Chapter 1

My boyfriend had a border collie named Milo that he treated like his own child.

No matter how broke we were, Milo never went without.

We waited outside the warehouse club for its 10 p.m. bread markdowns, then bought Milo fresh seafood flown in that morning.

We worked until conjunctivitis left our eyes bloodshot and still didn't dare take a day off, all so we could send Milo to a summer camp that cost more than three thousand dollars.

I always thought Lucian simply loved animals too much, that people could tough it out but Milo shouldn't have to suffer.

Until the Calloway heir threw a lavish banquet in the north end of town for his beloved pet's birthday.

I snuck in hoping to take home some food for Milo, only to discover that the host was my boyfriend, Lucian Calloway, and the birthday pet was Milo.

A single napkin at their table was worth more than my entire year's salary.

A guest tossing off a casual compliment about how silky the coat looked walked away with a generous reward.

That was when it hit me: with a snap of his fingers, Lucian could have paid to treat the stomach and eye problems I'd developed from overwork.

And there I was, the fool who'd hidden my medical reports to save money, gutting it out year after year.

Maybe in his mind, spending money on strangers and the dog was a better investment than spending it on me.

So it was time for me to leave.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in a long time.

"The marriage alliance with the Bennetts. I accept."

1

Through the crowd, Milo recognized my voice and let out an excited bark.

I froze, instinctively wanting to run.

Lucian pinned Milo in place before he could bolt toward me and snapped, "Stop her!"

"I have no idea how these people slipped in. Since it's Milo's birthday, don't draw blood. Just break one of her legs."

His voice dripped with contempt as he looked down at me.

I was awkwardly down on one knee, my mouth gagged, able to make only muffled sounds.

Lucian didn't recognize me through my disguise, but he still hesitated for a split second when he saw my tears.

"Enough. She looks familiar. Just throw her out."

Lucian's men snatched my wallet and tossed me onto the street.

My whole body ached as if I'd been run over. Thankfully, a passerby was kind enough to get me to the hospital.

The nurses pressured me to pay, so I pulled out the joint savings card I shared with Lucian.

We had an agreement: every month we'd both deposit money into it, and once we'd saved enough, we'd move into a bigger place.

I would never have touched that card unless I had absolutely no other choice.

But swipe after swipe, the balance came back zero.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking. In a panic, I checked the transaction history to see where all the money had gone.

The last purchase was six thousand dollars for a new outfit for Milo.

That was money I'd scraped together penny by penny, working eight jobs from dawn to dusk, skipping breakfast and dinner through the gnawing ache in my stomach.

Just before the nurses gave me a final ultimatum, a transfer from my father came through, along with a message:

[Audrey, if you go back on your word again, I won't be merciful.]

I wouldn't go back on my word. Not anymore.

I had turned my back on my family for Lucian, swearing I'd endure any hardship by his side.

Looking back now, I'd been laughably naive.

After settling the bill, Lucian and I arrived home almost at the same time.

When he walked through the door, he was holding a pair of shoes so filthy they were barely recognizable.

They were the ones I'd worn to the heir's banquet earlier that day, the ones I'd just taken off.

They were caked in mud and bloodstains, with splatters of food from the banquet.

Lucian frowned. "Audrey, these shoes still look wearable. Why'd you throw them out?"

I looked at the brand-new outfit on Milo, then at the designer distressed sneakers on Lucian's feet, and finally let out a bitter laugh.

"In your eyes, is this really all I deserve?"

Lucian's frown deepened. "Audrey, what's wrong with you?"

He stepped closer to pat my head, but then he noticed the gauze on the back of my head and the scrapes covering my body.

"You're hurt?

"Who dared lay a hand on you?!"

A dangerous fury flashed through Lucian's eyes, but he seemed to remember the role he was playing and softened his voice.

"Audrey, we don't have money. Life is hard enough without picking fights.

