But no matter how long we waited, Jenna still didn't show. The guests started whispering among themselves, wondering where the star of the night was. Jenna's parents exchanged awkward glances, and Mom's face showed a hint of worry.

I gently placed my hand over Mom's. This time, I vowed I wouldn't let her or Dad suffer any pain because of me.

After another half hour, the hotel doors finally opened. Everyone's eyes turned to the entrance. My parents even stood up, ready to welcome their future daughter-in-law. Mom held a gift she had prepared and was about to walk to the door. She even gave me a gentle push from behind.

But before she could take a step, she froze.

It was definitely Jenna at the entrance, but she was holding the hand of a foreign man and leaning against him. She didn't need to say anything for everyone to understand their relationship. The man was tall and lean with fair skin. Though of a different race, it was clear to everyone that he was handsome.

Some eyes quietly shifted to me. Sympathy was clear in their gaze. Everyone knew Jenna and I had been engaged since high school. I had waited five long years for her, turning down countless well-off young women, all just to marry her once she finished her studies.

But who could have guessed this? Though she had returned, her heart was already with someone else.

Jenna's parents looked grim, and my parents' expressions darkened.

Jenna's father, Gideon Cooper, pointed at the door and shouted, "Either you make him leave, or both of you get out!"

Jenna gripped that man's hand tightly, not letting go for a second.

Gideon's anger boiled over. Just as he was about to smash his wine glass on the floor, I stopped him and whispered, "Mr. Cooper, don't make things worse."

But Jenna didn't care. She confidently stepped forward, stood in front of Gideon and Erin, and declared loudly, "This is my boyfriend, Simon Collins. He's the only person I want to marry in this life!"

The guests murmured in surprise.

Gideon finally lost it and threw his glass down. "I don't agree! How can you do this to Calvin? He waited for you five whole years!"

I knew mentioning me was just an excuse. He didn't want his daughter to marry a foreigner, and the Coopers still needed Weber Group's support.

In my last life, I was too naive. I was so sure Jenna was meant to be my wife that I tried to win her back without hesitation. But I forgot one thing. What I would end up winning back was either indifference or resentment. She only married me out of pressure, so she was unhappy about it.

She had put on an act for three years, fooling everyone into thinking she was happily mine. Meanwhile, she was secretly eating away at Weber Group, slowly gaining control until everything was ready for the final strike.

She was the perfect hunter, and we were all just her prey.

At that moment, the man beside her asked in broken Ofreinean, "Jenna, you're engaged?"

"Honey, that was arranged by my family. I don't love him. The only one I love is you. The only one I want to marry is you," Jenna replied.

"Oh, I love you too."

They shamelessly showed off their love, making Gideon's anger flare even more.

Just as he was about to flip the table, I held his arm and said, "Mr. Cooper, let's call off the engagement. Jenna has found someone she loves. I'm willing to let her go. From today on, we have nothing to do with each other, and the same goes for our families—"

Before I finished, Gideon snapped, "You can't do that!"

"Well, Mr. Cooper, what do you want me to do? Don't forget, your family's reputation isn't the only thing that matters. My family's pride isn't something to be trampled on either!"

After I finished speaking, I took my parents' hands and turned to leave.

Just then, behind me came a sharp slap, followed by an angry shout. "You're such a disgrace!"

…

Things seemed to have settled after I broke off the engagement, but I knew it was far from over. As long as Cooper Group needed help from Weber Group, Gideon and Erin would never agree to the annulment, and they certainly wouldn't accept Jenna marrying a foreigner.

In my last life, it was because of this pressure that Jenna eventually gave in. Plus, Erin knew how much I cared for Jenna, so she constantly persuaded me.

I had watched her break up with Simon with my own eyes. That man never understood why love alone couldn't hold them together. He tried desperately to win her back but ended up beaten by a group of people. Jenna believed I was behind it all. She blamed everything on me, but I didn't know anything about it.

It turned out it was Gideon, threatening Simon to give up on coming back to Ofrein.

I still remembered the look in Jenna's eyes the day Simon left. It was full of resentment and regret.

I used to think it was just my imagination, but it turned out to be her true feelings.

After that, she went back to acting calm, as if her previous resistance had been fake. She became like any ordinary wife.

I had already been fooled once, so when Erin came around again this time, I refused. I knew Cooper Group needed Weber Group's help, and they wouldn't give up so easily, so I tried to soothe her.

"Marriage and dating are two different things, and there are cultural differences between them. It's better to let them be. Eventually, their feelings will fade, and they'll part naturally. They're in love now. The more we interfere, the stronger their bond grows. It's better to let things take their course."

"You're right. I was overthinking," Erin agreed.

She didn't want to clash with Jenna. Hearing me say that, she naturally assumed I'd wait for Jenna and Simon to split.

