My boyfriend and I had planned to elope before Christmas. Instead, he showed up with a new girlfriend. He told me I wasn't good enough, that being with me would only drag him down. "I'm sick of this poverty! Leaving you to struggle in the mud alone is better than both of us never seeing the sun." "Vivian's family is worth hundreds of millions. She can get me a job in her family's corporation and pave the way for my success. If you try to harass me again, don't blame me for being ruthless." Vivian saw the conflict in his eyes and whispered a threat: "Don't forget your grandmother is still in the ICU. Without my money, she's dead." Then she looked at me with a sneer. "A poor student who only knows how to sleep her way up. Once I buy Miss Ye's favorite antique at the auction, I'll enter the upper echelons of New York society. I'll become a true socialite, a height you'll never reach in this lifetime." But as far as I knew, she was just an illegitimate daughter born from her mother's affair. And the "Miss Ye" she was desperate to suck up to? That would be me. 1 It had been a week since Liam dumped me. If my childhood friend, Cole, hadn't begged me to come and be his plus-one for a charity gala, I would still be rotting at home. "You don't have to do anything, just sit there and look pretty. Honestly, just showing your face is giving them more respect than they deserve." Cole had been chasing me for ten years, and I had been rejecting him for ten years. For something this small, I was willing to help. "Where is Cole?" I muttered as I pushed open the door to the VIP lounge. But inside wasn't Cole. It was my ex-boyfriend, Liam. He was wearing a bespoke suit, looking more mature and polished than usual. Instantly, the image of the jerk who canceled our engagement and embraced his new girlfriend overlapped with the man in front of me. "I'm sick of this poverty! Leaving you to struggle in the mud alone is better than both of us never seeing the sun." Hearing those words felt like a knife twisting in my heart. "So, you're doing this for money? If you want money, I can give it to you." Liam laughed. But it was a cruel laugh. "How much can a fresh college graduate give? Besides, no amount of money is better than having someone pave the way for me." "My family has assets worth hundreds of millions. As long as Liam chooses me, he can enter my family business. What can you give him?" I stared at Liam, waiting for him to refute Vivian, even just one sentence. But he turned his head away. "Fine. I hope you get what you want." When I got home, I found out Liam had transferred all the money he earned from working part-time during our four years of college into my account. "Consider it charity. Take this money and leave. Don't ever bother me again." When I tried to text him, he had already blocked me. For a moment, I even worried about how he would live. But then I realized, he had Vivian now. He probably didn't care about that little bit of money. "Change the deed to the villa in the Hamptons to my name only. Yes, the groom ran away." Vivian bragged about her family's millions, but I bought villas worth more than that on a whim. During college, I was afraid of pressuring Liam, so I never told him my true identity. I never thought that would become the reason he dumped me. I laughed at myself. If I had known money was the key to keeping him, I could have drowned him in cash. Liam clearly saw me now. His eyes froze, scanning the room quickly, his brows furrowing. "What are you doing here? Leave, quickly!" "I was wondering who you were talking to. Turns out it's an old classmate." A domineering and mocking female voice cut in before I could answer. "Oh my, isn't this Eva Ye?" Vivian's eyes lit up the moment she saw me, like she had found a new toy to break. "What, did you come all this way just to find Liam? Or did life not work out, so you came here to try your luck?" Her words were full of provocation and smugness, as if waiting for me to stammer a pathetic explanation, wanting to see me hang my head in shame before Liam. "Why waste your breath on her?" Liam's tone grew impatient. "Get out! This isn't a place for people like you." 2 "Liam, don't be so mean. Eva came all this way to find you, it wasn't easy. After all, wasn't she always obsessed with clinging to you? Maybe she even snuck in." As soon as Vivian said this, everyone in the VIP lounge looked at me. After all, everyone here was either rich or powerful. No one liked sharing a room with someone who didn't belong. Liam's gaze never left me. "Why haven't you left yet?" The air in the lounge seemed to freeze. Since being dumped, I thought I had let go of this relationship and this person. But the moment I saw him, I realized that the person you loved in your youth always hides in a corner of your heart. It only takes a breeze to reignite the ashes. "Liam, are you really going to marry her?" My voice was calm, but trembling slightly. Liam froze. His lips moved, but no sound came out. "If he doesn't marry me, is he supposed to marry a pauper like you?" "My family is so rich. Liam will live a life of luxury with me, instead of being dragged down by you." Tina had been Vivian's sidekick since college. I didn't expect her to still be hanging around Vivian after graduation. "By the way, how did you get in?" Tina looked me up and down, her face full of suspicion. "This