Jeremy lay in bed, eyes shut but mind restless. No matter how hard he tried to will himself into sleep, his thoughts clashed and tangled, refusing to settle. The image of Alice, his supposed fiancée—her confident stance, his father’s firm words—kept haunting him.
"How did I even get here?" he muttered to himself.
The weight of unanswered questions bore into him, keeping him awake until 5 AM, when exhaustion finally took over.
Morning came quickly, and Jeremy forced himself up, determined to find his father. Stepping out into the mansion's garden, he found him sitting peacefully, sipping his favorite espresso, eyes lost in the view. Jeremy took a deep breath, ready to speak, when—
"Jeremy!"
A woman's voice called out.
He turned—and there she was. Alice.
She stood poised in a pink dress with a fitted blazer, exuding elegance and control.
"Good morning, Uncle Andrew," she greeted, her voice smooth and polished. Then, her gaze shifted to Jeremy. "Good morning, Jeremy. You don’t look well—you must not have slept. I can see the dark circles under your eyes."
Jeremy blinked, unsure how to respond.
Alice smiled, unfazed. "I have a meeting today, and I expect you to join me in the office for your first day. See you soon."
With a polite wave, she turned and walked away.
Jeremy clenched his jaw, turning back to his father. Frustration boiled inside him as he finally voiced his thoughts.
"Why am I obliged to marry her?" His tone was sharp, filled with disbelief. "She’s a stranger—I have no connection with her."
His father sighed. "Sit down."
Jeremy hesitated but complied. His father handed him a cup of coffee—bitter, just as he liked it—but Jeremy immediately reached for the sugar and milk, trying to soften the taste… and perhaps, the reality of his situation.
"You know," his father began, voice heavy with nostalgia, "twelve years ago, I came here chasing my dream to become a CEO. I worked hard in Alice’s family company for ten years before I left to start my own business. They didn’t want me to go—I was one of the pioneers. But I followed my dream, even when it meant taking a risk."
Jeremy listened, feeling the tension build in his chest.
"Then I met a successful real estate man—a businessman looking for a partner. We worked together for a year, but then, disaster struck. A natural calamity destroyed our project, and we lost everything."
His father paused, taking a slow sip of coffee before continuing.
"I tried to recover, but in desperation, I went to the casino. In one night, I lost everything."
Jeremy’s grip tightened around his cup.
"I owed one million dollars. With no family here, I had no one to turn to. So I called Mr. Jeffrey Rand—Alice’s father. He helped me without hesitation, but there was one condition: I had to return to the company, and you had to marry his daughter."
Jeremy’s heart plummeted.
"He doesn’t trust outsiders. To him, family is everything. He wants you as his son-in-law because he trusts me—and he trusts you. If you refuse… I will have to repay him, and if I fail, I may end up in jail."
His father sighed, voice tightening with emotion.
"Worse than that, Jeremy… I will never see your mother again."
Silence.
Jeremy stared at his father, the weight of his words crushing him.
"I want to return home. To reunite with your mother. It’s time for me to live my life. But I can’t do that if I’m drowning in debt. You are my only son—my only hope."
Jeremy swallowed hard, his throat aching.
His father stood.
"Let’s talk later. For now, I’ll take you to the office."
Jeremy didn’t answer. He walked away, his mind spinning. Rage bubbled inside him. His father had never spoken of his hardships before. Jeremy had always assumed he was fine—successful, stable, untouchable.
But now… the truth was crueler than he ever imagined.
Worse yet—he felt powerless.
Jenny.
Her name burned in his mind. What would he tell her? Could he tell her anything?
No. Maybe the answer was disappearance.
For his father’s sake—for the reunion that was long overdue—maybe Jeremy should erase himself from Jenny’s life entirely.
Later that evening, after an exhausting day at the office, Alice approached him.
"Jeremy," she said calmly.
He turned, trying to mask his discomfort.
"I know you have a girlfriend. I know you don’t like me," Alice stated matter-of-factly.
Jeremy stiffened.
"But tell me… can you repay your father’s debt anytime soon?"
Her words hit like a blow.
"My father will be coming next month. He wants to meet you and discuss the wedding—if you’re willing. I’ll give you more time."
She paused, watching him. Then, softly yet decisively, she said, "Goodnight."
And just like that, she walked away.
Jeremy stood frozen, feeling entirely detached from reality.
Without thinking, he left.
The mansion felt too constricting, too heavy with secrets. He ran—to the park, to anywhere that felt open, free.
He ran until exhaustion caught up to him, collapsing onto the ground.
And then, finally, the floodgates opened.
Jeremy cried. Shouted. Let his emotions unravel like a child abandoned in the world.
"Coward," he whispered to himself. "I’m a coward."
But his father… he loved his father too much.
And maybe… maybe this time, he should think about family first.
With trembling hands, he reached for his phone—then stopped.
No.
He couldn’t talk to Jenny. He couldn’t tell her the truth.
Instead, he deleted everything—his social media, his contacts.
He placed every gift Jenny had ever given him into a box and stored it away.
From this moment forward, Jeremy would live like a robot. Cold. Detached. Functional.
It was the only way to endure what was coming next.
Meanwhile, across the ocean, Jenny still waited.
A week had passed—no messages, no calls, no updates. His social media had vanished. But still, she held onto hope—Jeremy had promised he would reach out. He had promised he would never leave her.
She worked tirelessly, carrying the weight of their love, believing that soon, she’d hear from him again.
Not knowing that, somewhere far away… Jeremy had already erased himself from her world.
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