Chapter 1 Once I hooked up with one of the most powerful billionaires in New York, I played the "perfect, devoted girlfriend" role to the absolute limit. When Ethan Sterling was messing around with Instagram models, I was the one who personally drove them to the clinic for STI testing. When Ethan was cornered by paparazzi outside a luxury hotel, I was the one working the phones, paying off media outlets to bury the story. Even when his new flavor of the month showed up at my front door to provoke me. I could smile and politely brief her on his daily habits and dietary preferences. Everyone in our elite circle said I loved Ethan so much I had completely lost my self-respect. They said I would do absolutely anything just to stay by his side. But what they didn't know was that I was the one who intentionally hired Chloe Thorne to catch his eye. And they definitely didn't know just how generous Ethan was whenever he felt guilty about cheating. A medical bill? Fifty thousand. A PR crisis? Two million. And the endless stream of jewelry and designer bags he showered me with as "compensation" was incalculable. Over the years, not only had I amassed a nine-figure bank account. I also owned multiple high-end properties around the world. After ten years of playing the ultimate sugar baby, I could finally officially retire! When Ethan proposed to Chloe, I was curled up on the sofa in my Bel Air mansion, binge-watching Netflix. Ethan had transferred the deed of this mansion to me not too long ago. It was my compensation for the time Chloe pushed me down a flight of stairs, causing me to miscarry his child. I tore open a bag of Doritos. My phone screen lit up constantly as notifications from our mutual friend group chat flooded in. "Ethan is really going all out for Chloe." "The wedding of the century. Even Mia didn't get this kind of treatment back in the day." "Looks like Ethan finally found his true love." "Chloe bullied Mia so relentlessly, and Ethan didn't even say a single harsh word to her." "Do you think Mia is going to get thrown out on the street? She loves Ethan so much, if he dumps her, she'll probably just jump off a building." The potato chip crunched loudly in my mouth. Savoring the absolute satisfaction of high-calorie junk food, I couldn't help but smile. I was about to keep reading the gossip when the front door suddenly swung open. Ethan walked in. He glanced at the bag of chips in my hand, his brow furrowing deeply. "Mia, you know I hate the smell of junk food." As a top-tier sugar baby, providing emotional support and maintaining a flawless figure were basic job requirements. I instantly slipped into my 'understanding girlfriend' persona, answering with sweet obedience. "I know." "I just didn't think you were coming back tonight..." Ethan's footsteps halted. His expression softened significantly. "I just came back to grab the keys to the old estate." "Your body hasn't fully recovered yet. Stop eating that garbage." "Chloe needs Maria to take care of her full-time now. I'll transfer some money so you can hire a new housekeeper." After sending the money, he walked over to the wall safe and punched in the code. Besides the keys, he also pulled out the Sterling family's heirloom diamond necklace. Before his mother passed away, her dying wish was that the necklace be given to the true matriarch of the Sterling family. It seemed Ethan had finally made his choice. I felt a twinge of regret over losing the diamonds, but I still forced a perfectly understanding smile. "There's no need for more money, Ethan." "You've given me more than enough over the years." Ethan froze for a second. "What did you just call me?" I lowered my eyes, refusing to say another word. He sighed, walking over and gently stroking my cheek. "Mia, don't overthink things." "You've been with me for so long. I would never mistreat you." His touch was gentle. But the moment his thumb brushed against the faint, almost invisible crow's feet forming at the corner of my eye... He quietly pulled his hand back. "I'm taking Chloe to stay at the old estate for a few days, so I won't be coming around for a while." "Take care of yourself." The old estate? I raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. I knew Ethan was infatuated with Chloe. But I had no idea their relationship had reached that level. Chapter 2 After all, the old estate was the one place Ethan absolutely refused to touch. It was his ultimate psychological taboo. The women in our social circle always mocked me, saying I couldn't survive without Ethan. Honestly, they were absolutely right. They were trust-fund babies born with silver spoons in their mouths. Even if they got dumped, they had massive family conglomerates backing them up. But I had nothing. I was just an impoverished student whose tuition was paid for by the Sterling Family Charity Foundation. When I was eighteen, I got accepted into an Ivy League university with top honors, and was invited to the Sterling estate for a celebratory dinner. That was the exact same day Ethan's mother—the most envied society wife in New York—threw herself off the roof of the mansion, unable to endure the relentless humiliation from her husband's mistresses. A human body plummeting from that height. Ethan and I were completely covered in her blood. Because of that day, Ethan developed severe, crippling PTSD. He was terrified of the color red, and the sound of heavy objects hitting the ground would send him into violent panic attacks. Every single night, the moment he closed his eyes, he dreamed of his mother lying in a pool of blood right in front of him. He smashed every mirror in his bedroom, and