My Boyfriend’s a Jerk? I’m Marrying a Billionaire!

男友是个渣男？我转身嫁给亿万富翁！ My Boyfriend’s a Jerk? I’m Marrying a Billionaire! **Chapter 1** After seven years of secretly dating my best friend’s brother, news of his engagement to a powerful heiress spread like wildfire. But the bride wasn’t me. I rushed to Julian Collins’s private room, my hand reaching for the door, when his friend’s voice spilled out. “Jules, you finally got what you wanted. Your first love is back, and your families even sealed the deal with a business alliance marriage. This must be the happiest day of your life, right? That stand-in girlfriend of yours should be ditched. You’re ruthless, using even your own sister’s best friend as a replacement.” My body froze, as if doused in ice water, head to toe. Through the door, I couldn’t see his face, but I could hear the casual indifference in his voice. “Just wait. The girl is too in love with me; she can’t leave. If I tell her the truth now, she’ll probably cry herself to death. I’ll break it to her later.” We’d been together secretly for seven years. He spoiled me rotten, but he always refused to make our relationship public. At first, he’d smiled and said, “Rory, just wait. If Mia knew I ‘stole’ her best friend, she’d kill me.” Later, after I graduated college and became his assistant, he said, “Rory, just wait. Office romances always end messy, and I didn’t want you to deal with all the gossip.” I believed every excuse he gave, playing the role of his secret girlfriend for years, unseen, unheard. But now, I’d heard it with my own ears. The real reason he didn’t want to go public had nothing to do with any of that. It was simply because he’d never loved me. It was because, from the very beginning, he’d only seen me as a stand-in! Seeing the people inside about to come out, I stumbled back, desperately scrambling to get away. I ran all the way back to the villa, straight to Julian Collins’s private study. It was a room he’d never allowed me near, no matter how much I pleaded or how curious I was. Now, I flung the door open. On the desk lay dozens of photo albums. I walked over, picked one up, and flipped through it. They were all photos of the same woman. She looked about 70-80% like me, but it wasn’t me. I figured she was his long-lost love, the Alice Corporation heiress he was about to marry. In the drawer, there was a thick stack of flight tickets—thousands of them. Flipping through the dates, I realized that in the seven years Julian and I had been together, he’d flown abroad almost every week. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who he was going to see. The room he forbade me from entering was filled with his love for another woman. My eyes burned, brimming with tears. After a long moment, I let out a self-deprecating laugh. Laughing at how foolish I was, how stupid, and how utterly ridiculous! All seven years of love had been nothing but a cruel deception. Just then, my phone suddenly rang. It was my dad. “Aurora, how are you coming along with that arranged marriage? You’ve been away since college, never coming back. Your dad knows you have a boyfriend over there, but after all these years, has he ever come back with you to meet me? The man I picked for you is one in a million…” He rambled on, trying to convince me as usual. But this time, before he could even finish, I choked back my tears and cut him off. “Dad, I’m sorry. I’m willing to go through with the marriage.” My sudden agreement stunned him. Mr. Evans was silent for a long moment before realizing I’d finally given in. “Are you… are you serious?” “Yes, I am. And this time, I’m staying back East for good. I won’t leave again.” My dad exclaimed “Good!” several times, delighted, then gave a few more instructions before hanging up. I carefully put everything I’d disturbed back in place and quietly left the room. As I reached the living room, the front door suddenly opened, revealing the face I’d loved for seven years. Julian saw my swollen eyes. He quickly offered me a jewelry box, his voice soft and soothing. “I knew you’d cry. You saw the engagement news, didn’t you?” “The engagement is fake, just for a business deal. We’re putting on an act for a while. I’m not really marrying Seraphina.” His gentle eyes met mine, but I didn’t hear a single word he said. I already knew the truth. So, of course, I knew he was lying. I casually placed the gift on a nearby table and calmly nodded. “Okay.” Whether his engagement was fake, I didn’t know. But my upcoming marriage? That was very, very real. **Chapter 2** Julian had prepared himself for a long session of coaxing, but he never expected me to be so calm. A flicker of unease crossed his face. “Rory, you’re not mad?” “You said it’s fake, so why would I be mad?” Hearing me say that, the heavy weight in his chest lifted. He instinctively pulled me into his arms, his hand sliding possessively to my waist. But as his fingers traced upward under my shirt, I grabbed his hand. He froze, his