Reborn to Dump You

It was only after Florence and I arrived at the location of the gathering that we realized it was Whitney who wanted to confess to Hayden.

Ever since Whitney returned to the country, Hayden had been at her beck and call. Someone gossiped that there had been several times in which Hayden had to stay up late because he was handling her affairs. When she asked him to stay the night, he had not refused.

Furthermore, the two of them had been inseparable since high school. This time, it was also highly likely that she had abandoned her foreign boyfriend for Hayden.

As the gossip reached its peak, someone even mentioned seeing Hayden visiting a bridal boutique. It looked like something good was about to happen.

As I listened to the chatter of the people at the same table as me, calm gradually overtook the bitterness in my heart.

Forget it. Since I had already decided to part ways with him, he could do as he wished.

In my previous life, I had been willing to pay for a custom wedding dress out of my own pocket, but Hayden had vehemently refused.

He had said that since I was the one who asked for this marriage, I didn't deserve a choice in anything.

In the end, I had no choice but to wear the discounted wedding dress that he rented from the photo studio for the wedding.

Whitney had made this quite a grand affair. She had invited many old acquaintances from her high school days.

I was drinking juice, bored out of my mind. However, as everyone was toasting each other, there were a few familiar male guests who came forward to ask for my contact information.

I smiled as I either accepted or declined their requests. I pretended not to notice Hayden's dark gaze.

Whitney was dressed formally today. No matter how much everyone's positions shifted, she remained firmly by Hayden's side.

They were truly a match made in heaven.

She glanced at me from time to time. When she saw that I did not make any moves, she gradually relaxed.

On the other hand, Hayden was mingling with their classmates. No matter who raised a toast, he would go along with it.

Very quickly, his face started turning red.

"Who did Whitney prepare such an extravagant setup for, Hayden?"

"Whitney's so elegant and generous. She'd be more than a good match for you!"

"Why don't you take the initiative here instead of letting a lady propose to you?"

Everyone was making fun of Hayden.

I could not help but recall his distaste for women "throwing themselves at him". If that was the case, what did he think of Whitney now?

Of course, I could hardly be compared to Whitney. I smiled self-deprecatingly and turned away.

Strangely, Hayden did not respond to everyone's words. He simply downed glass after glass of wine.

He began, "Actually, I've already…"

As if he had thought of something, he slowly trailed off again.

Although Whitney was suspicious of his strange behavior, she still pulled herself together and clapped her hands. "I have something to announce, everyone! You all know that Hays and I have already known each other for a long time. Nobody treats me better than he does."

Right on cue, she blushed shyly. Someone from the crowd was already wolf-whistling.

She mustered up her courage and continued, "Today, everyone will serve as witnesses. I wish to ask… Are you willing to go out with me, Hays?"

Amid the thunderous applause, I raised my glass toward the crowd from a distance. It was also a form of farewell to my past life.

Everyone looked toward Hayden. He did not look up. He simply gripped his wine glass tightly.

After a moment of silence, Whitney's smile started to stiffen on her face, and tears formed in her eyes.

Her voice was slightly shaky as she called out, "Hays?"

After a long moment, Hayden decided to speak up. "I'm sorry, Whitney. There's actually someone whom I've always liked."

He looked in my direction.