I’m the only daughter of a wealthy East Coast family. Ever since I was little, my parents ingrained in me that I was never allowed to move far away for marriage. After a lot of coaxing and persuading, my boyfriend finally agreed to move into our estate, take our family name, and essentially be a stay-at-home husband. Overjoyed, my dad gave us $10 million to buy a house as an early wedding gift. He said since the boy was willing to marry into our family and give up traditional expectations, we shouldn't treat him poorly. After all, he'd be the one raising the kids and managing the household. For a woman to build a successful career, a supportive husband behind the scenes is essential. I thought my dad made perfect sense. Before we left, I discussed it with my boyfriend. I told him we'd put both our names on the deed as our marital home, just to give him some security. Oliver Vance wrapped his arm around my shoulder, looking deeply sincere. "Babe, as long as we can get married, it doesn't matter whose name is on the deed. What's mine is yours." I took a half-day off from my company and went with him to the real estate office. To celebrate buying our marital home today, I even drove my brother's Rolls-Royce. On the way, I enthusiastically told Oliver that I had already contacted an agent I knew. But suddenly, my boyfriend slammed on the brakes, stopping the car dead in the middle of the road. He stared blankly out the left window. I nudged him, confused. "What are you doing? The place is still five hundred yards ahead." His lips pressed into a tight line. After a long moment, he finally spoke. "The new Maplewood Estates development right across the street looks nice too. Harper, didn't you always say you loved maple trees? Let's go take a look." I love roses. When have I ever said I liked maple trees? Oliver must be confusing me with someone else. Before I could say another word, Oliver parked the car right in front of the Maplewood Estates sales center. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the car. He had always been measured and composed; he’d never acted this out of character before. So I asked, "What's wrong with you, Oliver?" A saleswoman standing by the entrance of the luxury villa sales center heard me and looked up. The moment she laid eyes on my boyfriend, utter shock flashed across her face. Her gaze dropped to our tightly interlocked hands. The way she stared made my skin crawl; something felt incredibly off. Oliver reached back and slammed the door of the Rolls-Royce with a deafening BANG. It was as if he wanted to draw everyone's attention. As if that wasn't enough, he reached out, tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, and declared loudly, "Honey, meeting you is the best thing that ever happened to me." I stepped back half a foot, smoothly dodging his touch. Oliver was usually never one for public displays of affection. He always said that was kid stuff. The saleswoman watched us walk into the center, her eyes glued to my boyfriend. She looked completely devastated. Inside, an agent named Ms. Davis greeted us. I looked at a few floor plans for the community but wasn't thrilled. So, I asked Ms. Davis if they had any better layouts. Instead of answering, she looked me up and down and then completely ignored me, treating me like thin air. I thought maybe she just didn't hear me, so I tried a few more times. Then I realized she was doing it on purpose. Whenever I spoke, she’d give zero response. But the second Oliver opened his mouth, she was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. A surge of anger flared in my chest. Just as I was about to snap, Oliver suddenly pointed at the prime luxury mansion sitting right in the center of the display model. "I want this one." This mansion was the most expensive property in the entire development, making it incredibly hard to resell. Buying it basically meant tying up all your capital. And we definitely didn't have that much liquid cash on hand. Ms. Davis's eyes lit up like Christmas trees when she heard he wanted the mansion. She cranked her enthusiasm up to eleven, pitching it with everything she had. But just as she talked until her throat went dry, Oliver waved her off dismissively. "You can stop talking! Where is Chloe Harper? Have her come here." "Who is Chloe?" He didn't answer me. Ms. Davis froze, her joyful expression vanishing instantly. She tried to explain, "Sir, it's the exact same if I explain it to you." "I know everything about this mansion, and I promise you, the VIP pricing any agent can offer you will be identical." "Did you have a prior appointment with Chloe?" As she spoke, she scanned Oliver's outfit, silently calculating the odds of him actually buying the mansion. Today, Oliver was dressed head-to-toe in the newest Louis Vuitton collection and wearing a $200,000 watch—a casual gift from my dad when he agreed to marry into our family. In contrast, even though I was wearing designer clothes too, I looked like an exhausted corporate drone. I didn't look nearly as effortlessly wealthy as he did. Oliver impatiently tugged at his collar, giving the agent a half-smile. "Go get Chloe. If she doesn't pitch it, I'm not buying." "She's a sales agent, isn't she? Tell her to come over here and introduce this mansion to my wife and me." Ms. Davis went to get her. A few moments later, the saleswoman who had been hiding from us at the entrance walked over. It suddenly clicked—she was Chloe Harper. Following Oliver's gaze, I took my first real look at this woman. She was pale, had big eyes, and a great figure. But the way she looked at Oliver was laced with deep, undeniable romantic tension. These two definitely have history. The thought instantly popped into my head. Suddenly, Oliver's weird behavior made sense. This girl was probably his old flame. Chloe bit her lower lip, the corners of her eyes flushed red, tears welling up. She looked like she had suffered the greatest injustice in the world. She stammered as she introduced the property to Oliver, "The... the 10,000-square-foot