I was born with the ability to detect lies. My stepsister, Chloe, looked down on her blind date because she thought he dressed like a hobo. She forced me to go in her place just to reject him. "I thought my blind date was going to be some rich heir driving a Ferrari, but he’s just a broke loser," she sneered. "If he clings to me, my life will be ruined. Go reject him for me. Just tell him you're the one he's supposed to meet." I should have said no. But I desperately needed an opportunity to escape the house that had kept me trapped for over twenty years. Yet, the moment the man across from me spoke his very first sentence, I knew he was lying. He said his monthly salary was only five thousand dollars. 【Lie.】 He said his family background was totally ordinary. 【Lie.】 Well, since he wanted to play a part, I wasn't going to let his performance go to waste. Looking at the glowing golden wealth line rising rapidly behind his head, my eyes welled up with emotion. I eagerly grabbed his hand. "Who cares if you only make five grand a month? Honest work is the most honorable! I don't care that you're poor. Let's get married !" --- ###
"Amber... do you really not mind that I’m broke?" Christian Vance’s Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he asked tentatively. "Of course I don't mind!" I sat up straight, riding the wave. "I can tell you're an honest, down-to-earth guy, Christian. You're definitely not the lazy type. Being broke now doesn't mean you'll be broke forever." I looked at him with a beaming smile. Well, not exactly at him. To be precise, I was staring at the golden wealth line rising behind him. That glittering golden curve was shooting straight up, climbing faster and faster by the second. So this was what a truly wealthy person looked like? Even when he was doing absolutely nothing, his wealth was practically multiplying on its own. If I could stick with him, I wouldn't just escape my toxic family—my future would be completely set. While I was lost in my fantasy, Christian continued to test me. "You're really sweet, Amber... But let me lay the ugly truth out first. I’m just a regular blue-collar worker. I barely make five thousand a month. No house, no car." *[Lie.]* "And I have an ailing father to support. Life with me will be very hard." *[Lie.]* *[All lies.]* Red warning signs flashed wildly in my mind. Five thousand a month? I glanced at the blazing golden line behind him and almost snorted. No house, no car? Fine, whatever you say. Since he wanted to play the part, I had to be his perfect co-star. I reached out and firmly grasped his hand on the table, looking into his eyes with absolute sincerity. "I really don't care about the money. As long as we work hard, our lives will get better and better!" Christian stiffened at my sudden touch. He probably hadn't expected this kind of reaction. He lowered his head, pretending to look even more self-conscious. "Seeing me dressed so cheaply, riding a ragged Lime bike just to meet you... you really don't look down on me?" Christian was wearing dirty canvas shoes, and his clothes were indeed very worn and cheap. But the golden wealth line behind him was about to break through the ceiling. I squeezed my thighs to keep from laughing out loud. Forcing myself to look solemn, I replied, "I’m wearing old clothes passed down from my stepsister anyway. It seems we both know how to save money. No wonder we get along so well." Chloe had previously tried to act poor on her blind dates to gain sympathy from rich guys so they would spend money on her. But she never expected this. Christian had beaten her to the punch, pretending to be broke to test his date. Seeing that I was indeed dressed in faded clothes and looked thin and pale, Christian’s suspicion seemed to fade a little. But his test wasn't over yet. "Since you think so highly of me, Amber, we can't just sit here drinking cheap coffee. Let me buy you lunch." "We can talk about our future wedding, too." When he pulled out his phone to pay the bill, he made sure I saw the badly cracked screen of his old phone. I didn't say a word. Instead, I pulled out my own shattered phone and bought him a bottle of cold water. "It's hot today. Have some water. We have to start saving money from now on." I wanted to see just how far Christian was going to take this act. He led me down the street and stopped in front of a cheap, low-end buffet. --- ###
Seeing me freeze at the entrance, Christian had an "I knew it" look on his face. Still, he rubbed his hands together, pretending to be embarrassed. "I’m just a warehouse mover. I don't make much. After rent, there’s barely anything left." "Amber, I’m so sorry to bring you to a place like this. Honestly, I usually can't even afford a buffet." *[Lie.]