Lucas, my boyfriend, asked me to take on his massive debts to help him secure his family’s business inheritance. He begged me to fake a breakup with him. On the day the debts were finally cleared, he was nowhere to be found when we were supposed to get back together. When we met again, he coldly said: “For the sake of my family’s reputation, you can only be my secret lover. We can’t have any public connection, and I’ll have a stand-in pretend to be my girlfriend.” Three years of suffering, only to end up with such a disgraceful outcome. At a luxurious banquet, he trapped me, dressed in an elegant gown, in a hotel suite. Pointing at some documents on the table, he coaxed me: “All this money is compensation for you. Just wait for me here.” As the door closed, his cronies could no longer contain their laughter: “Lucas, you’re so clever. I bet if you told her to jump off a cliff, she wouldn’t even hesitate!” Seeing the banquet was about to start, I struggled with all my might to break free from my restraints and rushed to the neighboring hotel. Unexpectedly, I ran into his stand-in girlfriend. Lucas angrily slapped me to the ground: “Sophia, we’re long over. Why do you keep pestering me? I refused to let you be the other woman, so you came to ruin my plans. How disgusting can you be?” He labeled me as the other woman and coldly watched as people poured drinks on me and tore at my dress. Then I was subjected to public condemnation on social media. But when the powerful Leo came to pick me up for the banquet, Lucas was completely dumbfounded.
As the banquet was about to begin, I had just arrived at the hotel when I unfortunately ran into Lucas preparing to leave for the event. I ignored him and walked straight past, but his cronies blocked my way: “Lucas, why is she dressed like this? Is she trying to cause trouble?” “If people find out there are two women, what about your reputation and your family’s?” Lucas’s eyes widened in shock. He and his cronies quickly dragged me to a corner. He examined my elegant attire with a gloomy expression: “Sophia! What do you mean by this? I’ve already promised you compensation. Do you have to make such a scene?” “That’s right, Lucas is now the heir to the family business. You should be grateful to even be his secret lover, given your debt situation!” People who once treated me with respect now puffed on cigars and spoke to me rudely, calling me the “debt woman.” If Lucas hadn’t allowed it, how would they dare treat me like this? Faced with my icy gaze, they deliberately blew smoke in my face: “Greed knows no bounds. You’ve been hiding from debts and living the good life while Lucas solved your big problems. He even arranged a stand-in for the banquet knowing you don’t like attention. If I were you, I’d be falling over myself with gratitude!” “But here you are, wearing some cheap dress you got from who knows where to cause trouble. Aren’t you just embarrassing Lucas?” Little did I know that bearing Lucas’s debts was considered “living the good life.” These arrogant cronies once again began their skillful manipulation of me. Praising Lucas and belittling me was their specialty. Back when Lucas was vying for his inheritance by orchestrating a business scheme, they took turns persuading me to take the fall to please him. I was worried Lucas might have fallen for someone else during these three years, but they swore they’d be the first to make him pay if he ever betrayed me. A man’s word truly can’t be trusted. I let out a cold laugh and said calmly: “If it’s such a blessing, why don’t you take it?” When things went wrong, all of these people were involved, each more devious than the last, but none dared to take responsibility. Faced with my questioning, William, the leader, took a deep drag on his cigar and spoke arrogantly: “If I were a woman, you wouldn’t stand a chance!” The others chimed in, lamenting that they weren’t women and telling me to cherish what I had. Knowing full well that I hated the smell of smoke, they deliberately got close to me and blew it in my face. Seeing me cough uncontrollably with tears in my eyes from the smoke, Lucas remained unmoved. Through the haze, I couldn’t help but recall how Lucas used to sternly stop anyone from smoking near me. I turned to look at him involuntarily: “So, you also think that bearing your debts for three years is my honor and blessing?” Lucas pressed his lips tightly together, a flash of embarrassment on his face that quickly turned to anger: “Enough, hurry up and go change your clothes. Stop embarrassing me here!” He immediately called someone to take me away. Times have changed. He’s broken his promises, and I have no interest in wasting words with such an ungrateful person: “Good dogs don’t block the way. Please move aside, I need to attend the banquet.” Laughter erupted: “Sophia, did hiding from debts addle your brain? You’re not the one who gets to attend the banquet openly with Lucas, you know!” “Lucas, since she’s so eager to attend the banquet, why don’t we find a room for her to watch from? That way she can say she attended.” Faced with his crony’s suggestion, Lucas impatiently asked me: “We didn’t want you to come because we were afraid you’d be upset. Are you sure you insist on attending the banquet?”
