Chapter 1

I was the most pathetic kept woman in the high-society circle.

My billionaire patron was worth countless fortunes, yet every designer handbag and piece of jewelry he ever gave me was a fake.

Even so, I stayed devoted to him.

Whenever he got drunk, I was the one who drove out to pick him up. Whenever he needed a date for a gala or a warm body in his bed, I was on call day and night.

Everyone in his circle laughed behind my back:

"A substitute is just a substitute. She can't even tell real luxury from cheap knockoffs."

"She’s probably just holding out for a massive payout. That’s how these gold diggers operate."

"After all, she grew up in an orphanage. Once she managed to climb up the ladder, of course she wouldn't let go."

None of them knew that before I met him, I spent three years working as a personal luxury shopper.

One glance was all it took for me to spot a counterfeit.

By our fifth year together, he had given me exactly eighty-one knockoffs.

Every single time, I faked genuine joy while watching the conflicted expression in his eyes.

In the end, neither of us said a word.

Until recently, when his first love returned from abroad.

He tossed a black card onto the coffee table in front of me.

"Three million dollars. Your severance fee."

"No problem, Mr. Hayes," I answered cleanly and without hesitation.

I let out a long breath of relief. My debt of gratitude was finally paid in full.

Now, I could finally go after my own happiness.

A smirk crossed Austin Hayes's face, looking as though he had known it all along.

"Dropping the act already, Clara?"

I knew this was another test. He desperately wanted to unmask me as the greedy gold digger he always thought I was.

Over the past five years, he had tested me like this far too many times.

I still remembered the first birthday gift he ever gave me five years ago: a diamond tennis bracelet.

The moment I opened the velvet box, I noticed the flaws instantly.

To an untrained eye, it looked flawless, but anyone in the luxury industry could tell it was fake in a heartbeat.

Austin had sat beside me, his eyes glued to my face, waiting for me to throw a fit and demand an explanation on the spot.

Instead, I slipped the bracelet onto my wrist and smiled gently. "It’s beautiful."

His eyes flickered with a complex emotion, but he said nothing.

"What do you mean, Mr. Hayes? Isn't this what you wanted?"

I kept my tone perfectly casual as I slipped the card into my bag.

"I’ll move out today."

With that, I turned around with light steps and began packing my suitcase.

"Already lined up your next sponsor? That was fast."

Austin leaned against the doorframe, his gaze dark and sullen.

Even though I knew my place in his life, hearing those words still felt like a needle pricking my heart. My hands paused over the folded clothes.

"Didn't you bring up the breakup first? What, are you regretting the three million?"

I smoothed out the fabric, packed it neatly into the suitcase, and spoke without looking up.

His face turned completely livid.

"Clara Evans, three million is the most you’ll ever be worth."

Leaving those harsh words behind, he slammed the door and stormed out without looking back.

I stared at the trembling door and let out a soft sigh.

An hour later, wheeling my suitcase behind me, I took one last look at the penthouse where I had lived for five years.

I opened the door and walked out.

I pulled out my phone and sent a message:

"Regarding the marriage you mentioned before—I agree. But I need a favor first."

Back at the small temporary apartment I had rented, just as I was getting ready to rest, my phone suddenly rang.

I glanced at the screen. It was Austin.

My first instinct was to decline the call, but out of sheer habit, I tapped accept.

"Clara, Austin is completely wasted! Come pick him up, hurry!"

The voice on the other end belonged to one of his wealthy buddies.

"Austin and I broke up. You guys can drive him home."

Just as I was about to hang up, the man spoke again, sounding distressed.

"Clara, he's in really bad shape. Just come help him out, please."

"Yeah, Clara, he’s treated you so well over the years. Just do this for him one last time."

I sighed quietly. After five years together, it would be a lie to say I felt absolutely nothing.

Reluctantly, I agreed. "Fine. I’ll be right there."

When I reached the private VIP lounge, I pushed the heavy door open and hurried inside.

Right in the center of the room sat Austin, nursing a drink and looking at me with a half-amused smirk.

He wasn't drunk at all.

I froze in my tracks.

"Haha, I won! Pay up, everyone!"

One of Austin’s friends jumped up in excitement, waving his phone.

"Austin, I told you she couldn't let you go! The second she heard you were sick, she came running!"

His first love, Natalie Vance, was sitting right beside him, wearing a smug, triumphant smile.

"I told you so. Girls like her could never bear to walk away from luxury and wealth."

"At the end of the day, Austin’s the real player here—managing to make even a gold digger fall head over heels," another man scoffed.

My face went pale. I realized I had become their source of entertainment once again.

Scenes like this had played out countless times over the past five years.

I looked at Austin. His face wore that same indifferent, detached expression.

He seemed to thoroughly enjoy the ego boost of being chased and adored.

I clenched my fists in my pockets and took a deep breath.

Looking directly at him, I said calmly, "Mr. Hayes, they might doubt my feelings, but surely you know whether my heart was ever real, don't you?"

Austin let out a careless chuckle.

"Clara, you're a gold digger. Do you really expect me to believe you have a heart?"

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head.

"You're right, Mr. Hayes. Why would a gold digger have a heart? I only came because I just took three million dollars from you and felt bad turning down the request."

My voice was flat and steady.

Austin’s face instantly darkened.

Without another glance at him, I turned on my heel to leave.

"Take one step out that door, and I’m cutting off every penny to that orphanage."