* The red warnings in my head flashed so bright my eyes practically ached. I snapped back to reality, my stomach rumbling loudly. "You have no idea. Ever since my dad brought my stepmother and stepsister into our house, I’ve barely had enough to eat." "I have to work part-time to pay for my own tuition. When I’m hungry, I just buy expired clearance food from the grocery store." "Don't worry. This buffet is a feast to me." I spoke the absolute truth, without a shred of shame. In fact, I couldn't wait. I marched right in and grabbed a tray. If this were Chloe, she would have thrown the tray at Christian's face and told him to go to hell. But my eyes were practically glowing as I piled food onto my plate. "Fried chicken, yes please..." "Mashed potatoes, definitely..." "Roast beef, oh my god, yes..." Christian followed behind me. Seeing my plate piled high like a mountain and watching me eat with pure, unadulterated joy, he was utterly stunned. "I can tell you're actually starving. You weren't lying." I was eating so happily that I barely heard him. Compared to my black-hole stomach, Christian clearly wasn't used to this kind of food. He barely touched his plate. I ended up finishing all of his leftovers, too. After cleaning every plate, I patted my full stomach and thanked him repeatedly. "Thank you so much. This is the most satisfying meal I've had in months." "Don't worry. When I make it big, I'll treat you to the finest dinner." Christian’s eyes flickered, and a faint, genuine smile appeared at the corner of his lips. When he offered to take me home, I waved my hands in refusal. "I’m not going back there. I've already rented a small basement room. I plan to stay there while I look for a job." Before our date, Chloe had bragged to the matchmaker about being a pampered little princess. She despised this date, hated his cheap clothes, and refused to even show her face. So now, when Christian tried to dig deeper into my situation, I could tell him the truth with zero guilt. "My mom passed away when I was young. Not long after, my dad married Tiffany and brought Chloe into the family." "Since then, I became Chloe's favorite punching bag. She had so many ways to torment me. My dad knew, but he just didn't care." "But hey, they gave me a roof over my head, so I guess I should still be grateful." Christian’s fists clenched as he listened. "And you just took it? You let your stepmother and stepsister bully you like that?" I nodded, pulling up my sleeves. I showed Christian the old scars on my arms. Some were burn marks from Chloe's curling iron, others were deep scratches from her nails. "I couldn't help it when I was a kid." "When I got older and wanted to move out, they took my passport, birth certificate, and Social Security card so I couldn't leave." I looked up and smiled at him. "But it's fine now." "I’ve finally graduated from college. I can survive on my own." "Once I save enough money, I'll pay them back for the food and cut ties with them completely." "Amber... to be honest, when I first met you today, I thought you were just playing victim to scam me." Christian was now entirely convinced I was telling the truth. He fell silent for a few seconds, his eyes deep and intense. "If you could make one wish right now, what would it be?" --- ###
I sneakily glanced at the golden wealth line rising behind him. He was still pretending to be broke. Asking him to give me millions was unrealistic. But asking him to use his connections to get me a job? That wasn't too greedy, right? I sighed, pretending to be stressed. "Just being able to eat three meals a day would be great! I hope to find a job as soon as possible, save some money, and move out of that basement." Christian raised an eyebrow mysteriously. "Maybe your wish will come true sooner than you think." *[True.]* My heart swelled with anticipation. Although I still didn't know the exact details of Christian’s background, I knew he was powerful. After thanking him sincerely for the lunch, I splurged to buy him a cheap ice cream for dessert. He finally walked me to the subway station, looking reluctant to say goodbye. To my absolute shock, right after Christian left, I received a phone call from the HR department of a major listed corporation I had interviewed with earlier. "Is this Miss Amber Miller? Congratulations, you’ve passed the interview. Is it convenient for you to come in tomorrow to complete the onboarding process?" I held my phone, freezing for several seconds. I didn't know the exact connection between this company and Christian. But I was absolutely certain this stroke of luck wasn't from heaven—it was from Christian. The next day, I smoothly completed my onboarding. The entire process was easier than I could have ever imagined. Excited, I messaged Christian on Snapchat: *You are literally my lucky charm! I actually got the job!* *This luck is all thanks to you. I have to treat you to dinner to thank you!* Christian readily agreed. He still showed up in that same cheap, worn-out outfit, even adding a lame excuse: "I haven't bought new clothes in forever. I only have this one set to wear for dates. Please don't write me off." While he said this, the warning *[Lie]* was screaming in my head. But I didn't call him out. I just smiled. "Once I get my first paycheck, I'll buy you some brand new clothes!" Christian looked genuinely surprised. "You can barely feed yourself, and you want to buy me clothes?" "Well, you treated me to a buffet and listened to me complain. You’re good to me, so I should be good to you." The warmth and emotion on Christian’s face this time had absolutely no hint of acting. From that day on, I threw myself into my new job, working hard for my future. Christian and I met up almost every day, and we grew closer and closer. Even though we still mostly met at cheap diners, Christian seemed more and more relaxed. He didn't try to test or probe me anymore. On payday, I kept my promise and took Christian to buy a new shirt and jeans. Holding the clothes I bought him, Christian looked at me with a deep, emotional gaze. "Amber, don't worry. Your good luck has only just begun." He told me he had to be busy for a few days. Once he was done, he would give me a massive surprise. I wasn't sure what he meant, and I