His Engagement Partner is Not Me

On the day the Carter Family fell into ruin, Richard Parker rescued me from it and brought me into his home.

For ten years, he spoiled me without reserve, turning me into the most dazzling little princess of the elite social circle in Washington. I thought his affection would last forever—until that night when everything changed. He came home drunk and had a wild and crazy night with me.

He came home drunk and in the haze of that night, we shared a fleeting moment of passion.

Seizing that moment, I confessed the love I had buried deep within me for years. But instead of joy, I was met with disgust.

He thought I had schemed, drugged him and trapped him in my bed. “Shameless,” he spat. The following day, he announced his engagement to Winnie Blake, his beloved first love, crushing any hopes I’d ever had.

People around me thought I would be the same as usual and make a big mess. But this time, I remained silent. Quietly, I terminated the pregnancy I’d just discovered. And on his wedding day, I disappeared without a word, leaving behind the life I had dreamed of sharing with him.

——

The day I found out I was pregnant was also the day I received Richard’s wedding invitation. The golden embossed lettering on the card burned my chest like a hot iron. I crumpled the pregnancy test report and threw it into the trash.

As I turned away, I heard a petite female voice behind me.

“Richard, stop touching me like that! There are kids around,” Winnie giggled playfully.

My whole body went rigid, drained of strength. But through the reflection in the glass window, I saw them— walking hand in hand, so close it made my heart ache. He was still wearing the scarlet tie I had picked out for him earlier. My heart sank, almost rolling down in tears.

For years, ‘Richard’ had been a name that only I dared to call him. To everyone else, he was the proud heir of the Parker Family, a figure to be addressed respectfully as ‘President Parker’. But I had never been afraid of him.

From the first time we met, I refused to call him ‘uncle’ or ‘president’. Even though he was eight years older, I stubbornly called him by his first name.

“Richard,” I had said, daring to be different.

At that time, everyone had thought he would get angry. But he only smiled and pinched my cheek. “As long as you’re happy, Lily, you can call me whatever you like.”

At the time, I thought fate had only granted me a fleeting connection with him. But then tragedy struck—my parents passed away and the Carter Family went bankrupt. Overnight, those who once affectionately called me “Lily” turned into predators, circling me with fabricated debts, ready to devour me whole.

When I was at the end of my rope, Richard rushed into the Carter Family and protected me. “Don’t be afraid, Lily,” he said gently. “I’ll take you home.”

From that day forward, I was no longer the first daughter of the Carter Family but the cherished jewel in Richard Parker’s world. He, usually cold and reserved, went out of his way to make me feel safe. He painted my bedroom pink and connected it to his with a door, left ajar so I would never feel alone. My room overflowed with the finest clothes and jewelry; his care filled every corner of my life.

But the dream shattered on that fateful night. In his drunken state, he gave me a glimpse of a love I had longed for. But when he woke up, he destroyed everything with his cold eyes and cruel words.

“How did I end up raising someone as shameless as you?” he sneered. “You make me sick. You schemed me!”

He ordered the door between our rooms sealed. Then, without hesitation, he proposed to Winnie—the one thing I had dreamed of all my life but would never have: a rightful place by his side as his wife.

At that moment, I finally understood. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in marriage; he just didn’t want me.

From then on, I was no longer the proud mistress of that house. Winnie uprooted the flowers I had planted, destroyed the swing he built for me and spent sleepless nights flaunting her intimacy with him, her moans echoing through the walls.

That was the night I called my second uncle, who had settled overseas. I accepted his offer to take over the family business abroad.

“Lily, I regret turning my back on your family all those years ago. I don’t expect forgiveness, nor do I ask you to take care of me in my final days. All I want is for you to manage the family’s legacy after I’m gone.”

“I’ll do it,” I said without hesitation. “There’s nothing left for me here.”

Once, I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Richard. But now, I was nothing more than a stain on his life, something he couldn’t wait to forget. Leaving was my only option.

Before I left, I just wanted to say a proper goodbye.