I am Ruby Crystalia Villanueva, the only daughter of a billionaire—a man who built one of the largest mining institutions in the Philippines. My life had always been one of luxury, untouched by struggle, shielded from the harsh realities of the world. I had everything anyone could ever dream of—wealth, status, and a future paved with endless possibilities. Or so I thought.
Because little did I know, the happiness I had known all my life was built on a foundation of betrayal.
Long before I was born, my father had a friend—a man who once stood by his side as they chased the promise of fortune together. But when they finally struck gold, quite literally, my father made a choice that changed everything. He turned his back on that friend, claiming the mining site as his own. It wasn't just about wealth—it was about survival. His friend, desperate and in need of money to save his dying wife, pleaded for help. But my father, the man I had always admired, looked the other way. And because of that, she died.
Perhaps it was karma finally catching up to us. The empire my father had built, the fortune that secured our lavish existence, began to crumble. Investors pulled out, the institution fell into financial disarray, and the once-mighty Villanueva name was on the verge of ruin.
Desperation led my father to make a decision I never expected.
He arranged my marriage.
A strategic engagement to a powerful sponsor—the only way to save what remained of our family's legacy. I wanted to refuse, to fight back, but how could I? He had given me everything. He had raised me in comfort, protected me from hardship. If this was the price I had to pay, then so be it.
I thought I could handle it. I thought it was just another sacrifice.
But I was wrong.
Because stepping into this marriage was the biggest mistake of my life.