The banquet was hosted by Leo’s family. I had no idea Lucas would be here. Running into him on the day of the banquet, what rotten luck! “Why would I be upset about attending my own banquet?” If he wasn’t worried about me exposing his scheme, Lucas would have gotten rid of me long ago. It’s laughable that he’s still pretending to care deeply for me, thinking I’m still blindly devoted to him and will obediently be his puppet for life. My honest words fell on Lucas’s ears as mere stubbornness. He was clearly annoyed at my ingratitude, yet still had to put on a show of concern. “Sophia, everything I’ve done is for your own good! Don’t be so stubborn……” Yet his hand showed no mercy as he dragged me into the hotel. “Since you want to attend the banquet so badly, fine. But you must stay quiet, and don’t throw a tantrum with me afterward!” His reluctant tone implied that allowing me into the hotel was a great favor. Before I was caught up in his scheme, he had also put on this fake act: “Since you’ve decided, I can only trouble you for now. I swear that the day you’re free from debt will be the day I bring you back……” He painted a beautiful picture of our reunion after three years, and I, deeply in love with him, clung to these empty promises to endure the difficult years. Even during our last meeting, he was still planning our future life together. Sadly, after three years of painful waiting, he wanted to find someone new. All his professions of love were just tactics to lure me into his trap. Thinking of this, waves of anger and sorrow surged within me. “Let go of me! I’m going to the hotel next door! It has nothing to do with you!” I forcefully broke free from Lucas’s grip. He was shocked that I, who had always been so docile, would resist. His face was full of surprise. Taking advantage of his momentary shock, I turned and walked towards the hotel without looking back. “Sophia, haven’t you had enough? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?!” “How did hiding from debt give you such a rebellious attitude? Looks like you’ve been living too comfortably out there……” Lucas stopped himself mid-sentence. He had accidentally revealed his true thoughts. “Bearing three years of debt, nearly losing my life being chased by creditors, you don’t mention a word of that, do you?” Under my direct gaze, Lucas turned his head, unable to look at me: “Sophia, I spoke hastily out of anxiety. That incident was an accident, but you came out unharmed in the end, didn’t you?” William also chimed in: “That’s right, if it weren’t for Lucas quietly pulling strings, you might not even be alive.” The unease on Lucas’s face vanished, replaced by an air of superiority. “If it weren’t for your weak personality, always letting people take advantage of you, they wouldn’t have dared to harm you so easily. I met those creditors, and they said they targeted you because you were an easy mark……” Lucas knew the truth of the matter all too well. It was he who, in order to secure his inheritance, had schemed to frame me with massive debts. The creditors, unable to collect, first threatened and intimidated me, and finally resorted to attempting to take my life. Who could swallow such treatment? That’s why the creditors paid someone to try to kill me. If Lucas had faced this himself, he would have been the one nearly losing his life. Yet he preferred to believe others’ lies rather than trust me. He even used my personality as an excuse. During those three years, I had imagined countless times that he might change his heart, that he might abandon me because of my fallen status. But I never imagined that he would think it was only right for me to bear his debts. All the passionate vows crumbled in the face of reality. I was just too naive and foolish, thinking that being loved by a rich young man like him was the greatest luck of my life. “I’ll get back together with you after the banquet ends, that should satisfy you, right?” As expected of someone who grew up in the scheming business world, he knew how to give a sweet after a slap. He even made a show of taking out his phone to show me the order for the gift he had prepared for me. Lucas turned the phone screen towards me: “Are you reassured now?” The next second, a message popped up on his phone: [Darling, have you left yet? I’m waiting for you at the banquet. That stupid woman didn’t give you any trouble, did she……]
