The Billionaire's Five-Year Poor-Boy Cosplay

Because he was "poor," Liam constantly brought up marriage. Until the day I saw him casually open a bottle of wine that cost more than my entire year's salary. It turned out the real Liam Vance was a billionaire heir, living a life of unimaginable luxury and excess. His friends asked him, "Aren't you tired of playing the broke boyfriend for five years? When are you going to pull the plug?" Liam lazily lifted his eyelids: "Probably on the day of my engagement." I didn't throw a hysterical fit. I just waited until the day of his engagement party, when my flight carried me across the ocean. Later, I heard that the untouchable young master of the Vance family had suddenly backed out on the day of his engagement. He drove like a madman to a rundown rental apartment. When he saw the empty apartment, he completely lost his mind. 01 While scrolling through Instagram, my eyes were drawn to a specific photo. My gaze skipped past the glamorous group of people in the foreground and landed on a young man standing behind them. He was leaning lazily against a sofa, looking down and messing with his phone. One hand rested on the back of the sofa, partially obscuring his face, but his straight nose and deep-set eyes were clearly visible. After some hesitation, I opened the photo album on my phone, found a picture of Liam, and compared the two back and forth several times. Then, I opened a chat window with Chloe Davis, an old college classmate who I only occasionally interacted with by liking her posts. [Hi, can I ask if this guy is a friend of yours?] I circled the man in the photo and sent it to her. For some reason, Chloe seemed to have intentionally applied a slight blur effect to that specific area of the photo. Surprisingly, Chloe replied very quickly. [Why are you asking about him? Stay away from him.] I replied: [Nothing, I just thought he looked a bit like my boyfriend.] They looked too similar. I was so incredibly familiar with Liam; I could trace the exact curve of his brow when he frowned from memory. Soon after, Chloe fired back a barrage of messages. [Are you daydreaming in broad daylight, Maya? My husband can barely even get a word in with him. Your boyfriend, who barely makes a few grand a month, has absolutely no connection to him. [What, have you finally woken up and decided to dump that boyfriend of yours who has nothing going for him?] I cut off her sarcastic remarks and sent a simple "thank you" sticker of a bowing cartoon bear: [I was just asking. Never mind.] Chloe had always been competitive. Ever since she lost to my makeup-free photo in an unofficial campus beauty pageant during our freshman year, she had tried to one-up me in everything. Later, she married the son of a publicly traded company's CEO, while I was dead set on dating Liam, a struggling, broke young man. Only then did she finally condescend to grant me access to view her Instagram stories, just so I could admire her fabulous life. Switching over to my chat with Liam, I asked: [Are you coming home soon?] The contact pinned at the top, "Liam Baby," replied quickly. He sent a photo of a conference table in an office, along with a sticker of a little cat tilting its head and wiping away tears. [Still working overtime. Go to sleep early, don't wait up for me.] [Working hard, love you~] I sent back a hug and two kiss emojis, then peacefully put my phone in my pocket. This was it. This was my, Maya's, boyfriend. A corporate drone who opened his eyes every day just to grind for a measly salary. How could he possibly have anything to do with the people in Chloe's circle? 02 When I got home, a message popped up instructing me to deliver a document to the Apex Club. I turned around, opened the company's expense app, and hailed a ride, used to this kind of routine. The nights of adults rarely belong solely to themselves. Besides the time dedicated to love, the vast majority of it is occupied by unpleasant work. Stepping out of the car into the biting wind, I looked around. I had heard rumors about the Apex Club; the people who came and went here were all extraordinarily powerful. My boss was probably riding the coattails of some higher-up to even set foot in this private, courtyard-style club hidden deep within the city. Pushing open the heavy oak doors, men in sharp suits stood on either side. After I stated my business, they respectfully guided me into the inner courtyard. As expected, after delivering the document, I put on a fake smile and respectfully toasted everyone at the table. Most of the time, I didn't need to personally run errands to deliver documents. But for business dinners like this, they always needed an attractive woman as decoration. "Mr. Wu, this is Maya from our tech department. I had her come over to explain things to you. She's a total pro!" When a slightly chubby hand brushed against the back of mine, I lowered my wine glass and subtly dodged it. Often, I couldn't firmly refuse, even if it meant enduring certain lingering stares. After a few drinks, I made an excuse to step outside for some fresh air. Turning a corner in the corridor, a door was left slightly ajar. The brass door handle gleamed with a cold, hard light, and the intricate carvings on the doorframe flickered in the night light. I glanced casually, my gaze about to sweep past, when a voice suddenly drifted from inside the room. "I'm dying laughing. Are you telling me Maya thinks Liam is broke, and that's why she won't marry him? "Gotta say, that girl has a good head on her shoulders. "I asked around at the bank. I heard her total savings amount to exactly $195,460. She withdrew every last penny to put a down payment on a place, saying it was for their marital home. "Two hundred grand? Can you even buy a decent bathroom with that?" My footsteps halted. I took a few steps closer in disbelief and listened closely. "But seriously, what kind