I was known in our circles as the most cost-effective sugar baby on the market. While other girls demanded tens of thousands a month for living expenses, I would just text my sugar daddy a link to a $14.99 UberEats group order. While other girls dragged their benefactors to Rodeo Drive to buy designer bags, I took my billionaire heir to the flea market to haggle for a 3-for-$49.99 t-shirt bundle. Eventually, the billionaire heir couldn't take it anymore. He asked if I could please ask for something a little more expensive. I summoned all my courage, looked at him meekly, and asked: "Could you buy me a Schwinn?" Liam Hayes looked completely bewildered. "A what? Is that a German sports car?" I stared at him blankly. "No... it's a bicycle brand..." Maybe it was because I was so incredibly low-maintenance, but Liam inexplicably developed genuine feelings for me. He upgraded me from "sugar baby" to "girlfriend." I even heard through the grapevine that he was secretly ring shopping. That is, until today, when his first love flew back to the States. The moment her plane landed, she stormed aggressively into my office, screaming at the top of her lungs: "Where's the homewrecker?! Who is Chloe Evans?! Get out here right now!" "You shameless gold digger! You leeched off him for a car, a house, and millions in cash! You bit off way more than you can chew, and today you're going to spit every last cent of it back out!" I stood there stunned for a solid minute. Then, I pulled out my bicycle lock key and the key to my tiny, run-down studio apartment, looking at her in utter confusion. "This is all of it right here. Oh, I also have the UberEats I ordered for lunch today. Do you want me to throw that up for you too?" ... Audrey Sinclair snatched the keys out of my hand with a vicious sneer. "Let's see exactly what kind of luxury car you managed to leech out of him." She stared at the branding on the bike lock key, flipping it over and over. "What brand is this?" My coworkers gathered around to look, letting out surprised gasps. "Wait, why does that key look exactly like my bike lock? What kind of luxury car rips off a bicycle lock design?" "Isn't that a Kryptonite lock key? I use the exact same one for my commuter bike." Audrey's face stiffened. She glared at me furiously: "Chloe Evans! Are you screwing with me?! There is no way Liam would buy you something this pathetic!" Hearing that, I got a little defensive and argued back: "How is it pathetic?! This bike cost me three hundred dollars! It's the newest model, it's pink, and it even has a quick-release tire. It's very advanced!" Audrey clearly didn't believe a word I was saying. The anger in her eyes flared even hotter as she held up the other, worn-out brass key. "And what about this piece of junk?! Are you going to tell me this is the key to the mansion Liam bought you?!" As she said that, something seemed to click in her brain, and she shrieked accusingly: "Did Liam buy you a luxury penthouse downtown?!" The moment she said that, the entire office gasped. Everyone stared at me with eyes full of envy and jealousy. "A downtown penthouse? Those go for at least a few million, right? Chloe always acts like such an innocent little bunny, I had no idea she had such a massive appetite." "Well, she is a gold digger after all. If she doesn't squeeze him for every penny now, what's she going to do when he dumps her? Starve?" "Looks like her scheming was useless anyway. The real fiancée is here, and she's going to have to cough it all back up!" The whispers around me quickly turned into malicious, gloating sneers. I just let out a confused "Ah," and answered honestly: "We actually did go look at a penthouse downtown, but Liam thought it lacked privacy, so he didn't rent it." "Later, I took him to an old, run-down apartment complex on the east side of town, and he reluctantly agreed to that one. Oh, by the way, that key belongs to the landlord, you can't take it. I need to give it back to get my security deposit." I reached my hand out toward her, adding reluctantly: "You... you can take the bike... but my helmet and my reflective vest are still on it, you have to give those back to me." The degrading insults Audrey had lined up died in her throat. Her face was dark as thunder. Her razor-sharp gaze swept over my desk, and she suddenly let out a cold laugh. She marched over, snatched up my purse, and shrieked: "You little bitch, you're still trying to play the victim?! Look at this bag! A two-thousand-dollar Miu Miu! Liam bought this for you, didn't he?!" "If he's buying you designer bags, you honestly expect me to believe he only bought you a bicycle and rented you a slum?!" As she yelled, she viciously dumped the contents of my purse out onto my desk. Amidst the scattered lip balm and pens, a small, square foil packet tumbled out. Audrey saw it immediately. She pinched the condom packet between two manicured fingers, looking at it with absolute disgust. "Chloe Evans, are you a literal prostitute? Are you constantly in heat? You actually carry these around in your purse?" The moment the words left her mouth, the office erupted in mocking laughter. "Plays the innocent virgin in front of us, but acts like a total slut behind closed doors. Classic gold digger." "Duh, how else do you think she seduced the billionaire heir into buying her bags and houses if she wasn't putting out?" A few of my coworkers even pulled out their phones, shoving the cameras in my face to film the foil