Callie’s lips curved into a bitter smile. The moment Reid betrayed her, she’d accepted her family’s proposal for an arranged marriage. While Reid had been tangled up with Geneva Vega, Callie had met her prospective fiancé—a reserved and distant man. Perhaps in her next life, living for nothing but mutual benefits might not be so bad. At the very least, she wouldn’t have to endure the soul-crushing pain of betrayal.

“Reid,” Callie said softly, her tone calm but unreadable. “Would you like to go to a wedding next week?”

She deliberately withheld the rest of her words: “To my wedding.”

She wanted to keep him in the dark so that, when the time came, he would understand how it felt to be betrayed.

“Of course!” Reid replied enthusiastically, his face lighting up with excitement. “Why don’t we go to a bridal shop tomorrow and pick out a wedding dress for you?”

Callie slipped out of Reid’s embrace, lying down and turning her back to him. Exhaustion laced her voice as she said, “Let’s talk about it tomorrow. I’m tired.”

Reid carefully tucked the blanket around her, his movements tender. When her breathing evened out, he silenced his phone and began furiously typing away on its screen.

Callie wasn’t asleep. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Reid lost himself in his messages. One notification caught her attention:

“Reid, you promised to take me stargazing and make a wish. Why aren’t you here yet?”

“Sorry, something came up. I’ll come get you now, babe. Don’t forget to wear that outfit I bought you.”

“Got it, Reid. Stop being  such a flirt!”

Before leaving, Reid meticulously prepared everything—he soaked the wheat in the pot and scheduled it to cook into porridge for the next morning.

Once he was gone, Callie stood in the quiet kitchen, staring at the pre-set cooker. A bitter smile tugged at her lips.

There was a time when she’d been moved to tears by Reid’s thoughtful gestures, like making her breakfast every morning. Now, she saw these actions for what they really were: a convenient cover for his lies.

Picking up her phone, she dialed her parents. “Mom, Dad, I’ll be coming home next week. Everything’s been arranged with Tommy Caldwell. We’ll have the wedding as soon as I get back.”

“Cal, are you sure about this?” Her mother’s voice trembled with excitement. “Your father and I have been so worried Reid would waste your best years. You’re thirty now. How many more eight-year relationships can you afford to gamble on?”

Tears welled up in Callie’s eyes. She used to believe that as long as two people loved each other, a piece of paper didn’t matter. Eight years with Reid and no proposal later, she had convinced herself it wasn’t important.

Now, she felt nothing but relief that she’d never married him. At least there was still room to turn things around.

Her parents were aging and all they wanted was for her to find happiness. They hoped for someone who could help her take over the family business. It was time for her to let go of her romantic illusions and return to reality.

“Yeah, I’m sure about this,” she said. “From now on, I’ll listen to whatever you and Dad say.”

After hanging up, Callie began packing. Eight years’ worth of memories with Reid filled every corner of the apartment and sorting through it all would take time.

She decided to pack only what she needed, stuffing her ID, essentials and clothes for the next two days into a suitcase. Then she called a professional cleaning service to handle the rest. Over ten workers arrived to box up everything—clothes, handbags and jewelry—all destined for donation to charity.

As they worked, one of the staff hesitated, holding up a sparkling necklace. “Miss Dodson, this piece is made of fine diamonds. Are you sure you want to donate it?”

Callie glanced at it. It was the necklace Reid had won at an auction for an exorbitant sum, all because she’d once casually remarked how beautiful it was. He’d spent two million dollars on it without a second thought.

“Yes,” she said firmly.

“How about this?” Another worker held up a rare, limited-edition Hermès bag. “This is one of the latest models.”

“Donate it,” Callie said without missing a beat.

“You’re donating this bracelet too? I’ve seen this bracelet before,” someone else asked hesitantly. “It’s worth millions. Are you sure you want to give it away?”

Callie didn’t even look. Instead, she slipped off the handmade ring Reid had crafted for her and tossed it into the donation pile. “Put everything in this box. Every item in this pile is going to donation. Got it?” she said coolly. The housekeeping staff exchanged uneasy glances, murmuring amongst themselves. However, they carefully packed up all the items as instructed, their reverence evident in the way they handled the expensive belongings.

By the time Reid returned, the cleaning service had already cleared out everything.

That night, Callie curled up on the sofa, her phone buzzing incessantly with messages.

It was from Geneva.

She was bragging about her time with Reid.

“Callie, the meteor shower was stunning tonight. Reid booked an entire venue just for us. He made a wish under the stars—he said he’ll love me forever.”

“Do you know what else he said? He said you’ll turn thirty this year and marrying you doesn’t seem worth it anymore. Honestly, I agree. What man doesn’t prefer a younger, more energetic woman? Someone who can bring new excitement into his life?”

“We even did it under the stars tonight. Reid was amazing. Tell me, has it been a while since you’ve been with him like that?”

Every word felt like a slap, leaving Callie trembling as she read.

The texts kept coming, but Callie had seen enough. She switched off her phone and hugged a pillow tightly, retreating to the guest room for the night. She suddenly felt that the bedroom she had once shared with Reid felt disgusting and refuse to sleep in it. 

