7
The Northgate project was about to break ground, and I was swamped. On top of that, Vera and I were plann ing our wedding, splitting our time in half just to get everything done.
In my rare moments of downtime, I’d see news of Ross and Aria’s public feud all over the internet. Ross was accusing Aria of cheating, even tagging my company’s official social media account in his posts, demanding that I, the “other man,” come forward and apologize.
Their online following was substantial, and for a moment, a wave of vitriol came crashing down on me. Even my company’s stock began to fluctuate.
Aria somehow got my number and started calling me incessantly.
“Fred, I swear I didn’t know Ross was going to do this. I would have stopped him.”
“But things have gotten to this point, and there’s nothing I can do. I don’t want to play his game and drag you through the mud. I think the best solution is for both of us to stay silent and let this blow over.”
I listened impatiently to her useless advice. If my PR department had suggested such a strategy, they would have been fired on the spot.
4/10
16:54
Chapter 2
36:54
“Aria, I don’t care why Ross is lashing out. This is between you two. Settle it yourselves. Don’t drag innocen people into your mess.”
“I am your ex-boyfriend, nothing more. If my company suffers because of this, I don’t think either of you is ir a position to compensate for the damages.”
I hung up before she could reply.
I still had the video from our engagement party. I found the clip of Aria accepting Ross’s proposal and post ed it online, along with a defamation lawsuit against Ross. Hard evidence always trumps empty accusatio
Ross’s account hemorrhaged followers. I heard that his corporate partners were all terminating their contra
cts, demanding he and Aria pay massive breach-of-contract fees.
None of it was my concern. All I cared about was my upcoming wedding and my business.
The penalty fees left Ross and Aria in ruins. Aria’s family business, already a hollow shell on the verge o bankruptcy, certainly couldn’t produce tens of millions. But again, that had nothing to do with me. I was bus choosing tuxedos and waiting for my wedding day.
Vera was by my side almost constantly, her solicitousness so intense I found it a little amusing.
“Vera, you’re hovering. I have no personal space!”
She pinched my nose playfully. “I’m about to be your wife. What do you need personal space for?”
Vera was the complete opposite of Aria. She was intelligent, poised, and fulfilled every desire I ever had for
partner. Her only flaw was that she was a bit clingy.
But I loved it.
There was no question about Ross’s fate. His online slander had caused a significant public disturbance, and
his sentence was severe. Compounded by his inability to pay the contract penalties, he was looking at seve
rál extra years behind bars.
As for Aria, she had to liquidate every last family asset to cover her portion of the fees. Her family’s compa
ny officially went bankrupt.
Vera and I acquired what was left of it.
By the time the dust settled, it was the day before our wedding. As I was getting ready, I had a fleeting, absu-
rd thought: in a way, Aria’s family had given us a wedding gift.
The ceremony was perfect. A magnificent venue, a breathtaking bride. As the wedding march began, Vera
placed her hand in mine.
But just as I was about to slip the ring on her finger, Aria appeared.
She stood at the entrance, dressed in a lavish wedding gown, holding a bouquet of vibrant red roses. Her
5/10
16:54
Chapter 2
eyes were filled with a look of love and longing.
“Fred,” she called out, “I was too young and foolish before. I didn’t know how to cherish what I had. But I’ve grown up now. Will you give me another chance?”
“I know it might be too late to say this, but what if… what if you’ve been waiting for me all this time?”
“Will you give me a chance to be your bride again?”
I stared at her, at her confident expression, and was momentarily speechless. This was exactly what Ross had done at our engagement party. The fact that she could now pull the exact same stunt… they really were
a matched set.
The guests were stunned, especially those who had been at the disastrous engagement party three years
ago.
Aria continued her impassioned monologue. “I was blind before to think Ross was better.”
“Now that I’ve seen the world, I know that only you can give me the warmth of a home. Fred, come with me We’re meant to be.”
I held Vera’s hand tighter, my brow furrowed. “Aria, this is my wedding. If you’re here to offer your congratula tions, I’ll have a seat arranged for you. If you continue with this nonsense, don’t blame me for having you
thrown out.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Fred, if you didn’t love me, why would you wait three years to get married? Can you honestly say you weren’t waiting for me at all during that time?”
“You’re still obsessed with me, so I came back. Why don’t we just let everything go back to the way it’s supp-
osed to be?”
She was becoming more and more agitated, her face flushing red.
Vera calmly signaled for security. As they dragged Aria away, she continued to scream.
‘Vera, Fred was engaged to me! Don’t you feel pathetic marrying him now?”
‘You two will never be happy! Two people who only care about money! Your life together will be boring and
meaningless! You’ll never be happy!”
Her words made my chest tighten with a rage so intense I wanted to run over and kick her. What was wrong
with this person? When things were going her way, she thought the world revolved around her. And when
things weren’t, she still thought the world should revolve around her. As if the entire universe existed solely
for her.