packet and my reaction. I tried to block the cameras with my hands, but there were too many angles. Resigned, I let out a heavy sigh, pointed at the logo on the bag, and said: "But the brand on that bag isn't Miu Miu, it's Min Min! It only cost $19.99 on Amazon. It's a much better deal than the one you're talking about." I snatched the foil packet out of her hand. Right in front of everyone, I tore it open. As the entire office gasped, expecting scandal, I pulled out two clear, disposable plastic gloves. "The deli down the street gave me extra gloves with my sandwich, so I put them in my bag. I can use them when I clean at home, I didn't want to waste them..." A bizarre, suffocating silence fell over the office. After a long pause, someone finally voiced their doubt: "Did she... corner the wrong person?" Seeing her intimidating aura rapidly deflating, Audrey forcefully threw the bag back at me, relentless. "Chloe Evans, do you have any idea who I am?! I am Liam Hayes' fiancée! I am the heiress to the Sinclair family! Do you really think playing poor is going to get you out of this?!" "With one phone call, I can pull the financial records of every single asset in your name." My eyes went wide, and I frantically waved my hands. "No, no, please don't do that..." Audrey smirked triumphantly. "Now you're scared? If you know what's good for you, return all the money, and obediently get the hell out of Liam's life!" I pulled out my phone, opened my banking app, scratched my head, and said: "I mean, there's no need to bother someone else with a phone call, I can just show you right now..." My phone screen displayed three accounts: Chase Checking Balance: $50.20 Bank of America Savings: $513.00 Wells Fargo Checking: $367.00 2 Several of my coworkers leaned in to squint at my phone screen. They muttered in disbelief: "Is that my bank account? How did my balance get on your phone?" "Seriously, do you even know how to be a gold digger? Can I tap in and take over your shift?" Audrey's face was an ugly shade of red. I locked my phone screen and looked at her awkwardly. "That's it. I only have those three bank accounts. All my money is right there." "But that money is what's left of my paycheck from last month. Liam didn't give it to me. It's money I earned myself, so I don't have to give it to you, right?" Audrey ground her teeth, her jaw muscles clenching tightly. She desperately wanted to attack me, but had absolutely no idea what angle to use anymore. Just then, our manager, drawn by the commotion, sprinted out of his office and barked: "We are on the clock! What is all this screaming about?!" Audrey cast a disdainful glance at him, her posture dripping with arrogance. "Are you Chloe Evans' boss? Are you aware that your employee is a homewrecker having an affair with a taken man?" The manager froze, visibly confused. "Isn't Chloe dating Mr. Hayes...?" Audrey's eyes narrowed dangerously, cutting him off: "I am Liam's fiancée. Do you honestly think a country bumpkin like her is worthy of Liam Hayes?" The manager cautiously evaluated Audrey. Seeing her expensive designer clothes and commanding aura, he rubbed his hands together nervously and asked: "May I ask which prominent family you belong to, Miss?" "The Sinclair family!" Audrey declared proudly. That single sentence instantly turned the manager into a groveling sycophant. "Miss Sinclair! I am so sorry, I failed to recognize you!" Audrey shot me a withering look and said coldly: "I'll leave it up to you to decide how to handle her." The manager bowed and scraped. "Having an employee with such compromised morals is entirely my failure as a manager. I will terminate Chloe Evans immediately." "Chloe, pack your things and get out." I stared at him blankly, feeling conflicted. "Payday is in three days. Can I wait until I get my paycheck and then leave?" "Absolutely not!" The manager's tone was ironclad. I offered a deeply disappointed look. "Then since the company is terminating me without cause, you have to pay me the standard severance package..." The manager glared at me furiously. "In your dreams! If it wasn't for Mr. Hayes pulling strings, you never would have been hired here in the first place!" "Furthermore, Miss Sinclair is being incredibly gracious by not pursuing legal action against you, and you have the nerve to ask for severance?!" Hearing that, I let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. I'll leave." The smug expression on Audrey's face faltered. "That's it?" I nodded. "The manager makes a very compelling argument. I honestly couldn't find a flaw in his logic." I was telling the truth. Liam really had pulled strings to get me this admin job, so I was technically in the wrong. But Audrey wasn't satisfied. She stared unblinkingly into my eyes, as if waiting for a specific reaction. I looked back at her, confused. "Is there something on my face?" Suddenly, Audrey raised her hand and delivered a vicious, stinging slap across my cheek. She hit me with everything she had, intentionally dragging her manicured nails across my skin. Within seconds, raw, bloody scratches and a raised red handprint bloomed across my face. She smiled, completely satisfied. "Now there is. Slapping you is getting off easy for a homewrecker like you." I held my burning cheek. It hurt a lot. I wanted to cry, but I figured crying wouldn't solve anything, and it would just be embarrassing. I sniffled, refused to look at Audrey again, and quietly turned around to pack up my