After graduating from university, my dad transferred one million dollars to me to buy an Audi A8. I was struggling with which color to choose when my boyfriend, James Anderson suddenly commanded, “Stop thinking about the car. Let’s use that million for the down payment on our new home.” Worried that I might have objections, he added, “This is for our wedding preparations.” I didn’t respond, but turned around and immediately ordered the top-spec Audi A8. And by the way, I broke up with him. On the day I graduated from university, my dad transferred one million dollars to me. He left a note: [Congratulations on your graduation, my dear daughter. Use the money to buy an Audi A8 so it’s easier for you to drive to work.] I was overjoyed and sent several emojis, replying: [Dad! You’ll always be my hero!] [I’ll do anything in the next life just to be your daughter again!] James, curious about why I was smiling so happily at my phone, leaned over and casually asked, “What did your dad give you that has you so excited?” Without noticing his change in expression, I showed him the balance on my phone and said, “My dad gave me one million dollars as a graduation gift so I can buy an A8 and drive to work.” He suddenly snatched my phone and examined the balance several times, his face turning serious. Sweat beads formed on his forehead. His voice suddenly rose. “Your dad’s crazy! How could a girl like you get one million dollars to buy a car?” I was still immersed in my excitement over the new car and didn’t notice how odd his response was. I showed him pictures of the car in black and white, asking, “Which one do you think looks better, black or white?” To my surprise, he shot me an annoyed look and plopped down on the bed, playing with his phone as though I wasn’t there. “Do you even know anything about cars? This car will be a waste for you.” His comment made me feel uncomfortable, so I retorted, “Who says only men are supposed to drive cars?” He noticed my change in mood and realized that his words had been too harsh. He quickly stepped forward, pulled me into his arms, and gently comforted me. He said, “Baby, that’s not what I meant. This car costs at least over a million dollars. Now that we’ve both graduated, wouldn’t it be better to save that money for a house?” As he spoke, he pulled up information on several new apartment complexes nearby. I recognized them all as upscale developments, with down payments requiring over a million dollars. James lightly shook my shoulders, planting a soft kiss on my forehead as he continued speaking softly, “A car is just a tool for getting around. The cheaper ones and the expensive ones aren’t that different. But a house is something else. Remember, you’ve always talked about wanting a home with me. Why not use this money for the down payment?” Gradually, my earlier excitement started to fade. I turned and looked at James quietly. Noticing my silence, he pressed on, still trying to convince me. “We’ve both graduated now. It’s time to plan for our future. I want to give you a stable home.” As I listened to the way he spoke, as if he were thinking of me in every word, my mind felt unusually clear. The first time I dated James, I knew his family wasn’t wealthy, and I had never expected him to propose marriage or buy a house anytime soon. I instinctively pulled away from his embrace and said in a flat tone, “But I don’t want to buy a house, and I don’t want to have the pressure of a mortgage either.” The place I worked was only a ten-minute drive from my parents’ house, so honestly, there was no need to buy a house. But James was persistent, continuing his suggestion in a tone that pretended to be for my benefit, “You can put the house in my name. I’ll help you with the mortgage.” At that, I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. I had never met someone so shameless. Forget that it was before marriage. He wanted to use my parents’ money for the house down payment and then expect me to share the mortgage with him. I pushed him away. “Do you think my parents can’t afford to buy me a house?” I thought, “If I ask, my parents will buy the house outright. Why would I have to struggle with him to pay off a mortgage?” James looked at me coldly, his eyebrows twitching slightly. When we argued earlier, he had the same expression on his face. Just when I thought he was about to lose it, he suddenly flashed a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. He tried to take my hand. “Baby, don’t be mad. I’m doing this for you. “I don’t have a house. How could I possibly go to your family to ask for your hand? “I just want to give you a stable home. “Don’t you dream of having a place where after work, we can cook together and watch TV? Isn’t that the life you’ve always wanted? “I just think it’s more convenient if the house is in my name, and I’ll be able to help you with the mortgage.” He kept trying to tempt me, but I outright rejected him, saying, “I don’t want to buy a house.” Seeing that I wasn’t budging, James couldn’t hold back any longer. He snapped at me, “Natalie, what do you mean? It’s just a house! What’s the difference whether it’s in my name or yours? “I really didn’t expect you to be this kind of person, arguing with me over something as small as a house!” I gathered my things and turned to leave, but James followed me, asking me accusingly, “I’ve been with you for all these years, and now you’re turning your back on me over a house? How materialistic can you be? “It’s just putting the house in my name, why are you so angry?” He followed me all the way to the door. I couldn’t help but ask him in return, “Then if you pay the down payment for the house, would you be willing to put it in my name?” James almost instinctively retorted, “Am I crazy to buy you a house?” I laughed in disbelief, “You’re the crazy one, not me.”
