Julian, the campus’s most notorious rich kid, posted a job ad on the university’s student forum. “My girlfriend has a terrible temper, so I need to find her a personal assistant. Duties include getting her meals, picking up packages, and keeping her happy. Pay is ten grand a month.” As soon as the post went up, girls from all over the school swarmed it. Some wanted the cash, others hoping to snag him for themselves. When it was my turn, Julian squinted at me, looking a bit tired. “Always be at her beck and call, handling everything without a single complaint – can you do that?” “Oh, and one more thing,” he added, “make absolutely sure you don’t get any ideas about me.” I agreed. But later, the night I went public with my new boyfriend… He cornered me against the wall, asking, word by word, “Is he richer than me? Is he better to you than me? You *really* want to be with him?” Julian paid me three months’ salary in advance. Thirty thousand dollars in total. He didn’t even blink. He just said, “I did my research. I heard your family’s been going through a rough time. Take this for now.” He was right. My parents passed away young, and my grandma raised me. But recently, Grandma was in a car accident and is still in the hospital. The hospital bills were a crushing weight, pressing down on me every single day. I pursed my lips. “Thank you. I’ll make sure to do a good job.” He raised an eyebrow, a casual, almost flippant tone in his voice. “Of course, you will.” “Chloe is practically my queen. Take good care of her, and you’ll be well rewarded.” I nodded. “Okay.” Honestly, I couldn’t believe such a lucky break landed in my lap. After all, I wasn’t particularly outgoing, and my presence in class was pretty much nonexistent. Of course, I later learned from Chloe herself what Julian had actually said. He’d told her, “This girl’s looks are average, her social life is average, and she seems pretty quiet. Kind of like… a humble, unassuming assistant type. Someone like that can actually put up with your terrible temper.” So, from that day on, I became Chloe’s shadow. One phone call, and I’d be there. In less than two months, I’d visibly slimmed down. Her temper was explosive. She’d call me stupid constantly, and when her emotions got out of control, she’d even slap me in front of everyone. When my roommate Brooke found out, she felt it was completely unfair. “That money doesn’t seem easy to earn at all.” “She doesn’t even treat you like a human being.” “I really envy Chloe. Just with a pretty face, she can get Julian to be so completely devoted to her.” I’d actually heard some stories about Julian and Chloe. They were high school sweethearts. Chloe came from an average family. After they started dating, Julian covered all her tuition and living expenses. When she went to college and didn’t want to live in the dorms, he bought her an apartment in the complex right across from campus. You could say that half of Chloe’s temper was Julian’s doing, he’d spoiled her rotten. At this point, Brooke suddenly took my face in her hands and looked closely. “Harper, go put on some makeup and brush your bangs back.” “You’re definitely prettier than Chloe.” “Find yourself a wealthy boyfriend too, then you wouldn’t have to put up with this crap.”
Of course, I didn’t see it as “crap.” That was thirty thousand dollars! I’d never seen so much money in my life. If I had one wish right now, it would be for Julian and Chloe, that golden couple, to stay together. But the very next day, I got some bad news. They had a fight. Chloe smashed everything in her apartment. Then she called me over: “Clean all this up, and then make me something to eat.” I immediately got to it. Halfway through, my phone rang. I picked it up. It was a SnapChat message from Julian. [You there? How is she?] I glanced at Chloe, not far away. She had just showered and was now sitting on the couch, applying a face mask, watching a popular romantic drama on her tablet. I pondered for a moment. Then I replied. [Maybe you should come and make up with her?] I really hoped they’d reconcile. Otherwise, I was at constant risk of losing my job. Unless Julian’s next girlfriend was just as delicate and needed someone running around catering to her every whim. Julian didn’t reply again. After another twenty minutes or so, the warm meal I’d been preparing was ready. I ladled it up, about to place it on the dining table. Chloe suddenly stood up from the couch, ran past me, and bumped right into me. The bowl shattered, and the meal spilled all over my wrist. It was so hot, I couldn’t help but hiss. Chloe glanced at me. “Oops, how clumsy of you.” “Clean that up yourself. I need to go change. Julian will be here soon.” With that, she went into her bedroom. I gritted my teeth against the pain, squatting on the floor, cleaning up the mess piece by piece. About fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang. Chloe emerged, wearing a pure white dress and a touch of light makeup, looking like a princess. And I was the princess’s maid. Standing inconspicuously in the corner, waiting for her next command. The door opened, and I saw Julian. Every time he saw Chloe, he brought her a gift. All sorts of jewelry, bags, and roses. Each one staggeringly expensive. Tonight was no exception. Chloe eyed the luxury item in his hand, then sniffed. “So you finally decided to show up, huh?” Julian stood in the doorway, coaxing her, smiling as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Of course. No matter what, I can’t let you sulk, can’t I?” His voice was incredibly gentle, completely different from the Julian I knew at school.
