Chapter 4

"What are you throwing a tantrum for?"

"Austin, it's bad enough you're a thief, but now you're being completely unreasonable!"

"Since we started dating, have you done anything other than try to control me with your money?"

Me? Controlling her with money?

So everything I had done for her since the beginning of our relationship was just me "controlling" her with money?

I had poured my heart out for three years, and all I got in return was this accusation?

I looked at Serena's angry face, unable to believe my ears.

For three years, I had never said no to her, no matter how ridiculous her requests were.

She wanted Tristan to go to our school, and I paid for it.

She wanted cake in the middle of the night, and I drove across town to get it.

She wanted expensive bags, clothes, and phones. I bought them all without looking at the price tags.

And now, she claimed I was controlling her with money?

If it was control, why didn't you hesitate to accept all those expensive gifts?

Looking at her holding Tristan's arm, a sharp pain shot through my chest.

I asked her:

"So you think my love for you was just control?"

"Did you think I only gave you money and no real feelings?"

"Does that give you the right to sleep with this pathetic thief?"

Hearing this, Serena's temper flared even more.

She pointed a finger at my face and yelled:

"Austin, let me tell you something. Don't think your family's money can run my life! I do whatever the hell I want!"

"I was going to let you off easy, but you're still acting like a prick."

"I guess the only way to make you learn is to see you in court!"

She couldn't answer my questions, so she tried to use the lawsuit to shut me up.

She still thought I would submit to her like I always did.

But things were different now.

I looked at her and said, word by word:

"Fine. Let's go to court. Let's see who the real thief is!"

At this point, Tristan stepped in to play the peacemaker, saying to Serena:

"Serena, don't be so mad. You guys are still a couple. Don't take this to court because of me. It won't look good."

"Austin probably didn't mean it. Let's just drop it."

Tristan was terrified of court because he knew that if a real investigation took place, he would be exposed.

Seeing his panicked eyes and trembling hands, I laughed.

He was losing his mind.

But Serena thought he was just being kind. Her voice softened instantly.

"Tristan, don't worry. I will get you the justice you deserve!"

I laughed at Tristan's shaking legs.

Justice would prevail.

On the day of the hearing, Serena walked in with her arm tightly linked with Tristan's, a confident smile on her face.

Seeing them look like a real couple made my heart ache.

Serena presented her demands to the court.

She wanted me blacklisted from the entire gaming industry and demanded I pay Tristan $100,000 in damages.

Hearing her demands, I laughed.

This was the girl I had loved for three years.

She knew making games was my absolute dream. I had wanted to be a game designer since I was a kid.

Yet, her demand was to destroy my career forever. She wanted to stomp on my dream and crush it completely.

Ever since Tristan reappeared in her life, she had grown colder and colder to me.

And I, like an idiot, had thought I did something wrong. I had begged for her forgiveness, changed myself, and for what?

Just to have her destroy my life over and over again.

She didn't care about me. She didn't respect my dreams.

The woman I had given everything to for three years didn't have a single drop of mercy for me.

And I had actually thought my love could change her.

How could I wake up a heart that was never mine to begin with?

As I laughed, tears streamed down my face, dropping onto the floor along with three years of wasted love.

I cried for my foolishness, which was rewarded with absolute betrayal.

But Serena thought my tears were a sign of regret.

She turned to the reporters and the judge, mockingly saying:

"Now you regret it? Too late!"

"If you had admitted your mistake earlier, we wouldn't be here."

"I don't care if you're my boyfriend. I will never let a plagiarist off the hook!"

After saying that, she snuggled back into Tristan's chest.

Tristan looked smug. He probably thought that with Serena on his side, there was no way he could lose.

He shot me a triumphant look and patted Serena's shoulder.

A warm, beautiful smile appeared on Serena's face.

In our three years together, she had never smiled at me like that.

Since she never cared about me, I didn't need to hold back anymore.

I raised my hand and said to the judge, "Your Honor, I have a crucial piece of evidence."

"It's a security video showing Tristan stealing my files."