At our college reunion, my ex-boyfriend wrapped his arm around his new fiancée and proudly announced their engagement. I snapped a picture and sent it to his mother with the caption: "They look perfect together. Congratulations on getting exactly what you wanted." Just as I was about to hit send, a hand clamped down on my wrist like a vice. "Oh? Still keeping in touch with my mother?" he sneered, his eyes dark and menacing. "What, the money wasn't enough?" The room went dead silent. A terrifying, heavy silence. I looked up at him, my face completely pale. The music had stopped. I had no idea when. And I was suddenly the center of everyone's attention. 1 Everyone in our circle knew I had abandoned Julian Sterling for money. During the year he loved me the most, I took a $2 million check from his mother, Evelyn, and ruthlessly walked out of his life. Furious at his mother's interference, Julian went on a hunger strike, starving himself until he was barely recognizable. His fraternity brothers couldn't stand watching him slowly die. Swallowing their intense disgust for me, they came to me, one by one, begging me to go see him. I refused every single one of them. Eventually, when he was clinging to life by a thread, his mother called me in "desperation," begging me to act as a "mediator." When I finally showed up in his hospital room, he locked his arms around me and refused to let go. He was nothing but skin and bones, but his grip was so tight it felt like he was trying to crush my ribs. "Mia, you came. You still love me, don't you? I knew it—" The sheer, overwhelming joy in his voice was impossible to hide. I coldly pushed him away. I played an audio recording for him, and then showed him a text message. The audio was a recording of me negotiating with his mother, demanding $300,000 just to come see him. The text message was the bank notification confirming the $300,000 deposit. His eyes went wide, staring at me blankly. When his brain finally processed what he was seeing, he violently shoved me away. He pushed so hard he threw himself off the hospital bed, collapsing onto the floor and coughing until he was gasping for air. "Mia Harrison, get the fuck out of my sight!" He lay pathetically on the floor, gritting his teeth, spitting out every single word with venomous hatred. I gave him exactly what he wanted. I walked out clean and fast, never once looking back. I don't know who leaked the story, but it spread like wildfire. From that day on, I became the ultimate punchline in the city's high society. Those 'in the know' constantly whispered about how my love for money was only matched by my absolute ruthlessness. Others claimed I never loved Julian to begin with; that I was only ever with him for his trust fund. No one cared about the actual truth. Once Julian recovered, he immediately entered into a strategic business alliance, getting engaged to Chloe Sinclair, the cherished daughter of the CEO of Daray Group. I received no fewer than ten invitations to their engagement party. They were all sent by his frat brothers. Honoring my "agreement" with his mother, I had completely vanished from his life. But I knew exactly what he had been up to over the years. I knew he and Chloe had gone to study in the US together, practically living together. I knew he finished a grueling joint JD/MBA program at Harvard and the Kennedy School in just two years. I knew that the moment he returned to his family's company, he successfully negotiated several impossible contracts, forcing the old-guard executives who doubted him to submit completely. I knew that even though he and Chloe hadn't officially tied the knot, they already called each other's parents "Mom and Dad." It wasn't because I was stalking him. It was because his frat brothers were constantly tripping over themselves to give me unsolicited updates. They say a good ex should be like a dead ex—silent and invisible. But they loved dragging my 'corpse' out to beat it. It was as if proving how incredibly successful Julian had become simultaneously proved how monumentally stupid I was. Tonight was our college reunion. It was the first time I'd seen Julian since we broke up three years ago. Tomorrow, my life was going to completely change. From now on, he would remain in the clouds, enjoying his immense wealth and power. And I would return to the dirt, enduring the harsh reality of a normal life. Before coming here, I called his mother and laid out my terms. "You can go. But remember what you are not allowed to say, and what you are not allowed to do." That was her exact quote. I agreed. I was technically here as the plus-one of an old classmate, Lucas Vance. But my real goal was to corner an old friend who specialized in nephrology and verify some medical records. There were certain things I desperately needed to understand before I could finally let the past go. I anticipated Julian's humiliation and cold