***

At dawn, Callie was awakened by the sharp ring of her phone. Before she could answer it, Reid burst through the door, pulling her into his arms. His heartbeat hammering against her.

“Callie, you scared me! I thought you were gone. If I hadn’t heard your phone I would…” His voice wavered, betraying his anxiety. “Why are you sleeping in here?”

Callie pushed him away, forcing herself to stay calm and keep last night’s messages out of her mind. She gave him a faint smile. “I must’ve sleepwalked. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t find you. Where were you?”

Reid ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his expression instantly smoothing out as if he’d rehearsed his response. “There was an emergency at the office. I had to step out for a bit, but I came back as soon as I could.”

Callie nodded, her lips curling into a faint smile. She could almost admire how seamlessly he lied. His explanation was polished, like he’d rehearsed it over and over. To back up his story, he casually placed a folder next to her, making sure she could see the documents inside.

What a performance. 

Callie’s fingers grazed his cheek as she looked up at him, her eyes brimming with a mix of bitterness and resolve. “You work so hard, Reid.”

“For you, it’s worth it,” he murmured, kissing her forehead. “Callie, I finally feel like I’m in a position to give you the life you deserve. I’ve even set up a meeting with the designer. Let’s go look at wedding dresses after breakfast, okay?”

“Okay.” She nodded, playing along. If Reid wanted a show, she’d give him one. She wondered if he’d applaud her acting when the truth finally came out.

At the bridal shop, Reid asked the designer to bring out their most expensive gowns for Callie to try on. His enthusiasm seemed genuine, but every time she went to change, his phone buzzed nonstop.

By the time she walked out in the final dress, Reid didn’t even notice her. His eyes were glued to his phone, a grin plastered across his face.

That smile—Callie knew it well.

It was the same look Reid used to give her when they were deeply in love, back when she’d wear something special just for him.

Sure enough, as Callie approached, Reid quickly swiped across the screen, switching to a different interface. In the brief moment of transition, Callie caught a glimpse of Geneva’s provocative black stockings. No wonder he was so absorbed in staring at the screen.

Feigning ignorance, Callie casually asked, “Reid, what do you think? Does it look nice?”

Reid couldn’t resist pulling her into his arms, his face lighting up with a smile. “It’s beautiful. But that’s because you look amazing in everything. So, should we go with this one?”

“Perfect!” Callie replied, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Without hesitation, Reid swiped his card, paying in full for the five-million-dollar wedding dress, not even batting an eye.

“I think the designer should adjust it a bit more. It seems a little big big on you,” he said, a bit too smoothly.

The saleswoman, beaming with admiration, chimed in, “You have a very thoughtful husband, Miss Dodson. It does a bit big, but it's not too noticeable. I’m amazed he picked up on such a small detail.”

“He’s not my husband,” Callie corrected, her voice cool.

Reid paused for a moment, then immediately explained, “True, because I will be soon, right?” He added with a loving kiss on her cheek.

The staff in the store watched, quietly amazed.

“Wow! This couple is so cute!” one of them whispered.

“I know right?” if I had such a considerate and generous boyfriend, I’d be waking up smiling everyday.” 

Callie smiled bitterly to herself but said nothing. This was Reid—he was always the perfect boyfriend when there were eyes on him. The more people around, the more charming he seemed, as if he needed to prove he was the most loving man in the world. It was always like this in public, far more attentive than when they were alone.

Everyone knew about the famous Dodson heiress and her eight-year relationship with Reid. It was well-known enough that no one dared to set up an arranged marriage with her—except Tommy.

As they left the bridal store, Reid’s phone rang again. He glanced at it quickly and immediately hung up.

“Callie, you should head back. I’ll call a cab for you. I need to meet with a client. We have an important contract to discuss,” Reid explained.

Callie nodded obediently, but once Reid left, she immediately ordered another car to follow him.

The car parked in front of Reid’s company building, but this time, Geneva was waiting for him. Dressed in a professional skirt suit, she seemed to be all business, but Callie noticed the black stockings that barely reached mid-thigh and a black lace choker around her neck. The implications were clear without needing to be spoken. Callie rolled down the car window, just in time to overhear their conversation.

Geneva handed over a contract, her finger brushing the back of Reid’s hand as she leaned in with a playful, flirtatious tone, “Mr. Reid, I think we need to take this contract to your office and discuss it in detail.”

Reid swallowed visibly, accepting the contract without hesitation, a smile on his lips. “Of course! I’ll be waiting in my office.”

Callie followed them through the employee entrance, leading directly to Reid’s office.

His office was a private space, separated from the other departments, just the way he liked it. When Reid’s company was still starting up, all the design and decor for the office had been Callie’s work, including the intimate, secluded room where she and Reid had spent countless passionate moments.

But now, standing at the door, she saw Reid eagerly pull Geneva in for a kiss, his hands firmly gripping her back. The two of them kissed their way from the office entrance all the way into the hidden room.

They kissed their way through the office, all the way to the private room. By the time the door closed behind them, Callie’s hand holding the phone to record was trembling.