of rags are you wearing? We're all hanging out, and you're still not done with this 'broke guy' cosplay?" I remembered the clothes Liam was wearing this morning. His jacket was a new down coat that cost over two hundred dollars. His pants were some cheap Amazon find for thirty or fifty bucks. And on his feet were the Balenciaga 3XL sneakers I had asked several personal shoppers to finally track down. I looked down at myself. My entire outfit, from head to toe, cost less than two hundred dollars. Thinking I might have misheard, I squeezed my palms, pulling out my phone to make a call. Right then, I saw a person inside the room lean forward, reaching out to casually grab a bottle of wine from the table. This movement completely revealed his profile, as well as the clothes he was wearing. I unconsciously gripped the hem of my shirt tighter, my knuckles turning white from the force. My eyes were locked onto the scene unfolding before me. In that instant, I wanted to speak, but it was as if the freezing wind had paralyzed my throat. I couldn't make a sound. Liam shot a glance at the man who had just spoken. "I have my own timeline. Mind your own business." "Ha, you're hilarious. What kind of timeline takes five years? Didn't you say it was just a meaningless fling at first? Don't tell me you actually fell for Cinderella?" The hand Liam was using to light a cigarette paused slightly. After a long moment, he let out a scoff. "What are you talking about?" "Even if you do have feelings for her, can you really marry her? My advice? Cut it off clean and get out now. Don't waste the girl's time. Let her go find a good guy to settle down with." "Jason—" Liam exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at him lazily. "You talk too much." "Heh," Jason gave him a half-smile. "I might talk too much, but if you ever dare make me download some stupid discount app at 2 AM to 'help you get a deal' for your Cinderella again, I'll kill you myself." At that moment, a young man wearing glasses raised his hand politely. "I think those discount apps are great. I maxed out my 'Billionaire' badge on it~" No one paid him any attention. Jason continued his interrogation: "When do you plan on coming clean to her?" Liam paused. "Probably on the day of my engagement." "Is it definitely the Sterling family?" "Mhm." "How are you going to tell her? This whole thing is pretty messed up." "Just don't tell her. Let 'Liam' simply vanish." "That works too. Just don't let there be any accidents. A girl like Maya will probably never cross paths with anyone in our circle for the rest of her life anyway. "When the time comes, give her a sum of money. She's been with you for five years, at least treat her right." These words were like a wrecking ball from another world, violently smashing into my brain. I looked at Liam, desperately hoping he would speak up at that moment, say something, anything different. She's not like that. Maya is not like that. She is your legitimate, official girlfriend of five years. But he didn't. He didn't argue; he didn't say another word. I stood rooted near the doorway, feeling as if the freezing wind had penetrated my very bones, swelling my skin until it ached. I even wanted to see through the swirling cigarette smoke, to clearly see his unreadable expression. The bare branches of the crabapple tree were heavy with winter snow, bent over, unable to straighten up no matter how hard they tried. 03 I pulled out the condo purchase contract I had been keeping in my bag. Tears smashed onto the paper one by one. I hurriedly wiped them away with my hand, afraid of ruining the document. I had always believed that Liam was afraid to bring up marriage because he was broke and terrified he wouldn't get past my parents. He had heard perfectly clearly when my mom called me that day. "You say he has no parents, fine. But his education is lower than yours, his salary is lower than yours, he has no house, no car. What exactly do you see in him? Just his face? "With your qualifications, what kind of guy couldn't you find? "Come home. Mom has so many successful young men to introduce you to. Any one of them is better than him." I had covered the phone receiver. "Mom, he's leading a new project right now. He'll get a raise next month. Besides, he's ambitious and treats me well. I just like him. "As for buying a house, the money we've saved together these past few years is enough for a down payment. Our combined 401ks and salaries will cover the mortgage. Things are only going to get better..." That day, after hanging up the phone, I squatted by the bed, pulled out all my bank cards, spread them out on the mattress, and looked up at him. "Let's get married. I have the money. I'll take care of you from now on." Liam looked slightly stunned. An emotion I couldn't read flashed through his eyes, but all he said was, "Wait just a little longer." At the time, I thought he wanted me to wait until he achieved more success, until he could afford to give me a proper wedding. But I hadn't understood that look in his eyes. Looking back now, it was probably a look of amusement. Amusement at my naive gullibility, at my burning passion that he found utterly worthless. For days, I had been racking my brain trying to figure out a natural, perfect way to surprise him. But I never imagined that while I was picturing a future filled with warmth and love for us, he was calculating how to extract himself from this deceptive game. It was too ridiculous. I laughed until I couldn't stop the tears. It took an immense amount of self-control to stop myself from pushing that door open. I took step after step backward. The weight of this truth made it hard to breathe. I looked down and pressed the call button. Looking up, Liam raised his hand, and everyone in the room instantly went silent. I spoke, keeping my voice perfectly normal. "Are you still at work?" Liam's lazy voice came through the receiver. "Yeah, probably another hour or two. Why aren't you asleep yet?" I wiped away my tears. "I took a bad fall. I'm at the hospital..." In my peripheral vision, I saw Liam sit up slightly. "Which hospital?" He gestured to the person next to him to hand him his coat. Liam hung up the phone and stubbed out his cigarette. His friend asked, "Where are you going? You just sat down." "Girlfriend's in the hospital. Gotta go." "Since when does she count as your girlfriend..." Before he could finish his sentence, Liam, leaning against the doorframe, turned his head and shot him a chilling glance. That single glance, completely devoid of emotion, was as freezing as a deep winter pool. It silenced the speaker instantly, filling him with a sense of dread. 