stares. I anticipated the bullying and mockery from our former classmates. But the one thing I didn't anticipate was Julian turning this reunion into a pre-wedding celebration. As the center of attention, he and Chloe effortlessly navigated the room, playing drinking games and showing off their perfect relationship. The atmosphere was electric. No one was stupid enough to bring up the past. I managed to pull the doctor aside and finally got the answers I needed. Because Lucas was currently trapped in a conversation across the room, I had to wait for him. I never imagined that in the ten seconds it took me to snap a photo and type a text, Julian would materialize out of thin air right in front of me. Dragging me into the blinding spotlight for everyone to see. 2 "So what if it was enough? So what if it wasn't?" I shot Julian a provocative, challenging glare. "Is CEO Sterling offering to pay the difference?" "Mia Harrison. Three years later, and you're still exactly the same cheap trash you always were!" He glared down at me, his beautiful, dark eyes radiating a freezing, lethal chill. His words hit me like a physical blow, a sharp blade twisting violently in my gut. I studied him through the hazy, flickering club lights. He used to be my anchor, a brilliant, solid light in a chaotic world. Now, dressed in a flawless bespoke suit, he was just as striking as ever, but his eyes were like a bottomless abyss. When he looked at me, there wasn't a single trace of the deep, tender affection he used to have. I yanked my wrist hard, forcing him to step slightly closer to maintain his grip. "Getting physical with another woman right in front of your fiancée... tell me, who's the cheap one here?" I fired back with the same sharp banter we used to use. Except, back then, we were whispering flirtatious secrets. Now, we were just stabbing each other. Julian seemed to snap out of a trance. He violently shoved my hand away, grabbed a wet wipe from the table, and began scrubbing his hand obsessively. The insult was glaringly obvious. I had zero desire to stay any longer. I made eye contact with Lucas, stood up, and prepared to walk out. But Julian stepped into my path, completely blocking me. "Chloe, come here. There's someone you need to meet." He dropped the hostility and waved Chloe over. "Julian, is there something special about this girl?" Chloe took quick, delicate steps over to him, intimately wrapping her arms around his and leaning against him softly. She looked exactly as her reputation suggested—sweet, adorable, a girl who had clearly been pampered and protected her entire life. "She's very special." Julian spoke to Chloe, but his eyes were locked dead onto me. "She's the ex-girlfriend who dumped me for two million dollars. Mia Harrison." He didn't yell, but his voice was loud enough for the entire room to hear. The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. A massive, suffocating wave of humiliation crashed over me. I kept my face perfectly neutral, silently hiding my trembling hands behind my back. Because tonight, I could hurt, and I could laugh, but I absolutely could not show a single crack of vulnerability. "Is two million a lot? This jewelry set Julian bought me cost ten million." Chloe's perfectly manicured fingers lightly brushed the blindingly brilliant diamond necklace resting against her collarbone. Matching diamond earrings sparkled from her delicate earlobes. "Ten million?! Eight figures?!" "She's basically wearing a mansion around her neck!" A chorus of shocked gasps echoed through the crowd. Followed closely by a rising tide of mockery and sneers. Mocking me for throwing away a gorgeous, billionaire boyfriend for a measly two million dollars. CRACK— Somewhere in the crowd, someone crushed a beer can. The sharp noise startled me, and I turned my head. Lucas was casually turning a crushed, mangled beer can in his hands, a dark, unreadable half-smile playing on his lips. I gave him a subtle shake of my head, signaling him to stay out of it. But Julian suddenly let out a low, dark chuckle. He pulled a massive stack of hundred-dollar bills from his jacket pocket and casually tossed them into the air above the booth. "Mia, I have more money than God." "But you... aren't... worth... a dime." The bills fluttered down like green rain, landing on my face, my shoulders. And scattering across the floor at my feet. "You have such a wonderful boyfriend, sweetie. Make sure you hold onto him tight." I forced a brilliant, unbothered smile through the barrage of judging eyes. "Obviously." Chloe looked up at Julian adoringly. Her eyes met his, which were filled with absolute, overwhelming affection. "Wow, they are so perfect for each other!" "It's a crime if they don't kiss right now!" Someone started the chant, and the calls for a "Kiss!" grew louder and louder. Julian suddenly wrapped his arm around Chloe's waist, pulled her down onto the sofa, leaned over, and kissed her deeply. The energy in the room instantly exploded. They were passionately making out under the strobe lights, right in front of me. The crowd was screaming and cheering, but all I could hear was a deafening, agonizing silence. 