At a company team-building event, during the fireworks show, my fiancée’s adorable assistant, Charlie Harbor, knelt on one knee in public, holding out a diamond ring he had prepared.

“Liliana Warner, marry me.”

He proposed to my fiancée right in front of me and my colleagues merely glanced at me before turning away, as if I were invisible.

“Marry him, marry him.”

As I stepped forward, Charlie shot me a provocative look. “You’re not even married yet. Trash like you doesn’t deserve Liliana.”

I stared at Liliana. “We’re not married yet, so you still have the right to choose. Choose—me or him.”

——

There was a moment of silence.

“What makes you think Liliana will choose you? Because you’re uneducated? Or because you’re a guard dog?” Charlie looked at me with smug disdain and laughter erupted from the crowd.

“Choose you? Why don’t you go look in the mirror and get a reality check? If it weren’t for Mrs. Warner, you wouldn’t even be a security guard.”

“That’s right. You relied on connections to become a security captain and now you shamelessly ask if she should pick you?”

At that moment, my colleagues all tried to flatter Charlie, fawning over him.

I said nothing more, quietly waiting for Liliana’s response. I had gotten engaged to her only because her grandfather had personally begged me. We agreed to cultivate our relationship for three years and if feelings developed, we would marry. But for those three years, I had failed to melt the ice around her.

Liliana didn’t speak, but she responded with action. She reached out her hand—to Charlie. Charlie placed the diamond ring on her finger and the two of them kissed, as though I didn’t exist.

I watched them calmly. I wasn’t sure if they were deliberately trying to disgust me, but the kiss dragged on. For three years, Liliana had constantly tested my boundaries, never keeping her distance from other men. I had grown used to it. I just felt numb.

After they finally pulled apart, Charlie looked at me and said, “Why don’t you leave already? Still waiting for an invitation to the wedding?”

I walked over to Liliana, took off my watch and handed it to her, “This is your engagement gift to me. Please return yours to me.”

Three years ago, at her grandfather’s suggestion, Liliana and I had exchanged watches as a symbol of our commitment.

“Anything you’ve worn is disgusting,” Charlie scoffed, shoving my hand aside. “Just deal with it yourself.”

“As for the watch Liliana wore, you’re not even qualified to take it back.” Charlie turned toward Liliana.

Understanding what he meant, Liliana took the engagement watch I had given her from her bag and handed it to Charlie. She had only worn it when seeing her grandfather and usually kept it tucked away.

Charlie flung the watch into the nearby lake, “You want a broken watch back? You’ll only ever be a clown.”

I looked at him calmly, “I suggest you go get that watch and pray it’s undamaged. Otherwise, even if I sold you, you couldn’t afford the cost.”

“A fake watch?” Charlie sneered. “You really think you’re the mysterious owner of a priceless timepiece?”

“Do you even know why Liliana hated you from the start? It’s because you gave her a fake watch. If it had been a cheap knockoff, that would’ve been fine. But no—you had to buy her a high-end replica of a world-famous brand for fifteen thousand. Do you know how long people laughed at her for that?”

“That’s because you don’t understand the value of things,” I said, unfazed. “I bought that watch for fifteen thousand. You’d better go retrieve it.”

“Listen, Liliana is the CEO, so sure, he can be the security captain,” Charlie said with exaggerated sarcasm. The colleagues nearby laughed loudly.

"Shane, I know you like me, but love can't be forced. I don't know how you convinced my grandfather to get engaged to you, but arranged marriages are outdated now."

Liliana looked at me and continued, "I never liked you from the beginning. The man I, Liliana, want could never be an ordinary person like you."

"Now leave! Stop embarrassing yourself here." She shouted at me.

I hold back my anger as I said, "Liliana, let me clarify a fact. It was your grandfather who begged me to get engaged to you."

I spoke firmly, "Secondly, I truly tried to nurture our relationship, but over the past three years... you’ve turned a blind eye to my efforts. Relationships are a two-way street. You never broke into my heart either. I can’t say I love you; I was merely honoring a promise to your grandfather."

"Your efforts?" Liliana scoffed. "You mean you accompany my grandfather to farm, drink and play chess with him to please him and then let him manipulate my feelings?"

She said impatiently, "Alright, you say you contributed—fine, that’s your contribution. I know you want to save face, so whatever you say, it is what it is. You can pretend you never liked me. Okay, now leave."

If it weren’t for that watch, I wouldn’t have wasted my time here. "You and Charlie are together now. Let’s not discuss our relationship—this isn’t about you and me anymore." I turned my gaze to Charlie. "You threw my watch into the lake. I’ll have it appraised and you’ll compensate me accordingly."

"I’m giving you a favor, huh?" Charlie’s expression grew colder. "You’re a piece of trash whose entire outfit doesn’t even cost five hundred dollars and you're trying to extort money from me?"