Stupid woman…… I couldn’t help but laugh. Lucas thought I was happy because of his gift. So he once again took it for granted to pull me along, not forgetting to give his cronies a knowing look. Outnumbered, they forcibly took me to a suite. Then they ordered someone to quickly bring me some clothes. “Take off that cheap dress and throw it in the trash. If people found out I couldn’t even buy you a decent dress, wouldn’t that be embarrassing?” Lucas shooed William and the others out, but found me staring blankly at the dress. “If you like wearing dresses so much, I’ll have dozens made for you. You can wear them however you like at home! But not today.” “We’ll soon be family, sharing glory and shame. If any bad rumors spread, you’ll be the one suffering.” I stroked the dress, saying nothing. He had indeed forgotten all his past promises. This was the dress my late mother had carefully chosen for me, always hoping to see me happy. Back then, Lucas had promised at my mother’s grave that he would give me a happy life. He said that wearing the dress my mother chose would make me the most beautiful woman in the world. Even Leo could accept me not wearing a dress prepared by his family, but Lucas found this dress cheap. In his eyes, what wasn’t cheap? “Who you want to be with is your business, but don’t delay my attendance at the banquet!” Lucas was grinding his teeth in frustration at my stubbornness, clenching and unclenching his fists. This was a sign that he was losing patience. As a ringtone sounded, he ordered William and the others to watch me, then went aside to answer the phone. I couldn’t hear clearly what they were saying, but I could see his excited expression and tender smile in the mirror’s reflection. It was a look I had never seen before. I thought my heart would ache, but I felt nothing. William, ever the loyal follower, deliberately blocked my view, afraid I would notice something. “Sister Sophia, we all know the sacrifices you’ve made for Lucas. If you want to be with him, you shouldn’t mind sacrificing a little more.” “You should believe that he has planned everything for your future.” While calling me “Sister Sophia,” William’s hand began to caress my bare arm as he spoke. The other cronies also started calling me “Sister Sophia” in a mocking tone. “Get lost!” I forcefully shook off William’s hand. Lucas heard the commotion and quickly hung up the phone to come over. “Sophia, can’t you behave? Stop causing trouble, will you?” “It’s an important occasion today, can’t you just……” I coldly interrupted him: “When did I agree to get back together with you? You think you’re worthy of having me?” “If you anger Mr. Leo, don’t say I didn’t warn you!” The powerful Leo was someone to be reckoned with. I had to use his name, otherwise I might be late for the banquet. Who knows how that gentleman would punish me then. “Mr. Leo? You don’t mean Leo from the Li family? Don’t tell me you want to be with him!” “That’s right, today I’m attending the banquet he’s hosting……” William and the others laughed uproariously. “Lucas, I think she really has gone crazy, daring to say such nonsense.” “Brother, I suddenly feel so sorry for you. If you really get back together with her, you’ll have endless trouble!” Lucas reprimanded them with a dark face: “Enough, stop laughing!” He turned and pointed at the screen on the wall, coaxing me: “Sophia, just stay here and watch. I’ll be back soon.” “I know you want to be with me, but you shouldn’t let your imagination run wild, especially about Mr. Leo. Don’t get involved with him anymore, he’s not someone you or I can mess with.” His phone rang more and more urgently, and his voice grew gentler as he tried to pacify me. With that, he hurriedly left, locking the door behind him in one smooth motion. As the door locked, his cronies could no longer contain themselves, stomping their feet with laughter: “Lucas, you’re really something! I bet if you told her to jump off a cliff, she wouldn’t even resist!” “All of you shut up!”
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