I took a cab back to my parents’ house. After taking a shower, I lay in bed, reflecting on the years I had spent with James. We had been together since college, and because of his family situation, I had always taken care of the finances. Our relationship used to be harmonious, and we never fought. Today, things just didn’t go his way, and he showed his true colors. Suddenly, I felt like I didn’t know him at all, as if I had never really understood him. Just as I was about to fall asleep, James messaged me: [Sorry, baby. I was too impulsive today and didn’t consider your feelings.] Reading his message, my anger faded by half. I thought, “Maybe I have misunderstood?” But the next second, he sent me pictures of newly built developments. [Baby, check out these new developments. The locations are great. I’m just thinking about our future.] He made it sound so righteous, positioning himself on the moral high ground, as if using my parents’ money to buy a car for myself was selfish. I intentionally sent him a screenshot of an order I had placed. He got frustrated and, after a while, sent me a long voice message. “Are you crazy? Who buys a car these days? What’s the point of driving a luxury car? “How selfish are you? I’m thinking about our future, have you thought about it? “You’re a woman. What’s the point of you driving such an expensive car? Do you even know anything about cars? “Besides, your dad gives you all this money, and you can’t even plan for our future?” He sent me several voice messages. I knew that sixty seconds was the limit for a voice message, not his. I didn’t want to listen to him talk any longer, so I shot back, “Are you crazy? Why should I use my dad’s money to buy you a house? “Are you that shameless? “You’re too stupid to even live off someone properly. With a brain like yours, you should hurry up and go see a doctor!” With that, I immediately blocked and deleted him. I also froze all the cards I had given him. I took screenshots of all the bank transfers I had made to him over the years and printed them out. “Scumbag, go to hell!” I thought.
The next day, my dad was a bit surprised when he saw me come out of the bedroom. “How come you’re home? Not with your little boyfriend anymore?” I rubbed my reddened eyes, feeling a bit upset. “We broke up.” To my surprise, my dad grinned from ear to ear and immediately started planning a celebration. “Breaking up is good! I’ve never liked that guy anyway.” Hearing about the breakup, my mom came out of the kitchen. “Breaking up is a good thing. Look at you, you’ve been with him for so many years, and you’re looking worn out. Just stay home for a while, and let me take care of you.” At that moment, my eyes welled up. My voice was choked. “Okay.” Looking at my parents, who were already in their older years, I realized that no matter what I had done in the past, they always loved and supported me unconditionally. I thought, “How could I not love myself? Why should I let someone like James drain me?” To my surprise, a few days later, James suddenly called me. “Have you booked the private room?” he asked. I froze, suddenly remembering he had mentioned inviting some senior students to dinner a few days ago. “This is important for my future graduate studies. You can’t mess this up. “Don’t forget to buy the cigarettes and alcohol when you come. Get the best quality. The senior girls will be there, so make sure you have a set of SK-II for each of them. “Also, make sure the food in the private room isn’t too cheap. The quality needs to be high so I don’t lose face.” Listening to him rambling on the phone, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “What do I owe you?” These things were going to cost tens of thousands of dollars at the very least, but since it wasn’t his money, of course, he didn’t care. James nonchalantly responded, “Are you still mad? It’s been a few days now, surely you’re over it, right? “You used to always encourage me to go to grad school, right? Don’t just talk, it’s time to put some action behind those words. “Also, didn’t your dad give you a million dollars? Can’t you scrape together this small amount of money?” His attitude was so entitled that it made my heart sink. I had been planning to break up with him, but now I realized that would be too easy on him! Not only did I want him to pay back all the money I had spent on him over the years, but I also wanted him to learn the consequences of messing with me. Suppressing my disgust, I forced a smile and said to James, “No problem, I already booked the private room. Tomorrow, I won’t disappoint you.” Hearing that, James couldn’t hide his smug laughter on the other end of the line. It was as if he was saying, “What’s the big deal? No matter how much money you have, I can still control you with ease.” He added, “Since that’s settled, tomorrow I’ll bring my advisor along. You’ll need to buy him some dietary supplements, at least 50 thousand dollars or more. Anything cheaper would be too low-end.” Hearing him push further and further, I casually agreed, replying, “Sure!” Hearing me agree so easily, he didn’t suspect a thing and actually felt a sense of superiority. “Natalie, if you had listened like this earlier, it would’ve been much better.” I snorted in contempt, thinking, “Fool. He’s digging his own grave.” The next day, I canceled all my plans and stayed home watching TV dramas. At first, James sent me texts saying he had arrived at the private room, ordered the food, and asked when I would bring the gifts over. I ignored all his messages. Later, he couldn’t reach me, started to panic, and bombarded me with calls. I could barely tolerate the noise, so I finally answered. “Natalie, where are you? The seniors have all arrived. Where are the gifts?” I lay on the sofa, pretending to sound anxious. “I’m on my way, I’m stuck in traffic. You guys go ahead and eat.” Then, I hung up the phone and continued watching my drama. I went ahead and ordered several expensive bottles of wine and various cosmetics and bags, but chose cash on delivery. James waited in the private room, only to receive the payment order instead of me.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295820”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance
Leave a Reply