kind of place isn't for just anyone." "Did you steal someone's invitation?" "Or did you hook up with some old sugar daddy? Tsk tsk, Eva, I didn't know you had it in you." Vivian smirked, a meaningful smile on her face. "Are you that good in bed? Otherwise, how would you qualify to be brought here? Girls should really have some self-respect." I had been too lazy to deal with her, but she insisted on walking into the line of fire. Then don't blame me for exposing her secrets. "You say that because you learned from the best, right? After all..." I paused, deliberately slowing down. "Wasn't your mother just a receptionist who climbed into an old man's bed to have you?" "Oh my god, is that true?" Tina's eyes widened, clearly shocked by my words. "What nonsense are you spouting!" Vivian's face went pale instantly. Clearly, I hit a nerve. Her family looked glamorous, but this was an open secret in our circles, just one nobody usually bothered to mention. "Tina, you idiot! You believe that? Fake, of course it's fake!" Vivian looked at me furiously, grinding her teeth. "You dare spout nonsense here!" The next second, she raised her hand to hit me. Slap! My hand was faster than hers. I slapped her hard across the face, the crisp sound echoing in the VIP room. This slap should have landed on her face years ago. Vivian stumbled back, stunned, then covered her face and screamed. "Eva Ye, are you crazy? You dare hit me!" I glanced at her. "Act crazy again, and I'll hit you again." "Liam, are you dead?" Vivian was trembling with rage, screaming at Liam. "Are you just going to stand there and watch?" Liam moved, crossing the distance to me in a few steps. His voice was low. "You shouldn't have come here." I looked at him, my lips trembling, the bitterness in my heart about to overflow. "Liam, you..." Slap! He raised his hand and slapped me. My face stung instantly. But more than the physical pain, my heart shattered. I looked at him in disbelief. A flash of pain and reluctance crossed his eyes, but was interrupted by Vivian's sneer. "Is that all the strength you have? Hit her harder!" Liam's hand trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth and raised his hand again. Slap! The second slap was heavier than the first. He could actually hit me for another woman. Vivian was still not satisfied. "Again! Not loud enough." Liam closed his eyes, and his palm fell again. My face was numb with pain. I could even feel it swelling. I had imagined our reunion a thousand times, but never like this. "Liam." I whispered his name, my voice hoarse. Did he really not care about me at all? Did he never truly love me? I didn't ask this question six years ago. This time, I wanted to know. Vivian looked at me, her eyes full of triumph. "Eva, this is what happens when you're cheap. You shameless bitch!" Liam lowered his eyes, his voice barely audible. "Get out. Don't pester me again. Don't come looking for me. Eva, save yourself some dignity. You can't force love." 3 I touched my burning face, but a feeling of rebellion quickly suppressed the pain in my heart. Since I was little, my parents taught me one thing. Whatever I like, whatever I want, must belong to me. As for whether forced love is sweet or not, that doesn't matter. What matters is that I have it. Tina was acting like a victorious hen now, lifting her chin. "We're here to bid on the most precious item at this auction, a gift for the most important person in New York—Miss Ye of the Ye family." "Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. Seeing my curiosity, they couldn't wait to show off. "Miss Ye isn't someone just anyone can meet. Vivian used her connections to meet Miss Ye's childhood friend, Cole from the Cheng family, to get an introduction." "You've probably never even heard of such a VIP. It makes sense, they aren't people your class can touch." I listened to their ridicule and found it amusing. Is this the person Cole wanted me to meet today? I looked at Vivian with interest. "Sounds like this VIP is really impressive." "Miss Ye particularly likes today's finale item. As long as I win it and give it to her, my family can secure a major project in the city and officially enter the upper echelon of New York society." Tina's face was full of envy and flattery. "Yeah, then Vivian will be a true socialite. Even if you were reborn a few times, you couldn't reach that height." Precious item? That was just something I mentioned casually to Cole last month as a joke. I didn't expect anyone to take it seriously. I wonder how much she's planning to spend on my gift? "Once this is done, my parents will let Liam marry me." Vivian smiled even brighter. As she spoke, she gently placed her hand on Liam's arm and leaned her head towards him. Liam stiffened visibly. He subtly moved a step to the side, stealing a glance at me. His expression held a hint of awkwardness, and... uneasiness? "What are you dodging for?" Vivian noticed Liam's small movement, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction. Liam lowered his head and didn't reply. Tina seemed to sense the atmosphere was off and quickly spoke up. "Eva, stay and watch the auction. For old times' sake, we'll let you see the world." Vivian sneered. "Yeah, later tonight, I'll take you to see what true New York luxury looks like. It's something a lowlife like you would never see in a lifetime. Cherish this opportunity." I could feel Vivian's malice towards me. And Tina's expression was full of ill intent. What they wanted to "show" me definitely wasn't anything good. Liam's eyes darkened. He tilted his head and signaled me with his eyes, telling me to leave quickly. There was struggle and pain in his eyes. Liam, what exactly are you thinking? Are you afraid I'll be humiliated, or do you just want to get rid of me? Well, I'm not leaving. I found a seat right in the center and sat down, casually tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "You're right. It's rare to get a chance to see New York's luxury and such a high-end auction. How could I just leave?" 