The company gala was in full swing when I threw up on the most important guest in the room. Colleagues scattered like roaches when the lights turn on, leaving my boss, Adrian, to step in and apologize for me. But the VIP didn’t get angry. Instead, he calmly dusted off his lapel and looked at Adrian. "She has zero tolerance for alcohol. Keep an eye on her." Adrian’s jaw practically hit the floor. When the banquet finally ended, my coworkers swarmed me, buzzing with gossip. "That was Carter Sterling! How on earth do you know him?" Carter paused near the exit, turning to look at me. I averted my gaze and let out a dry, hollow laugh. "I don't. We aren't close." After all, when we broke up three years ago, Carter Sterling had only one request: Never tell a soul we were ever together. 1 The noisy room went dead silent. A few seconds later, someone scoffed. "Yeah, right." "Carter’s suit is worth six figures. If he wasn't close to you, would he let that slide? And giving the boss instructions on how to handle you?" What instructions? I really had drunk too much. I hadn't heard a word Carter said. I shook my head, repeating the line like a mantra. "We really aren't close." "He probably just let it go out of respect for our boss," someone reasoned. Everyone knew Adrian Hale had connections everywhere. He ran in the same circles as Carter. "Really?" I met my colleague's skeptical gaze with a blank stare. After a long staredown, she convinced herself. "Yeah, that makes sense." "It has to be Adrian. Why would someone like Carter know a corporate drone like you?" "Besides, I heard Carter is getting engaged at the end of the month. Maybe he’s just in a good mood." Hearing that, the crowd bought it. The only person who didn't look convinced was Adrian. He leaned against the wall, swirling a glass of scotch, one eyebrow raised. His expression said: I’m just going to watch you lie through your teeth. 2 I calmly looked away. Technically, I wasn't lying. We broke up three years ago. We were strangers now. Especially considering the brutal words he left me with. He forbade me from even speaking his name. The gala wound down. Carter walked out with Adrian. As they passed me, Carter turned his head, his dark eyes boring into mine. I kept my expression frozen. I didn't even blink. Only when they disappeared out the door did the tension in the room lift. The gossip immediately shifted to Carter. Mentioning his fiancée, someone sighed enviously. "Vanessa Vanderbilt. A real heiress. The hardest thing that girl has ever had to do is choose a latte flavor." "Born with a silver spoon, childhood sweethearts with Carter... that diamond on her finger costs more than my life insurance. And did you hear about the car he bought her?" "I heard a rumor," someone whispered, lowering their voice. "Carter dated some poor girl about three years ago. Two years together. But she made Vanessa cry once, and he dumped her the next day." "Two years down the drain just like that? That’s cold." "It gets worse. To vent his anger for Vanessa, he basically ran the girl out of the city. But apparently, she was from a trashy family with a bad reputation. Probably just a gold digger." The room filled with judgmental sighs. I lowered my eyes, catching bits and pieces of the conversation. It was half true, half false. It was true that Carter dumped me because of Vanessa. But he didn't run me out of town. He just thought I was too shameful to be seen with. He flew out of the country the day we broke up without even saying goodbye. Two years of love, ending in humiliation. I didn't want to hear anymore. I grabbed my bag to leave, but someone asked: "Two years? And he didn't feel bad at all?" 3 No. Carter was ruthless. He was so cruel that for a long time after, I questioned if the gentle, polite man I first met was even the same person. I realized later, he started changing the moment Vanessa came back from Europe. He took me to meet his inner circle. The private lounge was filled with people he’d known since kindergarten. Old money. They greeted me politely enough. Except for Vanessa. She scanned me from head to toe like I was a bad investment. That was the first time I met her. Beautiful, but icy. We didn't speak the entire night. Until the end, when she finally acknowledged my existence. "What a coincidence." "I heard you and Carter haven't been dating long, but your mother suddenly got sick, and you needed money urgently?" I froze. Carter had helped me with medical bills. But I had