he absolutely refused to ever set foot in the old estate again. Ethan's grandfather hired the best psychiatrists in the world, but nothing worked. Finally, he came to me, begging. "Mia, you're the only person who can calm him down when you're by his side." "I'm asking you to stay. Please, keep him company." Perhaps it was because we shared the exact same, horrific nightmare. Ethan trusted me implicitly. He silently allowed me to stay by his side. My heart ached for this pale, shattered, fragile boy. And I was deeply grateful for everything the Sterling family had done for my education. I wanted to do whatever I could to help him. When Ethan couldn't sleep, I sat on the edge of his bed, staying awake with him all night. When Ethan couldn't eat, I studied recipes and cooked every single meal for him. When he woke up screaming in the middle of the night, I held his hand and sat with him until the sun came up. In those early years, there was no Chloe. There were no corporate power plays, no financial calculations. There was only him and me. Like two wounded animals trapped in the dark. Holding onto each other, surviving together. I knew my background meant I would never be accepted as his legal wife. But. When Ethan's fingers brushed through my hair... When our lips met, and he whispered that he loved me... When he spent millions of dollars to fill an entire city block with my favorite flowers... I couldn't stop a tiny, foolish spark of hope from blooming in my heart. That hope lasted exactly until my 25th birthday. We were laying in bed after making love. Ethan reached out and casually pinched the tiny bit of soft flesh on my waist. Leaning against the headboard, he let out a quiet, mocking laugh. "Mia, you've gained weight." "If you don't start managing your figure better, you might not get your allowance next month." My brain exploded with a deafening buzz. In a single second, I plummeted from heaven straight into hell. It was in that exact moment I violently woke up to the truth. No matter how well Ethan treated me. No matter how deeply I loved him. In his eyes, I was nothing but a commodity. An unpresentable, high-priced escort. He was never going to fall in love with someone like me. And he was never going to truly commit to me. But I also knew Ethan would never just let me go. He was born arrogant and possessive. Even if he didn't want a toy anymore, he would never allow anyone else to play with it. I refused to drown in a toxic relationship with no future. I needed to secure an exit strategy before he got completely sick of me and threw me out with nothing. That was exactly when Chloe Thorne caught my eye. She was bright, lively, and instantly captivated Ethan's attention. I intentionally leaked information to her, helping her mold herself into the exact type of woman Ethan was obsessed with. Chapter 3 And just like that, the two of them slowly drifted together. But Chloe wasn't satisfied just being the side piece. She wanted to destroy me, take my place, and become the undisputed Mrs. Sterling. So, she went out of her way to torment me. And the more she bullied me, the guiltier Ethan felt. The guiltier Ethan felt, the more money he threw at me as compensation. He threw so much money at me that I could permanently retire from the sugar baby industry long before my looks faded. My phone screen lit up. Another massive compensation wire transfer had just cleared. I stared at that long string of zeros. Any lingering bitterness or jealousy in my chest was instantly wiped clean. This arrangement was perfect. She got the love. I got the money. Everyone got exactly what they wanted. Win-win. After Ethan left, I started auditing my global assets. Thirty million dollars in liquid cash. More than enough to live in absolute luxury for the rest of my life. Once everything was verified, I booked a one-way first-class ticket to Switzerland. The flight was scheduled for exactly three days from now. All I had to do was tie up a few loose ends, and I would finally be free. Just as I finalized my itinerary, Ethan called. I panicked for a second, terrified he had found out about my escape plan. Instead, his voice came through the speaker, issuing a non-negotiable command. "Come to the old estate." "Chloe hasn't had much of an appetite lately, and she's craving that fish stew you make." I let out a massive sigh of relief. Without a word of complaint, I changed my clothes and drove straight to the estate. The Sterling estate hadn't been this lively in years. The massive driveway was packed with luxury cars. Ethan's grandfather's booming laughter echoed through the halls, impossible to hide. "Wonderful, wonderful! The Sterling family finally has an heir!" "You've been a playboy your whole life, Ethan, but it looks like you're finally settling down." Chloe sat in the center of the crowd, one hand resting delicately on her flat stomach. Ethan sat right beside her, smiling as he peeled an orange for her. They were surrounded by fawning, wealthy guests. I was long accustomed to being ignored and left in the shadows. But hearing Ethan and his friends excitedly discussing baby names for Chloe's child... I involuntarily looked down at my own flat stomach. There was a baby there once, too. My child. Ethan's child. On the day Chloe pushed me down the stairs, I was over three months pregnant. When the blood started pooling between my legs, I was paralyzed by absolute terror. Panicking and helpless, I frantically called Ethan's phone over and over again. I called over a dozen times. The only answer I eventually got was the muffled sound of Chloe moaning in ecstasy in the background. It wasn't