My cheater boyfriend Rufus Reed was proposing to me.

Everyone urged me to say yes, for I was his first love.

But I knew he had been cheating on me for two whole years.

On the day of our engagement party, I gave him a big gift and left Los Angeles overnight.

While Rufus looked for me crazily, my second chance held me in his arms.

"This time, I won't let go," he cooed.

***

"Marianne Ballard, will you marry me?

"Will you give me a chance to spend the rest of my life with you, my beloved?"

Rufus showed his love for me. The skyscrapers and waterfront lit up with my name in dazzling lights. Standing on the square, surrounded by flower petals, I saw him walking over with a bouquet as the crowd cheered.

"Maria, marry me." He went down on one knee and handed me a huge pink diamond ring, his gaze on me filled with affection.

His friends whistled and grinned, urging, "Pansy, say yes! Rufus has waited three years for this moment."

"Yeah, he's been drooling over you so much."

With a smile, Rufus turned to them. "Hey, stop running your mouths!"

They quieted down, and he turned back to me with a gentle, doting, and charming smile. "Maria, you're the only woman I ever wanna be with in my entire life. I want you, and only you."

I had pictured countless times when he popped the question. In my imagination, I'd burst into tears of joy and say yes. After all, I met him when I was eighteen, and Rufus was everything to me during my youth.

Once, when I had a stomachache in the middle of the night, he scaled the wall to the third floor of the girls' dorm just to send me pills and almost broke his leg. The next morning, Rufus gave me the soup he made overnight while limping.

Whenever some man set their eyes on me, he'd snap, saying I belonged to him only, and no one else got to even glance at me.

All our friends said Rufus was madly in love with me.

Right now, as I looked at him with roses and a ring in his hands, I felt so heartbroken that my tears kept streaming down, and I couldn't utter a word.

I thought I knew him so well, but I was wrong. I had no idea how Rufus truly felt while planning the proposal, or how he lied to my face, saying I was his one and only.

Rufus had a lover—after I went to study abroad, he kept a woman who looked very much like me. It had been two years already.

Rufus' eyes turned red as he saw the tears on my face. He stood up, held me in his arms, and patted my back gently. "Baby, don't cry. I know you're touched. It's fine; you don't have to answer me now. I'll wait for you to calm down."

The faint fragrance on him was the same as the one on the box I received yesterday. As I recalled what was inside the box, I couldn't help but feel sick and pushed him away.

As I was about to say no and question him, I suddenly saw that woman in the crowd. The confidence and provocation in her eyes were palpable. When that woman met my gaze, she flashed me a triumphant smile.

I instantly changed my mind. Why should I say no?

She hurt me and got to leave unscathed; he hurt me and didn't feel sorry about it at all. Why?

I was the only one spending every second in misery. Why?

Wiping my tears away, I forced a smile and extended my hand to Rufus. "I'm sorry, Rufus. I was just too excited. Yes, I will marry you."

Cheers rang out, and Rufus' eyes lit up with joy. He slid the ring onto my finger and then lifted me, spinning me around.

"Finally, I'm marrying my one and only. I love you, Marianne."

The fireworks Rufus prepared illuminated the sky above the sea, and he set me down gently, whispering in my ear, "We'll get engaged next week; you'll have an even more fascinating fireworks show than this one, my princess."

Looking at the lit-up night sky, I pursed my lips in silence.

Meanwhile, I said to him deep down, "Fireworks only last for a second, and people always change. Rufus, that fireworks show will never happen, because I'm gonna leave on the day you're most looking forward to."

On our way home, it started to rain. As Rufus kept receiving messages on his phone, he frowned and urged the driver to drive faster while looking at the rain outside the window getting heavier.

"Mr. Reed, there's a traffic jam ahead." The driver turned to look at him, slightly uneasy.

Rufus took a deep breath and closed his eyes. I knew he was suppressing his emotions and waiting for me to speak.

After all, I was so understanding in the past. When we were having a video chat, I'd ask him to get some rest when I saw the fatigue on his face, and I'd never disturb him when he saw he was busy or in a meeting.