question unasked, as I pulled free from his embrace. “I’m not feeling great tonight. Let’s just skip it.” “Period cramps?” Julian didn’t push it. He just rubbed my lower back and held me all night. The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed. I didn’t dwell on it. After showering, I took a taxi to the office, heading straight to HR. I picked up a resignation letter, then slipped it into a pile of documents that needed signing before heading upstairs to the CEO’s office. But the scene before me made me freeze. Julian, the man who always seemed so untouchable, was kneeling on the floor, gently massaging the woman’s feet. He’d taken off her heels and placed them aside, then softly picked up a pair of flats and helped her put them on. “You must be tired from those heels. You don’t need to be perfect around me; I just want you to be comfortable.” Hearing my entrance, both of them turned to look. They saw me, frozen in the doorway. Julian’s face instantly changed, but he quickly regained his composure. He hadn’t even spoken yet when Seraphina, beside him, frowned and said, “Jules, your assistant is so rude. She just walks in without knocking?” My mouth opened, words of explanation ready, but nothing came out. How could I explain? How could I say that was once a privilege Julian had given me? But now that he had a fiancée, how could I even mention such a thing? I turned to Julian. His eyes darted away. He cleared his throat, his tone suddenly all business. “What are you doing here?” “Mr. Collins, there are a few documents that need your signature.” After a moment of silence, I handed him all the documents. I watched as he took them, skimming each page, signing his name with swift, practiced strokes. As he reached the last page, I couldn’t help but press my lips together. It was my resignation. “Ah!” Just as I worried whether he would agree to sign, a sudden gasp erupted. I looked towards the sound to see Seraphina’s teacup overturned, scalding hot water spilling onto my hand. It stung so badly my eyes welled up with tears; I must have looked so pathetic. Julian panicked instantly. He didn’t even glance at the documents, just scribbled his signature on the last page. Then he scooped Seraphina into his arms and practically ran out of the office. Watching their figures disappear behind the door, my heart felt incredibly complex. I didn’t know whether to be sad that he cared so much about Seraphina that a small injury made him lose all reason, signing documents without even looking. Or if I should be grateful that Seraphina got hurt at just the right moment, prompting Julian to sign my resignation so decisively. I gathered the signed documents, then, holding my resignation form, I went back to HR. “Since Mr. Collins has approved it, you can leave after the one-month process is complete.” I nodded. As I returned to the assistant’s office, my phone buzzed repeatedly with new messages. It was from the colleagues who had gone to the hospital with Julian, chatting in the SnapChat group. “Mr. Collins is so good to Miss Seraphina! Just a scalded hand, and he booked her a whole private floor at the hospital!” “Right? Right? Miss Seraphina said she wanted something to eat, and no matter how far, he immediately sent someone to get it!” “Did you see the way Mr. Collins looked at Miss Seraphina? I’ve never seen him look at anyone with such tenderness! It looks like the Collins Group is about to get a new First Lady!” … Reading the messages, I let out a self-deprecating chuckle. Julian truly loved Seraphina. He loved her so much that when Seraphina went abroad to pursue her dreams, he flew out to see her every month, and it still wasn’t enough. He even found me to be her stand-in, to ease his longing. Now that Seraphina was back, he immediately got engaged to her, giving her the public acknowledgment I’d waited seven years for. A bitter ache spread through my chest. I shut off my phone, not wanting to see anymore. **Chapter 3** After working for a while at my desk, it was lunchtime. Just as I was about to head downstairs, my dad called again. “Aurora, since you’ve agreed to the marriage, when are you coming home? I need to arrange the wedding.” “In a month. My resignation process takes a month.” Thinking of the resignation I’d just handed in, I answered honestly. I heard my dad say “Good” before hanging up. Seeing this, my other colleagues in the office crowded around, a flurry of questions and comments. Their voices were filled with unconcealed surprise. “Aurora, you’re leaving? Why?” I paused, then didn’t hide anything. “I’m going home to get married.” “So sudden?” “To whom? I never heard you had a boyfriend.” “Your hometown is back East, right? Once you leave, who knows when we’ll see each other again. Let’s have dinner after work, a farewell party for you!” I smiled at their chatter and didn’t refuse. After dinner with my colleagues that evening, I was about to hail a taxi when a Maybach suddenly pulled up beside me. The