floor plan... is our flagship mansion..." Before she could finish a single sentence, her voice choked with sobs. Although I was suspicious, my "girls support girls" instinct kicked in, and I handed her a tissue. "Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?" Smack! She aggressively slapped my hand away and covered her face. "Oliver Vance! Did you really have to bring a woman here just to humiliate me?!" Oliver hadn't looked at me once; his eyes were glued entirely to Chloe. "This is what you call humiliation? Aren't you a sales agent? As long as I have the money, what's wrong with demanding your service?" I tugged at his sleeve. "The girl isn't feeling well. Let's just have someone else explain it." Besides, I had absolutely no intention of buying this mega-mansion anyway, so it didn't matter who pitched it. Oliver's gaze was aggressively scanning Chloe's face and body. After her outburst, Chloe didn't even dare to meet his eyes. If someone told me there was nothing going on between them, I'd call them a liar to their face. But right now, Oliver was my fiancé, and it was time to establish my territory. I reached out and grabbed Oliver's hand. "Oliver, didn't we agree we were just going to buy a nice penthouse? My parents..." He cut me off frantically, terrified I'd finish the sentence. "It's not like I can't afford the mansion! I want to give you the absolute best. I want everyone to know that being my woman means you'll be incredibly happy." I was speechless. Then don't use my parents' money to do it, you idiot. But since he was willing to marry into my family, I figured I'd humor him for a bit. As long as he behaved, my parents wouldn't force me to go on blind dates with other men anymore. Chloe looked at Oliver, then at me. A single tear rolled down her cheek, her eyes filled with an inescapable, profound sorrow. A beautiful woman shedding a tear is like a falling star. Oliver couldn't look away. Completely ignoring my presence, he reached out, wanting to grab Chloe's hand. "I... I have other things to do. Let Ms. Davis help you." She practically fled in panic, but my fiancé's eyes followed her every step of the way, his soul clearly dragged away with her. I tapped my fingers on the desk. Well, isn't this interesting. But no matter how earth-shattering their tragic romance was, this girl still needed to get married. The only reason I chose Oliver was because he was handsome, highly educated, had no complicated family drama, and was famously aloof with other women. I didn't even mind that he wasn't a virgin. But now, right when we were looking at houses, at the final hurdle—was my golden goose trying to fly away? How was I supposed to explain this to my parents? My older female cousins would laugh me out of town. Losing a man was no big deal, but if my dad got furious and cut off my credit cards, this wouldn't be fun anymore. Oliver was, at the very least, decent-looking, and I am admittedly a bit shallow when it comes to faces. I finally asked, "What's going on? Is she an old friend of yours?" Looking completely crestfallen, he still had to find the energy to brush me off. "Harper, she's just a friend from the past. Don't overthink it, babe." Ms. Davis, being the shrewd salesperson she was, shifted her gaze between Oliver and me, dropping a heavy hint: "So... about this mansion, are you still interested?" It was a $25 million property. There was no way I was blowing all my private savings just to get married. I waved my hand. "Let's go back to looking at that penthous—" Oliver cut me off again. "Take us to see the mansion." He pointed a firm finger. It was still that mega-mansion. I was starting to get pissed. "My dad only gave us $10 million. Where are we getting the rest?" Oliver casually hummed. "We can take out a mortgage for the rest. I'll pay it." I rubbed my temples. Are you out of your damn mind?! He said he would pay for it, but I highly suspected he meant funneling money out of the pet supply manufacturing company we co-owned. I confronted him. "Why are you so hell-bent on this mansion?" "We are short $15 million!" "Do you think that's $1,500?" My dad was already furious that I ignored our family's corporate empire to start my own independent manufacturing business. He rarely gave me any financial support for it. I built that pet supply factory from the ground up through sheer blood, sweat, and tears. It meant everything to me. Thankfully, our client base had stabilized over the past two years, and we were finally turning a real profit. Oliver wanting to bleed the company dry just to buy some stupid mansion was unacceptable. I would never let that happen. Yet, he acted like it wasn't up for debate. He tossed his credit card onto the table right in front of the agent. "Go get Chloe. Tell her to come back, and I'll sign the contract right now." A few minutes later, Ms. Davis returned, looking hesitant. "Chloe's daughter got sick, so she had to rush to the clinic for an IV drip. She probably won't be coming back today." Oliver looked like he'd been struck by lightning. "Daughter?!" Ms. Davis glanced at me, then covered her mouth with a subtle smirk. "She claims it's her ex-boyfriend's. Apparently, she only found out she was pregnant after they broke up. The kid is already two. So many people told her to get an abortion back then, but she absolutely refused. So desperately devoted." Right. Oliver and I started dating exactly three years ago. I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he did the math. The next second, he looked completely unhinged. Completely ignoring the fact that I was standing right next to him, he frantically interrogated the agent. "Which hospital is Chloe's daughter at?!" I crossed my arms, deeply suspicious. "Is that kid yours? Oliver, do not tell me your ex-girlfriend had your baby. Because if this gets that messy, this wedding is officially canceled." Oliver looked at me and forced a smile. "How is that possible? Harper, don't be paranoid. This girl is actually my college roommate's ex. She was super materialistic and dumped