. I followed her lead and dressed for comfort. The casual outfit I was wearing had been custom-made for me at her request.

After listening to their remarks, I realized something else. They only knew my Elnish name. They had no idea that I was the person they were actually there to pick up.

When I stayed silent, someone I had been fairly close to in the past stepped in to smooth things over.

"Peter, it's good that you're back. Jen has actually been looking for you all these years. She kept asking around about you!"

Jenny's smile stiffened. Then she smoothed it away and spoke as if nothing had happened. "Ronald's kid will be starting kindergarten soon. You can handle the school runs from now on."

She was still the same, wrapped in her own sense of superiority.

But I was no longer the person who quietly endured everything she threw at me. Seeing her again, all I felt was disgust sitting heavy in my chest.

I didn't want to waste any more time standing there with them. I was about to make my identity clear when Ronald spoke first.

"Peter, don't blame Jen. She's doing this for your own good. You disappeared for three years. Who knows what you were doing out there? Look at you now, barely scraping by.

"Even if she wanted to give you a job as my secretary, you wouldn't qualify. Don't worry. Taking care of my daughter suits you better. No one will judge you for that."

After three years, Ronald still carried himself with the same arrogance, enough to make me frown in disgust.

Jenny mistook it for jealousy. A flicker of satisfaction crossed her eyes.

Chapter 2

Jenny said, "Enough. You can't even survive out there anymore. Why act like you still get to be picky? Just take care of the kid and stop making a scene. You need to know your place. Don't worry. There's still a room in my house that can be set aside for you."

The moment she finished speaking, people around us broke into snickering laughter.

"Peter, see how considerate Jen is. She's worried you might suffer out there, so she's even arranged both food and lodging for you."

"It's just helping Ronald look after his kid. Surely that is better than the poor life you are living now. You should thank Jen."

Ronald touched his watch and put on a show of concern. "Don't worry, Peter. If my daughter misbehaves, I'll discipline her myself. I won't let her give you a hard time."

Jenny snorted and shot me a sideways look. "Give him a hard time? He vanished over something trivial back then. Now that he can't survive out there, he comes crawling back. It's only right that he endures a little."

My heart skipped a beat when I heard her say it. Did she still believe that marrying Ronald had been a trivial thing?

The Jenny who once loved me was already gone.

She was no longer the woman covered in injuries, sobbing as she took me halfway across the city in search of treatment.

She was no longer the woman who had nothing to her name, yet swore out loud that she'd love me and stay with me for life.

She was no longer the woman who achieved success, yet was still willing to cook for me.

Still, it was better this way. Those things were already behind us, and there was no need to bring them up again.

After all, Ellie was already carrying our second child.

I pushed the thoughts down. Arguing with them here would be pointless.

I met Jenny's eyes and spoke evenly. "Aren't you here to pick me up? Let's go."

The group fell silent for a moment. Then they exchanged looks and burst out laughing.

Ronald gave a dismissive snort. "Pick you up? Who do you think you are?"

He pointed at the sign. "Read it carefully. We are waiting for Pierre. Do you even know who that is?"

It was my Elnish name. Of course, I knew.

"He's the husband of the Olsen family's eldest daughter, the man behind Olsen Group."

"Ms. Olsen is known for her sharp decisions in business, but she's deeply devoted to her husband. It's said she refused to marry for years because she was waiting for Pierre."

"Everyone in the circle knows this. If you want to get on Ms. Olsen's good side, you're better off pleasing Pierre. She does whatever her husband wants."

Listening to them talk over one another, a quiet smile crept onto my lips.

In the three years since we got married, Ellie's business had only grown bigger. At the same time, her reputation for doting on her husband had spread just as fast.

Ronald had always wanted to outdo me. He took the opportunity to put on a show.

"Back then, Ms. Olsen bought a watch at an auction to please Pierre. It was called Eternal Devotion, and it cost 20 million dollars. Pierre became the man every other man envied."

He paused before pointing at my wrist and shouting, "This is the one!"

The place went dead quiet as everyone turned their attention to the watch on my wrist.

Jenny suddenly grabbed my hand and gave it a quick look. Then she sneered. "Pretty convincing for a fake. Which waiter scraped together the money to buy this for you? Giving replicas as gifts. How pathetic."

I yanked my hand free and smirked, my fingers brushing over the watch.

The moment Jenny caught the happy look on my face, her eyes widened. She seized my wrist and ripped the watch off with a violent tug.

I didn't see it coming, and she succeeded before I could react.

Chapter 3

Ronald moved in to examine the watch, then took it from Jenny and rolled it between his fingers.