didn't dare to fantasize too much. In fact, I thought it was better if Christian just kept pretending to be broke. When he was pretending, we could interact like equals. What if one day he stopped acting? What if he turned back into a high-and-mighty billionaire? I wouldn't even know how to face him. For the next few days, I really couldn't reach him. He would occasionally send me a Snapchat message, telling me to be patient. But before I could wait for Christian, the person I least wanted to see showed up. Chloe had somehow found out my office address. "Amber, how far have you gotten with that blind date of mine? Call him out right now. I need to take a good look at him." "I went to a luxury hotel with my friends today, and I saw him from a distance. He was surrounded by a crowd of people, and everyone was calling him Mr. Vance!" With a furious expression, Chloe shoved her phone screen right into my face. --- ###
The man in the photo was indeed Christian. It turned out he was the sole heir to the legendary Vance family of New York! He was wearing a bespoke, luxury designer suit, sporting a multi-million-dollar watch, and surrounded by a flock of bodyguards. Thinking about how this untouchable billionaire heir had actually worn rags just to eat a cheap buffet with me, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Christian really went all out to test his blind date. Terrified that Chloe would find Christian and expose the fact that I had impersonated her, I racked my brain to keep her calm. "You’re overthinking things, Chloe. That guy took me to a dirt-cheap buffet for our first date." "Every time we meet, he wears the same trashy clothes." "Even his phone has a shattered screen." "With how broke he looks, how could he possibly be the heir to the Vance family?" Seeing Chloe look at me with deep suspicion, I quickly pulled up my Snapchat history and showed her the photos of the cheap buffets and the receipts. Chloe scrolled through my phone for a long time. Then she looked at my worn-out clothes, and her suspicion finally faded. "True. If he were actually rich, there’s no way he wouldn't spend money on you. Why would he make you suffer with him?" "Besides, a man of his status would have extremely high standards. He’d never look at a charity case like you." Before she left, Chloe didn't miss the chance to insult me. "Amber, you were born to be at the bottom. You deserve to be with a broke loser like him." "Just don't tell anyone you're a Miller when you're out. We can't afford to lose face because of you." Looking at Chloe's smug, arrogant face, I swallowed my anger. But a tiny spark of hope flared up in my heart. What if... What if one day Christian proudly chose me in front of everyone as the Vance heir, completely slapping Chloe in the face? What would her expression look like then? But after only a few seconds of fantasizing, I shook my head to clear those thoughts. Christian had already gotten me this amazing job. I had already used up all my luck. How could I dare to expect a miracle like that? After stabilizing my emotions, I kept my head down and worked peacefully for another three days. That afternoon, my supervisor called me to join a major project launch meeting. They said a powerful executive from the partner company was coming, and all the new hires had to be there to show respect. Clutching my files, I walked into the conference hall, only to freeze instantly. The figure standing on the stage looked so much like the man who had eaten cheap buffet food with me—and yet so different. In the next second, the host spoke respectfully into the microphone: "Now, please join me in welcoming our CEO, Mr. Christian Vance." My brain went entirely blank. I stood there, frozen like a statue. As soon as the meeting ended, I tried to slip away. But Christian had already cut through the crowd, walking toward me with a gaze full of gentleness. "Amber, why are you staring? Did you forget me after just a few days?" All the surrounding employees began to whisper, speculating about my relationship with Christian. My heart was pounding like crazy. Was this real? Had the miracle actually happened? Just as I was hesitating to respond, a sharp, screeching voice suddenly pierced the air from behind me. "Mr. Vance! You’ve been tricked by Amber! The person you were supposed to meet that day was me!!" My breath hitched. I turned around stiffly. Chloe was storming through the crowd, marching straight up to Christian. "I, Chloe Miller, am your actual blind date!" Seeing Christian’s face instantly turn cold, I felt like I had been plunged into an ice bath. It was over... I had finally waited for Christian to reveal his identity to me. But if he found out that all our sweet memories were built on a foundation of lies and deception... Forget about being with him. I would probably lose my job and my livelihood instantly. I desperately wanted to open my mouth and explain. But terror gripped my throat, and I couldn't squeeze out a single word. The mocking whispers and contemptuous glares from the crowd made me want to shrink into the floor. "Look, this is the message the matchmaker sent me! Here is the date, time, and location of our meeting!" "I have so much proof that Amber lied to you! You can't let this fraud get away with it!" Under Chloe's hysterical shrieks, Christian calmly took her phone and glanced at it. The next second, he frowned, turned his gaze to me, and spoke in a chilling voice...
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