He Said No—Until Marriage

"Molly, I love you! You're the single most important person in my life, and I would give everything to protect you. Will you marry me and be mine forever?"

Standing in a literal sea of red roses, Molly Johnson remained stone-faced as she stared at Oliver Smith, who was impeccably dressed in his tailored suit as he passionately confessed his feelings to her.

She studied the face she had loved for four years. Although his features hadn't changed, they were exactly as she remembered. Now all she could percieve was something rotten emanating from the man before her, making her stomach churn.

Just thirty minutes ago, Molly had walked towards the private lounge only to stumble upon Oliver and her stepsister, Clara Johnson, locked in a passionate embrace.

They kissed with a hunger that spoke of a long-term affair, and Oliver even promised Clara that even if he married Molly, he would never abandon her.

Every image, every word, was attacking her eyes and her heart.

The pain of betrayal surged through every nerve in her body like a physical blow, nearly causing her to lose her balance. She bit down so hard on her teeth that she tasted blood in her mouth, using the pain to keep herself composed.

Oliver, her perfect boyfriend, the man who claimed to worship the ground she walked on, had been rotten to the core all along.

If she hadn't witnessed that sickening scene, she would have happily accepted his bouquet right now, nodding through tears as she said "yes."

Instead, she could only marvel at Oliver's acting skills. He'd been lying to her face for years.

Molly stood motionless, saying nothing.

Oliver's heartfelt vows hung in the air unanswered, leaving him feeling a bit awkward as he urged her with his gaze to quickly accept the flowers.

After all, their entire social circle was watching; this was their engagement party.

Molly pretended not to catch his desperate signals.

Just then, the massive screen behind them suddenly flickered to life. The romantic montage everyone expected never appeared. Instead, the room erupted in gasps of pure horror.

Someone covered their mouth, crying out, "Oh my God!"

The screen was flooded with explicit, intimate photographs—hundreds of them scrolling in rapid succession.

The backgrounds varied, clearly taken in different hotel rooms over multiple encounters, leaving no doubt about the frequency of these trysts.

The man's face was crystal clear in every shot. It was Oliver.

The photographs were skillfully taken, each one avoiding the woman's face, but Molly knew that the woman was Clara.

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became extremely awkward.

After a brief moment of shock, Molly's gaze swept over Oliver's pale face, and then she turned her attention to Clara in the audience, whose eyes didn't look horrified but held a hint of smugness.

Molly quickly realized what was happening. Clara was trying to sabotage their engagement to claim Oliver for herself.

Panic finally set in for Oliver as the room filled with the sound of poisonous whispers. He fumbled with his phone, desperate to kill the display.

Sweating and trembling, he turned back to Molly, his voice cracking. "Molly, wait. Let me explain. It’s not what it looks like!"

Minutes ago, every guest had been marveling at their perfect love story, commenting on what a stunning couple they made.

Now those same romantic declarations felt like a cruel joke, the photos serving as a public slap in the face that rendered Oliver's earlier vows meaningless.

The public humiliation was a total, devastating reversal of fortune.

Molly didn't give him the satisfaction of another look. Instead, she walked directly to the microphone, her head held high as she ignored the sea of stunned faces from every corner of the room. Her voice remained steady as it echoed through the ballroom.

"I apologize for subjecting you all to this spectacle. The engagement is officially off."

Behind her back, her hand gripped the microphone stand so hard it shook. She wasn't made of stone; she was heartbroken.

This was the man she had invested four years of her life in, and just as she thought she was stepping into her future, he had shoved her into an abyss.

Oliver's pupils dilated, his expression shifting from panic into a dark defensive fury in seconds.

"Molly, our engagement represents an alliance between two families. Are you certain the Johnson family can handle the consequences of canceling unilaterally?"

Molly met his glare calmly. "I forgot to mention—I've already accepted the Howard family's marriage proposal."

In the aftermath of discovering his betrayal, she hadn't allowed herself time to wallow in sadness. Quick, decisive action had always been her way.

If she'd misjudged someone and wasted her feelings, the smartest move was to cut her losses immediately.

No matter how much pain she felt, Molly never let it show.

Oliver stared at her in disbelief as his voice rose instantly.

"You're actually going to marry that blind freak for money? Molly, what do our years together mean to you—nothing? Or do you see yourself as some commodity to be sold to the highest bidder?"

"Do you want me to describe, in front of everyone, exactly what I saw in that lounge thirty minutes ago?" Molly asked, her eyes flashing with a sudden, dangerous fire.

Oliver actually dared to mention their relationship after what he'd done.

"Should I marry Edward Howard, or stick with a disgusting person like you?"

Her tone dripped with sarcasm.

Oliver clenched his jaw and hurled the bouquet to the ground, snarling as he lost all pretense of the gentleman, "You're the one who refused to sleep with me for four years! What man could endure that? If you'd been more obedient, more understanding, I never would have looked elsewhere!"

"You drove me to this!"

Molly's face was filled with revulsion. "So it's my fault you cheated? My fault you slept with other women and had those photos displayed at our engagement party?"

She'd used logic and reason to suppress inappropriate emotions, analyzing pros and cons rationally, but that didn't mean she hadn't invested genuine feelings in their relationship.

Not only had Oliver done something reprehensible, but now he was trying to make her feel sick about it. She'd been completely blind about him all these years!

Oliver found himself speechless, his neck straining as he retorted, "You realize this was supposed to be our night. Even if you cancel this, you’re still an 'engaged' woman in the eyes of the public. How could Edward Howard possibly want you now?"

Clara chimed in with a sneer, "Molly, even though the heir to the Howard family is a blind freak, the Howard family is still prestigious. Are you still dreaming if you think they'd actually want you?"

Molly's stepmother, Celeste Johnson, spoke slowly, "Molly, I know you've always been competitive, but let me remind you—the higher you climb, the harder you fall. The Howard family is completely out of your league."

Molly looked at the three of them as if they were idiots.

Edward Howard was well-known in Emerald City.

He was the man standing at the absolute pinnacle of society's pyramid.

Tragically, he'd been diagnosed with a terminal illness at a young age and had lost his sight.

Edward's mother, Alicia Howard, desperately wanted to secure his bloodline and had been searching for a suitable bride, but his condition made finding a willing candidate nearly impossible.

Molly curled her lips and said slowly, "My affairs are none of your concern. I'm sure today's engagement party drama will be trending on social media within the hour. You're about to become notorious."

Before Oliver could respond, footsteps echoed through the ballroom as someone new entered.

Guests turned instinctively toward the sound.

Someone gasped in recognition.

"Isn't that the Howard family's butler? What's he doing here?"