When I found out my childhood sweetheart broke up with me because my family was too poor, I breathed a massive sigh of relief. Thank goodness I was only acting poor. I wasn't actually poor at all. He had no idea. For years, my mom had made me pretend to be broke because she was worried he would feel insecure. It was exhausting playing pretend. But now, I finally don't have to fake it anymore. 1 When we were kids playing on the street, my mom made a pact with Liam’s mom that we would get married someday. She thought this little boy was so devastatingly handsome that he absolutely had to be her son-in-law. To make sure I could capture Liam’s heart from a young age... My entire family purposefully moved out of our luxury downtown penthouse and into a rundown apartment complex right next to his house. And naturally, Liam and I grew up as childhood sweethearts. After befriending Liam's family, my mom gave up her spa days. She stopped playing golf and mahjong. Instead, she spent her days hunting for discounted eggs and clearance vegetables at the local supermarket with Liam’s mom. For the sake of this future son-in-law, she abandoned her glamorous life as a wealthy socialite. I told my dad, "If the internet finds out what a weirdo Mom is being, she’ll get roasted alive." My dad didn’t say a word. He just silently put away the keys to his Rolls-Royce. He pulled out the keys to his electric scooter to drop me off at school. Whatever. My dad is just like me. He has zero say in this household. I asked my mom once: When could we finally be our true selves in front of Liam? She said puberty is when a person's ego is the most fragile. If Liam found out how rich we were, what if he developed an inferiority complex? I don't know if Liam would get an inferiority complex, but I was definitely getting depressed. One night, I couldn't take it anymore. I burst into their bedroom. And demanded answers: "Is Liam your illegitimate child from an affair?!" "Even if he is, it doesn't matter! Just let Dad and me move back downtown!" "We are willing to accept this secret child." As a result, I was treated to a tag-team lecture from both my parents. My butt still hurts. Fine, whatever. I’ll just endure it a little longer. 2 Thankfully, my suffering finally came to an end. The day Liam fell for someone else finally arrived. Today, after school, Liam refused to take the bus home with me. "You know, Chloe, my family’s old property just got bought out by developers." "Do you know how much the buyout was?" He held up some fingers. "Thirty million dollars." "From now on, I won't be taking the bus after school." "You get what I'm saying, right?" To be honest, I didn't get it. I replied bluntly: "Okay, then we'll just take an Uber together from now on!" Liam clicked his tongue in annoyance. "This isn't about taking an Uber." "Then what is it about?" Liam’s tone suddenly felt incredibly foreign. "My mom said we're moving out of the old apartment complex in a few days." "I'm technically an eight-figure heir now. And you?" "What about me?" Liam sighed. "I originally didn't want to spell it out for you, but you're being so dense." "I think everyone has the right to pursue something better. You can't stop me from moving toward someone better, right?" "So, Chloe, you understand what I'm saying now?" After all that, I finally understood what Liam meant. He felt that because his family had just come into a massive fortune... I, his girlfriend, was no longer good enough for him. He wanted to break up. To chase after the school's "It Girl." "Sure." He probably thought I would cling to him, but I agreed instantly. Liam looked a bit surprised. I prodded for the gossip: "So, who is this 'better someone'?" "Sarah Sterling." "I think right now, she's the only one whose background matches mine." Ah, the beautiful, wealthy, and popular queen bee of the school. "Okay." I pulled out my phone. "I agree to break up with you, but you have to tell my mom yourself." Liam frowned. "Chloe, we're practically adults. Is that really necessary?" I was adamant. "If you don't tell her, she won't believe it." He clicked his tongue again. "Fine." "Breaking up with poor people is such a hassle." Excuse me?! Poor people? Is he talking about me? When the call connected, my mom sounded thrilled the moment she heard Liam’s voice. "Liam, honey! Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?" "Your mom hasn't been answering my calls or texts for days. I don't know what she's so busy with." Liam fell silent for two seconds, seemingly feeling a twinge of guilt. "Mrs. Miller, I'm calling today to let you know..." "I think at this stage, we should focus on our studies. We shouldn't get caught up in romance." "So Chloe and I have decided to have an amicable breakup." "What amicable breakup?!" I yelled from the side: "Liam, why aren't you telling the truth!" "Mom! His family got a buyout! He thinks I'm not good enough for him!" "He wants to break up to chase the school queen bee!" Liam hung up the phone right then and there. "Chloe!" This seemed to be the first time he had ever lost his temper with me. "Couldn't you just let us keep our dignity?" "Did you really have to leave such a bad impression with your mom?" Me: ???? Are you kidding me? "Whatever. At least it's all out in the open now." "Starting tomorrow, I'm officially going to pursue Sarah. Please make it clear to our classmates that we are broken up." Watching Liam walk away. I suddenly felt a surge of gratitude that my mom made me act poor. Otherwise, how would I have ever seen his true colors? But more importantly... I finally didn't have to act poor anymore. And I didn't have to take the bus anymore. 3 Today I splurged and ordered an Uber Black to go home. The moment I walked through the door, my mom frantically interrogated me. "What happened with you and Liam? Did you have a fight?" I sighed, throwing my hands up: "Are you still not getting it? His family got a buyout. He thinks we're too poor for him now." My mom refused to believe it: "Impossible. Liam is not that kind of boy." "Do you think he might have a terminal illness, and he doesn't want to burden you, so he made up an excuse to break up?" I rolled my eyes: "Read less romance novels, Mom. They're rotting your brain." She insisted: "Even if it bankrupts us, we have to pay for his treatment!" Saying that, my mom dragged me out the door. Liam’s house was right across the hall, but we knocked for a long time before they answered. When the door opened, the person standing there was me and my mom. Liam’s mom looked a bit awkward. "Oh, you're home." "We agreed to go grab those discounted eggs this afternoon, why didn't you reply to my texts?" My mom possessed an incredibly thick skull. She completely failed to notice that the other party clearly wanted nothing to do with her. She continued: "Liam called today and said he wants to break up with Chloe." "I wanted to ask, did something happen?" I don't know why, but Liam's mom suddenly turned incredibly mean. "What could have happened? Are you trying to curse my Liam?" "If they broke up, it just means he doesn't like her anymore. What's the problem?" She prepared to shut the door, but added one last thing. "By the way, Mrs. Miller." "I forgot to tell you, our old property was bought out. Thirty million dollars." "We just bought a brand new Porsche today, and next week we're moving to the luxury condos next door, the ones that cost five grand a square foot." "So, whatever happened here, stays here. You don't need to contact us anymore in the future." The moment the door slammed shut. I swear I could hear my mom's heart shatter. She still couldn't believe she had misjudged them so badly. Until she opened her chat with Liam's mom... And saw the dreaded red exclamation mark indicating she'd been blocked. That night, she woke me up from a deep sleep. "Chloe, let's move back downtown." "The penthouse, the private concierge, the high-end spas... I miss them." I sprang up from the bed, nodding with profound relief. It wasn't easy, but my mom had finally woken up. My dad and I had waited for this day for far too long. We drove our Rolls-Royce back to the penthouse that very night. Finally, I don't have to act poor anymore. My couture clothes, luxury bags, and limited-edition collectibles... You must have missed me. I'm back! 4 The next day, I walked into class wearing a pair of limited-edition designer sneakers. The school's "It Girl," Sarah, let out a loud scoff. Everyone around us looked over. "Chloe and Sarah are wearing the same shoes." "It took me exactly one second to guess who's wearing the fakes." "Chloe buys knockoffs? No wonder Liam dumped her. So thirsty for status." "I heard that when she found out Liam's family got rich, she clung to him and refused to let go." "Yesterday she was wearing twenty-dollar canvas shoes, and today she's wearing two-thousand-dollar sneakers? Who buys that?" Sarah decided to speak up at this point. She put on a fake, understanding smile. "It's okay. Chloe probably just doesn't know any better about these things." I swatted her hand away: "Who the hell doesn't know