"Didn’t you say you bought a world-famous watch worth fifteen thousand? As long as you can provide receipts and invoices, I’ll compensate you—not just fifteen thousand, but three hundred million. But let’s be honest. If you can’t provide those things..."

Charlie paused, grabbed a paper cup, filled it halfway with wine and spat into it. He then had his colleagues do the same until the cup was halfway full. He glared at me. "If you can’t show a receipt or anything to prove the watch’s value, drink this. Do you dare?"

"Okay," I replied, pulling out my phone. I wasn’t affected by Liliana and Charlie being together, but that watch held deep significance.

I had paid a high price for it because of someone and it was that person’s wish that I gave it to Liliana.

Now that Liliana and I were no longer together, I naturally had to take it back. Charlie had to compensate me for the damage.

Seeing me make the call, Charlie sneered, "You’re good at pretending. Who do you think he’s calling? I don’t even see him dialing."

"Charlie, I think there should be a time limit. Without one, this drink will become stale."

After I ended the call, Charlie spoke again, "When will your people arrive?"

"One hour at most."

"I’ll give you two hours. Whether your people arrive or not, drink this glass."

"Okay," I agreed easily. "If I provide all the invoices and receipts, you’ll pay what you owe."

"Don’t worry, just show me the invoice and receipt for your watch and I’ll give you ten bucks."

While we waited, Charlie and Liliana played games with their colleagues. I was, of course, excluded. Charlie had just delivered an ultimatum.

When the time came, not only would I have to drink that vile cup, I’d likely be fired as well.

Then a rumbling echoed across the sky. I glanced at the time. Only forty minutes had passed since my call.

I looked up at the rapidly approaching helicopter. Everyone’s eyes turned toward it and as it landed nearby, it drew even more attention.

"That's what rich people do, traveling by helicopter," a colleague sighed.

When the passenger disembarked, Charlie's eyes lit up with excitement. "Liliana, look! It's the chairman of the Eternal Group. I didn't expect him to be here. This is a great opportunity to make connections."

"As soon as I approach—no matter what group’s chairman—they’ll be captivated by my charisma and become my friend," Liliana said confidently.

Time was eternal, forging legends. The Eternal Group, with its century-long legacy, was not only a prestigious domestic watchmaker but also a global industry leader. My watch was a custom-made model from the Eternal Group.

Liliana’s family was in the beauty industry. Thanks to my discreet support and the numerous formulas I provided, their company had grown from a startup to going public within just three years—becoming a celebrated name in the domestic market. But even so, compared to the Eternal Group, the Warner Family's scale still fell short.

Naturally, Liliana wanted to form ties with such a powerful figure. Traveling together in the same place was, to her, a sign of fate. She and Charlie walked together toward Mr. Jameson. Liliana had enjoyed smooth sailing over the years and her confidence was unshaken. Because at previous banquets, anyone she wanted to meet had always welcomed her.

She believed that if they had lived in the same city, they would have already become friends—just like in Jordan City, where all the influential figures she once admired had eventually become part of her social circle. No one had ever refused her. She was certain this encounter would be no different.

"Hello, Mr. Jameson," Liliana extended her hand with poise. "I'm Liliana, the eternally youthful CEO of Jordan City."

Mr. Jameson took Liliana's hand in both of his, "I've heard of you for a long time. They say there's a legendary female CEO in Jordan City. I’ve always wanted to visit her, but I heard she had been seriously ill and only recovered this year. I didn’t expect to meet you here—what a blessing."

Mr. Jameson's demeanor was humble—just like the other influential figures Liliana had met before. Her coworkers had grown used to seeing her receive such admiration, but Mr. Jameson’s reputation was so renowned that even those watching remained stunned. Everyone said Liliana was a legend, but no one expected she’d be so well-regarded that Mr. Jameson himself would act so respectfully.

Liliana stood even taller. She introduced Mr. Jameson to Charlie, who stood beside her.

She said clearly, "Mr. Jameson, this is my fiancé, Charlie."

Mr. Jameson's expression shifted slightly at her words. His warmth faded as Charlie extended his hand and he returned it with only a brief, polite shake. Subconsciously, he glanced in my direction, his eyes filled with puzzlement.

Charlie said, "It seems Mr. Jameson also knows about Liliana and Shane, but that’s all in the past."

"Oh, right," Charlie added, thinking of the watch. "Mr. Jameson, if I remember correctly, your company’s Eternal Love watch sold for a whopping fifteen thousand dollars."

"This guy named Shane even bought a high-end replica for Liliana. I just tossed it into the lake and now he’s demanding fifteen thousand dollars in compensation."

"He even had the nerve to call your company just now, asking for the receipt and invoice," Charlie said, looking smug.

Charlie turned to Mr. Jameson. "I figure you probably know who actually bought the Eternal Love watch. Was it Shane?"

He glanced at me provocatively.