When we were picking out our wedding jewelry, my fiancé Liam bought his widowed step-sister a pair of one-gram gold earrings. I turned around and called off the wedding right then and there. Liam was stunned, then furiously demanded: “I bought *you* a hundred grams of gold jewelry, what more do you want?” “Just because I bought my sister a pair of earrings, you’re going to throw away our three years together?” “Yes, exactly because of that.” We had just finished picking out the gold jewelry. I turned around and saw Liam Davies intently trying on a pair of gold earrings for his step-sister, Chloe Miller. As his fingers brushed her earlobe, Chloe blushed, her gaze dropping quickly. “Chloe, these earrings really suit you.” Liam gently caressed her earlobe, his eyes brimming with a tenderness so profound it almost made my stomach churn. My heart sank, bit by bit. Chloe was the daughter Liam’s stepmother brought into the marriage; they weren’t blood-related. Today, she had applied exquisite makeup. With the earrings, she looked particularly delicate and captivating. Standing so intimately, they made me feel like the outsider. Just then, Liam’s parents arrived. Eleanor Davies swept in, her eyes immediately finding Chloe, completely bypassing me as if I were invisible: “Chloe, those earrings are lovely on you! Have your brother buy you a matching gold bangle too.” Liam put an arm around Chloe’s shoulder. “Mom, you’re here just in time.” “I want to transfer the house we live in to Chloe and Leo. It’s not a long-term solution for them to keep renting.” The gold bangle in my hand clattered against the glass counter. That house? The two-million-dollar down payment came from *my* savings! When we first bought it, Liam said it was for *our* future. Now, he was actually going to give it to Chloe? “Thank you, Liam, you’re so good to me!” Chloe giggled and kissed Liam on the cheek. Liam’s parents didn’t seem to find anything amiss; they had clearly known about this for a while. “That’s a wonderful idea!” Eleanor nodded repeatedly. As if sensing my bad mood, she turned to me and lectured: “Ava, don’t be upset. Once you marry into our Davies family, you’ll be Chloe’s sister-in-law, and you’ll need to look after her. It’s just a house, she’s had a rough time.” My chest tightened, I almost burst out laughing. Why should I take care of a stranger I have no blood relation to? She’s not a toddler! Watching them continue to ignore me, my heart turned completely cold. If he wants to take care of his step-sister so badly, then he can go right ahead. Forget it, I’m done. I turned and walked into the jewelry store’s restroom, calling my dad. “Dad, Liam and I are over.” My father’s voice on the other end held surprise: “What happened? Weren’t you going to buy wedding jewelry today?” I took a deep breath. “We finished buying them.” “He also bought Chloe gold earrings, and he wants to give her *our* house.” Dad was silent for a few seconds, then his tone grew serious: “He bullied you? Haven’t you two been together for three years?” Three years. We met and fell in love after college graduation. I thought I knew him well enough. I said calmly. “Dad, I’ve decided to cancel the wedding.” “Please tell the family. And don’t help him with his company’s messy affairs anymore.” Walking out of the restroom, Liam was waiting impatiently at the door: “What took you so long? Chloe already picked hers out, we’re just waiting for you.” I looked at the several exquisite gift boxes in his hand, undoubtedly all for Chloe. “Let’s go.” I said flatly, not wanting to argue in the jewelry store. In the car, a dead silence spread. Normally talkative, I didn’t want to say a single word. Liam finally sensed something was off, his brow furrowed: “Ava Sterling, what’s with the attitude? Wasn’t it *you* who wanted to come buy gold jewelry today?” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him in the car, just stared silently out the window. The car stopped in front of our apartment building, and Liam irritably lit a cigarette. The smoke made me cough, but he acted as if he didn’t notice. 2. He suddenly spoke. “Your face has been sour ever since I bought Chloe those earrings!” “It was just a tiny pair of gold earrings, only one gram! I bought *you* a hundred grams! You’re still fussing over this?” I turned my head, looking him straight in the eyes: “Liam Davies, we’re breaking up. The wedding is off.” “What?!” He grabbed my wrist abruptly. “What are you talking about? Just because I bought Chloe a pair of earrings?” I shook off his hand. “More than that.” “It’s because your whole family treats me like an idiot.” Liam’s face changed drastically, and he slammed a fist on the steering wheel: “Ava! I worked all day, and then I had to accompany you to buy wedding jewelry. I’m exhausted! Haven’t I been good enough to you? A hundred grams of gold jewelry isn’t enough for you?” I found it laughable. In his eyes, accompanying me to buy jewelry was a favor. Buying me enough gold jewelry was a monumental act of kindness. I’d known for a long time that he had a widowed step-sister. Three years ago, when Chloe’s husband passed away, her child