Knowing that Olivier cried so hard he nearly passed out. Eliane immediately sent a whole team—dozens of people—to the scene and mend whatever could be done to his dog's casket.
She ordered a brand-new and custom-made casket right then. It was no doubt a top quality.
Eliane even going as far to hold a livestream of the whole thing and put it on the company's intranet, just to save her assistant's dignity. A few media outlets got involved too, probably tipped off by her PR team, painting him as some devoted and compassionate dog owner.
I crouched down, hopeless, trying to pick up the broken pieces of the brown porcelain vase. I was hoping there was still a chance to fix my mother's gift.
Just as I unlocked my phone, a message from Olivier popped up.
[So what if your family’s rich and you’re Eliane’s fiancé, Jerome?]
[See? She still dumped you today—and chose me.]
Then came a photo. Olivier's hand interlaced with Eliane. The same hand that still wore the engagement ring I had given her.
[See this hand? She touched me with it last night. Sure, you two are engaged, but have you even slept with her yet?]
[She felt sorry for me being all alone, so she gave herself to me—right there in the office. Even if you marry her, you'll just be using secondhand goods.]
Expressionless, I closed the message box.
Then, my voice came out cold. “Get Legal Team on the line. I want a full audit of everything exchanged during the engagement. I'm breaking it off.”
After all—I’ve never been one for secondhand goods.
My father had been watching the livestream and saw the whole humiliation unfold at my birthday party. He showed up, entourage in tow, stepping in to take control of the chaos.
He didn’t mince words with the press.
“My son is a Carrington. Do you really think he can’t find a wife? This engagement is over—effective immediately. As of today, Eliane Langford is no longer his fiancée. From now on, they go their separate ways.”
When I saw my dad, my eyes welled up and tears finally spilled over. “Dad…”
He pulled me to my feet, his face full of concern. “Come on. We're heading to the Château de Verre.”
That’s when I found out that my father had never trusted anyone else to handle my birthday properly. He and Mom had already arranged a second grand celebration for me.
With a single call, he rerouted every guest to the Château. The party continued.
I was stunned. “Wait… Dad, Uncle Baptiste and Aunt Paola flew back?”
Growing up, our closest family friends had always been the de Verres.
Uncle Baptiste was my dad’s sworn brother. Aunt Paola was Mom’s best friend. Meanwhile their daughter Claudine, she was my good childhood friends.
The de Verres had been living abroad for years, tied up in international trade. It had been forever since we’d last seen each other.
My dad gave me a knowing smile.
“Not just your aunt and uncle. Claudine’s here too.”
As soon as I walked into the Château de Verre, I was met with a warm welcome. Uncle Baptiste and Aunt Paola looked thrilled to see me.
Aunt Paola grabbed my hand affectionately. “It’s been years, but Jerry—my goodness, you’ve grown into such a handsome young man. I can’t stop staring!”
And then I saw her. Claudine. She was taller than I remembered. Elegant. She wore a gold-rimmed glasses. There was something intellectual and graceful about her.
“Jerry, long time no see!” She smiled, reaching out to shake my hand. “Remember me? I’m Claudine.”
I nodded, suddenly aware of her gaze on me—and to my surprise, my face flushed hot.
Years ago, I’d written her love letters. Even stolen one of Mom’s gold rings to give her, proudly declaring it our “token of eternal love.”
When we were kids, I once swore I’d ride in on a white horse and marry Claudine when she grew up. Now, as she brought up those childhood promises with a laugh, I felt my face heat up so fast I wanted to crawl under the table.
Throughout the entire birthday celebration, Claudine was incredibly considerate—bringing me tea, handing me tissues exactly when I needed them. Every time I glanced at her, she was smiling gently. And every time our eyes met, I found myself blushing and looking away like a schoolboy.
Aunt Paola caught on in an instant. Her knowing “auntie smile” said everything.
My dad chuckled heartily and brought up the idea. “My son’s single now. That engagement he had? Just ended. So how about we arrange something between our two families instead?”
Uncle Baptiste and Aunt Paola lit up with excitement and immediately set their utensils down, ready to agree... But just then, a hoarse voice cut through the room.
“No! You can’t!”
