My fiancee fell in love with a broke student she's been sponsoring. She insists on breaking off our engagement no matter what. She turns a deaf ear to all the advice friends and family give her.

My father gets so worked up that his blood pressure skyrockets. Meanwhile, my mother comes close to fainting and almost ends up in the hospital. My family becomes a laughingstock among the elite overnight.

But no one realizes that we're already discussing countermeasures.

My mother pulls out her phone. "Why don't we set you up with the most beautiful woman in Seabrook?"

My father says coldly, "End the partnership. Cut off the one-billion-dollar support fees to her family."

My lips curl into a smile. "Mind if I handle both myself?"

Three months later, I hosted a dinner party in my honor to formally announce my engagement to Seabrook's most beautiful woman. Those present were all prominent figures, many of whom were childhood friends of mine.

I had been so caught up with work throughout the years that I rarely showed up to gatherings like this. So, I had drifted apart from many old friends. I took this opportunity to catch up with the people I hadn't seen in a long time.

They all showed sympathy over my past relationship with Vivian Saddler.

I smiled with ease. "It's all in the past. If she has found happiness, then I'm happy for her."

My friends called me a fool and advised me to be less accommodating.

But I knew that my father was about to cut off all financial support to Saddler Group. All I needed to do now was appear generous.

Suddenly, the doors to the banquet hall swung open. A familiar figure appeared in the glare of the light. I took a closer look and confirmed that the people at the door were my ex-fiancee and her current boyfriend.

The atmosphere around us suddenly grew awkward. Everyone scrambled to comfort me by making small talk.

Whispers quickly spread.

"What is she doing here?"

"She's got some nerve!"

"The one next to her must be that gold digger. He's nothing compared to Mr. Griffith!"

I waved a hand to signal to my friends that I was fine.

Then, I walked up to Vivian with a smile and politely extended my hand. "Welcome, Ms. Saddler. I apologize for not arranging for someone to receive you."

Vivian seemed taken aback for a moment before she shook my hand.

I graciously introduced her to the crowd, saying, "This is Ms. Saddler of Saddler Group. I believe everyone here knows her. The one next to her is her boyfriend, Wyatt Jefferson, a student she once sponsored…"

For a moment, Vivian couldn't tell whether I was being genuine in disregarding the past or intentionally making her look bad.

After a few quick greetings, she and Wyatt found seats in a corner. I walked over with some friends in tow. "You seem ill at ease today, Ms. Saddler. We're all friends here. How about a few drinks?"

It was clear that Vivian wanted to decline. But my friends didn't give her a chance to do so. Instead, they egged her on. "Surely, you wouldn't leave Mr. Griffith hanging, Ms. Saddler?"

The only reason Vivian had shown up to the dinner party was because Griffith Corporation had rapidly developed in the two years since I took over. It had become the most dominant conglomerate in Seabrook. Meanwhile, Saddler Group was still on shaky ground.

If my father hadn't been helping them all these years out of respect for the engagement between our families, Saddler Group would've gone under long ago.

Early last year, Saddler Group's cash flow collapsed. If it weren't for my father stepping in with one billion dollars to bail them out, Saddler Group wouldn't even be around today.

What the Saddler family was most worried about right now was whether or not my father would pull the funding now that Vivian and I had called off our engagement.

Three months had passed. While my father had yet to take any action, Saddler Group was already in a state of panic.

Many longtime employees of Saddler Group had already jumped ship to Griffith Corporation.

Vivian was here today to gauge where I stood and to try to smooth things over with Griffith Corporation. She had no choice but to drink. She downed one glass after another. Beside her, Wyatt's expression darkened.

I raised my glass and gave it a slight tilt toward Wyatt. Vivian quickly grabbed his arm. "Wyatt, Saddler Group is where it is today thanks to the support of Mr. Griffith's family. Have a drink with him."

Wyatt came from a humble background. Of course, he wouldn't know how things worked in business dealings. Right now, all he cared about were his emotions. He shook off Vivian's hand and left.

Vivian apologized repeatedly, "Mr. Griffith, Wyatt has been feeling under the weather recently. Please forgive him."

One of my friends spoke up in my defense. "Who does Wyatt think he is? He turned down a toast from Mr. Griffith?"

I waved my hand dismissively and smiled. "Forget it. He's just a kid who doesn't know any better. Given Griffith Corporation's reputation, it'd be beneath me to make a fuss over something so trivial."

Vivian repeatedly thanked me, her gaze apologetic. Then, she hurried out after Wyatt.

I had never been a fan of these types of occasions. So, after checking in with a few friends, I stepped out into the garden to get some fresh air. That was where I happened to catch Vivian trying to calm Wyatt down.

She pleaded helplessly, "Wyatt, we can't afford to offend Griffith Corporation. Please try to understand where I'm coming from."

