Chapter 1 Betrayal on the Night of the Proposal

Inside the private room at the hotel, beneath the glittering glow of a towering ten-tier champagne pyramid, Benson Gray stood with his newly hired assistant, Sophie Scott. The two of them were cutting a birthday cake together, their fingers interlocked. When Sierra Shaw entered the room, Benson didn't flinch or even look guilty. Instead, he spoke as casually as if they were discussing the weather. "Sophie has the same birthday as you. She's here all alone, far from home, with no friends. So, I decided to move your birthday party to hers for now. I'll make it up to you in a couple of days." Sierra's smile faltered, freezing in place as her grip on her purse slowly tightened. Today was her 25th birthday. Benson had promised he would propose to her on this special day. She'd worn the elegant white dress he had gifted her, spent hours perfecting her hair and makeup, and arrived at the hotel excitedly. But the sight before her felt like a bucket of ice-cold water cascading over her head. The engagement ring she had dreamed of—the three-carat pink diamond she had spent years imagining on her finger—was now sparkling brightly on Sophie's hand as Benson held her hand. A sting of pain blurred her vision. Still, she forced her feet to move. Approaching Benson, she took a deep breath and pointed directly at Sophie's hand. "What about that ring?" Benson shrugged with infuriating nonchalance. "It all happened so suddenly, I didn't have time to prepare a gift. Sophie liked it, so I gave it to her." But that was her ring, the one she had spent three years choosing meticulously, imagining every detail. She could almost hear the sound of her heart shattering. Her eyes reddened as her voice broke. "And me, Benson? What about me? What do you take me for?" Benson clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Why are you acting so childish? Haven't I celebrated enough of your birthdays over the years? Can't you let Sophie have this one for once?" Let it go? Why was it always her who had to back down? Benson had sabotaged the deal she was about to close to boost Sophie's standing in the company. He had stood idly by as Sophie spilled coffee on her, dismissing it as Sierra being overly dramatic. And every time Sophie made mistakes, it was Sierra Benson that was expected to clean up the mess, hiding behind the excuse of, "those who are capable should do more". All these years, what exactly had Benson taken her for? Did everyone else always matter more than she did? Tears blurred Sierra's vision. She clenched her fists, desperate to preserve the last shred of dignity she had left. Without another word, she turned and hurried toward the restroom. Behind her, a murmur of disapproval rippled through the small crowd of friends. "Benson, you've gone too far this time." "You know how much Sierra cares about this proposal, but you brought Sophie here just to get under her skin?" Benson, utterly unbothered, continued slicing the cake. He placed one piece on a plate and handed it to Sophie. Sophie's eyes flickered with triumph, though she quickly masked it with a nervous, apologetic expression. "Mr. Gray, it's my fault. I shouldn't have come and upset Ms. Shaw. I'll apologize to her later, okay?" Benson gave Sophie's shoulder a reassuring pat, his voice calm and condescending. "It's not your fault. She's just being overly sensitive. I've been meaning to break her of this habit of throwing tantrums for no reason." "Benson, aren't you worried Sierra might get mad and refuse your proposal?" Benson exhaled a ring of smoke, a mocking laugh escaping his lips as though he'd just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. "She's been dying to marry me since she was a kid, desperate to slap the name Mrs. Gray on herself. How could she possibly say no? If she wasn't obedient enough, she wouldn't even have the right to stay by my side." The crowd around him erupted into cheers and laughter. "That's our Benson! Even the campus queen of Oceanea University couldn't resist his charm!" "Benson, teach us your ways when you've got time!" "Pfft! Step one, find yourself a woman who's head over heels for you!" Everyone in Vellmont City knew Sierra was practically Benson's shadow. The two of them were three years apart, childhood sweethearts. Sierra had followed Benson to Oceanea City for college, giving up her plans to stay by his side. To support him during the early days of his business, Sierra abandoned her dream of studying piano. She took on the role of his assistant, pulling all-nighters for a month straight just to help him close a single deal. She drank so much at business dinners that she developed stomach ulcers. Their mutual friends often said Sierra loved Benson so much that she'd lost herself completely. But Benson? He was so convinced Sierra would never leave him that he treated her cruelly without a second thought. In the restroom, Sierra stood frozen, her hands covering her ears. She stared at her reflection in the mirror—a woman with red-rimmed eyes and pale skin. Slowly, she forced her lips into a smile, one that looked more painful than tears. "Sierra, it's been ten years. Can you stop being so pathetic already?"