window slowly rolled down, revealing Julian’s face. “Get in.” He was blunt, but I didn’t obediently get into the car as he expected. Instead, I started walking down the street, as if I hadn’t seen him, trying to hail another cab. Julian’s expression tightened. He quickly started the car and followed me, which caused most taxis to deliberately ignore me. After the third taxi was squeezed out, I finally stopped, exasperated. I opened his car door and got in, met with his somewhat helpless face. “Rory, I already explained, didn’t I? Seraphina and I are just putting on an act. Why are you mad again?” “I’m not mad.” I stared straight ahead, my voice completely calm. But he refused to believe me. “If you’re not mad, why didn’t you get in the car earlier?” I paused, then a faint, mocking smile touched my lips. “Didn’t you say yourself that our relationship had to be a secret? My colleagues are around. If they saw us, how would it stay a secret?” Julian didn’t get angry at the biting sarcasm in my voice. Instead, a faint smile played on his lips. He pinched my cheek. “Still saying you’re not mad? You clearly care. Seraphina and I truly have nothing going on; it’s all just an act. I’m not actually marrying her. Don’t keep giving me the cold shoulder. Once all this is over, I’ll declare that you’re the one I truly love, in front of everyone, okay?” He expected my emotional tears, but instead, I just stared at him directly. After a long moment, I finally spoke. “Really?” My stare made him flinch. He unconsciously shifted his gaze and didn’t answer. I just thought, *Figures.* Even if he had answered, we both knew those words would be nothing but a lie to string me along. Julian not marrying Seraphina was a lie. Julian going public with me was also a lie. But it was fine. I had already decided to leave, so at this moment, I wasn’t so heartbroken. The next day, as I arrived at work, I suddenly received a SnapChat message from Julian, telling me to go to a bridal boutique. Julian was my boss, so I couldn’t refuse. I called a taxi and headed over. As I reached the entrance, I immediately spotted Julian’s unmistakable Maybach. I walked straight towards it without stopping. The car window was down, revealing two people passionately kissing inside. Hearing my approach, Seraphina, blushing fiercely, pushed him away. “Stop it, someone’s coming…” The moment he looked up and saw me, Julian’s expression froze. Seraphina had specifically used his phone to call an assistant to help her try on wedding dresses today. She just hadn’t expected the assistant she called to be me. He leaned in, whispering to soothe Seraphina. “Let’s get someone else. She’s young and clumsy; she won’t take good care of you.” Seraphina’s smirk played on her lips as she looked at me. “No, I think she’s perfectly fine. You let me use your phone to call an assistant. I thought anyone could be called. What, is she an exception?” Julian still couldn’t refuse Seraphina. Or rather, he never outright refused her demands. Even when she deliberately humiliated and tormented me throughout the wedding dress fitting, he just sat there watching, never saying a word to stop her. For example, Seraphina forced me to kneel for half an hour, helping her try on wedding shoes. For example, Seraphina made me run errands for food again and again, from one end of the city to the other. And for example, Seraphina made me hold up every wedding dress she tried on, until my arms trembled, without letting me put them down. Julian looked at my flustered and humiliated state. A flicker of something—discomfort? guilt?—crossed his face. Seraphina, noticing his expression, pouted playfully and looked at him. “Jules, do you think I’m being too hard on her?” He finally hardened his expression. When he looked at Seraphina, his eyes were full of tenderness. “No, darling. Isn’t that what assistants are for?” **Chapter 4** After coaxing Seraphina for a while longer, Julian’s phone suddenly rang. He stood up, pointed at his phone, indicating he needed to take a call, then turned and left. As soon as he was out of earshot, Seraphina’s gaze shifted to me in the full-length mirror, still holding up a wedding dress behind her. A mocking smile played on her lips. “Yesterday, when I saw you, I was curious why you looked so much like me. Now I know. You’re my stand-in, aren’t you? But I’d advise you to drop any foolish notions. After all, Jules and I are getting married.” My voice was calm; I didn’t even lift my head. “Don’t worry. I won’t fight you for him.” Seraphina let out a dismissive snort, clearly not believing me. She was about to speak when a sales associate approached. “Miss Seraphina, the wedding dress and shoes have been selected. Only the matching jewelry is left. Would you like to choose it now?” She nodded, but after a cursory glance at the jewelry laid out by the associate, Seraphina remained unsatisfied and asked for new options. She looked through everything, but still nothing caught her eye. Just