already paid him back. The night I accepted Carter’s confession, I had actually regretted it. Carter Sterling, the heir to the Sterling empire, and "poverty" didn't belong in the same sentence. But he had buried his face in my neck, his voice thick with emotion, asking, "Are you sure? Do you really want to leave me?" The speech I prepared died in my throat. My heart hammered against my ribs. I was powerless against the chemistry. Later, I refused his expensive gifts. I couldn't afford to owe him anything else. But how did Vanessa know about the medical bills? Before I could speak, Vanessa laughed lightly. "It doesn't matter. It’s pocket change to us." "I'm just making conversation. Don't take it to heart." I stood there, stunned. Carter glanced at her, his expression unreadable. Vanessa looked up at him, smiling with her eyes. They didn't speak, but a silent communication passed between them. That was the first time I felt it. The wall. Later, while shopping, I stared at a pair of earrings. They would have looked perfect on my mom. "They're beautiful," Vanessa said, appearing beside me. "You like them?" "Carter should just buy them for you." The group of friends chuckled. They stood in the light. I stood in their shadow. I looked at Carter. I couldn't articulate the humiliation I felt, but I desperately hoped he would stand up for me. Just one word. Say, Elena never asked me for anything. Say, Elena isn't who you think she is. I watched him. Vanessa watched him. It felt like a century passed. Finally, Carter spoke. He glanced indifferently at the earrings. "If you want something, just ask next time." "Pick whatever else you like." The world spun. I gripped the counter, trying to see the real man behind that mask of indifference. But all I saw in those beautiful eyes was the same look Vanessa had. Arrogance. They were exactly the same. 4 After that day, we entered a cold war. I didn't contact Carter. But Vanessa came to find me. "You forgot the earrings you were staring at. Carter told me to bring them to you." She looked at my mother and laughed. "This is your mom?" "You used her illness as an excuse to borrow money from Carter, didn't you?" "What's the excuse next time?" "Sickness gets old. Maybe you two should brainstorm a new scam. Your mother looks like she has more experience..." Every word was a dagger into my mother’s heart. Her face went pale. I didn't let her finish. I shoved Vanessa hard. "Shut your mouth!" Vanessa fell. Her wrist scraped the floor, and she teared up instantly. Her friends arrived that night. They blocked my doorway, demanding an apology. "Vanessa was the one insulting us! Why should I apologize?" "Fine. Don't apologize. Pay up." A man leaned against the wall, laughing. "Though I doubt you can afford the medical bill for her wrist." They were merciless. "Face it. You're just in it for Carter’s money. Was Vanessa wrong?" "Stop pretending." "Name your price. We'll pay you to leave Carter alone." I was shaking with rage. Just as I was about to scream, Carter arrived. The crowd dispersed immediately. When the footsteps faded, the hallway was quiet. Vanessa must have cried to him already. I assumed he was here to make me apologize too. Or mock me. I clenched my fists, staring at him. But Carter didn't mention Vanessa. He spoke calmly. "I heard your mother isn't feeling well?" "Do you need money?" His tone was gentle, but the implication was cruel. He believed them. I realized then: either I never knew Carter, or he had changed completely. When I didn't answer, he shoved something into my hand. A black card. Cold against my skin. "If you need anything else, just ask." My mother was sitting on the sofa, listening. Her fingers dug deep into the cushions. I couldn't look at her. "Get out," I choked out. I threw the card and the man out the door. We broke up. Carter didn't give me the card again. Instead, he kept sending gifts. One evening, I came home to find my door open. A neighbor was walking out. "Your daughter is something else. She's got the looks to make it pay, huh? Those things look expensive." "Finally letting you live the good life." I froze. The living room table was piled high with luxury bags and jewelry. The silence was deafening. My mother sat on the sofa, staring at the pile. She didn't ask. She didn't speak. After a long time, she closed her eyes. "Elena... sometimes I wish I hadn't survived that accident." My eyes turned red instantly.
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