desk. Right at that moment, my phone buzzed. It was an iMessage from Liam: [Baby, I miss you so much. Do you miss me?] [I'm flying back in two days. Be a good girl and wait for me.] I looked at the message, thought about Audrey standing right behind me, and instantly concluded that Liam had texted the wrong person. I curled my lip and ignored it. By the time I finished packing and walked out of the building, Audrey was already gone. Thankfully, she didn't actually take my bicycle, which improved my mood significantly. I happily hopped onto the bike seat. Just as I was about to pedal away, my phone buzzed again. It was another text from Liam: [Chloe baby, why are you ignoring me?] [Pay attention to me, pay attention to me, pay attention to me, pay attention to me...] I stared at the screen flooded with "pay attention to me," and the specific spelling of my name. That's when I realized Liam hadn't texted the wrong person. I had no idea what game he was playing, and I felt a sharp pang of injustice. Fueled by resentment, I texted back: [You literally have a fiancée, why are you texting me?] The 'typing...' bubble appeared for three agonizing seconds before he replied in utter disbelief: [What fiancée?! My only fiancée is you!] 3 I was completely confused. Just as I was about to type a follow-up question... My phone flashed a 1% battery warning and ruthlessly powered down, leaving me with a black screen. Defeated, I shoved the dead phone into my backpack, figuring I'd deal with it when I got home. Riding my bike from downtown back toward my neighborhood on the east side, I happened to spot a 'Help Wanted' sign in the window of a bustling diner. The sign advertised free shift meals, and the starting pay was $15 an hour plus tips. Back when I had to drop out of community college to pay for my grandmother's medical bills, I never managed to find a job that paid that well. I pulled my bike over and excitedly ran inside. When the owner heard I was there to apply, he looked surprised. "Listen, kid, are you sure you want to waitress here? The shifts are long, and it's physically demanding work." I nodded without a second thought. "I'm not afraid of hard work." After Liam started taking care of me... Aside from my grandmother's medical bills, I never asked for luxury items like the other girls in my position did. Because my grandmother always told me: 'Never get a taste for a lifestyle that isn't yours. Because once you do, you'll never be able to swallow your own reality again.' I always remembered those words. Even now, that principle was what kept me grounded. Seeing my genuine enthusiasm, the owner hesitated for a moment before agreeing to let me do a trial shift the next day. I thanked him profusely, practically humming a tune as I pedaled the rest of the way home. I still had my bike, my apartment, and now I had a new job lined up. In my book, today was still a pretty successful day. As for the complicated mess with Liam... because it was too overwhelming, my brain automatically filed it away in the "deal with it later" folder. The next day, I arrived for my shift right on time. I had waitress experience, so I picked up the routine quickly. Once the lunch rush died down, the owner's wife patted me on the shoulder and praised me: "You're a hard worker, kid! You've got the job." Her encouragement made me work even harder. Until around 7:00 PM, when a group of people suddenly walked into the diner. Leading the pack was Audrey. She was flanked by several impeccably dressed men and women. When she saw me, Audrey let out a condescending scoff. "Chloe Evans, you really are manipulative. You specifically sought out a filthy, degrading job like this just so you can play the victim and make Liam feel sorry for you?" I stood there holding a tray, completely bewildered. "Is this job filthy? I mop the floors every hour." I pointed to the health inspection certificate framed on the wall. "Look, an 'A' grade from the health department. That means excellent. Our diner isn't filthy at all." Audrey choked on her words, glaring at me furiously. "Stop playing dumb! You're just doing this to try and seduce Liam." I sighed in exasperation. "What's the point of seducing him? I can't eat him for dinner. Earning a paycheck is way more important." One of the guys standing behind Audrey tugged on her arm, sneering: "Audrey, don't waste your breath arguing with an idiot. We have plenty of ways to teach her a lesson later!" She let out a cold laugh, walked over to a booth with her friends, and tipped her chin up at me arrogantly. "We're ready to order!" I obediently walked over with my notepad to take their order. During the process, they didn't try to cause any trouble. It wasn't until about ten minutes later. I walked out of the kitchen carrying a massive, steaming bowl of hot and sour soup. Just as I approached their table, Audrey suddenly stuck her foot out into the aisle. I tripped over her leg, and the entire bowl of scalding soup crashed to the floor along with me. The vast majority of the boiling broth splashed directly onto my arms. A small fraction of it splattered onto the hem of Audrey's dress. Before I could even scream in pain, Audrey leaped out of the booth, shrieking at the top of her lungs: "Are you blind?! Do you have any idea how expensive this dress is?! You're so clumsy you can't even carry a bowl of soup, you deserve to starve to death on the street!" The diner owner and his wife rushed out of the kitchen upon hearing the