Chapter 1 Thanks for Not Marrying Me

"Hey, Isabella! You're back! Nathan said you went to a competition. When did you get back?" Jordan Parker asked. "I just landed. It's Nathan's birthday today, so I wanted to surprise him," Isabella Moore replied. With a gift bag in her hand, she pointed upstairs and asked, "Jordan, he's up there, right?" "Yeah. It's his birthday, so he's with a bunch of his friends. But I'm not in charge of the room tonight. You can go on up." The bar belonged to one of Nathan Bennett's closest friends, and whenever there was a get-together, they would always hold it here. That was why Isabella had come straight from the airport. She was afraid she might miss Nathan's birthday if she didn't hurry. Once upstairs, she opened the door, and her smile froze at once. Despite the music pounding through the private room, Isabella could still hear Nathan's ragged breathing and the woman in his arms moaning his name. Under the strobe lights, the woman's exposed cleavage was enough to hold even Isabella's gaze. Out of nowhere, someone cut off the music, and the room plunged into a deathly silence. Nathan looked up, irritation flashing across his face. The moment he saw Isabella standing in the doorway, he shoved the woman away. But what was the point? Once the damage was done, pretending otherwise wouldn't change a thing. A bitter laugh escaped Isabella's lips. Funny how rage could still make a person laugh. Nathan scrambled to his feet and rushed toward her. Just as he reached for her hand, she took a step back. "Nathan, your fly is open," Isabella said, her tone laced with disdain. Her voice was steady, but only she felt the lump tightening in her throat. One more word, and the tears she was holding back would spill. Flustered, Nathan reached for his zipper, only to realize it was perfectly fastened. She had made a fool of him. A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face as he explained, "I wasn't… We were just messing around. I lost a game, that's all. It's nothing. Don't overthink it, Isabella." Isabella's heart pounded wildly, her breathing uneven. She shut her eyes, then let out a cold laugh. "Nathan, do you even believe what you're saying? If I hadn't walked in, the two of you would already be in bed, wouldn't you?" All eyes in the room were on them. Nathan's pride stung. He lowered his voice and urged, "Isabella, let's talk about this later. My friends are here for my birthday. For my sake, please don't make a scene." Right. It was his birthday. Isabella's lips curled into a derisive smile as she lifted the gift bag. Then, she pulled out a bottle of perfume, held it up, and scanned the room. Seeing that, Nathan took a nervous step back. "Afraid I'll smash it over your head?" Isabella chuckled. "Relax. You're not worth it." Her eyes fell on a bare wall. Without missing a beat, she hurled the expensive bottle of perfume against it with all her might. The bottle shattered instantly. Amber liquid splattered across the wall as shards of glass went flying. The sweet, suffocating scent clung to the air, heavy with the weight of Isabella's emotions. She looked coldly at Nathan, who was visibly shaken. "Perfume can't cover up the rot underneath. Nathan Bennett, thank you for sparing me the misery of becoming your wife." They had been set to get engaged next month. Clearly, that was no longer necessary. Nathan grabbed her hand. "What's that supposed to mean, Isabella?" Isabella met his gaze with chilling calm. "Nathan, we're done." He stared at her in disbelief, as if she had just cracked a joke. "You're breaking up with me over something so trivial? Really? What are you going to tell your parents? We're supposed to get engaged next month!" "If they don't agree, then go marry them yourself. As for me, I'm cutting ties with you for good." With that, Isabella yanked her hand free and turned to leave. Behind her, Nathan shouted, "Isabella Moore! Don't you dare regret this! Do you really think I can't live without you? It's you and your family who have been clinging to me! Go on, walk away. Let's see if you can find anyone richer than me!"