"It's definitely more finely made than the replica I bought. But I never wear mine outside. I'd be a joke. Foreign replicas really are something else. It feels great in the hand.

"Unless, Peter, you're actually Pierre, that so-called model man everyone talks about!"

Laughter rippled through the group as soon as he finished speaking.

For them, the notion was absurd. Ellie was a financial genius known worldwide, cold and unforgiving in the marketplace, decisive in every move.

And three years ago, I had still been hanging around with them, the nobody Jenny had dumped by calling off our marriage.

There was no way they could believe it.

Ronald twirled the watch around his finger. "Peter, sell it to me. I'll pay twice what it is worth."

Worried he might drop it, I spoke up at once. "Give it back. That watch was a gift from Ellie—"

Before I could finish, Jenny struck me across the face, snapping my head to the side. Blood broke at the corner of my lips.

She glared at me, furious. "Shut up! Peter, you have no right to mention Ms. Olsen by name. How dare you claim you are connected to her? Are you trying to ruin me?"

Jenny's close friends joined in, their indignation obvious as they looked at me with open disdain.

"Peter, do you even realize how much effort it took for us to secure the chance to pick up Pierre today?"

"Jenny's company was acquired by Ms. Olsen last year. We all depend on her now to survive. Only by pleasing Pierre can Jenny keep her standing."

"And now you are here spreading claims about being connected to Ms. Olsen. Are you trying to ruin Jenny?"

I wiped the blood from the corner of my lips and turned slowly to look at Jenny. Something in my look must've unsettled her. She frowned, and a trace of unease flickered in her eyes.

Seeing the shift in her expression, Ronald glared at me with barely concealed malice and jabbed a finger toward my face.

"Peter, you ungrateful piece of trash! Jen already agreed to take you in. Don't mistake kindness for weakness. Even if you hold a grudge against her, this is not how you settle it!"

His words pulled me straight back to three years ago. No matter what I did back then, he'd find a way to distort it before explaining it to Jenny.

At first, Jenny would scold Ronald for it. Later on, she started following his lead and turning the blame on me instead.

Just like now, when she muttered a single word in frustration. "Useless."

Unlike before, she didn't continue.

After a moment of silence, Jenny took out a check for 200 thousand dollars and placed it before me.

"For the sake of what we used to have, I won't pursue this any further. Take the money and get yourself some nice clothes. If caring for a kid doesn't suit you, I can help you find a decent position in a few days.

"Don't worry. Ever since Ms. Olsen acquired my company, this amount means nothing to me anymore."

Her air of charity made me feel sick. She seemed to have been doing very well lately.

As the others looked on in surprise, I brushed her hand aside, retrieved my watch from Ronald, and smiled. "No, thank you, Ms. Sutton. I don't take things from strangers."

I paid no attention to Jenny as her face darkened with rage. I turned and walked away.

Chapter 4

I hadn't gone far when Jenny reached out and caught my arm.

She looked at me coldly as she demanded, "Peter, you won't even take the money I gave you? What do you mean by that? Do you really see me as a stranger?"

I replied, "We've already broken up. It's better if we keep our distance, so there's no room for misunderstandings."

I thought of Ellie and her jealous streak.

Jenny cast a glance at Ronald, a look of sudden understanding crossing her face.

"The company is hosting a banquet for Ms. Olsen in three days. I'm planning to bring you along so you can broaden your horizons. You'd need to buy something decent to wear, though, so you don't embarrass—"

Before she could finish, I cut in. "That won't be necessary. Thank you."

My second refusal clearly angered Jenny. Her hand froze in midair with the check, and she clenched her jaw so hard her teeth clicked.

"Peter, you have quite an ego now. Figures. Poor and short-tempered. If you don't want to come, forget it. I'll take Ronald instead!"

Hearing that he'd attend the banquet, Ronald's eyes brightened at once. He hurried to reassure her. "Jen, I'll do my best. I won't embarrass you."

I didn't want to continue the argument. I turned and walked away, leaving her with a final remark. "I hope you are still this sure of yourself in three days."

I exited the arrivals hall at a brisk pace. The moment I breathed in fresh air, the sickness in my stomach finally began to subside.

Three years ago, my family arranged for me to travel abroad for a blind date. Under their pressure, I begged Jenny, the woman I had dated for seven years, to register our marriage at the city hall.

I figured that if we made it official, everything else would fall into place.

Jenny agreed.

I didn't expect that when I arrived at the city hall, Ronald, her childhood sweetheart, would be there with her.