crash, apologizing profusely. "Miss, we are so incredibly sorry! We'll pay to have the dress dry-cleaned immediately, the bill is entirely on us." Audrey's fury didn't diminish. "Dry-cleaned?! This fabric will be ruined if it goes to a dry cleaner! You have to buy me a brand new one!" "How much is it?" the owner's wife asked cautiously. Audrey glared down her nose at them, scoffing. "This is a custom designer piece. It costs fifteen thousand dollars!" "Fifteen thousand dollars?!" The owner's wife swayed on her feet, looking like she was about to faint. Seeing this, I gritted my teeth against the searing pain in my arms, forced myself to stand up, and said shakily: "I'll pay for it... I just need you to give me some time..." One of Audrey's friends heard me and sneered. "Give you time? So you can run crying to Liam and beg him for the money?" "You pay for it right now!" I thought about the balance in my checking account, biting my lip. "I don't have that much cash right now, but I can set up a payment plan with you." Seeing me cornered, Audrey put on an act of benevolent mercy. "There is one other way. You don't have to pay me a dime." "Right here, right now, you get down on your knees, and I'll start a livestream. You confess to the camera that you only approached Liam for his money. You tell everyone that you don't love him at all, and that you're just a shameless, gold-digging whore. Deal?" The moment she finished speaking, one of her friends dutifully pulled out his phone, opened Instagram Live, and pointed the camera directly at my face. The group of them laughed and jeered, pressuring me: "Hurry up and get on your knees! Stop pretending to be a saint, everyone already knows it's the truth!" "Fifteen grand? A girl like you would have to sleep with a dozen guys to earn that kind of cash. Now all you have to do is drop to your knees. It's a bargain." My hands balled into tight fists. Honestly, kneeling down to erase a fifteen-thousand-dollar debt wasn't a big deal to me. But for some reason, I felt a deep, heavy sadness in my chest, and my knees completely refused to bend. As we stood locked in a standoff... Audrey's friend holding the phone suddenly gasped. "Holy shit, Liam Hayes just joined the livestream!" "He said..." "If anyone dares to make Chloe Evans kneel, he will personally bankrupt their entire family..." 4 I froze. Only then did I remember the man I had completely forgotten about since yesterday. Looking into the camera lens, I was just about to ask for help... When Audrey let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Are you an idiot? You actually believe that? Liam is literally on a business trip in Europe right now. You think he has time to sit around watching Instagram Live?" "Chloe Evans, did you hire someone to use a burner account?" I frowned, defending myself: "I haven't touched my phone this entire time. How could I have coordinated that?" Audrey, however, looked at me with absolute, sneering certainty. "Girls like you, the professional gold diggers, you all have networks, right? Don't they have actual bootcamps now that teach you exactly how to manipulate rich men?" "I'm betting you're one of their star pupils." I honestly couldn't understand a single word she was saying. I just looked at her, utterly bewildered, and asked: "Why would I need to learn any of that... I didn't even do anything to Liam..." The reality was, on my very first day working at the exclusive country club, Liam had walked in and immediately taken me away with him. The only thing I ever actually did for him was pour him a single glass of bourbon. So I was genuinely lost as to what Audrey was implying. But my innocent confusion completely enraged her. The next second, her hand flew toward my face for another slap. I dodged to the side, but my severely burned arms slammed hard against the edge of a table. The agony sent a cold, violent sweat breaking out across my back. Audrey clearly had no intention of letting me go. She gestured to her friends, and they all stood up, slowly advancing toward me like a pack of wolves. "What kind of trash do you think you are, trying to show off in front of me?" "Looks like the slap yesterday didn't teach you your lesson..." Following her malicious cue, two of her friends lunged forward, each grabbing one of my arms in a vice grip. They squeezed directly onto my burns, and I screamed in excruciating pain. But they weren't satisfied. They dragged me forward, forcing me toward the pile of shattered ceramic bowls on the floor. "You cheap piece of trash, you don't know your place! Get on your knees!" The owner's wife couldn't bear to watch and stepped forward to intervene. "Please, calm down, let's not let this escalate into an assault..." But her husband grabbed her arm and dragged her backward, shaking his head frantically. "Just look at them, they're clearly wealthy and connected. We can't afford to get involved with people like that..." The very last person willing to help me backed away. They forced me downward, pushing me toward a deep, hopeless abyss. Just a fraction of a second before my knees were about to smash into the jagged porcelain shards... The heavy diner door was violently shoved open. Liam stood in the doorway. He looked exhausted from traveling, but his face was twisted into an expression of absolute, terrifying fury. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH HER! Are you all illiterate?!"
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