During a road trip with my girlfriend, we accidentally collided with a limousine.

Just as we were joking about having to pay an outrageous sum in compensation, the owner stepped out of the car. He greeted us warmly, asked if we were hurt, and even insisted we didn't need to pay a dime.

But that simple gesture sparked a huge misunderstanding in my girlfriend's mind.

At the proposal ceremony, she flat-out rejected me, ran to the restroom, and called her best friend to vent.

"They're both Vanders, but Josh is a penniless loser, and Alexander is the richest man in the city!

"The fortune teller said my true love's surname is Vander. If that's the case, why can't it be the richest man instead of Josh?

"I looked it up. That car owner is Alexander. And he didn't even want me to pay for rear-ending him. He must have fallen in love with me at first sight!

"In love, there's no such thing as first come, first served. I won't accept Josh's proposal. I'm going to marry the richest man!"

A shiver ran through me. My years of devotion to her had moved only me.

What she didn't know was that the 'richest man' she was dreaming of marrying wasn't anyone else—he was my father.

Hearing my girlfriend, Jessie Barney, vent to her best friend over the phone felt like a huge stone had lodged in my chest, crushing my lungs. I couldn't breathe.

Counting the three years I'd spent with Jessie, I realized I had fallen for her at first sight.

Back in college, I had accidentally seen her apply for a scholarship and learned that her family was struggling. To protect her pride, I lied and said I had applied for one too.

After graduation, when she complained about the harsh job market and mounting pressure, I secretly arranged for her to join my company. I even funneled her salary through my private account to shield her from embarrassment.

For three years, I acted ordinary to the world, but I worked tirelessly to give her the very best. Even the engagement ring she now held had been meticulously chosen and designed by me.

And yet, all my efforts ended like this.

My chest ached with despair, and just then, the phone rang. I picked up to hear my father's voice.

"Josh, how did it go? Did she say yes? I couldn't witness your proposal in person, but I sent a gift for my future daughter-in-law."

I forced my voice to stay steady. "Dad… I'm afraid I've disappointed you. She turned me down."

Alexander was stunned on the other end, offered a few words of consolation, and then hurried off to a meeting.

What Jessie didn't know was that the richest man in Hallowyn City she was determined to marry was none other than my father.

Two months ago, when her work was frustrating her, I had suggested a road trip to cheer her up. On an empty highway, she whimsically insisted on taking the driver's seat, so we swapped places.

Not far down the road, while changing lanes, she rear-ended a limousine. When I caught sight of the license plate, I jokingly nudged her. "Guess we're paying a fortune for this one."

Panicked, she jumped out and rushed to the car, her face full of worry. I opened my mouth to reassure her, but the limousine's driver stepped out first.

The moment he saw us, his expression changed instantly. Yet he asked warmly if we were hurt and visibly relaxed when we assured him we were fine.

Jessie had anxiously asked about compensation. He just laughed and waved it off. Then he drove off, leaving her standing in stunned silence.

While waiting for the tow truck, I replied to a message from my father. Jessie hovered nearby, cautiously asking, "Josh… do you know that driver? He didn't make us pay. Honestly, we should have, since it was our fault.

"I looked him up online. Even if we were paying, it would've been over 10,000 dollars! I didn't expect him to be so nice!"

Seeing that the driver was my father, recently returned from abroad, had been purely coincidental. I had planned to reveal his identity after the proposal, so I lied. "No, I don't know him."

But that small lie planted a seed in her mind. In her eyes, rear-ending that car was fate—destined by the richest man himself—and in an instant, I was discarded.

After my failed proposal, a few friends who knew the whole story invited me out for drinks, but I refused them all.

That night, I dragged myself home, exhausted, only to find Jessie sitting on the sofa. In front of her was a luxurious jewelry set.

I recognized it instantly. At last week's Christie's auction, my father had spent three million dollars to acquire it.

When I remembered his earlier message about sending a gift, everything clicked.

Seeing me come in, Jessie quickly tucked the jewelry behind her back. I stepped closer, fixing my gaze on her.

"Jessie, where did that jewelry come from?"

Her eyes flickered with a brief panic, but she quickly regained composure. "A friend gave it to me," she said calmly.

I reached out and linked my arm with hers, asking the question that had been circling in my mind.

"Jessie… do you love me?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she stood and started walking toward the bedroom.

I grabbed her arm, forcing her to meet my eyes. "If you love me, why did you accept such an extravagant gift from someone else?"