It wasn't until now that I realized his fatigue wasn't work-related. When I sensibly chose not to disturb him, I happened to help them have some space to themselves. When he told me how much he loved me on the other end of the line, there was someone else in his arms.

I turned my head to look at the flickering neon lights outside, feigning oblivious to his anxiety.

Finally, he couldn't help but say, "Maria, something urgent came up at work. I gotta deal with it."

"Oh?" I turned back to look at him. "I happen to have some time today. Why don't I come with you?"

He held me in his arms and kissed the corner of my lips. "I'll never bother you with work. Family always comes before work. I know that.

"There's a mall upfront. Why don't you kill some time there? I'll pick you up after I'm done. Buy whatever you want; don't hold up."

My heart sank as I clenched my fists till nails dug into my palms. Then I said, trying to be as calm as possible, "OK. Go ahead then."

The car slowly moved forward and then stopped on the side of the congested road. After I got out, instead of walking into the mall, I hailed a cab and followed Rufus' car.

As expected, he didn't go to the office. Instead, he came back to the square where he proposed to me. The flowers set for the proposal were already ruined, and the petals, blown off by the wind, twirled and scattered in the rainwater on the ground. A young woman with waist-length hair was sitting there while hugging her knees without an umbrella, looking delicate and pitiful.

Holding an umbrella, Rufus strode toward her, and she looked up with tears in her eyes. At the sight of him, she looked dumbfounded. "Rufus? What ... are you doing here?"

"Do you really think I can stand watching you torture yourself while doing nothing?" His tone wasn't exactly friendly, but he compromised helplessly anyway. "Be good. I'll take you home."

She immediately smiled through tears. Struggling to stand up, she threw herself into his arms. "Rufus, I know asking you to love me is impossible. I'm not greedy. I just want you to spare me just a little bit of the love you have for her. I just wanna stay by your side.

"Please... Don't chase me away, OK?"

Rufus glanced at her deeply without saying a word, his Adam's apple bobbing. I knew he was turned on.

He loosened his tie and said, gritting his teeth, "You little minx, Beatrice." Then he hugged her tightly.

Under the light, the rain fell to the ground, glistening with a faint sheen. Holding an umbrella, I stood behind a tree, watching them hug and kiss each other. In the eyes of the others, I must have been some kind of pervert.

Though I had already known about his affair, seeing it with my own eyes still was too much for me to take. I couldn't help but bend over and gasp, feeling as if my heart stopped working; my hands propping my knees couldn't stop trembling at all.

I didn't know how I managed to walk back home at all. That night, I didn't sleep a wink.

At 6:00 a.m., Rufus gently pushed open the bedroom door. I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep, so he kissed my cheek before walking out on tiptoe.

Soon, I heard sounds coming from the kitchen. I draped my coat over my shoulders and leaned against the door, looking at him quietly.

Wasn't he tired of putting on the act? After spending a night with another woman, he rushed back to cook for me as if nothing had happened.

Turning around, he saw me. His hands slightly paused before he smiled, "You're up, lazy kitten. Breakfast will be ready soon."

I sat down, and he soon put breakfast on the table. "Give it a go; see if it still tastes the same."

Hard as it may be to believe, Rufus somehow managed to become a great cook though he had been waited on hand and foot his entire life.

Back then, I had just arrived abroad and was having a hard time accepting local cuisine, so I tried to cook on my own. Maybe I didn't have the potential to be a cook; though I handled all kinds of experiments well, the food I made was simply terrible.

But I kept trying until food poisoning landed me in the hospital.

Rufus had given me the cold shoulder for two weeks because I insisted on studying abroad. Upon hearing the news, he rushed over and scolded me in a cold voice, though the distress in his eyes was more than obvious, "You know I'm happy to take care of you forever. Why can't you stay with me? Why do you have to go all this way down here just to suffer?"

Back then, he had just taken over the Reed Group and was fully ambitious and vigorous. He didn't get it—why did I insist on studying abroad and leave us in a long-distance relationship, though I knew even after I graduated, my annual salary still couldn't afford a designer bag he sent me.