"Keep that temper of yours in check. Nobody out there is going to put up with it the way I do, got it?"

He didn't even ask what happened. He just assumed it was my fault.

I lowered my head, too disappointed to speak.

Lucian took my silence for shame. He moved closer and pulled me into his arms.

"There, there. Just be more careful next time.

"Audrey, it's been a while since we..."

The embrace I once craved now made my stomach turn.

I shoved him away.

"Get out."

Lucian's face went through several changes, his eyes shifting from hurt to fury.

"You look down on me too now, don't you?! You think I'm never going to make it either, is that it?!"

I looked at him, my eyes filled with nothing but sorrow.

If I looked down on him, I never would have spent ten years living this miserable life with him!

I just couldn't understand. I'd been so happy, so convinced that our hard work would lead us to something better.

Why had he made a fool of me? How could he stand by and watch the woman he claimed to love suffer like this?

Milo sensed something was wrong and padded over with a soft whine, licking my hand.

Lucian yanked him back and walked out without looking back.

The door slammed shut, and the apartment sank into dead silence.

I slowly crouched down, buried my face in my knees, and the tears I'd been holding back for so long finally fell.

2

Early the next morning, I was woken by the delivery driver knocking at the door.

Lucian had rush-ordered a set of new clothes and shoes, along with a message:

[Audrey, being with me hasn't been easy on you.]

The flicker of warmth I felt vanished the moment I saw what was inside the box.

Inside was a rough linen outfit and a pair of cheap white sneakers with laughably thin soles.

The whole set probably didn't even cover the cost of one of Milo's grooming sessions.

I tossed the package in the trash. Right on cue, Lucian's call came in.

"Audrey, I know those things aren't good enough for you, but it's the best I can do right now.

"I promise I'll work hard to give you a better life. Don't be upset, okay?"

If I'd heard these sweet words before, I would have been moved to tears.

But lies get old after you've heard enough of them.

My voice was flat. "What is it?"

Caught off guard by my tone, Lucian sounded unusually uneasy.

"Milo needs a walk, and I'm tied up. I don't trust anyone else with him. Could you take him out?

"I already renewed his membership at the pet resort. Remember to have the fur around his paws trimmed and apply the grooming oil..."

So that's why he called. He remembered he had a free dog-sitter.

My heart, already cold, chilled a little more. Lucian must have sensed something was off, because he added one more thing.

"Don't forget to have that head injury rechecked."

He sent fifteen hundred dollars, earmarked for Milo's ice cream at the pet resort.

For me, all I got was a text:

[Get some rest.]

I declined the transfer.

I called a dog-walking service to take Milo out, grabbed my father's card, and went to the hospital for a full checkup.

Still not satisfied, I walked next door and signed up for a spa membership.

As I sat under a warm compress, I remembered that before Lucian, I'd been a regular at places like this.

I'd thought Lucian would take over where my father left off in caring for me, which was why I'd been willing to squeeze into a tiny three-hundred-square-foot apartment with him.

I'd bet wrong.

But at least I still had a chance to turn things around.

Bored while I waited, I came across a popular local Facebook page.

It documented the blogger's daily life with her boss, whom she referred to only as "L."

The boss threw money around like it was nothing, never less than three hundred thousand dollars at a time.

When she wore herself out running errands for the family, he chartered a private jet and rented out an island resort for her.

When one of her schemes paid off brilliantly, he rewarded her with a one-of-a-kind suite of diamond jewelry.

The girl squealed in practically every video.

[So generous! Best boss ever, I'm never leaving!]

But the deeper I scrolled, the more unsettled I became.

The boss sent her a pair of wrist supports, with a note:

[My girlfriend hurt her wrist moving something heavy. You're such a baby about pain, so I got you a pair in advance.]

The boss sent her a heating pad, with a note:

[My girlfriend gets cold during her period, but I can't give this to her right now. Try it out for me first.]

