My Boyfriend, the Math Prodigy

: The Proposal

2

I wore a white dress, just like the day I first met him.

When he saw me, the corners of his eyes curled in a sneer, but the smile never reached them.

He lowered his voice. "Yara Bellamy, you think I don't know what you're up to?"

"Trying to use your outfit today to make me reminisce about the past?"

I just smiled at him.

Before I could say anything, he pulled a large bouquet of red roses from the car.

He held them out to me with one hand.

For a moment, I couldn't figure out what he was doing. I froze, not reaching out to take them.

He grew impatient and shoved them straight into my arms.

At this, the reporters who had been hiding in the shadows swarmed forward, quickly encircling us.

A bad feeling suddenly washed over me.

Sure enough, he dropped to one knee and pulled a ring from his suit pocket.

"Yara Bellamy, will you marry me?"

No one present had expected such a dramatic turn of events, and the reporters were especially thrilled.

The camera flashes nearly blinded me.

Finnian Sterling looked up at me, a slight tilt to his head, waiting for my response as if he were watching a joke unfold.

And I held out my hand and nodded.

I accepted his proposal.

Everyone present gasped.

Then, they turned to look at me with contempt.

'I didn't need to guess what they were thinking of me.'

'Materialistic. A clout-chaser. Sucking up to him again now that he's made a comeback.'

The mockery on Finnian Sterling's face deepened.

He stood up and leaned close to my ear, his voice so low only the two of us could hear.

"Yara Bellamy, after all these years, you really haven't changed one bit."

"I thought you'd at least have some dignity. I never expected... you're still as greedy as ever."

"Since you dared to accept my proposal, then I'll... make you experience the hell I went through for three years. I'm going to make you feel exactly how I survived those three years."

He spoke through gritted teeth.

I gave a pale smile.

'I knew my reputation was terrible, and I knew he hated me.'

'But I didn't care. Accepting his proposal meant I could spend a little more time with him.'

'After all... I don't have much time left to live.'