Her brows drew together, and she let out an impatient sigh. "Josh… since you asked, I'll be honest. I won't marry you. The man I want is the richest man!

"We're breaking up. If you can't give me what I want, don't stand in the way of me pursuing real love."

I laughed, more in disbelief than amusement. Real love? Three years of genuine devotion, wiped out by a fleeting encounter? Just because of money.

"Jessie," I said, my voice tense, "you'd easily toss aside three years of love. Tell me—what is real love? That man we met that one time on the highway?"

It was the first time I had raised my voice at her. Infuriated, she yanked her arm free.

"Josh, how could you even compare to him? He's the richest man!"

"And what makes you think the richest man would ever fall in love with you?" I shot back.

Her eyes blazed. "Josh, isn't it obvious? That rear-end accident—if he hadn't let it slide for my sake, do you know how deep in debt I would be?

"And just now, he sent me this one-of-a-kind limited-edition jewelry set. Do you know how much that costs? This alone is more than you could earn in several lifetimes! Doesn't that prove he and I are truly in love?"

I couldn't help but laugh at her arrogance. There was no point arguing further.

As I turned to head to my room, she called after me.

"Since we're breaking up, you should move out soon. It doesn't look good for us to be living together."

When she first rented this apartment, she said she was scared to live alone, so I moved out of the villa to stay with her. Now, suddenly, living together was a problem—her problem. She clearly didn't love me.

I had little to pack—just my documents—and I left.

Back at my family villa, the butler was visibly surprised to see me.

"Master Josh, you've finally decided to move back in!"

After my mother died, my resentment toward my father never faded. His endless work had neglected her, worsening her illness, and she passed away before I even turned eighteen.

In the living room, my father greeted me with a smile, showing me his phone.

"Josh, your girlfriend seemed very pleased with the gift I sent. She even said she'd invite me to dinner tomorrow. What a polite girl! How did you fail in your proposal? Was there some misunderstanding?"

I scanned the messages, reading Jessie's flattering words, feeling them utterly foreign.

I replied, "Since Jessie seems so eager, why not accept her invitation? It'll be a good chance to understand exactly what kind of person she is."

My father, oblivious to the deeper meaning in my words, thought I was trying to draw closer to him, and promptly agreed to Jessie's invitation.

The next day, Jessie arrived at the restaurant early, dressed in a striking red dress and wearing flawless makeup. The moment she saw my father, she hurried to her feet, offering him the menu.

"Alexander, hello. I wasn't sure of your tastes, so I didn't have the staff start serving yet," she said with practiced politeness.

I sat in the corner, quietly observing her every move. At that moment, her eyes were fixed entirely on Alexander; she hadn't noticed me.

My father took the menu, scanning it briefly.

"Shouldn't we wait for the others?"

Jessie smiled, a delicate blush tinting her cheeks.

"Alexander, you can call me Jessie. Today it's just the two of us. I specifically invited only you—no one else!"

"No one else?" Alexander paused, surprised, but thinking she was my girlfriend, he kept his smile. "Alright, let me see… My body isn't as young as yours, so my tastes probably won't match yours exactly."

He ordered some gentle, stomach-friendly dishes and handed the menu to the waiter.

"Alexander, I honestly think you look very young. Even standing next to me, you don't look much older than I am."

He visibly brightened at the compliment.

"Jessie, you invited me alone today. Did your boyfriend bully you or something?"

Still thinking about my failed proposal, Alexander assumed helping me salvage the situation would be good.

Jessie shook her head, her voice soft and coy. "Alexander, you're teasing me. I don't have a boyfriend yet, so how could anyone bully me?"

His expression froze, clearly startled.

Jessie leaned forward, continuing, "Ever since that brief encounter after the rear-end accident, I've thought about you constantly. You gave me such an extravagant gift, and I feel I should finally confess my feelings.

"I like you, Alexander. I know you feel the same way. Will you… be my boyfriend?"

At that moment, I couldn't hold it in any longer. Slamming the chair in front of me, I strode toward them.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" I exclaimed, clapping my hands, then sat down beside Alexander, smiling across at Jessie.

Her gaze turned to me, full of loathing. "Josh! What are you doing here? Are you trying to cause trouble? Your behavior is despicable!"

I laughed. "If I didn't come, how else could I witness you seducing my dad, right, Dad?"

"Dad!? You mean… Alexander is your dad?"

Shock filled Jessie's eyes. Her expression cracked visibly.