Chapter 2

This was the second time she had spoken to me with such venom.

The first time was back when I lived on instant ramen and plain bread for an entire semester just to save up for her anniversary gift.

The scene I had envisioned—where she would tearfully embrace me—never happened. Instead, she bit my arm in pure fury.

Her eyes, which usually sparkled with warmth whenever she looked at me, flared with anger. Big, bright tears welled up, though she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

"Ethan, it's you that I love, not this material garbage! I can get whatever I want with a snap of my fingers. You don't need to starve yourself just to buy me a present! Don't you dare think playing the pity card will move me!"

She had deleted all my contact info right in front of me and stormed off.

Yet, she never once said the word 'breakup.'

I knew she was just heartbroken for me.

Later, when people sneered that I was punching way above my weight, Vivian stepped up time and time again to shield me.

She happily joined me at street food carts and wore cheap matching hoodies with me.

Bit by bit, my heart completely melted for her.

There was no way I could accept a sudden breakup like this—especially not for such an absurd reason.

I stood my ground before Chad, utterly fearless.

He pointed at me contemptuously, playing to the gathering crowd. "Call him a boy toy if you want, but he's just a glorified gigolo. He spends a woman's cash on designer gear and thinks he's part of high society. Today, I'll teach you what real royalty looks like."

Vivian's brow furrowed even deeper at his words.

She tugged at Chad's arm, muttering petulantly, "Didn't you say you had a surprise for me? Why bring him along? He was just a toy to kill time with when I was bored."

Just a toy?

If I was just a toy, why would she give me five of the best years of her life?

Chad slung a heavy arm around Vivian's shoulder, grinning smugly. "Tsk. When you're a gigolo, you need to know your place. Keep sniffing around Vivian, and don't blame me for crossing a line. With my family's power, crushing you is easier than stepping on an ant."

Hearing that, Vivian kicked my shin without hesitation. Caught off guard, I stumbled and fell onto my hands and knees.

Vivian clearly hadn't expected me to fall. A flash of raw concern crossed her face, and her hand twitched forward before she caught herself.

She averted her gaze from mine, her voice remaining harsh and unyielding. "I told you to get lost! Didn't you hear me? Stop ruining my moment with Chad. I gave you your payout. Stop clinging to me like a mangy dog!"

I looked up at her, my resolve unbroken. "I just want an honest reason."

Vivian stiffened her neck and raised her voice, enunciating every word. "I said, I'm bored of you! A lowlife like you never belonged with me. Only someone from the wealthy Sterling family is my true match!"

"You know you love me!"

Vivian scoffed. "Love you? You really flatter yourself. People of my social standing only marry within our class. Love is the most useless thing in the world."

"You could barely put food on the table! What, did you think I was blind enough to go broke playing house with you?"

Chad guided Vivian back toward his sports car. Before climbing in, he flipped me off and dropped an address.

"Hey, country bumpkin. If you've got the guts, follow us. I'll show you the kind of life you'll never touch."

Vivian looked at me expressionlessly. "No matter how hard you work in this lifetime, you'll never measure up to a single one of Chad's pinky fingers. Stop daydreaming about marrying me, and take a good, hard look in the mirror."

"I suggest you don't humiliate yourself, unless you want to spend the rest of your life crawling."

"Don't you dare follow us like a shameless beggar. Your poverty only embarrasses me."