Chapter 3

3

【Oh my god! This is true love!】

【He stands up for her every time she's down. He chooses her no matter what.】

【The heroine is poor but she never bows her head. So moving.】

【This is the beauty of a redemption story! I'm crying.】

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. You call this redemption?

Looking back, every cent I spent on Leo ended up being spent on Crystal in some way.

His mother forbade him from seeing her, so he used me as an excuse to sneak out.

My status, my network, my resources―he used all of it to pave the way for Crystal.

Since he brought her into our circle, so many opportunities were secretly funneled to her.

And they call this "Leo being her only protector"?

Leo's mom was shaking with rage. She tried to grab his hand, but he jerked away.

Crystal looked up at him with watery eyes. They looked like star-crossed lovers fighting against the cruel world.

Watching this drama, I felt a strange sense of relief.

I remembered when I first met Leo. His family had just moved next door.

On his first day of school, he got lost. I was the one who put him on the back of my bike and took him there.

"This is Leo Sterling. He's new, so let's look out for him," I had told my friends. He was so shy back then, hiding behind me.

At first, he got bullied by guys who had crushes on me.

But he always talked his way out of it. He actually helped me get rid of a lot of unwanted attention.

To be honest, out of all the people buzzing around me, nine out of ten were after my family's money.

Leo's family was just upper-middle class. He used to tell me stories about his hometown, his eyes sparkling like stars.

Whenever I was stressed, he'd drag me through the back alleys of the city to clear my head.

He was always the first to jump in front of me if someone caused trouble, just like he was doing for Crystal now.

He even used to talk back to my mom when she was being too hard on me.

We flowed together naturally, until he met Crystal Vance.

Maybe I really was blinded by history. Until the day of the application, I thought he was starting a new chapter of our lives together.

I didn't realize he was just bored of his "safety net."

He knew I had the fellowship. He knew my family was in a power struggle. And yet, he tried to kick me out of the country.

I finally realized: why should I give up my future for someone who doesn't give a damn about me?

Leo's mom eventually dragged him away.

That night at the family dinner, the parents were cheering and drinking. Leo just sat there, staring gloomily at his plate.

"So, Jade's fellowship is all set, right?" Leo's mom asked.

"Once she graduates, she can start taking over the family business..."

Leo snapped his head up and glared at me. His eyes screamed: "You're already so rich, why can't you just let me go? Let me be with Crystal."

I put my fork down slowly.

"Dad, Mom, Mrs. Sterling... I won't be taking that fellowship."

"Your precious son said he wanted to go to London with me."

"Ridiculous!" Leo's father slammed the table. "The business transition starts in a few years. Why go to London now?"

Leo looked panicked. "I never said I'd go with her―"

I acted surprised. "Oh? Didn't you tell me yourself that you'd stay by my side?"

Looking at his flushed face, I tilted my head and smirked.

My sister was snickering in the corner, enjoying the chaos.

My mother pulled me into the study as soon as she could and slammed the door.

"Are you insane? You're leaving for London right when your sister is trying to steal your inheritance? By the time you get back, she'll own everything!"

Her hand was trembling as she gripped my wrist.

"Don't tell me that boy has finally brainwashed you! What can his family give us? We've fought for this for years..."

Looking at my mother's exhausted face, my chest felt tight.

She had married into this family when I was small. It looked glamorous, but it was a minefield.

Even if she was pushing me into an alliance, it was because she thought I was just a pawn.

"Remember, what belongs to others stays theirs," she whispered.

"Even if you get married, you have to hold the purse strings."

The moonlight hit her tense face.

"Giving up what's yours for a promise―even from the person you love―is the definition of stupidity."

I thought about everything I had done for Leo. My chest burned with a dull ache.

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, the fog was gone.

"Mom, the London thing was a lie."

"I know what my sister is up to. But I have all the company's operational data."

I paused and added, "I already accepted the fellowship here. What belongs to us, stays with us. Every single cent."

My mother's face relaxed slightly, but she hesitated. "But your father thinks you and Leo..."

"He's in love with someone else," I interrupted. My own voice sounded shockingly calm.

"I'll handle the cleanup. Anything gained through a forced marriage isn't worth as much as real power anyway."

She finally sighed in relief and straightened my collar.

"Go rest. I'll handle the parents."

She gave my shoulder a light push, as if transferring all her strength to me.

【Ugh, the heroine is so miserable. She gets mocked and has to go back to her tiny apartment.】

【At least the hero is going to comfort her.】

【Wait! Is the rich girl actually going to cancel the engagement?】

【She's been a backup for so long, she can't just let go. She's definitely just throwing a tantrum!】

The next day, Leo called. He sounded furious.

"You're canceling the alliance over this? You're just throwing away ten years of history?"

I almost laughed out loud.

He was the one protecting Crystal yesterday, and now he's questioning me? Where does he get the nerve?

【Holy shit! The plot is breaking. This alliance was supposed to be something the hero proposed for the heroine later. Why is it reversed now?】

【The rich girl actually has a backbone?】

【If she's so powerful, why doesn't she just crush him?】

【LOL, finally stopped being a lapdog?】

I spoke into the phone with a cold laugh. "Absolutely. Now, you're free to go chase your true love."

【Help! The rich girl is suddenly a badass. She's so hot!】

【Wait, can she see us? She keeps staring into space.】