better?" Embarrassed by my rejection, Sarah's expression darkened. But she couldn't show it, so she just pretended to be a victim. "Why are you being so aggressive?" "If you're mad because Liam is pursuing me..." "I just won't say yes to him, okay?" ??? Who was mad about that? Liam swooped in like a superhero protecting his damsel in distress. "Chloe, we've known each other for years. Don't you think I know exactly who you are?" "The only things you know are two-dollar donuts from the street cart and cheap spicy noodles. Since when do you know anything about designer shoes?" Hearing this, the class erupted in laughter. "Last time I saw Chloe arguing with an old lady over fifty cents! Talk about desperate!" "Does she think wearing the same shoes as Sarah makes her a queen bee? Or is she trying to use this trick to win her man back?" "Even if she copies Sarah's outfits, she's still just a low-budget knockoff." Perhaps the thirty million dollars gave him courage. Liam declared he was going to test me. "Since you claim you know shoes..." "What's the name of the founder of this brand? What month and day is his birthday?" The actual name and model of the shoe got stuck in my throat. You're not going to ask about the brand or model? You're asking me for the founder's birthday?! My face flushed bright red with anger, and before I could even figure out how to curse him out... Liam took my silence as embarrassment from being exposed. "Enough. I know breaking up with me hit you hard." He pulled a prepaid cafeteria card out of his pocket. "There's five hundred dollars on this card. It should be enough to cover your meals for the semester." When I refused to take it, he forced it into my hand. "Don't pretend. I know you need it." "Consider it my breakup compensation to you." I rolled my eyes and threw the card right back at him. When I sat down at my desk, I realized Liam had already switched seats. He moved to sit next to Sarah, using the excuse of helping her study. But his true intentions were obvious to everyone. After Liam moved, no one wanted to sit next to me. But there was a scholarship student in our class. Seeing me looking pathetic, she quietly moved to sit next to me. As she moved, Sarah leaned against her desk and chuckled: "The whole class hates her now. You know exactly what it means to move next to her." The scholarship student, Maya, still moved next to me. I asked her why. She said she couldn't stand seeing Liam and Sarah using their money to bully people. Honestly, I felt a little insulted. Because it was still up for debate who was actually using money to bully people. 5 At noon, Maya led me through a maze of hallways to the back kitchen of the cafeteria. When the cafeteria lady saw me, her expression soured. "Maya, I only set aside enough food for one person. Why did you bring someone else?" Maya quickly took the tray from the lady's hands. "Mom, I don't eat much. This is enough for the both of us." "She's just as pitiful as I am, getting bullied by people. We have to save whatever we can." Sitting at the table, I looked into Maya's expectant eyes as she invited me to eat with her. I couldn't bear to ruin the moment, so I hid the cafeteria card I had just loaded with $10,000 yesterday back into my sleeve. I picked up my chopsticks, convincing myself this was the last time I'd endure this "hardship." Tomorrow, I'm announcing the $10,000 on my card to the whole world! I had barely taken one bite of food. When a familiar voice rang out. "Chloe, give the card back." I looked up and saw Sarah's icy, arrogant face. "What card?" "The cafeteria card Liam gave you today. Don't be greedy and take things that don't belong to you." I had thrown that card right back at him. I never took it. "I didn't take it." One of Sarah's minions knocked over my tray. The chicken leg Maya had just given me fell right onto the floor. "Stop lying. I saw Liam shove the card into your desk with my own eyes." I was absolutely furious. I stood up, ready to fight them. But the card hidden in my sleeve accidentally slipped out. Sarah's minion snatched it up immediately. "I told you she took it, and she wouldn't admit it!" "That's MY card." The minion wasn't listening to a word I said. She took the card and marched straight to the card reader at the window. "Holy sh*t!" Before I had time to stop her, a piercing scream echoed from the window. "Why is there so much money on this card?" The minion looked at Sarah. "Didn't Liam say he only gave her $500?" "Why does this say... $10,000?" The expression on Sarah's face was a sight to behold. She seemed unable to believe Liam would be so generous to me. She snatched the card back and stormed off, fuming. I didn't chase after her. Because with $10,000, I could easily file a police report. After the two of them left, Maya was still sighing over the chicken leg on the floor. I pulled her up from the floor, went to the window, bought two massive chicken legs with cash, and shoved them into her mouth. "Eat up, drink up, and don't let this bother you." Maya chewed happily. While asking me: "Your ex-boyfriend put $10,000 on that card for you. He's actually pretty generous." Me: ... Oh, you sweet summer child. 