My girlfriend, who used to pinch every single penny as if her life depended on it, threw a black card with four million dollars on it directly at my face on the eve of our college graduation. Ida snuggled into Chase’s arms, her tone venomous and mocking. “Let me tell you the truth, Alex. I was never poor. Playing broke, pretending to be sick—it was all just a game to see how low you’d crawl for me.” “But I’m bored now. And I have Chase.” She tossed the card, a sharp smirk cutting across her face. “Four million dollars. To buy out the last four years of your life. That should be more than enough, right?” A wave of cruel laughter erupted around us. “God, this is hilarious. Ida played the pauper for four years, and he didn’t suspect a thing?” “How could he? When Ida said she couldn’t afford dinner, he literally ate dry toast for a week just to buy her medicine. When she said she was sick, he went and sold his plasma.” “The absolute funniest part? He was working four different part-time jobs last week to buy her a birthday present. Almost fainted in a convenience store from sheer exhaustion.” “A nobody like him actually thought his cheap, pathetic love could buy his way into a billionaire’s family?” Everyone in the room knew I’d been Ida’s plaything for four years. They were waiting for my breakdown. They wanted to see me weep, to watch me beg her on my knees like a dog. Instead, I simply leaned down, picked up the card, and looked up at her with a quiet smile. “Four million dollars for four years. That’s a million a year. Quite the bargain.” After all, during those four years, my love for Ida Douglas hadn’t even been worth two cents. … 1 “If that’s all, I’ll be taking my leave.” I pocketed the card and turned to walk away. But before I could take a single step, Catherine, one of Ida’s inner circle, blocked my path. “Oh, come on, Alex. Don’t act so high and mighty. You snatched that card pretty fast. I know your type—pretending to be tough during the breakup, only to go home and cry your eyes out.” Catherine sneered, her eyes dripping with condescension. “If you’re really that desperate, just bow your head and apologize to Ida right now. Maybe if she’s in a good mood, she’ll keep you around as a sidepiece.” “Though don’t expect a title,” another friend chimed in, throwing a suggestive look at Chase. “Chase is the official boyfriend now. You? You’re just the discarded stray.” Chase wrapped his arm tighter around Ida’s waist, offering a faux-sympathetic sigh. “Hey, guys, go easy on Alex. He’s sensitive. He can’t handle this kind of heat.” The room roared with laughter. I looked at them, my voice completely devoid of emotion. “Are you done?” “If you’re done, get out of my way.” The air in the room instantly chilled. Ida finally looked at me, her eyes filled with cold, superior judgment. “Alex, who are you putting on this show for?” “Do you think by taking the money and pretending you don’t care, I’ll respect you?” “I know exactly who you are.” “You’re hopelessly in love with me. Without me, you won’t survive three days.” I looked up, meeting her gaze calmly. “Really?” “Then you clearly don’t realize how cheap your own affection actually is.” Ida’s face hardened instantly. The room fell into a dead silence before erupting into chaos. “Is he insane? Did he actually just speak to Ida like that?” “He just got dumped and he’s still acting tough?” “Fine,” Catherine scoffed, clapping her hands to stoke the flames. “Let’s place a bet. How long until Alex comes crawling back to Ida, begging for a second chance?” “I bet three days.” “Two days.” “I say tonight. A parasite like him won’t survive the night.” “He’ll probably be crying over his phone on the way home, drafting a ten-page essay about how much he misses her.” “Or begging Chase on his knees to let him have her back, haha!” Laughter filled the room. Catherine turned to Ida. “Ida, what’s your bet?” Ida stared at me with absolute certainty, her eyes filled with the mockery of a master looking at a dog trying to escape its leash. Finally, she let out a harsh laugh. “By tomorrow night, at the latest.” “He will be back, begging me.” It was as if my four years of quiet devotion, compromise, and sacrifice were nothing more than her favorite trophies. Catherine smirked, tilting her chin at me. “Hear that? Ida has spoken.” “So, Alex, why don’t you tell us? When are you planning to bow your head?” Every eye in the room was on me. Mocking, patronizing, waiting for a pathetic display of desperation. I remained quiet for two seconds, feeling the crisp edge of my approved study-abroad application in my pocket. Suddenly, I smiled. “How about I make a bet of my own?” “On what?” Catherine asked, caught off guard. I looked up, my eyes sweeping across every face in the room, finally locking onto Ida. “I bet that for the rest of my life, I will never look back at her again.” 2 Four years ago, when I got accepted into Hudson University, I couldn’t even afford the tuition. When I was at my absolute lowest, Mrs. Douglas approached me. She had only one condition—get close to Ida, keep an eye on her, and make sure she finished her four years of college without causing any scandals. Now, the four years were up. The five million dollars Mrs. Douglas promised had been wired to my account right on schedule. Combine that with the four million Ida had just thrown at me, and I had more than enough to leave the country and build the life I actually wanted. When my words fell, the room went dead silent for a moment. Then, Catherine let out a loud laugh. “Listen to him! ‘For the rest of his life.’ Alex, you really talk a big game.” Ida stared at me, her eyes dark and menacing. She let out a cold laugh. “Fine.” “Alex, remember what you just said.” She took a step closer, lowering her voice to a whisper only I could hear. “I hope you don’t come back crawling on your knees.” I looked at her and smiled. “Don’t worry. Even if you were the one begging on your knees, I wouldn’t spare you a second glance.” Ida’s face flushed with fury, her anger barely contained. “Get out.” Without another word, I turned and walked away. But I knew this wasn’t over. A pampered princess like Ida couldn’t stand being humiliated in public by someone she believed was beneath her. The retaliation began the very next morning. The owner of the convenience store where I had just resigned called me. He accused me of theft out of nowhere, using it as an excuse to withhold my last two weeks of pay. Rumors began spreading across campus. People said I had been freeloading off Ida while hunting for other rich targets, calling me a “high-end gold digger” with a price tag. Someone even dug up old photos of me—donating plasma at the clinic, working graveyard shifts at the convenience store, handing out flyers in front of clubs—and compiled them into a malicious collage on the university forum. The headline was vicious: [The Rich-Girl Hunter’s Playbook: How a Broke Scholar Faked Innocence and Played the Victim for Four Years] The post went viral overnight. The comments section was flooded with mockery and disgust. “No wonder Ida dumped him once she got bored. She saw right through him.” “Why is he still acting proud? He’s trash to the bone.” “I heard he’s trying to study abroad? Laughable. Who’s he trying to con next?” My phone buzzed. I looked down. It was a message from Ida. “Did you see the post?” I didn’t reply. A second later, another notification popped up. “Chase’s ideas really do work wonders.” “How does it feel? Being called a parasite and a gold digger by the entire school. Not so great, is it?” My eyes lingered on the words “Chase’s ideas really do work wonders,” a dull ache blooming in my chest. Not from heartbreak, but from the sheer exhaustion of having my dignity trampled. Before I could close the app, more texts poured in. “If you apologize to me right now—on your knees in front of my friends—and agree to be my little secret on the side…” “I might consider having the post taken down.” I stared at the screen and let out a soft, humorless laugh. Then, I took a screenshot. Ida wanted me to regret. She wanted me cornered, desperate, until I had no choice but to beg her. Unfortunately for her, she had miscalculated. I closed the forum app and dialed a number I hadn’t called in years. “Mrs. Douglas,” I said when the call connected. “Our deal was for me to play the dutiful boyfriend for four years. It didn’t include cleaning up your daughter’s petty messes.” “Now she’s coming after my reputation.” “How do you plan to handle this?” 3 Mrs. Douglas’s voice came through the line, cool and detached. “I don’t.” I froze. “Alex, your money has been transferred. Our contract is officially over.” “The forum, the rumors… they are nothing but temporary noise.” “For the past four years, you stayed by Ida’s side. To put it nicely, it was a transaction. To put it harshly, I paid for a well-behaved watchdog.” I remained silent. She didn’t care about my silence, adding in her characteristically flat tone, “A stray is still a stray, even if you pave its path with gold. Alex, you should know that better than anyone.” With that, she hung up. The sharp, empty dial tone rang in my ear. I stood there for a long time before slowly lowering the phone. For the next two days, I barely left my apartment. I organized my documents, checked the status of my passport and visa, and quietly transferred my funds to my new offshore account in Scandinavia. I also finalized the last draft of my personal statement with my senior, Tyler. On the third night, I headed to a quiet bar near campus to meet him. Tyler texted me that he was stuck in traffic and told me to grab a table first. But the moment I walked through the door, I ran straight into Ida and her entourage. Catherine was the first to spot me. She immediately raised her voice, laughing. “Well, look who it is! Isn’t this Alex? Didn’t you say you’d never look back for the rest of your life? Regretting it already?” The eyes of everyone in the private booth turned to me. Ida sat in the center of the plush leather sofa, draped over Chase. When her eyes met mine, a flicker of smug satisfaction crossed her face. “Come here,” she said, gesturing with her chin. She pushed a row of shot glasses across the table toward me. “Drink these.” “Do it, and I’ll take you back. I’ll even have the forum posts deleted.” My voice was flat. “I’m not here for you.” A chorus of sneers erupted from the booth. “Not here for Ida? What, did you just happen to wander in?” “Who are you trying to fool, Alex?” Chase tightened his grip on Ida’s waist and smiled condescendingly. “Hey, man, if you want to apologize, just say the word. Ida’s tough on the outside, but if you show some humility, she won’t keep holding a grudge.” Catherine smirked from the side. “Ida’s throwing you a lifeline and you’re still playing hard to get? Who do you think you are?” Others joined in: “Your reputation is already trashed on the forum. Stop pretending you have dignity left.” Chase sighed, a look of faux pity on his face. “Alex, Ida’s being incredibly generous here. With your name dragged through