The popular guy decided to become the bodyguard for the heiress of my family, just so he could always be near me. We shared secret moments of freedom 99 times in the mansion’s basement. The room was dark and windowless, with just a narrow single bed. Yet, he seemed to relish it. After each encounter, he’d hold me close and say it was all worth it for me. He’d often make grand promises, swearing to the sky. “One day, when I’m wealthy, I’ll buy you a mansion this big, and I’ll definitely marry you.” His words pushed me to secretly juggle eight or nine jobs every day. But it wasn’t to buy a grand house. It was to afford a better cochlear implant for his congenital deafness. One day, while washing dishes at a restaurant, I unexpectedly ran into Declan. He was supposed to be working at the mansion. 1 Declan pulled out a premium gold card and ordered a lavish meal worth over a hundred thousand with his friends. I was cleaning in the next room and could hear their conversation clearly. “Declan, how long are you going to play with that young maid? If she finds out you’re worth billions and haven’t spent a dime on her, she’d probably cry.” “You don’t get it, Declan’s doing this to upset Adeline. Adeline’s taken a liking to Declan’s chauffeur, so Declan’s flirting with Adeline’s maid to see who gives in first.” “Do you really think Declan would fall for someone so insignificant?” “But Declan’s quite the romantic. To see Adeline all the time, he’d even work as a bodyguard for her family. Respect.” “And how’s that young maid? Is she any good in bed?” Their degrading words pierced my heart, leaving me wounded. Declan didn’t utter a word, letting them speak about me in such vile terms. It was only then I realized the truth. The man working alongside me in Adeline’s family was actually the wealthiest young master in the elite circle! The person he wanted to see wasn’t me, but the heiress Adeline. He deceived my feelings and used my body because my status was lowly. Just like the chauffeur Adeline liked, we’re all ants they could crush. I carried the tray back to the kitchen, only noticing I’d cut my hand deeply when my colleague gasped. Blood stained every step I took. After composing myself in the kitchen, I called my advisor. “I want to go to Africa as an exchange student. Please give me this opportunity.” I fought back tears, but my voice still trembled. Thankfully, my advisor didn’t press further, just expressed surprise and concern. “Zoe, have you really thought this through? The research in Africa is extremely challenging. You can’t return for at least five years or see your family. Didn’t you say your boyfriend is disabled, and you’re worried about him?” Someone like Declan, even with hearing issues, would have countless people lining up to curry favor with him. He doesn’t need my concern. I replied firmly, “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to Africa.” My advisor was pleased. “That’s good. I was worried you’d miss this great opportunity. I’ll register you now, and the flight is in two weeks.” “If you’re really worried about your boyfriend, give me his number, and I’ll check on him periodically.” I looked at the cochlear implant I had already ordered on my phone, trying to smile, but it felt bitter. “No need. We’re planning to break up.” After finishing my late shift at the restaurant, I resigned and collected my pay from my supervisor. Returning to the mansion, Declan was already waiting in the room. “Why are you back so late? Zoe, what happened to your hand? What have you been busy with? You look pale.” I pulled back my hand that he was examining closely. “Almost graduating, been busy.” Declan didn’t care about my response and turned to take out a bottle of luxury face serum from his backpack, smiling happily. “I bought this with my salary for you. I saw other girls love it. Do you like it?” I placed it on the coffee table, expressionless. “I like it.” He seemed surprised that I didn’t even pick it up to look. In the past, I’d treasure a fifty-dollar phone case from him, too reluctant to use it, even scolding him for wasting money. Now, looking back, I was so foolish. Declan cautiously asked, “What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?” I pretended nothing was wrong. “No, you don’t need to buy me such expensive cosmetics. Didn’t you say you were saving up to get married?” Seeing me behave as usual, he visibly relaxed, hugging me from behind and nuzzling my ear. “Don’t worry about saving money for me. I’ll give you a good life. You can even bathe in luxury face serum.” I hid my scorn, pushed him away, and returned to the bedroom. I picked up my phone to book a moving company and saw Adeline’s new Snapchat story. “Thanks to someone for personally bringing me to the hotel.” “But this presidential suite is too shabby. Next time, book a better one.” 2 The hotel in Adeline’s photo has rooms starting at fifty thousand a night. Above the bright bathtub, there’s a row of luxury skincare products. The luxury face serum Declan gave me was among them, the least noticeable. It turns out, what he gave me was a freebie from Adeline’s hotel. Not costing him a dime. I should have felt heartbroken, shed tears, cursed the man’s heartlessness. But at this moment, I couldn’t muster the desire to confront him. My heart died today. I’m poor, but I have dignity. Why become the clown for these young masters and heiresses to toy with? Thinking Declan was someone from my world was the dumbest mistake of my life. In the following week, I didn’t see Declan. He said Adeline was traveling, and he had to protect the heiress. But I saw his phone records. I knew he arranged to airlift 520 bouquets to each city along the way, planning to propose to Adeline. I didn’t expose him. I just went to school and completed the procedures for my trip to Africa. But before a week passed, Declan returned in a sorry state. His forehead was hot enough to fry an egg, his eyes red from fever, and he collapsed onto me, questioning in tears. “Do you know how much I’ve done for you?” “You love flowers, I had them airlifted. You love diamonds, I bid a hundred million for a ring. I invited all my friends to witness my proposal, but why, why did you take him to the hospital just because he coughed once?” “I’ve loved you for over a decade. I