Chapter 1

At our engagement party, my boyfriend of seven years, Austin, handed me a piece of chocolate. He forgot that chocolate is the one thing I absolutely despise. So, right then and there, in front of everyone, I called off the wedding.

Everyone was stunned.

Austin splashed a glass of wine right onto my face. "Just because of a piece of chocolate?" he hissed, his face red with rage. "You're calling off our wedding over this? Are you out of your mind?!"

I wiped the wine from my face and looked him dead in the eye. "Yes, I am. Go find yourself a girl who loves chocolate and marry her instead."

"Chloe Davis!"

"Do you even have a conscience?"

"Seven years! We've been together for seven years, and you’re dumping me just because I forgot one little thing you don't like?"

Austin screamed, his chest heaving as his tall frame trembled with anger.

"Oh? You think this is the first time?"

I let out a cold laugh. "Let's end this. The wedding is off."

The rage on Austin’s face suddenly froze, replaced by a flash of panic.

He clearly didn't expect me to be this serious.

Our parents and the guests stood there, mouths agape. No one had ever imagined a scene like this at our engagement party.

After all, Austin and I were always the "golden couple" in our social circle.

"It's just a mistake. Aren't you overreacting?"

Austin's best friend, Hailey Vance, couldn't watch any longer. She stood up and glared at me. "When your business project was stolen by a competitor last year, Austin used all his family's connections and stayed up for three nights straight to help you get it back."

"If it weren't for him, your career would have been over."

"And remember when you had that terrible stomach flu? Austin ran out in the middle of a thunderstorm at midnight to get your meds, and he ended up with a high fever for a week."

"Have you forgotten all of that?"

Her words were sharp, accusatory.

The guests around us began to whisper.

"Chloe, Austin has always been so good to you. Why can't you two just sit down and talk?" Austin's mother, Mrs. Miller, tried to suppress her annoyance, keeping her voice gentle.

"Yes, if there's an issue, talk it out. Don't do something you'll regret," Austin's father, Mr. Miller, added in a stern, authoritative voice.

My own parents finally squeezed through the crowd, their faces pale with embarrassment.

"Chloe! What on earth do you think you're doing?!" My mother grabbed my arm, her voice trembling. "Everyone is watching! Stop making a scene!"

"Calm down, Chloe. Don't make this any uglier than it already is!" my father whispered urgently beside me.

Austin quickly stepped up to me. He took a tissue and gently tried to wipe the wine from my face, his voice softening.

"I’m sorry, Chloe. I lost my temper. We can talk about this."

"I promise I will never touch chocolate again."

"If there’s anything else you're unhappy with, tell me. I’ll change. I promise."

He was practically begging, lowering himself in front of everyone.

His mother quickly pulled up a chair for me, expecting me to take the peace offering and sit down.

But I pushed Austin away, my eyebrows furrowing. "There is nothing to talk about. I don't love you anymore."

"Just looking at you makes me sick."

Silence.

The temperature in the room instantly dropped to freezing.

No one expected me to be this brutal.

"Chloe Davis!"

This time, Hailey completely lost it. She grabbed my wrist.

"Austin treated you like a queen! How can you be so heartless?"

"He gave you everything! Now that your life is comfortable, you think you can just discard him? You are disgusting!"

Seeing her yell at me like that made me laugh.

"I heard your favorite snack is chocolate," I said softly. "That box of chocolates... you picked it out, didn't you? He bought it specifically for you."

"What crap are you talking about?!"

Hailey raised her hand as if to slap me, but I reacted quickly and pushed her back.

Suddenly, a sharp pain bloomed at the back of my head. I spun around and saw Austin holding a heavy glass.

He had just thrown it at me. He rushed past me, completely ignoring my pain, to help Hailey up. "Hailey, are you okay?" he asked, his voice filled with panic and care.

Hailey shook her head, tears welling in her eyes.

Austin let out a sigh of relief, then turned to glare at me. "Have you lost your mind today? Go ahead and fight with me, but how dare you push Hailey?"

I touched the back of my head. "Did I start this?"

My fingers came away wet and red. Blood.

Austin's face paled for a fraction of a second. "Chloe, I... it was an accident. I wasn't thinking. I'll take you to the hospital."

"And Hailey is just my best friend. I was just worried about her. Don't be so dramatic."

He reached out to grab my hand.

"Don't touch me!"

I spat, my voice ice cold.