Chapter 1

I had been dating Raymond Vance for three years, yet he never once acknowledged our relationship in public.

But the moment he found his "true love," he couldn't wait to announce it to the world on social media.

The young girl was flipping through his phone and pointed at a contact labeled "Lapdog."

She pouted and asked him who it was.

He laughed it off like it was the funniest joke in the world.

"That was just a woman I used to satisfy my physical needs," he told her.

"She is nothing like you, Gia. You are special."

1

After Raymond said those words, everyone in the room burst into laughter.

One guy raised his glass and teased him.

"You really know how to play the game, Ray. Gia, you better keep a tight leash on him."

Gia Belle sat on Raymond's lap, looking half-annoyed and half-flattered.

"Ray has so many 'good friends,' how could I possibly control him?"

"Who says you can't?"

Raymond arched an eyebrow and took his phone from her hand.

He clicked on the "Lapdog" profile and blocked it right then and there.

"Look, sweetheart, I've blocked her. Whatever that was, it's over now."

"Stop being grumpy, okay? Be a good girl."

The usually arrogant CEO of the Vance Group was acting surprisingly humble.

The people around them cheered, demanding they kiss.

Gia blushed and offered her lips to him.

Raymond smirked and leaned in.

As they kissed, his eyes flickered toward me for a split second.

My hands were shaking, and a chill ran down my spine.

Even though it was just a glance, I recognized the profile picture and the chat interface.

That account belonged to me.

At that moment, I felt a strange sense of relief that we had never gone public.

Otherwise, I couldn't imagine how humiliating this would have been.

Gia must have felt his lack of focus, because she ended the kiss quickly.

She turned her head and narrowed her eyes at me.

"Chloe, I heard you've been by Ray's side for years and haven't even dated anyone else."

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a second.

Raymond looked at her with pure indulgence, having no intention of stopping her.

Gia asked me with total confidence.

"Chloe, everyone says you have a massive crush on Ray. Is that true?"

She suddenly gasped and covered her mouth in mock surprise.

"Wait, that account he just blocked... it wasn't you, was it?"

"No, it wasn't," I replied directly, my nails digging into my palms.

I forced myself to stay calm and answered her previous question.

"I actually just went through a breakup."

The center of attention shifted from them to me instantly.

Our mutual friends crowded around me, hungry for gossip.

"Chloe, that's not cool! When did you get a boyfriend? We had no idea."

"Yeah, keeping secrets from us? You need to take a shot for that!"

Amidst the noise, I raised my glass.

I looked straight into Raymond's eyes.

"Well... we broke up, so it doesn't matter anymore."

"I've deleted his number. We're never speaking again."