the mud like this, who else would ever want you?” I didn’t want to waste another breath. I turned to leave. But a second later, a hand clamped tightly around my wrist. Ida stood up, stepping directly into my personal space. Her eyes were dark, burning with a volatile mixture of anger and possession. “Alex, have you forgotten where you came from?” she whispered, her voice dropping to a menacing, freezing register. “Selling plasma, working graveyard shifts, hand-delivering flyers in the freezing cold… you were so broke you couldn’t even pay your tuition.” She stared into my eyes. “A guy like you would sell his own life for a buck. And now you’re pretending you’re too good for a few drinks?” The booth erupted into cruel laughter. “A table of drinks is probably worth half his life, anyway!” “Maybe just one glass!” I looked at her, finding the entire spectacle incredibly pathetic. “Are you finished?” I asked quietly. “If you are, let me go.” Those words shattered her remaining restraint. The last drop of Ida’s composure snapped. She grabbed a glass of whiskey from the table and threw it directly into my face. 4 The icy liquid splashed over my hair and ran down my neck, soaking my collar in an instant. Before I could wipe it away, a second and third glass followed. The sting of alcohol burned my eyes, making them water. Chase feigned alarm, whispering, “Ida, stop, he can’t handle this…” Yet, despite his words, he handed her another glass, the triumph in his eyes entirely undisguised. “Alex, why be so stubborn? Just apologize, and it all ends.” Catherine was thoroughly enjoying herself. “What’s the fun in just splashing him? Since he won’t drink, let’s just hold him down and pour it down his throat!” Before I could react, someone grabbed my wrists from behind. Another pair of hands shoved my shoulders down, forcing me to my knees. My knees hit the hard floor with a dull thud, and a sharp pain shot up my leg. “Let me go—” I was cut off as someone yanked my hair back, forcing my head up. Ida gripped my jaw, her fingers digging in so hard I felt my bones would crack. “You won’t drink?” she hissed, her voice trembling with cold rage. “Alex, let’s see how tough you really are.” I clenched my teeth, refusing to make a sound. As I struggled, my messenger bag slipped from my shoulder, spilling its contents across the floor. An official document slid right next to Ida’s boots, its corner quickly soaking up the spilled alcohol. The bold letters at the top were unmistakable: “International Research Program Application” Ida’s eyes flickered. She looked down, her brows knitting together in sudden confusion. But before she could process what she was seeing, Chase quickly bent down, picking up the paper and sliding it under an empty glass. “Still carrying your homework to a bar? How studious,” Chase joked smoothly, effortlessly diverting everyone’s attention. Catherine laughed. “Typical. Always trying to look like the perfect student.” A strange, fleeting sense of unease washed over Ida. But it was quickly swallowed by her anger. Catherine handed her a freshly opened bottle of hard liquor, her eyes wide with excitement. “Ida, don’t tell me you’re getting soft on him?” Ida’s grip tightened around my throat, cutting off my breath for a terrifying second. “Soft? For a street dog like him? Please.” With a cruel glint in her eyes, she forced my jaw open and began pouring the strong liquor down my throat. The burning liquid choked my lungs, searing its way down to my stomach. Tears streamed down my face. She didn’t stop. Her hand on my throat tightened further, her voice shaking with a manic intensity. “Keep pouring.” “I want to see how long he can keep up this act.” As the alcohol kept flooding in, my vision began to fade to black. My strength dissolved, and I stopped fighting. Through the haze, I could hear their laughter, their jeers, and Chase’s soft, mocking voice: “Don’t be so stubborn, Alex.” To them, I was nothing more than an object to be played with, a stray to be kicked into the dirt. Suddenly, the heavy door of the booth was shoved open. “Get off him!” Tyler rushed in, his face pale with fury. He threw himself over me, shielding me from the group. “Are you all insane? This is assault!” Ida’s hand froze. Taking advantage of the momentary shock, Tyler hauled me up from the floor. I could barely stand. My wet hair clung to my face, and I trembled as I tried to draw a breath. “I’ve recorded everything that just happened,” Tyler barked, glaring at the room. “If anyone touches him again, I’m calling the police.” The room went dead silent. Ida stood frozen, her expression dark and unreadable, but she didn’t try to stop us. Tyler supported my weight, guiding me toward the exit. As we passed her, I didn’t look at her once. — The next afternoon, after the alcohol had worn off, the image of my pale, lifeless face kept flashing through Ida’s mind. Agitated, she rubbed her temples and finally dialed my number. When the call connected, she kept her voice cold and commanding, as if she were offering a grand favor. “I won’t hold last night against you. Come back, and I’ll have the forum posts taken down.” There was a brief silence on the other end. The voice that answered wasn’t mine. It was the dorm supervisor. “Alex? He moved out yesterday. He cleared out his entire room.” Ida froze, her voice instantly dropping. “What did you say?” “Didn’t he tell you?” the woman asked, confused. “He boarded an early morning flight today. He left the country.”
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