my buddy. Now she's struggling, and suddenly has a kid. I just need to go check. If it's really his, I have to let my buddy know." She's struggling, yet you were just humiliating her five minutes ago? Are you psycho? And I was 99% sure that "college roommate" was just him. What a pathetic excuse. I played the magnanimous fiancée. "Go ahead." He froze. I raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Changed your mind?" He looked extremely conflicted. "That card your dad gave you... can I borrow it for a bit?" I had been with Oliver for three years. He always acted so high-and-mighty, refusing to talk about money or touch my finances, which made me think he was a decent guy. Now I realized he just hadn't found a moment where he desperately needed to flex. I shut him down instantly. "Absolutely not. That money is strictly earmarked by my dad for our house." Then I compromised. "But I'll give you our joint business card." I transferred $2 million straight to him. "I just wired you your share of the company dividends." He nodded. "Thank you, Harper. You are such an understanding girl. Don't overthink these little things." He hesitated for a second, looking around before his eyes locked onto a luxury car rental shop next door. "I'm going to head to the shop first. Call me if you need anything." "Harper, let's grab dinner tonight. I'll book that restaurant you love." I smiled sweetly. "Sounds great." I didn't go far. I watched him walk into the rental shop, then turned right around and followed him. As the old saying goes, never let sunk costs dictate major life decisions. If Oliver really wanted to rekindle the flame with his little ex, then I was going to cut the cord fast and cut my losses. Oliver rented a Maybach and sped off straight toward the clinic. I handed the keys of the Rolls-Royce to a valet service to take home, then hailed an Uber, following him at a leisurely pace. Oliver was in such a frantic rush he didn't even notice a car was tailing him. He haphazardly parked the Maybach on the street and rushed out. Right after he ran into the clinic, a guy on an electric scooter lost his balance and sideswiped the freshly rented Maybach. Screeeech! A massive, deep scratch carved into the paint. I got out of my Uber and walked straight to the pediatric IV ward. From a distance, I could see Oliver pointing an accusing finger at the little girl in Chloe's arms, yelling at the top of his lungs: "Is she my child or not?! How could you just abandon me and run away with my baby?! "What do you take me for?! "I have money now! I can buy a mega-mansion, I drive luxury cars, I own my own company! "Are you regretting it now, Chloe?! "Well, it's too late! I'm getting married soon! You're the one who betrayed me first!" He was acting like an absolute lunatic, completely ignoring the fact that they were in a public space. Chloe was still biting her lip, shaking her head frantically. "No, no! I know you hate me, but I had to leave! My father became paralyzed, and I couldn't even afford his rehab! And then I found out I was pregnant. I knew with your personality, you would have married me. You're a good man. "But I couldn't! I couldn't drag you down with me. It was enough that I was drowning in the swamp alone! "But I couldn't bear to let Lily go. She looks just like you. She's allergic to shrimp, and she hates green onions. "I don't regret a single second of being with you back then. "And now that I know you're doing better than me, I have no regrets left. Oliver, let's just go our separate ways. Please don't humiliate me like this! "If I lose my real estate job, Lily won't have money for school, or books, or medical bills! I saw your new fiancée. You take such good care of her. She's a lucky woman. It's me who didn't deserve you!" Chloe only managed a few sentences before tears streamed down her face. She reached out and tried to push Oliver away. "Leave! We broke up a long time ago. Why are you even looking for me?!" Ignoring everything around him, Oliver grabbed Chloe's face and kissed her passionately. I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my own brain. What absolute psychopaths! Blood was backing up into the kid's IV tube, and these two were too busy making out to notice?! Well, at least now I knew for a fact: this man was garbage! Just as I finished dealing with some work emails, Oliver called me. "Harper, can you wire me the other $2 million? "I went to a business meeting and rented a car, but for some reason, someone keyed it. Now the rental company is demanding $200,000 in damages. "I don't have that kind of cash on me. Doesn't one of your cousins own this rental agency? Can you come over and talk to them?" My face contorted into a massive question mark. ? He didn't think of me when he was sucking face with another woman, but the second he's done getting his kicks, he suddenly remembers he has a fiancée? Me: "Didn't I just give you $2 million this morning?" He stammered, "The mansion required a massive deposit, so I put it down." I couldn't sit still anymore. I slammed on the gas, sped straight to the sales center, and right in front of Chloe, I pointed a finger at Oliver and tore him to shreds. "We worked our asses off for an entire year to earn a $2 million dividend each, and you blow it on a $25 million mansion without even blinking?! "What did you tell me when we first met? You said you didn't care about material wealth! Now you're throwing a tantrum, demanding to buy this mega-mansion?! "Oliver, you've changed. You've become superficial. You're not the pure, grounded man I used to know." Faced with my accusations, Oliver's face turned beet red. Finally, he squeezed out, "I'll pay you back." I scoffed. "Pay me back? With what?!" Chloe stepped indignantly in front of him, turning the blame on me. "Oliver is only willing to buy such an expensive house because of you! "You're just a spoiled little princess who's never worked a hard day in her life! What right do you have to criticize him?!" Excuse me? Me?
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