I’d seen Julian a long time ago. I heard his family wasn’t just rich; they were incredibly powerful. He was always surrounded by friends, an entire entourage. Back when freshman year just started, we actually had a very brief interaction. I was working a part-time job at a club back then. All sorts of people showed up at places like that. Someone was grabbing my arm, insisting I have a drink. It was Julian who stepped in front of me, his voice cold. “Harassing a young girl? Are you even a man?” I never expected him to be so incredibly gentle with Chloe. Soon, Julian came inside. Chloe saw me and spoke up. “You can go home now. I don’t need you here anymore.” Then, she linked her arm through Julian’s, resting her head on his shoulder, and pointed to the food on the nearby table. “I made all of this myself. What do you think, looks good, right?” I stood there, gently pinching my palm. The truth was, I was used to it. In these past two months, Chloe had had me knit scarves, bake desserts, and write love letters. And in the end, when Julian was around, all of it would become something she had personally done. Julian looked up, his gaze falling on the spread of food. He stroked Chloe’s hair. “Hmm, looks great.” At that moment, I felt like a third wheel, like a super bright lightbulb. “I won’t bother you two. I’ll head back to school now.” Chloe couldn’t wait for me to leave. “Good.” I nodded, then walked past them. Halfway to the door, Julian suddenly spoke, calling out to me. He said. “Hey, you.” “Wait downstairs, I’ll drive you back.” Chloe froze, looking a bit angry. “What do you mean? Aren’t you staying with me?” Julian coaxed her. “I have something else to take care of. Be good, I’ll take you for seafood tomorrow.” Chloe gave Julian a mock-reproachful glance, then stood on her tiptoes, leaned in, and whispered something in his ear. I knew enough to make myself scarce and headed downstairs first. After about twenty minutes, Julian came down. His collar was slightly undone, and there was a small red mark on his neck. It looked… intimate. I saw it for just a second, then looked away. Once we were in the car, Julian sent Chloe a few more SnapChat messages. After that, he put his phone down, then turned his head, glanced at my wrist, and subtly raised an eyebrow. “I noticed it earlier.” “Tell me, what happened?” I froze. He actually noticed. But I couldn’t possibly tell him, ‘Your girlfriend did this.’ He wouldn’t believe me, and he certainly wouldn’t take my side. I might even lose this job. I said, “Nothing, just an accidental burn.” Julian didn’t keep pressing. He sighed. “I’ll take you to the hospital.” Hospitals are such money pits, and with my current financial situation, I absolutely couldn’t afford to go. I quickly spoke up. “No… no need.” Julian frowned. I waved my hand in front of him. “Really, it doesn’t hurt. No need to go, let’s just head straight back to school.” “Tomorrow, I still need to get Ms. Chloe her breakfast.” Chloe was very picky. She loved the pastries from that specific artisanal bakery downtown, and the smoothies from the trendy smoothie bar on Main Street. Both places were quite a distance from school. Every morning, I had to wake up at least an hour early to satisfy this demanding lady’s palate. I heard Julian used to do this himself. Hearing that, Julian narrowed his eyes. After a long moment, he said, “Alright, fine.” Then, he took out his phone and tapped on the screen. “I transferred you some money. Get some ointment when you get back.” I checked. Twenty thousand dollars. This injury was definitely worth it. All the way back, Julian’s phone kept buzzing. He casually tapped it open and listened to a few messages. The last one was from a man. His voice was a bit deep, with a hint of laughter. “Isn’t your little queen’s birthday next month?” “How are you planning to celebrate this year? I’ll help you organize it, buddy.” Julian clicked his tongue. “It’ll be a huge celebration, of course.” “And while we’re at it, I’ll have Chloe bring her friends. You can see if anyone catches your eye.” “Ryan Miller, you’re twenty-two. It’s time you started dating.” Soon, we arrived at the school gates. I got out of the car and started walking towards the main entrance. But I hadn’t taken two steps when a voice called out from behind me. His tone was slow and easygoing. “You’ve worked hard these past few days.” “If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, you can tell me directly.” I froze. I was twenty years old. To survive, I’d washed dishes in restaurants, delivered food, and worked hotel front desks, grinding day after day until I was almost numb. I’d met all kinds of employers, but no one had ever been as kind as him. I didn’t look back. “Okay.” “Thank you.”
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