A few days after Isla confessed her feelings to me, our relationship was found out by the head teacher.
To protect the Elander Family's reputation, the school humiliated me, accusing me of having a terrible character in front of all the teachers and students. I was then forcibly transferred from a prestigious city high school to one of the worst schools in the area.
On the day I left, Isla promised me that after graduation, we would be together.
Clinging to that promise, I studied even harder at the rundown school, determined to get into the best university and prove myself worthy of her.
But after graduation, what awaited me was not her love. It was her standing beside Orion, hand in hand, with a joyful expression.
"You liar! How dare you claim you were admitted to Stellar University!"
"You can't even get into a mediocre university and yet you dream of being with me? Shameless!"
"Do you really think a family like yours is worthy of being with the Elander Family? If I married you, what would happen to our reputation?"
At that time, I desperately explained to her that I had indeed passed the Stellar University entrance exam, but my admission letter had been torn up.
Yet, she refused to believe me. Instead, she stared at me with her eyes filled with disgust.
After that moment, I did not see them again for four years.
Under the pretense of working far from home, I secretly went to the capital city, Stellaria.
I did not tell Evelyn anything, but I managed to complete four years of my university degree through work-study programs. By the time I graduated, I had also secured a decent job in finance.
"Vincent, you're back! It's been years since the last time we saw you."
Orion's parents greeted me with surprise when they returned home from work.
Looking at them now after knowing the truth, my feelings were incredibly conflicted.
They were my real parents!
However, they had been kept in the dark all this time.
Looking at their faces, I forced a bitter smile.
Before I could respond, Orion walked up to me with an air of superiority.
"Vincent, you must've had a rough time working all these years."
"You know, with Isla and me getting married soon, what I want most is your blessing."
"How about being my best man at my wedding?"
Orion knew how deeply I had loved Isla Elander back then.
With him suddenly asking me to be his best man, no doubt this was nothing but a deliberate attempt to reopen my old wounds.
"Oh, Orion, this useless boy isn't worthy of being your best man! That would only embarrass you, don't you think?"
"But don't worry, he can do all the dirty work for you on your wedding day. That's all he's good for!"
Evelyn did not even let me reply before refusing on my behalf.
Orion laughed and shook his head.
"Godmother, you don't know this, but back in high school, Vincent and I both liked Isla. We even had a deal. Whoever married her, the other would be the best man. Isn't that right, Vincent Hayes?"
His words were a thinly veiled boast and his provocative gaze made his intentions clear.
In fact, I know that he wanted to remind those high school classmates who had bet on which of us would win Isla's hand.
He wanted to show them that he won.
Just then, the doorbell rang and Isla walked in, holding an elegant cake.
The moment she stepped in and saw me, her cheerful expression suddenly turned cold.
Her eyes narrowed with hostility as she spoke sharply, "Why are you here now?"
"Don't tell me you still haven't gotten over me!"
"Next week is my wedding to Orion. If you dare stir up any trouble, I won't let you off!"
After four years apart without seeing each other even once, this was how she greeted me.
I gave her a cold smile and replied calmly, "Whatever happened between us is long behind me."