6 When my dad pulled up in the Rolls-Royce to pick me up after school. Liam blocked my path. "What did you say to Sarah in the cafeteria?" "When she got back, she threw the cafeteria card at me and hasn't spoken to me since." "She just accepted my confession yesterday, and today you're trying to ruin things between us?" I was busy texting my dad, telling him I had some personal business to handle. And to wait for me at the gate. "Chloe, I'm talking to you." "Please show some respect." Annoyed, I put my phone away, pulled my cafeteria card out of my pocket, and swapped it with him. "The card Sarah gave you is mine." "I told you I didn't want your card, but you forced it on me." Liam clicked his tongue. "I'm asking you why Sarah is mad at me." "I'm not here to discuss cafeteria cards with you." ??? How the hell would I know why Sarah is mad at him? Your girlfriend is mad at you, and instead of asking her, you come ask your ex? Does that make any sense? What a coincidence. His moody girlfriend happened to walk right past us. She purposefully bumped her shoulder hard against mine. "You little b..." The curse word was right on the tip of my tongue. But Sarah apologized first. "Sorry, didn't see you there." She tried to walk away, but Liam grabbed her. "Baby, please don't be mad." "I really have absolutely no lingering feelings for Chloe." "Actually, I never felt anything for her at all." "When we were together before, it was entirely her mom being relentless. I didn't like her one bit." "Plus, my family got a buyout now. Families like ours are a perfect match." Finally, he said what was really on his mind. I really wanted to record his pathetic face and show it to my mom. Sarah was still throwing a fit: "If you dislike her so much, why did you give her a $10,000 breakup fee?" "What $10,000 breakup fee?" Liam looked completely bewildered. My dad started rushing me via text. He said his car was too flashy, and a huge crowd had already gathered at the school gates. He has social anxiety, so he told me to hurry up and get in the car. Too lazy to watch their soapy teen drama. I cursed Liam out, then ran out the gate and got into the car. On the way home, my dad was asking me which high-end restaurant I wanted to eat at. When I received a message from Maya with a link to a forum post. "Chloe, someone posted on the school confession board saying you have a sugar daddy." I don't know who was paying so much attention to me. It hadn't even been five minutes since I got in the car. But photos of me getting into the Rolls-Royce were already posted online. A lot of people were commenting below. "The guy in the car looks pretty old. Chloe really has no standards, huh?" "Her ex-boyfriend got rich and dumped her, so her ego couldn't handle it, and she found a rich old sugar daddy." "And she had him pick her up in a Rolls-Royce at the school gates so deliberately. Is being a sugar baby something to be proud of?" "Liam and Sarah are such a perfect match. Chloe's sugar daddy probably smells like mothballs." Maya asked me: "Chloe, is this really your boyfriend?" "THAT IS MY DAD!!!" After finding out it was my dad, Maya immediately started defending me in the comments. "Stop spreading rumors. That is Chloe's dad's car." Many people started attacking her too. "Two broke losers lying through their teeth." "I've seen Chloe's dad before. He always drops her off on an electric scooter. How could he possibly drive a Rolls?" "Maybe her dad became a chauffeur and took his boss's car out to show off." Hearing my sigh, my dad turned and asked what was wrong. I held up my phone to show him: "Dad, they're saying you're my sugar daddy." My dad: ???? "Kid, are they speaking English?" 