Chapter 2

"Owen and I are together now."

When I told Chloe, I handed her the gold pendant from before.

"This is for you. Thanks for letting me go on those dates."

Chloe gripped the pendant, her brow furrowed, her eyes full of suspicion.

"You only take home three thousand a month, and you give half to Mom and Dad. How are you suddenly dropping money like this?"

I gave her a simple-minded smile.

"I used my savings. Finding someone in a small town isn't easy. Owen makes six thousand a month, and he's honest. If we get married and live carefully, we'll be better off than most people."

She laughed, her voice dripping with mockery.

"Oh wow, so I did you a favor?"

"That's all the ambition you've got? Picking up my leftovers and acting like you hit the jackpot?"

I looked down and said nothing.

I'd been listening to her ridicule for over twenty years. I was immune.

Since Owen and I got together, we've met for dinner every Friday. But I was always late.

It wasn't on purpose. My supervisor, Mr. Clark, had been making my life hell ever since his divorce.

Every time I was about to leave, he'd dump a pile of work on me and get handsy while "discussing" projects.

That day, Owen came to pick me up from work so I wouldn't be late.

I'd just stepped out of the office building.

Mr. Clark chased after me, pretending to hand me something, deliberately rubbing his fingers over my hand several times.

I didn't pull away. I even frowned slightly, looking helpless and wronged.

I knew Owen could see everything from his car.

He suddenly honked, his voice icy as he shouted out the window:

"Who the hell are you? Why are you putting your hands on her?"

Mr. Clark jumped back and hurried away.

The next morning at work, the office was in chaos.

Mr. Clark had been urgently transferred to a remote township.

Everyone whispered that he'd pissed someone off—otherwise, why would he be reassigned so suddenly with no chance to appeal?

That evening, Owen picked me up from work.

I casually brought it up.

He looked at me, his eyes soft.

"That was me. I won't let you be treated like that."

He came clean about his background.

His dad was the top official at my agency's parent department. His mom was the director of a private hospital.

He said, "I didn't mention it during the setup because I didn't want to show off."

"I had a girlfriend in college. We were together for three years—really good together."

"But when we were about to graduate, she found out I was coming back to this county and said I had no ambition. She broke up with me."

"My parents are getting older and pushing me to settle down. That's why I agreed to the setup."

Suddenly it made sense.

No wonder such a quality guy needed a setup to find someone.

Owen suddenly took my hand, his tone serious.

"Nina, I'm telling you this because I'm not messing around. I'm serious about marriage."

I looked into his sincere eyes and nodded hard.

In our second month together, I met Owen's parents.

They were wonderful people, clearly pleased with me, and even sent me home with a thoughtful gift.

Six months flew by, and we decided to get our marriage license.

When I told my parents about the wedding, they said they couldn't help.

Funny, considering how much of my paycheck I'd been handing over to them every month.

On the wedding day, Owen's parents spent a million dollars to hold a lavish ceremony at the best hotel in the county.

Guests poured in—all prominent figures in the county.

Even my supervisor came to offer congratulations.

But right up until the ceremony started, Mom and Dad never showed.

Just as I stood on stage in my wedding dress, barely holding it together, I received a message from them—just a few short lines:

[Nina, we're not coming. Chloe suddenly has a fever. We're rushing to New York to take care of her.

Your in-laws are just showing off, insisting on the most expensive venue. We looked at the smallest banquet hall there before—it's barely bigger than a conference room. We'd be embarrassed to show up.

Besides, Chloe's illness is more important.]