Chapter 99: Special Chapter: Poser

[Alden's POV]

The chair creaked as he leaned backward and released a sigh as deep as his wounded heart and pride. Alden brought the rim of the snifter, sipped the bitter liquid, and let it burned his chest.

He'd be lying if he said it didn't hurt. But Johan already made a choice. And he seemed determined to be with that foreign-looking guy. Johan even threw away the chance to meet his estranged mother.

"Must be nice to be a natural-born handsome," Alden said, placing down the brandy snifter above his work desk and stood. He gave a hollow laugh at the sight of his reflection in the wine cabinet. "Of course he'd choose him over you, Alden. You are nothing but a fake."

Through his alcohol-muddled mind, the reflection of the tall, handsome man with crimson-dyed hair distorted into a chubby loser with dark locks he despised so much.

———

[Flashback]

'How to get over your first love?'