Jenny told me, "Ronald's kid needs his legal status sorted out. I'm going to marry him first. Once I get the divorce decree in a month, I'll marry you immediately. It's just for the kid, so don't read into it."

Watching her take Ronald's arm and walk inside, I knew it was over.

That night, I boarded a flight and went abroad for the blind date. A month later, I married Ellie. A year after that, we had our first child. Recently, she became pregnant with our second.

Had it not been for accompanying Ellie to pay respects at her family's graves, I would never have come back, much less run into Jenny.

…

Three days later, I arrived at the banquet on my own, dressed neatly in casual clothes.

When Jenny spotted me, her eyes brightened, and a smug smile tugged at her lips.

"You claimed you weren't coming, but it seems your actions disagree. If you're hoping to win me back, you should at least make an effort to please me. At an occasion like this, you need to dress appropriately to match my status."

I paid no attention to her sudden self-absorption and moved to pass her on my way to my seat.

After only a few steps, Jenny caught my arm, anger flashing across her face. "Peter, I'm speaking to you. Are you listening? Our seats are over here. Where are you going?"

I shook her hand off and answered calmly, "This is your seat. Mine is over there."

Jenny followed my line of sight toward the head table, and her face darkened at once.

Ronald shot me a venomous look, pointing at my watch and shouting, "Peter! How did you even sneak in here? Are you here to stir up trouble? Y-you actually dared to wear that watch?"

The volume of his accusation immediately drew the eyes of the room.

"Isn't that the Eternal Devotion Ms. Olsen paid a fortune for her husband? This is Ms. Olsen's first public appearance with him. Is this guy deliberately trying to embarrass her?"

"He snuck in here? He's putting us in a tough spot in front of Ms. Olsen!"

"Ms. Sutton, is this your friend?"

Chapter 5

Jenny noticed I never made eye contact with her. She pressed her fingers together and replied evenly, "No."

Her answer made Ronald perk up. He looked at me like he'd already won. "Take off the watch and get out!"

I looked at him with open amusement and said with a sneer, "Are you sure you want me gone?"

Humiliation flashed across Ronald's face. His expression sharpened as he snapped, "Drop the act and take off the watch!"

He reached for my wrist as soon as the words left his mouth.

I knocked his hand aside and stepped away. The next instant, someone tripped me. I fell without warning, and the impact left me dazed.

Ronald stepped on my hand and tore the watch off my wrist. "You treat a piece of trash like it's something precious."

My arm throbbed under his foot, and my wrist was left raw and bloody. I could only stare at the watch that had shattered across the floor.

Ronald lifted his chin and looked down at me. "Carry him and throw him out!"

People gathered around at once. As hands reached for my limbs, I struggled and blurted, "Stop! I'm Ellie's—"

The sentence was cut short when Ronald struck my face. "Are you going to claim again that you are Ms. Olsen's lover again? You aren't even qualified!"

Ronald still wasn't appeased. He backhanded me across the cheek.

I hadn't come back this time intending to settle anything with him. It was unnecessary. But I knew I must make him pay for it now.

Jenny leaned down, reaching toward the injury on my wrist, and I pulled away without thinking. She studied me, her expression distant and unfeeling.

"Peter, are you done making a scene? You came after me today, wearing that watch and dressed like this, because you saw I was successful and couldn't stand the thought of letting me go.

"You were trying to make me jealous. Beg me, and I'll come back to you."

I scoffed, looking straight at her. "Jenny, you're done!"

Jenny frowned, about to say something, when she noticed the sudden hush.

Around us, guests straightened their clothes and drifted toward the entrance.

Jenny pulled me to my feet and spoke under her breath. "Ms. Olsen is here, so behave! Don't worry. Ronald and I are already divorced."

She was completely absurd.

I rubbed my hand, still throbbing where it had been stepped on.

I found Jenny impossible to stomach. Whether she and Ronald were divorced or not had absolutely nothing to do with me.

Just then, Ellie came in carrying our daughter, Maisie Grant, and all eyes followed. Once they reached the hall, Maisie insisted on getting down from Ellie's arms.

Maisie looked like a doll. The moment she was on her feet, every gaze swung her way. The nanny stayed right on her heels, ready to catch her if she stumbled.

Jenny turned to me without warning and said, "Peter, if you stop being jealous and stop provoking Ronald, I can forgive your three-year disappearance. I'm willing to give you another chance.

"I want to have a child that belongs to us."

I said nothing, trying to catch Ellie's and Maisie's attention through the crowd.

In the end, Ellie came after Maisie, moving right toward me.