"Renee," my fiancé, Wesley Thornton, said, his voice void of all warmth. "I'm calling off the engagement."

Ten years. In a single, cold breath, he shattered it all.

His reason? I was just an ordinary girl from a humble background, unworthy of the glittering future he had planned for himself.

"Why?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Your background doesn't fit with where I'm going," he said, unable to meet my eyes. "My boss just approved my marriage to his daughter, Cassidy. It'll make me a partner at the firm."

A sharp pain tore through my chest, so intense it felt like my soul was being ripped in two.

I collapsed to the ground in agony, gasping for breath.

"Cassidy's father is the CEO of Sterling Holdings," Wesley said, looking down at me without a hint of guilt. "This will get me everything I want."

"You said..." I gritted my teeth against the searing pain. "You said you'd spend the rest of your life with me."

"I was young and naive then," Wesley replied, already turning away. "The engagement party is in three days. I advise you not to cause any trouble."

The streetlight cast a cold glow on his departing figure.

I watched him stride away, my fingers instinctively clutching the music box pendant—the only memento my mother had left me.

An encrypted message arrived on my phone.

"Renee, this is Shane, your brother. I've been looking for you for twenty years."

"A black card with no spending limit is on its way. The full resources of the Amberclaw Group are yours to command. Whatever trouble you're in, I've got your back."

I stared at the screen. The Amberclaw Group? The most powerful family in New York City?

Another message quickly popped up.

"I'll come to pick you up in three days. Wait for me."

My finger hovered over the delete button.

This had to be a scam. I was just an orphan. How could I possibly have a brother from the Amberclaw Group?

Just then, a voice message from Wesley arrived.

"Renee, for old times' sake, after the engagement party, I'll rent an apartment for you in Queens so you won't be out on the street."

He wanted me to watch him get engaged to another woman and expect me to be grateful for his charity.

I blocked Wesley's contact and then changed the name of the stranger's number in my phone to "Shane."

My fingers trembling, I typed out a single word. "Okay."

————————

1

Three days later, Wesley and Cassidy held their engagement party at the Plaza Hotel.

I saw him approaching, Cassidy on his arm. The ceremony had just ended, and now, champagne flutes clinked as guests mingled at the reception.

Three days had passed, and the flicker of guilt he might have once felt was completely gone, replaced by a smug satisfaction. He looked like he had just closed the deal of a lifetime.

Cassidy, clinging to his arm, glided across the ballroom, basking in the envious gazes of the crowd.

I stood alone in a corner, wearing a simple black dress.

It was the nicest dress I owned, yet in this lavish setting, it looked painfully plain.

"You don't look so well," Cassidy cooed, her voice dripping with false concern. Her eyes raked over my simple dress, a sneer playing on her lips. "Still not over it? I imagine the last few days must have been just awful for you."

I remained silent.

Then, I caught a familiar scent—"Midnight Bloom."

My heart clenched. I knew that scent all too well.

I had spent three whole months creating it, using the rarest Grasse roses, iris, and aged oud. Every drop of essential oil was extracted by my own hands, and every blend carried my deepest hopes.

It was meant for our wedding, infused with all my dreams for our future together.

And now, another woman was wearing it.

But the cruelest cut wasn't just that she was wearing it. My unique perfumer's signature had been erased. Every trace of my artistry was deliberately stripped away, turning my creation completely into hers.

"That's a lovely fragrance," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. "It's very unique."

Cassidy smiled smugly, deliberately twirling to let the scent diffuse further. "Thank you. Wesley said you made it. I thought it was decent enough, so I decided to use it."

She looked at me with undisguised contempt. "Honestly, the formula is a little simple. No real depth. So typical of people from small towns—always seeking attention in the most basic, desperate ways."

I felt my blood boil.

Cassidy hadn't just stolen my creation—she was insulting it to my face, relishing in making me feel small.

"Renee's perfumery skills do need improvement," Wesley interjected calmly, ignoring the fury in my eyes. "After all, people from small towns have limited exposure and access to top-tier ingredients and techniques."

The guests around us began to whisper. Some snickered, others shook their heads. They looked at me with a mixture of pity and ridicule, as if I were a clown who didn't know her place.

My nails dug into my palms, the sharp sting keeping me grounded, preventing me from losing control.

None of them knew that I had spent all my savings on that bottle of perfume. I had earned the money for those rare ingredients by creating custom scents for different clients. I had worked day and night, experimenting until I finally perfected it.

I did it all because Wesley's family had taken me in when I was a child, giving me what felt like a home.

I believed that once we were married, we would spend our lives together.

Those sleepless nights had culminated in a scent meant only for our wedding. And now, another woman was wearing it.

"Renee," Wesley said suddenly, his tone formal and detached. "I've already arranged a place for you to stay. You'll be in a small company apartment in Queens."

I knew exactly what kind of apartment he was talking about. It was the temporary housing the company used for new employees—small and remote.

The apartment was located next to a highway, noisy and old. The air was stagnant, and mold crept up the corners of the walls.

For a spirit already crushed by betrayal, living there would be a slow, suffocating torture.

Wesley continued, "Even though we're no longer engaged, for old times' sake, I'll make sure you have a place in New York. You can stay on as my friend. I'll take care of you."

There it was again. He wanted me to stand here, watch him get engaged to another woman, and be grateful for his scraps.

