My Fiancée Wants to Nourish Her First Love

To nourish her first love, Grayson Lane, Joyce Patel stewed my beloved pet, a snake.

Her best friend Mollie Spence asked her, "Aren't you afraid Colten will be angry? That snake was left by his dad!"

Joyce scoffed, lifting her chin proudly to look at me.

"Just him? He's nothing but a simp to me, just like a loyal dog I raised, so how dare he get mad at me?"

I nodded coldly and slapped her across the face.

In front of everyone, I tore the wedding invitation to shreds.

"I'm not marrying you."

——

I stood there with red eyes, breathing heavily as I glared at Joyce.

"You stewed the snake I raised for Grayson?

"Didn't you know that was left to me by my dad?"

I grew up in a single-parent family. Three years ago, a fire took my dad's life.

The little black snake was my dad's only legacy.

Fury coursed through me as I stood in front of the table, and the living room plunged into silence, the atmosphere tense.

Joyce's friend Mollie couldn't hold back any longer. Mollie cautiously looked at me and then pulled Joyce, who was sitting next to her first love Grayson.

"Joyce, you should apologize to Colten.

"I told you before, Colten would be angry. That snake was left by his dad."

Seeing my gloomy face, Joyce showed no concern; instead, she looked down on me, chin raised.

"Colten, who are you trying to impress with this act?

"It's just a snake. Grayson had an accident and doesn't feel well. What's wrong with me making something nutritious for him?

"Can't you be a bit less petty? You're embarrassing me."

She furrowed her brows, scolding me impatiently, implying that I was being unreasonable.

Hearing her words, I froze.

Even now, Joyce wasn't thinking about how to apologize but was busy playing the victim.

She openly defended Grayson, while subtly accusing me.

I couldn't believe she was my fiancee, with whom I had been for three years, soon to be married.

Right in front of me, she was defending another man, and I couldn't imagine how many times she had cheated on me behind my back.

I felt pathetic as a man.

The fire inside me blazed, and I couldn't hold back any longer. I laughed in anger.

"Joyce, you're stomping on my pride.

"I'll only ask you here in front of everyone. Grayson or me? Who do you choose?"

Joyce hesitated, clearly not expecting me to be so serious.

Mollie sensed the tension and quickly urged her to apologize to me.

Joyce's expression wavered, and she was about to speak.

Suddenly, Grayson, who had been silent, coughed violently, pale against the chair, his gaze toward Joyce filled with guilt.

"Joyce, it's all my fault. If I hadn't had the car accident, you wouldn't have argued with Colten over a pet snake."

I let out a cold laugh.

"Grayson, are you hiding behind a woman to stir trouble? Are you Joyce's kept boy?"

Before Grayson could respond, Joyce seemed to hit a nerve and stood up suddenly.

"Colten, what do you mean by that?

"I won't allow you to insult Grayson. Apologize to him!"

She stood protectively in front of Grayson, pointing a finger at me, glaring.

Everyone else in the room looked at me with disapproval, silently forcing me to back down.

I suddenly felt exhausted.

This was my home, yet I ended up feeling like an outsider, threatened by everyone.

Seeing my dark expression, Mollie grabbed Joyce's arm, whispering.

"Joyce, maybe it's better to let this go. After all, you were in the wrong…"

Joyce shrugged off her hand, sneering at me.

"It's just a pet snake. I did nothing wrong!

"Besides, Colten is nothing but a like dog I raised. How dare he get mad at me?"

Joyce knew exactly that wasn't an ordinary pet snake. It represented my pain and longing after I lost my father, holding a profound meaning for me.

Yet, to vent her anger, she deliberately belittled it, hurting me so badly.

Sadness and rage washed over me.

I couldn't hold back any longer and slapped Joyce.

"Colten! How dare you hit me!"

Joyce covered her reddened cheek, staring at me in disbelief.

I smirked coldly, pulling out the wedding invitation in front of everyone and tearing it to pieces.

"I don't just want to hit you. I'm also calling off this engagement!

"Sorry, I'm a normal man, and I don't want to marry a woman like you!"