4 Before the auction started, Liam said he needed to use the restroom. I wanted to follow him, to have a proper talk. Tina suddenly stood up and blocked my way. "What, the dog can't control itself when it sees a bone?" Her face was full of contempt, with undisguised mockery. "Liam is going to the bathroom. You want to go hold it for him? Have some shame." Vivian leaned back in her chair, looking at me playfully. "Eva, don't you get the situation? After graduation, it's the adult world. Liam is excellent; he need someone who can help him." "How do you know I can't? Haven't you heard of the Ye family in New York?" The Ye family has been at the top of the social ladder since the country's founding. The people they cultivated occupy leadership positions in all walks of life. They froze for a few seconds, then burst into ear-piercing laughter. "Harvard? Did you get your head caught in a door? Even in dreams, you wouldn't dare dream this big! Look in a mirror!" Vivian laughed so hard she leaned back. "Right, right, you're from the Ye family. I think your skin is thick enough to be bulletproof! Are you crazy from being poor, hypnotizing yourself at home?" "Oh, it's because her family is too poor. If her parents were a bit more capable, like Vivian's dad, maybe she wouldn't need a sugar daddy now." Their laughter pierced my eardrums. Just then, Liam pushed the door open and walked in, hands behind his back. He clearly heard the conversation. His eyes swept over Vivian and finally settled on me. Revealing a trace of pain and self-blame. "Stop talking. The auction is starting." Liam interrupted their ridicule and my retort. The auctioneer walked onto the stage. He smiled in surprise when he saw me. After all, I was a rare guest they usually couldn't beg to attend. "Vivian, did the auctioneer recognize you?" "Probably. I've been to so many high-society galas with my dad." Vivian looked proud. I shook my head slightly, signaling the auctioneer not to reveal my identity. As the items were presented one by one, the atmosphere heated up. When it was time for the finale, I made a subtle gesture to the auctioneer. He understood immediately. He coordinated with other buyers to drive up the price. "6 million." "7 million!" "8 million!" The price skyrocketed. A vein throbbed on Vivian's forehead. She hesitated more and more with each bid. Tina, oblivious to the situation, excitedly cheered her on. "Quick! Add more! Someone outbid you again!" Vivian gritted her teeth. "But it's already double the estimate. If I add more..." Before she finished, someone else bid. "30 million!" Vivian finally couldn't help but take out her phone. "Dad, liquidate some cash quickly! It's at 30 million. If I don't win it now, I'll lose the chance!" Just as the auctioneer was about to hammer down. I suddenly reached out and gently lifted Vivian's arm. "Miss Vivian bids three times the price!" The auctioneer's voice was excited. The audience gasped. "Oh my god, 90 million?" "Which family's daughter is this rich?" Vivian's lips trembled. "What are you doing? You dare sabotage me?" I looked innocent. "Didn't you say you had to win this item? I'm just helping you. Why are you blaming me?" The auctioneer hammered down, a professional smile on his face. "Congratulations, Miss Vivian. The amount will be deducted within three hours. We hope you are satisfied with our service." Vivian froze, clutching her bag tightly, veins popping on her hand. "My dad... my dad will kill me. You deserve to die!" Tina got the hint from Vivian and immediately attacked. "Eva, you're responsible too! You have to pay part of this!" "You sell your body, you must make a lot!" Saying that, she stepped forward, reaching for my collar. "Stop!" Liam blocked me. "That's enough." "Enough?" Vivian was losing it. "Liam, what do you mean? You're protecting this slut now? She cost me an extra 60 million! Don't forget, your grandmother is still in the ICU. Without my money, she dies!" Liam's face changed drastically, like he'd been slapped. Pain and struggle warred on his face. Vivian sneered triumphantly and waved for Tina to continue. "You think you can leave here in one piece today? After all these years, you finally fell into my hands! I've been waiting for this day for too long." "Move, Mr. Cheng is here." The box door was pushed open, and everyone turned to look. Everyone subconsciously made way. Suddenly, I felt a push from behind, and I stumbled forward. Vivian jumped out and yelled while pointing at me. "Everyone see this? This mistress, this prostitute, has such evil intentions. She's trying to throw herself at Mr. Cheng to sleep her way to the top. Shameless!"
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