as the staff looked flustered, her gaze shifted and landed on the necklace around my neck. Her eyes lit up. Her voice turned imperious, brooking no argument. “I like yours. How much? Sell it to me.” I froze, my hand instinctively went to the silver, diamond-studded planet necklace around my neck. My face instantly hardened. “I won’t sell it.” “I said I like it, so it has to be mine.” As if my refusal was unexpected, Seraphina’s face stiffened for a moment. She reached out and tried to yank it off me. I was completely caught off guard. Seraphina yanked the necklace from my neck. I ignored the sharp sting from my neck. As I reached out to try and snatch the necklace back, it, unable to withstand the tug-of-war, snapped. The planet pendant clattered to the floor, shattering into a million pieces. My mind went completely blank. My hand shot out, connecting with her face in a resounding slap. A bright red handprint instantly appeared on Seraphina’s face. She touched her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You dare hit me?!” Julian walked in on this exact scene. His expression changed instantly. He quickly strode forward and shoved me away. “Aurora, what the hell?!” I couldn’t react fast enough. He shoved me, and I fell, my forehead cracking against the corner of a table. A sharp crack. Excruciating pain exploded in my head. I touched my forehead, and my fingers came away sticky, crimson red. I looked up at Julian, my breath ragged. But the man who’d just made me bleed was now anxiously cradling another woman, listening intently to her tearful accusations. “I just thought Miss Assistant’s necklace was pretty and wanted to buy it, but I accidentally broke it, and then she hit me…” Following Seraphina’s pointing finger, Julian also saw the shattered necklace. His expression froze for a moment, but then he looked at me, his eyes carrying a hint of impatience. “It’s just a trinket, what’s the big deal? Did you really have to hit her?” His accusation was the final blow that shattered me, making my eyes well up instantly. I didn’t answer. I just quietly moved to where the necklace lay shattered and began picking up the pieces, one by one. *A trinket?* He knew. He knew it was my mother’s last gift! I remembered the winter we first started dating. I’d accidentally lost the necklace in the snow. He’d trudged through the snow, flashlight beam cutting through the darkness, searching for it all night. The next day, he was burning up with a fever, all because of the cold. My heart ached as I hugged him, crying for a long time. Yet, he, the one who was sick, was the one comforting me. “I can’t stand to see you cry. Never mind one day, I’d search for three days, ten days, just to find it for you. Don’t cry. Just wear it carefully from now on and don’t lose it again.” But now, my necklace was broken, and he said it was just a trinket. Julian, if you never loved me, why did you ever bother with me? Julian left, carrying Seraphina. I was left alone, crouching on the floor, my eyes red, picking up every single fragment before stumbling out. The next few days, I took some time off and got a few stitches at the hospital. Julian didn’t come home during those days. The day my wound healed, my best friend, Mia, called me. “Rory, I saw a pair of earrings in Paris that I thought would be perfect for you. I’m back in town today. Why don’t you come over to my place for dinner, and I’ll give you your gift!” I was already going home and needed to say goodbye to Mia anyway. So, I didn’t refuse. I quickly got ready, using a thick layer of foundation to cover the wound on my forehead, making sure no abnormalities were visible before heading out. When we met, Mia was exceptionally excited. She linked her arm through mine and pulled me inside, chatting enthusiastically about her travels. I listened quietly. After she’d given me the gift and we’d finished dinner, I finally told her I was going home to get married. Mia was thunderstruck by the sudden news. “No way, Rory! Why so sudden? What about that boyfriend of yours?” I shook my head. “I dumped him.” Seeing my crestfallen look, Mia didn’t know the whole story, but she guessed I’d been mistreated. She was both angry and heartbroken. She quickly hugged me. “Good riddance! You should’ve dumped him! What kind of boyfriend doesn’t go public after dating for so many years?” “It’s all his fault for breaking your heart, making you run home for an arranged marriage. Rory, you’re my best friend! It’s so far back East. Once you go back, when will we ever see each other again?” Thinking of the impending separation, both our spirits sank. Finally, Mia became overwhelmed with emotion and hugged me, burying her face in my shoulder. Julian walked in just as we were like this. He looked exasperated. “You’re grown women. Still hugging and crying?” Mia straightened up, her eyes red. “Rory’s going back home to get married! What’s wrong with crying?”

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