3 I threw up in the bathroom until I thought my organs were going to come out. When I finally walked out, the first thing I saw was a tall, imposing silhouette standing in the dim hallway. The strobe lights from a nearby open door flashed across his face, revealing a storm of suppressed rage. It was Julian. My body reacted before my brain did. I turned on my heel and started power-walking in the opposite direction. I was fast, but Julian was faster. The second my foot hit the floor, he grabbed me roughly by the shoulder. "Running away the second you see me? Feeling guilty?" He gripped my shoulder with terrifying strength; it actually hurt. I tried to twist out of his grasp, but it was useless. "Guilty of what?" I laughed, my voice raw and hoarse. "I just don't think we have anything to catch up on." "Mia, you've been parading yourself in front of me all night, and now you want to play coy? A bit late for that, don't you think?" His voice was terrifyingly cold. "What do you mean, 'parading' in front of you? Just because we broke up, I'm suddenly banned from attending my own college reunion?" I straightened my spine, turned around, and forcefully slapped his hand away. "If that's the case, why were you hiding in the bathroom throwing up?" He reached out and grabbed my chin. "Are you carrying some other guy's bastard, or did my presence just make you sick?" The memory of him kissing Chloe flashed in my mind, and my stomach violently lurched again. Desperate not to break character, I gritted my teeth and fought the nausea down. "You barely ate anything, but you threw up quite a bit," he observed slowly, noting my silence. His words stung, making my eyes burn. "Julian, we haven't meant anything to each other for years. What exactly do you want from me?!" I shoved him hard, but he just grabbed both my wrists and pinned them against the wall above my head. "That's exactly what I want to ask you." He leaned in close. "Since you disappeared so perfectly, why the hell did you show up tonight?" The absolute disgust and hatred in his eyes were completely undisguised. The blood in my veins turned to ice. I let out a sharp, sudden laugh. "What answer are you looking for? That I can't get over you and want you back? Or that I deeply regret it and I'm here to beg for your forgiveness?" He didn't say a word. He was probably actually waiting for a reason. "The real reason is—" "She came as my plus-one." Before I could finish, a familiar, mocking voice interrupted me. A few feet away, Lucas was leaning casually against the corner of the wall, his hands buried deep in his pockets. I had no idea how long he had been standing there. "Bro code, Julian. You're crossing a major line right now." He added the comment with total, infuriating calm. "What... what does that mean?" Julian's voice suddenly faltered. "It means Mia is my girlfriend now." "I am a year older than you, after all. What, you're allowed to have a fiancée, but I'm not allowed to have a girlfriend?" Lucas casually began rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt. The message was clear: if Julian didn't let me go right now, Lucas was going to make him. "Are you two... actually together?" Julian's gaze snapped back to me. Even in the dim light, his stare felt heavy and piercing. "Do you need us to make out right now to prove it?" I asked, lowering my eyes and sneering. "Do whatever you want..." Julian released my wrists, turned, and walked away. Lucas let out a low whistle, a sly, victorious smirk spreading across his face. My entire defensive facade completely collapsed. I slumped against the wall, drained of all energy, and closed my eyes. "I told you not to come. Now look at you. You brought this entirely on yourself." Lucas grumbled, his tone laced with exasperation. I opened my eyes and looked at him. "There are some things you just have to do yourself." When he found out I needed to speak to our doctor classmate, he offered to ask on my behalf, but I refused. Because I needed to hear the truth with my own ears. "But you can't fake your feelings. You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to anyone else." Lucas walked over, planted one hand on the wall next to my head, and looked down at me. "Mia, I waited for you for seven years, and you didn't even look at me twice." "Just now, he was publicly humiliating you, and when I wanted to punch him, you wouldn't even let me." "Is he really that incredible? You've been broken up for three years, and you're still hung up on him?" He was saying all these mocking, sarcastic things, but his voice was overflowing with undeniable heartbreak. I reached out, wrapped my arms around his