04 I didn't go to the hospital; I took a cab straight home. The apartment Liam and I rented was a modest one-bedroom. Right by the entrance was a bookshelf lined with books. Those were the books left over from when I forced Liam to take night classes to get his bachelor's degree. My mom was right; when I met him, his education was lower than mine. He told me he only had an associate's degree. We were both young then. I just thought he was smart and had his whole life ahead of him. If he worked hard, he wouldn't be stuck at that level forever. Even if he ended up raising pigs, a guy with a bachelor's degree would get paid five hundred bucks more. Back then, I worked my day job and stayed up late into the night helping him study and do practice tests. Even when we were brushing our teeth together in the morning, I made sure to use every spare second to open an English app on my phone to review the vocabulary we had learned the day before. For ten years' worth of past exams, Liam did them once, and I reviewed them with him once. Because we were short on time, it only took us a month and a half to pass the exams. To celebrate, we even scoured every coupon app before going out for hot pot. But now, looking through the information Chloe had asked around for, I only felt a profound sense of absurdity. [Liam who? I've never heard of that name, but I can't tell you his real name either.] [You're asking about his education? I heard he went to Columbia for undergrad, and then to Harvard for his Master's. He's incredibly young.] I leaned heavily against the sofa, pressing my palm hard against my forehead, my stomach cramping with sharp pain. The door was opened from the outside. I looked up to see Liam, looking slightly disheveled, having rushed back from a fruitless trip to the hospital. There were countless missed calls from him on my phone. He leaned against the doorframe, panting slightly. I watched him approach in silence. He lifted my hands, cupping my face and examining it closely. Only then did his tense expression finally relax. "Where did you fall?" Knowing he had been played, he wasn't angry. He just played with my fingers and smiled. "I'll put some ointment on it for you. Otherwise, if we wait any longer, the wound might heal on its own." In that moment, perhaps because I was acting too brave and quiet, he had no idea the agony I was enduring. I studied him seriously. He always seemed this composed, as if he had never lost his cool over a difficult problem. I used to think that an early life of hardship and poverty had forged his calm disposition, giving him the fortitude to remain unfazed even if a mountain collapsed in front of him. But I never considered that this kind of relaxed demeanor was more likely nurtured by extreme wealth and power. I pulled my hand away, staring straight ahead. "Liam, my mom is pressuring me to go home for blind dates." The movement of Liam's hands paused. Before the smile could completely fade, it froze on his handsome face. "But—" I turned my head, smiling through tears, my eyes filled with the usual affection. "I told her, I only want to marry Liam. I'm waiting for him to marry me." I just looked at him like that. I hadn't planned on crying, but I didn't know why my tears refused to obey my command. "I said, we bought a little house, and once we're married, we can move in. Then we'll have a kid, and you two can help us take care of it. A boy or a girl would be great. A girl would look like you, with big eyes, and a boy would be like me, with fair skin." I looked down, pulling the contract from my bag. "Look, when I bought the condo, I put your name on it too." Look, Liam. How are you ever going to repay me for these five years of foolish youth and genuine devotion? Not stepping foot at the summit of your world, every extra step I took toward you was superfluous. Are you secretly mocking me in your heart? The everything I offered was just something you could dismiss with a wave of your hand in your world of luxury. Liam's fingers twitched. He looked down to flip through the contract. It was a long time before he looked up. "Maya, I..." "What's wrong?" I acted casual. "Is it a super huge surprise? Anyway, now you don't have to be afraid of my mom scolding you anymore." The look of panic that had appeared when I cried vanished from Liam's face. He reverted to his usual cynical, carefree attitude. "Yeah, our Maya is so capable. You said you'd support me, and you're supporting me." His voice was too soft, his tone too light, so much so that I almost missed his next words: "Don't cry. What are you crying for? I never said we weren't getting married..." But Liam, with what identity are you going to marry me? I leaned against the table, looking down as I dialed a number. While waiting for the call to connect, I quietly watched Liam bustling around the kitchen. Compared to me, he was actually the better cook. When the call connected, I said softly, "I've made up my mind. I can go to the States." "The date?" I was in a daze. When I met Liam's gaze, I was instantly jolted awake. "January 28th. Yes, that exact day." That was the day of Liam's engagement.