Chapter 4

He sat down beside me and lit a cigarette.

"I'm the sole heir of Vance Enterprises. We were never in the same league."

"Meeting you was just a penalty for losing a bet with my friends."

"Chloe is my fiancée. We were always going to end up together."

I stared at him, my mind blank, unable to utter a single word.

He smirked.

"I lied about the bankruptcy and the cancer just to get rid of you."

"But you just had to be the martyr and insist on suffering with me."

"What was the point of your sacrifice? My family would never accept a girl like you anyway."

I sat frozen on the sofa. After what felt like an eternity, I choked out,

"...Then why didn't you just tell me the truth?!"

"We signed our marriage certificate! And now you're having a wedding with someone else? What am I to you?"

He fell silent, watching the cigarette burn down before speaking slowly.

"I didn't tell you because you're pathetic."

"You always looked at me with those sad, puppy eyes, like you'd die on the spot if we broke up. How was I supposed to say it?"

"Plus, you're stupid."

"Stupid enough to not even realize that marriage certificate was fake."

It felt like a physical blow to my head. I couldn't breathe.

The cigarette burned out. He stubbed it in the ashtray, then patted my head dismissively.

"You're so dumb, I almost feel bad throwing you out."

"Just stay with me. As my mistress. Chloe already agreed to it."

"I can set up a generous allowance for you..."

Before he could finish, I slapped him across the face.

"You disgusting, shameless bastard. I was blind to ever love you."

For once, he actually looked stunned.

My entire body was shaking with rage. I raised my hand and slapped him again, even harder.

"Five years! I gave you five years of my life! I worked myself into the ground for you!"

"And you? You treated me like a clown! You were sleeping with another woman behind my back!"

"How pathetic did you think I was to let you trample on me like this?!"

His face darkened.

"I admit it was my fault for not making things clear earlier, so I'll let your little tantrum slide."

"But you're a friendless orphan, Amber. Without me, where else do you have to go?"

He reached his hand out to me, just like he had done years ago in that alleyway.

"Be good. As long as you listen to me, I promise I'll make sure you're well taken care of."

I didn't care about a single word he said. I ripped off the cheap bracelet on my wrist and hurled it directly at his face.

The cheap bracelet was bought from a street vendor—the only thing Julian had ever given me.

"Go to hell! I would rather eat out of trash cans than spend another second near you!"

Ignoring his furious expression, I turned and stormed out of the hotel.

The next morning when I went to work, I was called into the HR office and told I was fired.

"Someone high up called our CEO. They said we couldn't keep you. I'm sorry, Amber," the HR manager whispered, looking sympathetic.

"Who on earth did you offend?"

I could only offer a bitter laugh.

Because of Julian's anger, I had lost my only steady source of income.

For the next week, every single job application I sent out was instantly rejected.

While waiting for my twentieth interview, I scrolled through Instagram and saw a post that made my stomach turn.

Chloe had posted: "My husband has this pathetic, ugly, broke stalker who thinks she's his mistress. How should I deal with her?"

The comments were vile. Some suggested doxxing me, others suggested printing out flyers, and some even suggested beating me up.

Finally, Chloe had replied to a comment:

"Honestly, she’s so low-class that dealing with her feels beneath me. Luckily, my husband is smart. He didn't give her a single dime, and even faked stomach cancer to trick her out of tens of thousands of dollars."