waist, and buried my face in his chest. His entire body went completely rigid. "Lucas, sometimes protecting someone has absolutely nothing to do with love. And in real life, you don't get 'do-overs'." "When he was begging to see me years ago, I refused. So obviously, me showing up today was going to piss him off." "I accepted his insults because I was the one who needed something tonight." I patiently explained it to him. "Did you get the answers you were looking for?" Lucas sighed. I nodded slightly. "Then let's go." He gently ruffled my hair. "I'll go pull the car around. Meet me at the entrance." "Okay." I quietly let go of him. Just outside our field of vision, a shadow silently slipped away... 4 The drive back to my apartment was completely silent. Lucas didn't speak, and I had absolutely zero desire to start a conversation. "Don't forget your promise. I'm driving you tomorrow." Just as I was about to open the door, he suddenly hit the central locking system. I wanted to argue, but the intense, stubborn look in his eyes made me change my mind. "Don't worry, I didn't forget." I offered him a reassuring smile and gave him an "OK" sign. He finally unlocked the doors. As Lucas's car sped away into the night, I stood on the sidewalk, lost in thought. He and Julian used to be best friends. They grew up together; they were thick as thieves. Before Julian and I started dating, Lucas had publicly handed me a love letter. Even after I rejected him, he confidently declared that he "wouldn't give up until the very end." When Julian and I got together, Lucas started dating too. He went through girlfriends constantly, but none of them ever lasted. I always thought his interest in me was just a passing phase. But slowly, he began to distance himself from Julian and me, eventually becoming completely estranged from his former best friend. I genuinely believed I would never interact with him again for the rest of my life. But when my family fell apart, he was the one who spent countless agonizing days and nights sitting with me in the hospital. He even willingly acted as my smokescreen, successfully convincing Evelyn to drop her guard around me. Aside from my parents, I have two major regrets in my life. One is betraying Julian, and the other is being entirely unable to return Lucas's love... The winter night wind began to pick up, biting into my exposed skin like icy needles. I pulled my scarf up over my nose and mouth and turned toward my apartment building. A short distance away, a car's hazard lights flashed twice. Illuminated by the streetlamp, I recognized the man in the driver's seat. It was Benjamin, Evelyn's most trusted driver and enforcer. I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. They really don't let anything go. I walked briskly over to the car, pulled open the passenger door, and slid in. "Can I help you?" "Ms. Harrison, please pack your things immediately. We are leaving tonight." His voice was as deep and unyielding as always. "Wasn't my train ticket booked for 6:00 AM tomorrow?" I turned to look at him. "Can Mrs. Sterling really not wait one more night?" He didn't answer. Instead, he placed a phone on the center console. It was an active call, on speakerphone. "Does Ms. Harrison have a problem with that?" Chloe's voice drifted from the speaker. She sounded arrogant and domineering, a complete 180 from the elegant, perfectly behaved girl she played during the day. "I wouldn't dare." I frowned and let out a soft laugh. "I'm just curious if this is Mrs. Sterling's order, or Ms. Sinclair's?" "Is there a difference?" She scoffed. "Regardless of whose order it is, Ms. Harrison, you just need to understand one thing: Julian's mother won't have peace of mind until you're gone." She paused. "And neither will I." Remembering the shadow I saw disappearing at the KTV, I laughed out loud. We had just crossed paths, and she was already setting up defenses against me. And me? What right did I even have to be considered a threat? "I'll leave right now." I was too exhausted to argue. I got out and headed upstairs. My bags were already mostly packed. I just needed to grab a few daily essentials. Once I was done, I zipped up my suitcase and took one last look around. My parents bought this apartment. We lived here for over twenty years. Every corner was filled with memories of our family. But now, everything was different. Even the deed to the apartment was no longer in our name. I placed the keys on the shoe cabinet in the entryway, locked the door, and carried my suitcase downstairs. As the car merged onto the highway, I pulled out my phone to send a quick goodbye message to the new owners. My eyes caught the unsent photo and text from earlier in the evening. The impulse to antagonize Evelyn had completely evaporated. I put my phone away and stared out the window, silently saying goodbye to the dazzling city lights. The city lights illuminated