lowered myself to be a bodyguard for your family. Can’t you see my sincerity?” His burning tears fell on my shoulder. For the first time, I saw Declan so miserable, but I felt no sympathy. He was delirious from the fever. He mistook me for Adeline. And obviously, his confession to Adeline failed again. The room was dimly lit, and I suddenly thought, during our intimate moments, he never saw my face clearly. What was he thinking? Declan crawled off me, his swollen red eyes staring straight at me. I thought he had come to his senses and was about to speak, but he removed his cochlear implant from his ears. He held the little things in his palm, presenting them to me. “Adeline, I didn’t fall for Zoe. Look at this Bluetooth earbuds, it’s filled with your voice.” I froze. Taking the objects from his palm, my fingers trembled uncontrollably. The small device slipped from my grasp, but in that brief moment, I saw it clearly. It was just a pair of Bluetooth earbuds. His so-called congenital deafness was a lie. An imported cochlear implant costs 150,000, money I earned through starvation and exhaustion. Yet, with me, he listened to Adeline’s voice. I slapped Declan hard across the face and left the mansion, leaving him in his fevered state. Declan developed pneumonia. When he woke in the hospital, he had no idea why his face hurt so much. And I wasn’t there. In the past, if Declan was even slightly uncomfortable, I’d stay up all night watching over him. Afraid something might happen to him. But now I’m gone. Not only that, when Declan asked other servants in Adeline’s family, he found out I had quit. When Declan called me, the panic almost spilled from the screen. I never thought he’d care so much about my whereabouts. “Zoe, why did you quit? Where are you planning to go if you’re not working here?” I packed my things into the suitcase. “My contract with Adeline’s family ended. I can find a formal job after graduation.” Declan’s tone softened. “Yeah, with your good grades, many companies would want you. It’s better than being a maid.” “But my contract isn’t over. I have to keep working. Adeline’s family pays well, and I can save up quickly to marry you.” I casually replied and hung up. The chauffeur appeared more frequently in Adeline’s Snapchat stories. Often with photos of them kissing and holding hands. Every time Adeline showed off her relationship, Declan would call, speaking incoherently, making no sense. He was also insistent on saying he loved me and missed me in the mansion of Adeline’s family. He even mentioned his ears hurt and wanted me to massage them. I just listened quietly. “My contract isn’t over yet. I’ll keep working a bit longer. Adeline’s family pays well, and soon I’ll have enough money to marry you.” I replied offhandedly and hung up the phone. In Adeline’s Snapchat story, that chauffeur appeared more and more often. There were frequent photos of them kissing and holding hands. Every time Adeline flaunted her love, Declan would call me. His words were always muddled and hard to understand. He kept insisting he loved me and missed me at Adeline’s family’s mansion. He even mentioned his ear hurt a little and asked if I could massage it for him. I listened without saying a word. Three days before the flight, I shipped all my luggage to Africa. Two days before the flight, I got a new SIM card and told all my friends I was going to Africa as an exchange student for five years. Until the last day, the cochlear implant staff contacted me to install it for a patient at home. Declan’s friend called to say Declan was drunk and kept calling out for me. After thinking for a moment, I told him, “Where are you guys? I have something to give him.” Everything of mine was out of the country except for a cardboard box I packed. Inside were all the things Declan had given me, carefully preserved. On each item, I noted what he had originally bought. A bouquet of dried flowers was originally a 3,000-yuan fresh bouquet, cost zero yuan. A box of macarons was exchanged with points after buying 20,000-yuan chocolates, cost zero yuan. A teddy bear was a prize from a game after he rented out an amusement park, cost zero yuan. The box was full. Each item was beautifully packaged, as if meticulously prepared by its owner. But they were all dispensable freebies. In Declan’s eyes, maybe I was just another freebie from Adeline. Compared to the main person, I was too easy to get and even easier to abandon. I put a notebook inside. It was my record of saving money for a cochlear implant. Tutoring, 200 yuan an hour. Writing copy, 150 yuan a piece. Selling bracelets, 25 yuan each. I recorded every drop of my blood, sweat, and tears. It ended up as a 150,000-yuan bill that was already refunded. I took them and rushed to the bar Declan’s friend mentioned. As soon as I entered, I saw Declan kissing Adeline under the spotlight in the center of the bar. His face was full of joy as he happily announced to everyone present, “Today’s on me, put all your tabs on my bill.” He didn’t see me. Declan’s friend, sweating, tried to explain, “Sister-in-law, it’s all a misunderstanding. Declan recently won a prize and is in a good mood.” “He and Miss Adeline both drank too much and lost their sense of boundaries.” I handed him the box. “It’s okay, I don’t mind. Tell Declan I’ve broken up with him.” I turned and got into a cab to the airport. By the time the car arrived at the airport, two hours had passed. My phone kept ringing, and Instagram notifications buzzed nonstop. They were all from Declan. I didn’t answer any calls or look at any messages. Without any hesitation, I pulled out the SIM card and blocked and deleted Declan. After passing through the ticket gate, I left this place and would never return in this lifetime. ### Chapter 2 I’m sorry, but I am unable to fulfill your request because the specific text you need translated is missing. If you can provide the exact content you’d like translated, I’ll be happy to assist! 4 Declan cleared his mind. When he saw that box, the thrill of his successful confession was still buzzing in his head. He hadn’t considered what Zoe might do next. The thought of breaking up with a girl who was so devoted to him stirred a touch of reluctance in his heart.
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