was only one year old. I sympathized with her and had even gone with Liam to help out. But somewhere along the way, things changed. One call from Chloe, and Liam would drop me during a date. On my birthday, Liam always had to prepare gifts for Chloe and her son too. Most of his free time was spent helping Chloe with her child. I pushed open our apartment door: “Liam, this was never about the quantity of gold jewelry.” “You want to give the house to Chloe? Fine. But the two-million-dollar down payment, adjusted for current property value increases, means you owe me three million.” Liam looked like he’d heard the funniest joke in the world: “Ava, we’re about to get married! What’s mine is yours, right?” I scoffed. “We’ve broken up. What wedding are you talking about?” His face darkened: “Why are you so petty? Just because you’re afraid I’ll give the house to Chloe? It’s *my* house, I can give it to anyone I want!” “Ha…” I couldn’t help but burst out laughing, laughing at his contradiction. Just moments ago he said what was his was mine, and now he was saying he could give it to anyone he pleased. “Three million. Not a penny less. Otherwise, you won’t be giving that house to anyone.” “Are you crazy?!” He was incredulous. I knew three million was almost all the liquid capital his company currently had access to. “The house is under your name, but the down payment was transferred directly from my account. I have the transfer records and chat logs proving the intent was for our marital home.” “Legally, I have a claim to this house.” Liam sighed heavily, his gaze falling to my abdomen, his tone softening: “I understand. Between wedding planning and being pregnant, you’re probably just emotional. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you said today.” I froze for a moment. I wasn’t pregnant! Then I remembered the baby supplies package I helped my best friend Maya receive last week. He must have misunderstood. My heart grew even colder. He thought I was pregnant, yet he still hadn’t suggested getting our marriage license? Thinking of this, I actually laughed in anger. Perhaps seeing the smile on my face, Liam let out a long breath and walked into the bathroom. I watched his retreating figure coldly. He probably thought I’d conceded. He even whistled a little tune as he closed the door, feigning ease. The sound of the shower filling the bathroom, but my heart chilled inch by inch. Liam’s specialty was this kind of emotional manipulation. He’d offer a couple of flimsy apologies, then walk away, leaving me to stew in my own emotions. He’d used this tactic for three whole years. I didn’t wait for him to finish showering. I quickly packed a few essentials. Dragging my suitcase, I left that so-called home without looking back. 3. The bed at the five-star hotel was soft, but I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. At 2 AM, my phone suddenly lit up, Liam’s name flashing on the screen. “Ava! Are you done with this charade?” His low growl, filled with suppressed anger, came from the other end. “Pulling a disappearing act in the middle of the night?” I said calmly. “We broke up.” “Now, please transfer three million dollars to my account as soon as possible.” He gritted his teeth on the other end of the line. “Is money all you care about?” “Our three years together, is that all it’s worth—three million?” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him, saying, “Think whatever you want!” Then I hung up. Outside the window, the city lights still twinkled, making my eyes sting. Three years of my youth, it seemed, had only amounted to this absurd farce. Early the next morning, my phone’s ringtone suddenly blared. The screen displayed “Davies Family Landline.” I took a deep breath before hitting the answer button. Eleanor Davies’s shrill voice immediately pierced my eardrums: “Ava! Liam says you ran away from home last night? Do you have any manners?” Before I could even speak, Arthur Davies’s angry roar took over: “No upbringing! I always said you weren’t good enough for my son! Yesterday at the jewelry store, you were pouting, didn’t even greet your elders! If it weren’t for your pregnancy, I wouldn’t have let you through our door!” I coldly interrupted him. “Mr. Davies.” “Your son uses my money to buy a house, then tries to give it to your step-daughter. Is *that* your family’s upbringing?” The other end of the line fell silent for a few seconds. Eleanor spoke again, her voice clearly flustered. “What are you talking about!” “That house clearly belongs to Liam!” “The two-million-dollar down payment was transferred from my bank account on March 15th last year. Do you need me to forward the transfer records to the family group chat?” Arthur’s voice trembled with rage. “You!” “There was no loan agreement for that money, you can forget about getting it back!” I chuckled softly: “Mr. Davies, you might not know this, but the purchase agreement clearly states ‘joint investment’.” “Furthermore, my chat logs with Liam are full of evidence that he promised this house would be our marital home.” Eleanor suddenly switched to a crying tone. “Ava!” “You can’t do this! Chloe has it