I told him it was my dream university, and my advisor was an important figure in the field. The other reason I didn't tell him was I hoped I could be good enough for him instead of being a parasite plant.

During those days I was hospitalized, Rufus learned to cook in my rental apartment, and the food he made was surprisingly tasty. Ever since that, whenever he came to visit me, he always took care of my every meal.

The rich food aroma filled my mouth, and I took a bite before putting the food down.

"What is it? Is it not good?" he asked.

I shook my head and looked into his eyes. "When did you get back last night?"

He was slightly stunned before darting his eyes around. Then he quickly calmed down and said, "2:00 in the morning. You were sleeping soundly, so I didn't wake you up."

He extended his hand across the table, held my hand, and continued, "I'm sorry, Maria. I promise I'll be back sooner. No work is as important as you, my baby."

I was instantly overwhelmed by great heartache; I tried to force a smile, but tears welled up my eyes uncontrollably. I couldn't help but ask, "Rufus, do we even have a future?"

"What? Yeah, of course. We'll be together forever, Maria." Rufus panicked and grabbed some tissues to wipe away my tears, his voice trembling. "What's wrong? Did you ... hear something?"

I forced myself to calm down and stop crying. "No. I'm fine. It's just... The wedding is around the corner, and I'm a bit sentimental."

He breathed a sigh of relief and pinched my face gently, saying dotingly, "Don't overthink it. Remember? You gotta try on the dress for the engagement today.

"I invited a master designer to customize it for you, and it took him several months. I'm sure you'll be stunning with it."

The gown was soon delivered by a dedicated staff. It happened to be the elegant style I loved—the shiny fabric bloomed with hand embroidery, and as I put it on, my slender waist was even more eye-catching.

It was beautiful, but I didn't feel joy at all. In front of the huge dressing mirror, Rufus held me from behind and whispered in my ear, his warm breath reaching my neck, "Maria, you take my breath away. I wanna keep you to myself so that no one else gets to even look at you."

He slid his hands down my body, his gaze burning.

In the mirror, I suddenly spotted faint hickeys peeking from under his collar and couldn't help but start to retch.

"Sorry... My stomach has been acting out today," I said.

He withdrew his hands and helped me to lie down on the bed. Then he fetched me some water, smiling bitterly, "Take some rest while I go take a cold shower."

Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom. Just then, his phone on the nightstand buzzed.

I figured out the password pretty easily—it was my birthday. After I unlocked it, I saw that it was a WhatsApp message from someone named "B&R", saying, "I've received the gown, and I love it. Thanks, Rufus."

What followed was a mirror selfie, in which Beatrice was wearing a gown similar to mine, striking a pose. Unlike my gown, which came with a conservative style, hers stopped mid-thigh, revealing just the right amount of skin, making her exceptionally sexy.

These two messages were all of their chat records. I marked them as unread before putting his phone back onto the nightstand.

By the time Rufus walked out of the bathroom, I had already taken the gown off. He checked his phone out of habit, and then the tips of his ears turned slightly red.

After hesitating for a while, he finally said, "Maria, Tyler is caught up in some trouble. I gotta go see what's going on." Tyler Moss was one of his buddies who had been of great help when Rufus pursued me back then.

I put down the book and glanced at him, and then I turned to open the windows. It was the early spring, and the chilly wind dissipated the last bit of hope in my heart.

"OK," I said.

"I promise I'll be back earlier today. Oh, and I'll get you the cupcake from your favorite shop," he said and hurried out.

Watching him drive out, I called Tyler. "Hey, Tyler. I got a gift for Rufus at the engagement party.

"Could you keep it for me before that day?"

Tyler asked, "Is it a surprise for Rufus? It sounds so mysterious."

"Yes, a very big surprise. So, keep this between us, OK? And bring it to him on that day," I said.

He was thrilled. "Sure! Rufus is gonna be so over the moon that day. When is it good for you? I'll go over to fetch it."

"Now," I said.