the pitch-black sky, illuminating the towering skyscrapers and blinding neon signs. This city held millions of lonely souls. It held millions of stories of joy, anger, sorrow, and tragedy. But there was no longer a place in it for me... 5 The further we drove, the more remote the surroundings became. It wasn't until I saw the familiar, imposing gates of an estate that I realized Benjamin had driven me straight to the Sterling mansion. "Madam wanted to say a proper goodbye to you, Ms. Harrison." Benjamin parked the car and politely opened my door. "Is that really necessary?" I didn't move an inch. I could count on one hand the number of times I had been here, and every single visit was unforgettable. I had zero desire to step foot inside again. "I'm just following orders." He looked at me intently. "I hope Ms. Harrison won't make this difficult for me." I sat in the car, locked in a standoff with him. The freezing winter wind quickly stripped away the residual heat in the cabin, leaving me shivering. "The Young Master hasn't lived here in a very long time," he added quietly after a long silence. Only then did I finally step out of the car. Walking straight into the grand estate, I found Evelyn sitting in the opulent receiving room, watching the financial news. She was nearly fifty, but her skin was still flawless and pale. Under the brilliant light of the crystal chandelier, she practically glowed. "Here is your ID. Benjamin will escort you to your train." Once I sat down across from her, she muted the TV and slid a National ID card across the table. The photo on the card was of a girl who looked vaguely similar to me. "Mrs. Sterling, you've certainly gone to great lengths to erase my existence." I smiled. "And my actual ID? When do I get that back?" "After Julian and Chloe are officially married." She slid a brand-new smartphone across the table toward me. "Until then, I expect Ms. Harrison to remember her place." I instantly understood what she was doing: she was confiscating my phone. My throat suddenly felt tight. Holding my passport and ID hostage wasn't enough; now she wanted to sever all my personal connections? "And if I refuse?" I pressed my hand against the pocket of my coat, gripping the phone inside. Julian had given me this phone five years ago. It was a matching couple's set. After using it for so long, it was glitchy and slow. But because it held so many memories, I could never bring myself to replace it. I panicked if I even scratched the screen... "I will not tolerate anyone hovering around my chosen daughter-in-law's future husband." She pushed the new phone closer to me. "Ms. Harrison, do not force my hand." That single sentence made the power dynamic and her absolute resolve crystal clear. Knowing I had no other choice, I painfully pulled my phone out of my pocket and placed it on the table. "Benjamin, take care of it," she ordered. Benjamin picked up the phone, popped out the SIM tray, snapped the SIM card in half, and then, with his bare hands, violently bent the phone until the screen shattered and the chassis snapped. I watched, helpless, as the phone was reduced to a mangled piece of garbage. "Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Harrison." Evelyn nodded, satisfied. "If you're thanking me for being docile and obedient these past three years, I accept." My gaze drifted over the destroyed phone. "If you're thanking me for my inability to fight back tonight, save your breath." "Life is long. You're still young, Ms. Harrison. You need to learn how to look forward." She lifted her chin and ordered Benjamin, "It's late. Take Ms. Harrison to the station." "Yes, Ma'am," Benjamin replied. I stood up in silence, keeping my head down as I walked toward the door. Benjamin hurried past me and shoved the new phone into my hand. I took it mechanically. "Mia Harrison—" Just as Benjamin reached for the door handle, Evelyn spoke again. I turned around like a lifeless marionette. "Live a good life. No one wants to compete with a ghost." She stood with her arms crossed, projecting absolute, untouchable authority. I let out a harsh, silent laugh. For years, she had treated me like a highly dangerous thief, guarding against me at every turn. And even right before exiling me, she destroyed my phone to guarantee I could never contact Julian again. But Julian was an incredibly proud man. After I had humiliated and hurt him so many times, there was absolutely zero chance he would ever come back to me. The bitter irony was that after doing so many horrific, unforgivable things, she still had the audacity to fake concern and wish me a long life... "Understood." I replied coldly, brushing past Benjamin to pull the door open. The moment the door swung open, I froze in my tracks. Julian was standing right there in the hallway. He stood perfectly straight, his breathing even. But his dark eyes were burning with a terrifying, contained inferno. 