Wyatt, who had climbed his way into high society, replied arrogantly, "Why would Saddler Group be afraid of Griffith Corporation? Saddler Group would be better off without them!"

I lowered my head and chuckled. His arrogance and ignorance amused me. It was true that Saddler Group's legacy went back further than Griffith Corporation's own. In terms of years, Saddler Group was three times as old as Griffith Corporation.

Griffith Corporation was a business that my father built from scratch. Perhaps it was luck that allowed Griffith Corporation's reach to expand to its current level.

On the other hand, ever since Vivian's father took over Saddler Group, its reputation was all that remained. The company had been in decline due to poor management and an obsolete corporate structure. In truth, it had become an empty shell.

Vivian's father had originally planned to hand Saddler Group over to me once our families were tied in marriage. But that seemed unlikely to happen now.

At this point, they were just barely hanging on and surviving one day at a time.

If my father pulled his investment, Saddler Group would never be able to recover. They could even end up drowning in massive debt.

Vivian seemed flustered when she noticed me approaching. "Please don't take it the wrong way, Mr. Griffith. Wyatt didn't mean anything by it."

Hearing my ex-fiancee constantly referring to me as "Mr. Griffith" while making excuses for another man felt a bit strange. Still, I no longer cared. Instead, I comforted her. "Wyatt is just getting started with business matters. Give him some time. He'll adjust."

Vivian seemed surprised.

Wyatt screamed at me, his expression resentful, "Quit pretending to be the nice guy, Lucian Griffith! I know you're still hung up on Vivian. But her heart belongs to me now!"

Without giving me a chance to respond, Wyatt stormed off.

I gave Vivian a helpless smile. "Kids really are more interesting than business types like me. How cute."

Vivian relaxed a little and joked, "You're no ordinary businessman, Mr. Griffith. You're the textbook definition of an intimidating CEO."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you seem to think quite highly of me, Ms. Saddler!"

Vivian gave a bitter smile. "I was the one who didn't know how to cherish what I had… How have you been lately?"

I smiled at her as gently as I used to. "Me? I'd say I'm doing slightly better than you."

Just then, the host's voice rang out inside the banquet hall.

I glanced at Vivian. "The banquet's about to start. Let's go."

This banquet was meant for my engagement announcement. I wasn't going to hold it up for Vivian's sake.

On the way back to the banquet hall with her, a smirk tugged at my lips. The show was just getting started.

I stood at the center of the stage as Yvonne Stauffer, the most stunning woman in Seabrook, descended the spiral staircase in a couture gown. She stepped up onto the stage and gently took my arm. I gazed at her with nothing but love in my eyes. That affection was perhaps more than I had ever shown Vivian in the past.

I lightly patted her hand to reassure her, then turned to face the guests. "I'd like to introduce my fiancee to everyone. This is Yvonne Stauffer."

Yvonne smiled shyly as she raised her hand in greeting. "It's nice to meet everyone."

The guests erupted in applause. "She's so much better than Vivian Saddler!"

"Honestly, Vivian had no idea how good she had it. Mr. Griffith could've had anyone he wanted. She really blew it!"

I cleared my throat. "I'll be sending out wedding invitations soon. I hope everyone will be able to attend."

Amid the cheers, my eyes found Vivian in the audience. Her expression had changed drastically. It was as if she had been struck.

Just as I expected, I hadn't even made it home before I received a text message from Vivian. "I didn't think you'd be getting married so soon, Lucian. Congratulations!"

I calmly adjusted my glasses. "I won't be around to look after you anymore. Take care of yourself. Your back acts up when it rains, so remember to apply a hot compress when it happens. You always suffer from migraines too. Don't forget to keep your medication by your bedside…"

I replied with a message I had prepared long ago.

There was no reply from her for a long while. Perhaps she was reminiscing about the kindness I had once shown her.

I didn't think much of it. After getting home and taking a shower, I went straight to bed.

When I checked my phone the next morning, I realized that Vivian had sent me a text in the middle of the night. "I was the one who failed you. If I were given a second chance, I'd marry you. But I guess it's all too late now…"

I stretched. Everything was going exactly as planned. "Let the past stay in the past. After all that time together, we can still be friends even if we can't be lovers."

Vivian seemed to have not slept a wink. Before I could even put away my phone, she replied to my text. "Yeah! We'll always be the best of friends!"

I shook my head. Vivian was too easy to fool. It was no wonder Wyatt had her eating out of his hand. I must've been too sincere with her! She was the kind of woman who followed whoever said the right words to her.

I set my phone aside and looked at Yvonne, who was still asleep beside me. A deep sense of peace settled over me.

In terms of family background and beauty, she far outshone Vivian. Yet, she was somehow more innocent and kinder than Vivian.

We had only known each other for three months. But things between us felt effortless when I was with her.

Perhaps she was the one for me.