I did last time. But why should I do that again this time?

I was the heir to Weber Group. Why should I marry a woman who didn't love me? The Coopers had always been so confident.

Erin patted my shoulder. "You're the bigger person here. I really do see you as a son."

Ha! A son? I bet she wouldn't say that if I weren't the heir to Weber Group.

In my last life, when Jenna did all that, Erin never mentioned the "son" thing. Not once did she mention the help our family had given theirs. Until the very end, Jenna believed it was my family's desperation for their help that made me stubbornly insist on marrying her.

Last time, I was the one who let myself fall so low. But not this time.

In these five years Jenna was abroad, plenty of women from well-matched families had shown an interest in me.

One was Quinn Ford, daughter of Mom's close friend—Kensley Britt—and my junior in college. She had once confessed her feelings to me. I had refused because of my engagement, but honestly, I liked her cheerful, open personality.

When news of my annulled engagement spread, she was the first to rush over. She must have been running too hard because she was still out of breath when she arrived. As soon as she saw me, she ran up and hugged me tight. "Calvin, is it my turn now?"

The last time she told me how she felt, she said she'd wait for me. If I ever broke up with Jenna, she wanted to be the first person I considered.

"Yeah, it's your turn, Quinn. Will you marry me?"

She kept her head down without saying a word. I thought she wouldn't agree.

"If it feels too sudden, we can—"

She lifted her head, stood on tiptoe, and kissed me. After a long moment, she pulled away.

"I do."

Her eyes were red at the corners, and a wave of guilt hit me. I had made her wait too long.

Only now did I realize I had stopped loving Jenna long ago. Waiting for her was just a habit and an obsession. After going through it all, I realized I had already given up on her long ago.

Mom was happy we were together.

After some discussion with our families, we quickly moved on to planning the wedding.

I leaned against the couch, reviewing documents, while Quinn lay across my lap, flipping through a bridal catalog. Though our families agreed the wedding would wait until after Quinn graduated, she strongly opposed it.

"I don't want Calvin to wait anymore, and I don't want to wait either. I just want to marry him. And it's just a wedding. It won't stop me from finishing my studies."

Seeing her determination, our parents gave in.

…

We had many guests at the wedding, but the Coopers weren't invited.

Just as I was about to recite my vows and promise a lifetime together, the doors to the banquet hall suddenly swung open.

Jenna, dressed in a wedding dress, stood before me. "Calvin, if I told you I want to marry you now, would you say yes?"

Before I could even respond, Jenna grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me away. A few guests in the audience stood up, already pulling out their phones to record. I jerked my hand free.

This woman had never learned to care about anyone else's feelings. She discarded me like trash when she didn't want me, then summoned me whenever she did. She had to know life was not that easy.

"Jenna, I don't love you anymore. Please leave. I'm marrying Quinn today," I said.

"You're lying! You waited five years for me. How can you just say you don't love me now?"

How ridiculous!

"You were the one who gave up on me first. Why should I wait around for you after you walked away? Jenna, who do you think you are? What gives you the right to ask me to marry you?"

Jenna asked, "Is it because of her? Is that why you gave up on me and Cooper Group?"

So, it really was about Cooper Group.

I lowered my head and gently kissed Quinn's lips. "See that? This is my wife. Who are you to question me? You're just my ex who cheated on me! Jenna, I stopped loving you a long time ago."

Just then, a sharp slap landed across my cheek.

"Liar!" Jenna shouted.

My head was jerked to the side from the slap. Before I could recover, Quinn stepped forward and slapped Jenna across the face. "Ms. Cooper, you're making a scene at my wedding, and you even slapped my husband. Do you really think my family is powerless?"

Jenna sneered, "Your family? Your family is nothing without the Weber family! Don't act so noble. If they couldn't help your family, would you be so eager to marry him?"

Quinn retorted, "Don't think just because you're evil that everyone else is too. Jenna, thank you for giving Calvin up. Now, he's finally mine, and I love him."

I looked deeply into Quinn's eyes and pulled out the wedding ring I had prepared. Just as I was about to open the box and slip the wedding ring onto her finger, Jenna snatched it from me. She opened the box, revealing a diamond ring with a huge blue diamond in the center. The light hit it, casting a brilliant sparkle.

This was the ring I had prepared for my future wife long ago. And it was what Jenna had always wanted.

She held up the ring. "You're going to give this to her? This was your promise to me!"

Her voice was harsh, and her eyes looked like they were about to burst into flames as she stared at me.

"I made a promise to give this to my wife. You're not her," I said.

I took the ring from her hand and carefully slid it onto Quinn's ring finger before kissing her. At that moment, her eyes sparkled like stars.

"Fine, so you've made up your mind to choose her over me? Just you wait!" Jenna roared. With that, she turned and walked away.