Chapter 1
When Mason Harmon’s first love, Brooklyn Davis, returned, the first thing she did was make a bet with Celia Parker. The agreement stated that if Mason abandoned Celia nine times for Brooklyn, the former would have to give up the title of “Mrs. Harmon.” Celia agreed.
The ninth time, it took only a phone call from Brooklyn for Ethan to abandon her again on the highway.
“Celia, something urgent came up. Can you get out of the car here and take a cab home?”
Before she could even answer, he shoved an umbrella into her hands, not caring that it was pouring rain outside or that she was on her period. He didn’t even ask if she would be okay as he was in too much of a rush to see Brooklyn.
“Call me when you get home,” he added.
When she saw him typing Brooklyn’s home address into the GPS, Celia’s heart heart twisted painfully. She watched as the sports car sped off, its taillights vanishing into the rain.
The icy wind whipped against her skin, causing her to shiver from the cold. Within seconds, her dress was soaked.
Alone in the downpour, she stumbled down the side of the freeway. Her heels tore into her skin, and soon, her feet were raw and bleeding.
Five hours later, Celia finally made it to Coastal Villa. Her dress was stained a deep crimson with blood, and she collapsed at the gate. She clutched her aching stomach and gasped for air.
Rain blurred her vision. Through the haze, she saw Brooklyn approach with an umbrella, wearing a smug smile.
“Hurts, doesn’t it?”
“Do you regret signing that bet with me now? You really thought that after all these years, Mason would have developed any real feelings for you? You forgot one thing— I’m the only one he truly loves.”
“Whatever he felt for you was nothing.”
Celia struggled to her feet, her face pale but eerily calm. “Nine times. You win. I’ll divorce Mason.”
With that, she stumbled toward the house. As the rain drizzled around her, the memories she had tried so hard to bury came rushing back with it.
Celia and Brooklyn were college roommates. Back in freshman year, Brooklyn had thrown a huge birthday bash, and that night was the first time Celia ever laid eyes on Mason. With just one look, she was completely drawn in by his aloof, polished charm that left her breathless and her heart pounding like crazy.
That night, Brooklyn had introduced him to everyone as her childhood best friend. Then, right before everyone, she announced her new boyfriend—a notorious campus troublemaker.
Celia could still remember the shock, pain, and loss of composure on Mason’s face when he heard the news.
One look was all it took for her to know that the person he loved was
With just a glance, she knew exactly the person he loved was Brooklyn.
Nonetheless, Brooklyn was always the type to chase thrills, preferring the rebellious bad boy who would skip classes with her, race cars, and seek thrills in bathroom stalls. She had no interest in the proper, well-mannered heir to a fortune like Mason.
She found Mason too controlling, and eventually, after discovering Celia’s feelings for him, Brooklyn deliberately created encounters and dinner gatherings, doing everything possible to push him toward Celia, just to get him off her back.
Celia witnessed Mason’s transition from resistance to feeling insulted, then numb, and finally, accepting the situation.
In their junior year, as Brooklyn had wished, Celia and Mason became a couple.
Two years later, Mason proposed.
For three years after marriage, they lived like polite strangers, but their days passing peacefully and warmly.
Celia had truly believed that they would grow old together this way.
Until a month ago, when Brooklyn returned from abroad and arranged to meet with Celia, proposing a bet.
“Celia, I’ve changed my mind. I want Mason back. You two have known each other for nine years now, right? So let’s bet on nine incidents. If he abandons you for me nine times, you lose—you’ll divorce him and return him to me.”
Celia agreed, almost without thinking. Deep down, she really wanted to know if Brooklyn still occupied a place in Mason’s heart.
What followed was she learned a brutal lesson in how willingly Mason would drop everything for Brooklyn.