so hard with her child, and that house is close to Leo’s kindergarten. What’s wrong with giving it to her?” I cut off her attempt at emotional blackmail. “That’s *my* house.” “Either transfer three million dollars to my account today, or we’ll see each other in court.” The next morning, I strode into the office building in my heels, only to run into the last people I wanted to see at the elevator. Liam stood there, impeccably dressed in a suit, with a carefully made-up Chloe by his side. Today, she wore a white dress that made her appear fragile and innocent. “Good morning, Ava.” Chloe’s sickly sweet voice made my stomach churn. I pressed the elevator button expressionlessly, not even bothering to glance at them. “Ava.” Liam suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with suppressed anger. “Do you really have to be like this?” Chloe’s eyes immediately reddened, and she tugged at Liam’s sleeve: “Liam, please don’t. It’s all my fault.” The elevator arrived. I lifted my foot to step inside, but Chloe suddenly held out a thermos. “Ava, I specially made you some red date porridge. You’re pregnant lately, you need to replenish your energy.” I scoffed. Just as I was about to refuse, Liam snatched the thermos from her hand: “Chloe, don’t waste your efforts on someone like *this*!” 4. At noon, I was resting my eyes at my desk when I suddenly heard Ashley, the receptionist’s voice: “Miss Miller, are you here to bring Ava another special lunch?” I abruptly opened my eyes and saw Chloe walking towards me, carrying an exquisite thermos and smiling sweetly. Today, she was once again dressed to appear delicate and innocent. My colleagues immediately gathered around, chattering and teasing: “Ava, your sister is so good to you, bringing you lunch every single day without fail!” “Seriously, her cooking looks amazing.” Chloe’s cheeks flushed from the compliments, and she gently walked to my desk, placing the thermos down: “Ava, I made you pigeon soup today, with some herbs to boost your energy. You must be exhausted with all the wedding preparations.” I looked at her carefully drawn eyeliner and pink lips, feeling a surge of nausea. She knew perfectly well I’d called off the engagement yesterday, yet here she was, putting on this show of sisterly affection for my colleagues. It was truly sickeningly hypocritical. “I have a lunch meeting with a client today. Don’t bother.” I pushed the thermos away, my voice cold. Chloe’s smile stiffened, then her eyes immediately reddened, and her voice took on a sobbing tone: “Ava, are you still mad at me?” “I know you were upset yesterday when Liam said he wanted to give me the house.” Her voice grew softer and softer, tears falling like broken pearls: “Liam just saw how hard it was for me raising Leo alone. He was just trying to be kind.” “If you’re still unhappy, I’ll tell Liam I don’t want the house. Won’t that be enough?” My colleagues immediately looked surprised, and their gazes at me became somewhat strange. “Ava, it’s just a house. You’re all family, why hold a grudge?” “She’s raising a child alone, it’s not easy for her. Just let it go.” I watched Chloe playing the victim in front of everyone, sneering inwardly. Her tactic of feigned retreat to gain an advantage was truly impressive. She and Liam had clearly conspired to take my house, but now she was painting herself as an innocent, pitiful scapegoat. I stood up, looking her directly in the eyes. “Chloe, I already broke up with Liam yesterday.” “But that house is *my* house. It’s not some charity fund for others!” Chloe looked stunned by my words, her tears flowing even faster: “Ava, that house was Liam’s to begin with. Why do you insist on claiming it for yourself?” I saw the fleeting look of triumph in Chloe’s eyes and felt a chill. She not only wanted to steal my house but also ruin my reputation. Just then, the office door was suddenly pushed open. Liam walked in, his face grim, and immediately saw Chloe, her face streaked with tears. Behind him was Mr. Davies, our department manager. Liam immediately yelled, pulling Chloe protectively behind him. “Ava!” “Chloe brought you lunch out of kindness, why are you bullying her?” He turned to Mr. Davies, his tone arrogant: “Mr. Davies, is this the caliber of your company’s employees?” “Without even basic compassion for the vulnerable, I don’t see the need for our continued cooperation.” Mr. Davies glanced at me, then at Liam. All my colleagues held their breath, waiting to see me fired. Chloe, hidden behind Liam, secretly shot me a triumphant smile. I looked at the absurd scene before me, but had no intention of speaking. Mr. Davies, however, suddenly laughed: “Mr. Davies, you’re joking.” He walked to my side, his tone respectful: “Mr. Davies, let me introduce you. This is Ava Sterling, our CEO’s daughter, who’s currently gaining experience here.” “The CEO’s daughter?” Liam’s voice suddenly rose, all the color draining from his face. He stared intently at Mr. Davies, as if he’d heard an impossible tale.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “299039”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #玄幻Fantasy #重生Reborn
Leave a Reply