7 After I told my mom what happened at school today... She was absolutely furious. She hated herself for being blind, for taking over a decade to realize what kind of trash her future son-in-law really was. My dad chimed in from the side, commenting that her taste in men was terrible. I poked him. "Dad, are you saying you're terrible?" My dad gave me a look that said you talk too much. Our whole family gathered around, discussing how to exact sweet, sweet revenge. My mom said: "Yesterday, I completely revamped my Facebook profile." "I tried to add Liam's mom back as a friend so I could show off." "And guess what?" "She still hasn't accepted my request." "I'm so pissed!" My dad said: "Why don't we donate a new building to the school? It's low-key but still flexes our wealth." I shot down his idea: "By the time the building is finished, I'll have graduated." "Revenge needs to happen right now. We can't wait!" They both looked at me: "So, how are you planning to handle this?" I hadn't actually figured it out yet. As the three of us sank into deep thought... A message popped up in the class group chat. It was sent by Sarah. "This Saturday is my birthday. I'm inviting everyone to my house to celebrate!" She dropped her home address. I looked closely at it, my eyes suddenly widening. Isn't that my apartment complex? Does Sarah live there too? Oh. It makes sense that I've never run into her. Since I was a kid, my mom stripped me of my right to live there. I had been living in that rundown apartment next to Liam's this whole time. Sarah posted another picture of her living room. I stared at the picture, looking at it over and over again. Huh? Why does it look so familiar? I looked up. Isn't this MY house? I looked up and asked my dad: "Is Sarah your illegitimate daughter?" My dad looked completely lost. "Who is Sarah?" My mom almost slapped him across the face. "Did you have an affair?" I explained it to them: "Sarah is Liam's new girlfriend." I showed them the message she sent. "Why does her house look exactly like ours?" My brain fought with itself for a moment, then I pointed at my parents. "Which one of you had the affair?!" My mom suddenly remembered something and pulled us close, lowering her voice. "I just noticed a weird coincidence." "What?" "Today, our housekeeper, Maria, told me she booked a deep cleaning service for this Saturday." "She told us to go out and have fun for the whole day." I asked my mom: "And you agreed?" She nodded. The truth was practically screaming at us. No wonder when I was living in that rundown apartment... I always thought the clothes Sarah wore and the jewelry she had looked somewhat familiar. But since my family moved back yesterday... She stopped wearing designer brands and switched back to her school uniform. Except for those limited-edition sneakers. "Mom," I pointed at the shoes I wore today sitting by the door. "How many pairs of this shoe did you have your personal shopper buy for me?" My mom thought for a moment. "Two pairs." "One is autographed, the other isn't." I immediately asked my mom to verify this with the housekeeping agency. The results confirmed our suspicions. Therefore. Sarah is not a rich girl. She is the daughter of our housekeeper, Maria. Maria was the housekeeper my mom hired right after I was born. During the dozen years my mom followed Liam's family away... She was the one managing the penthouse. I had only seen her when I was very little. When we occasionally visited for the holidays, I had never run into her daughter. I never expected that during the time we were away... Maria and her daughter, Sarah, had actually moved into our home. No wonder Sarah and Liam hit it off so well. They're exactly the same type of people. You wanted to kick our family out so you could host a birthday party in our penthouse, right? Well, let's see how you manage the fallout from this one. After finalizing a plan with my parents. I started sucking up to Sarah in the group chat. "I've never seen such a huge house in my life~ Can I come?" Some classmates mocked me: "Didn't you say the guy driving the Rolls-Royce was your dad? How have you never seen a big house downtown?" "Maya was defending her today, saying that old man wasn't a sugar daddy. If you did it, just admit it!" "Like this kind of vain girl, Liam broke up with her, they're over." "If you're coming to the birthday party, you have to bring a gift. Don't show up empty-handed." ... Sarah ignored me for a long time. It wasn't until everyone finished insulting me and no new messages appeared in the chat. She @'d me: "Sure. It's fine if Chloe doesn't bring a gift." Still expecting me to bring a gift. I'll bring her two massive slaps across the face. One for the left cheek, one for the right.
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