6 "Julian, what are you doing here?" Evelyn couldn't hide the absolute shock in her voice. "I missed home, so I came back. Isn't that what you always tell me to do, Mother?" "But now that I'm here, you seem incredibly surprised—" The corner of his mouth twitched upward. It looked like a smile, but the emotion behind it was ice-cold. "Is it that I'm no longer welcome in this house? Or is my mother busy orchestrating another one of her shady, back-alley deals?" Every sentence included the word "Mother," but every single word was coated in venom. I listened, my brow furrowing deeply. Even when the old Julian's relationship with his mother was incredibly strained, he still called her "Mom." Now he couldn't even be bothered to use the casual term, yet he happily called Chloe's parents "Mom and Dad." What the hell else had happened over these last few years...? "Madam—!" Benjamin suddenly pushed past me, rushing frantically into the room. My train of thought abruptly derailed, and I spun around in confusion. Evelyn was collapsed rigidly on the mahogany sofa, hyperventilating. Her normally composed, elegant face was an alarming shade of purple. A sudden spike of panic hit me. Because with Benjamin gone, the space around me felt instantly, terrifyingly suffocating. I could even smell the faint, lingering scent of alcohol radiating from Julian. For me, this proximity was incredibly dangerous. If I were anywhere else, I would have just embraced the chaos and fought back. But here, in the Sterling mansion, right in front of Evelyn, I couldn't just laugh it off or scream at him. It would only make me look like a cheap, pathetic clown. I casually took two steps to the side, trying to put distance between myself and Julian. But he closed the gap instantly, wrapping his arm possessively around my waist and physically dragging me back toward his mother. His arm felt like a literal band of iron. I tried to anchor myself to the floor, but I couldn't match his strength. I was forced to let him drag me forward. "It's so late, and my wonderful mother is still hosting guests. You must be exhausted." Julian forcefully shoved me down onto the sofa next to her. "What kind of business deal were you two finalizing just now? Let me in on it." "Benjamin, escort Ms. Harrison out." Evelyn managed to catch her breath, but her entire aura was radiating a dark, lethal fury. I immediately stood up to comply. But Julian forced me right back down. "I am the majority shareholder of the Sterling Corporation now. Mother, don't you think you're being a bit disrespectful to me?" He casually adjusted his expensive watch. He looked relaxed, but every word was a heavily veiled threat. With Evelyn glaring at me like a predator, and Julian aggressively backing me into a corner... I clutched the cold, unfamiliar phone in my hand, caught completely in the middle. After three years, I had absolutely zero interest in getting involved in their toxic family drama. I wanted to walk away, but my only ID was a fake. Without Benjamin's help, even if I knew where the train station was, I'd never pass the facial recognition security gates. As the three of us remained locked in a tense standoff, Evelyn spoke again. "Didn't you want to know what happened three years ago? Let her leave, and I'll tell you." "God only knows what kind of bullshit lies you'll invent. Compared to you, I'd much rather hear it directly from her." Julian's tone was incredibly flat. Evelyn scoffed. "You can demand to hear it from her, but that depends on whether she actually wants to tell you." Suddenly, all eyes in the room were locked onto me. "I have no bizarre fetish for reminiscing with my ex-boyfriend." The corners of my mouth curled into a faint smile. "I'm terrified my boyfriend, Lucas, might get jealous." Julian violently kicked the heavy mahogany coffee table, sending it crashing to the floor. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white. The veins in his neck were bulging, making him look like a storm cloud crackling with destructive lightning. I knew he must be absolutely furious. But I felt zero sense of accomplishment. As his former lover, I knew exactly where to slide the knife to inflict maximum pain. When we were together, I never, ever imagined a day where I would use my intimate knowledge of him as a weapon to destroy him. But over the last three years, I had taken every opportunity to brutally, relentlessly shatter his heart... "Let's go." I stood up and signaled to Benjamin. He looked nervously at Evelyn. Evelyn gave a slow, heavy nod. As we walked toward the door, Benjamin kept looking back over his shoulder, clearly terrified of leaving Evelyn alone with Julian. "If we don't leave right now, you might regret it." I gave him a subtle warning. Benjamin jolted, and his pace instantly quickened. This time, Julian didn't try to stop us.
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