until late the next afternoon that Ethan finally found out about the miscarriage from his executive assistant. He didn't offer any elaborate explanations. He only said two sentences to me. "It's better this way. Saves us a lot of trouble." "Make sure you take your birth control on time from now on." After saying that, he transferred the deed to the Bel Air mansion into my name. Back then, I forced a smile and consoled myself. Trading an unborn mistake for a twenty-million-dollar mansion. It was a good deal. But now, looking at the overflowing tenderness in Ethan's eyes, seeing how incredibly excited he looked... A bizarre, unprecedented wave of agonizing sorrow suddenly surged in my chest. "Why are you so late?" Ethan's voice violently snapped me out of my memories. His cold gaze swept over my pale face, finally landing in the direction of the kitchen. "The fish is already prepped. Chloe is extremely sensitive to the smell of seafood right now, so be careful when you're cooking it." I smiled. A sugar baby. A mistress. I didn't have the right to feel sad or throw a tantrum. I nodded and obediently walked into the kitchen. Behind me, loud, undisguised mocking laughter erupted from the living room. "Oh my god, look at the 'little Mrs. Sterling' playing the perfect housewife." Chapter 4 "Her man is marrying another woman and having a baby, and instead of causing a scene, she actually comes over to cook for them!" "What husband? Ethan never married her. She's nothing but a high-priced escort he keeps on the side." "Now that Ethan has a real fiancée, she's gonna get tossed out on the street any day now!" I had heard these exact insults a million times before. I washed my hands and dropped the sliced ginger into the simmering pot. In my head, I silently counted down the days until my flight. I was so lost in thought that I jumped when someone suddenly tapped my shoulder. It was Ethan's executive assistant. He grabbed my hands and shoved them into a bucket of industrial sanitizer sitting on the counter. Then, he handed me a black surgical mask, explaining in a deadpan voice. "Ms. Thorne said she is a severe germaphobe. She says women like you are 'unclean,' and from now on, you must undergo full-body sanitization before entering the Sterling estate." "Ms. Thorne also said that looking at your face makes her so nauseous she can't eat. She demands you wear this mask whenever you are in her presence." "Also, once you're done with the soup, you can leave." "Today is a private Sterling family dinner. You don't have the right to sit at the table." More childish, pathetic power plays. I was completely immune to these tactics by now. Not too long ago, Chloe had actually demanded I get on my knees and wash her feet. Wearing a mask was nothing. As long as the money cleared, I didn't care. I nodded obediently. I put on the mask and continued watching over the simmering fish stew. Chloe was incredibly picky. One minute she complained it was too hot, the next she complained it was too fishy. I had to remake the entire pot of soup four separate times. My hands were covered in painful, red burn blisters from the boiling water and hot pots. Only then was she finally satisfied and allowed me to leave. The old estate was secluded. By the time I finally drove back to the Bel Air mansion, it was close to midnight. My body still hadn't fully recovered from the miscarriage. I laid in bed, in agonizing pain for hours, before finally slipping into a feverish, exhausted sleep. I had barely fallen asleep when a sharp, brutal pain clamped down on my wrist. Ethan was standing by the bed, his face terrifyingly dark. He violently yanked me up by my arm. "What the hell did you put in that soup?!" "Chloe drank it and her stomach hasn't stopped cramping!" I was completely disoriented, mumbling groggily. "I don't know what you're talking about!" Ethan glared at me, a vicious sneer twisting his face. "Stop playing dumb. Don't think I don't know exactly what kind of trash you are." "You're exactly like the cheap whores who drove my mother to suicide! Desperate for money, desperate for status, willing to do absolutely anything to secure the bag!" "You tried to trap me with a baby and failed, so now you're trying to murder the baby in Chloe's stomach?!" My wrist felt like it was going to snap. My poorly-healed abdomen cramped with a sharp, agonizing pain. Operating on pure instinct, I shoved Ethan away and yelled. "Ethan, are you out of your fucking mind?! Chloe's stomach hurting has absolutely nothing to do with me!" "She's the one who murdered my child first! If something actually happens to her, it's called karma!" The moment the words left my mouth, a brutal, ringing slap crashed against my face. Ethan grabbed me by the throat, his eyes blazing with murderous rage. "Mia, who the hell gave you the right to disrespect Chloe?!" "Do you honestly think you're even worthy of breathing the same air as her?" "Chloe comes from a prestigious family. She is pure. She is innocent." "And you? You're nothing but a dog I pay to feed. A cheap whore who opens her legs for anyone with a checkbook." "If I'm in a good mood, I'll throw you a bone. If you piss me off, I can destroy your entire life in a heartbeat!" Ethan was practically roaring. He violently ripped my silk nightgown open. He was about to do worse when his phone suddenly rang. Whatever was said on the other end of the line made his face drop. His rage instantly mutated into pure, unfiltered panic. He turned and sprinted toward the door. Right before he crossed the threshold, he stopped and looked back at me.
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