Everyone was looking at me. They were waiting for me to be overcome with gratitude, to kneel and thank him, to accept his so-called charity.

They were waiting to see me surrender to my fate.

I took a deep breath, a fire igniting in my chest.

Then, I lifted my head and met his gaze.

"No, thank you," I said, my voice clear and firm, cutting through the noise of the ballroom. "I have a place to go. I'm leaving New York tonight."

A dead silence fell over the ballroom.

Wesley's face darkened, a flash of surprise and annoyance in his eyes.

"Renee, don't be childish." His voice carried an unmistakable note of impatience. "You're not stable right now. You need someone to look after you. I'm making these arrangements for your own good."

"I said I don't need it," I replied, my voice steady. "I can handle my own affairs."

A murmur spread through the guests. Clearly, none of them had expected me to refuse Wesley's "kindness" in public.

In their eyes, a jilted woman with nothing to her name being offered a place to stay by her ex was a tremendous favor.

"What do you mean by that?" Cassidy snapped, her voice sharp. "Wesley is being kind enough to arrange a place for you, and someone with nothing to her name has the audacity to be picky?"

"I'm not being picky," I said coolly. "I'm refusing."

"Refusing?" Wesley's voice rose, laced with anger. "You're nobody, Renee. Where could you possibly go if you leave New York? Are you trying to ruin my party?"

Those words stabbed into my chest like a knife.

It was always the same insult—that I was just an ordinary girl. A nobody.

To them, that label was my entire identity. It was proof of my inferiority, the excuse they used to justify every insult and humiliation.

"Wesley is right," a sharp female voice interjected.

Cassidy's sister, Veronica Sterling, sauntered over. She was just as arrogant and cruel as Cassidy, draped in an expensive, custom-made gown.

"A gold digger trying to climb the social ladder really thinks she's something, doesn't she?" Veronica sneered, her tone venomous. "What, you think playing hard to get will get his attention? That Wesley will suddenly change his mind? Don't make me laugh."

I clenched my fists, feeling my nails dig deep into my palms. I bit my lip, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

"Veronica," Cassidy said, feigning conciliation, but her eyes glinted with triumph. "Even if her circumstances are unfortunate, we shouldn't hurt her feelings like this."

Veronica let out a loud scoff for everyone to hear. "If she had any dignity, she wouldn't still be standing here. She's been officially dumped, and she still has the nerve to show up at her ex's engagement party. Does she have any shame at all?"

The whispers grew louder.

Some snickered, others shook their heads. Many looked at me with a mixture of pity and contempt.

Every glance was like a knife, every laugh like salt on my open wounds.

An older woman sighed and said, "Young girls these days have no sense of propriety."

Another man chimed in, "Exactly. He's made it clear he wants nothing to do with her, yet she's still clinging on. It's so embarrassing."

I wanted to argue, to tell them the truth. But my throat felt locked, and not a single word would come out.

Just then, Veronica's expression changed. Her eyes lit up with excitement. She looked almost ecstatic, as if she had just won the lottery.

"Oh! I almost forgot—I have the most incredible news to announce!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chatter and capturing everyone's attention. "Everyone, I have something thrilling to share with you all!"

The ballroom quieted down, and all eyes turned to her.

She raised her glass, her smile radiant. "Our Sterling family is about to enter a landmark partnership with the Amberclaw Group! And I will be marrying its CEO, Shane Amberclaw! The wedding is next month!"

The room erupted in a chorus of murmurs.

The Amberclaw Group was the top conglomerate in New York. Its CEO, Shane Amberclaw, was a business legend, his name spoken with a sense of awe.

Guests swarmed Veronica, congratulating her, flattering her, desperate to get a piece of this connection.

"That's incredible!"

"Congratulations!"

"Veronica, you're so lucky!"

Greed flickered in Wesley's eyes. He immediately abandoned Cassidy and strode toward Veronica. "This is fantastic news! Veronica, if you need anything at all, Sterling Holdings is ready to assist!"

Everyone crowded around Veronica, praising her, fawning over her, as if she were now the most important person in the room.

No one looked at me anymore.

I stood alone in the corner, completely forgotten. It was as if I didn't exist.

Their snobbery and cold-heartedness were on full display.

"Renee, this is a happy occasion for the Sterling family," Wesley said coldly, without even looking at me, his tone a warning. "Behave yourself. Don't make a scene here."

I looked at Wesley's excited expression and how he unabashedly flattered Veronica. A deep chill ran through me.

This was the man who had once sworn eternal loyalty to me.

When it came to his own interests, he couldn't even be bothered to pretend anymore.

"I'm not making a scene," I said coldly. "The engagement is off. There's nothing between us anymore, and it's perfectly reasonable for me to refuse your arrangements."

Wesley's head snapped toward me, his expression darkening. "Renee, are you jealous or something? You can't stand to see others doing better than you, can you?"

"Jealous?" I couldn't help but laugh mockingly. "Jealous of what? Your sham of a relationship, or your blatant business transaction?"

The guests immediately started whispering again, their gazes shifting to me.

"What did you just say?" Cassidy snapped. "Renee, you're crossing a line!"

"Pushing my luck?" I scanned the room, looking at the well-dressed people around me. "I'm just telling the truth."

"You're calling us a sham?" Wesley strode toward me, his eyes filled with a warning. "Renee, your behavior tonight has been a huge disappointment. You're just jealous that I found someone who's right for me, jealous that my life is better than yours!"