Just days ago, I had hurt my wrist. And I had just gotten my period.

Unease swelled in my chest. I held my breath and scrolled back to the very first post.

In the earliest video, the girl flashed a peace sign at the camera.

[The boss asked me how to tell if a girl's in it for the money or for love. I came up with the perfect plan: pretend to be broke and test her!]

[He also asked how to gauge how deep her love runs. I told him to get a dog and treat it better than her. The more she puts up with, the more it proves she's in love!]

In the comments, someone had written:

[They say the money goes where the love goes. L is so generous to you, Vivian. Think you're next in line?]

The girl had replied with a blushing emoji.

My vision blurred. The tears wouldn't stop no matter how many times I wiped them away.

I finally realized why the girl looked so familiar.

At the heir's banquet, I'd seen her. She had been standing right next to Lucian.

That boss was Lucian.

3

So all the suffering I'd endured was just part of some twisted test.

Lucian hadn't been blind to my pain. He just couldn't break character, so he'd funneled every bit of compensation to another woman instead.

Then what were my ten years worth?

At some point, a downpour had started outside.

I didn't have an umbrella. I called Lucian dozens of times, but every call was busy.

I stumbled home in a daze and pounded on the door. The person who answered wasn't Lucian.

It was the girl from the videos: Vivian Reed.

Before I could even demand to know what she was doing there, Lucian's accusation hit me first.

"Audrey, didn't I tell you to walk Milo yourself? How could you hand him off to a stranger?

"If Vivian hadn't run into him on the street and brought him back, who knows what could have happened!"

Every word out of his mouth was about Milo. Not a single glance at me standing there soaked to the bone.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. My voice came out raw and ragged.

"Lucian, does everyone in this world matter more to you than I do?

"If that's the case, then I don't see the point in us going on!"

A flash of lightning lit Lucian's stunned face.

His lips trembled. He reached for my hand on instinct, but Vivian stepped in front of him first.

"Audrey's obviously just throwing a little tantrum because she saw me here. She'd never actually leave you, Lucian.

"Audrey, Lucian was just thanking me for bringing Milo back. There's nothing going on between us. Right, Lucian?"

Lucian's expression had already gone cold again.

He ignored Vivian's question and fixed me with an unreadable look.

"Audrey, I don't want to hear you say that again."

I pushed past both of them and squeezed through the door. All I wanted was to grab my things and leave.

But Lucian caught me. He snatched up a towel and roughly rubbed my hair dry.

"You'll catch a cold.

"Even if you're rushing off to work, take care of yourself first."

He handed me a bowl of steaming bacon and tomato soup.

"Drink up. It'll warm you."

I couldn't refuse him. The first sip warmed something deep inside me.

Bacon and cheese were luxuries we almost never had.

Even on my own birthday, I never got so much as a taste. So why was he being so generous today?

Just as the thought crossed my mind, Lucian ladled a heaping bowl for Vivian.

"Didn't you say you were craving this? Have as much as you want. I spent over two hours following the recipe, so don't let it go to waste."

Once, when I had a 102-degree fever and asked for a bowl of hot noodles, Lucian said he couldn't cook and told me to tough it out.

Turned out it wasn't that he never set foot in the kitchen. The person worth the effort just wasn't me.

Maybe the look I was giving Vivian had turned too hostile, because Lucian shot me a glare.

"Audrey, don't look at her like that.

"Vivian is my... colleague. She even brought shrimp today as a gift. Normally, you wouldn't be eating anything this nice."

Milo caught the scent of shrimp and was already wagging his tail in excitement.

Lucian patted his fluffy head and crouched down to peel the shrimp.

One plate for Milo. One plate for Vivian.

When he noticed I hadn't moved, Lucian frowned.

"You're not going to peel your own? You want me to do it for you? Vivian has a manicure, so it's hard for her. Audrey, since when are you this petty?"

When disappointment runs deep enough, it actually makes you laugh. And I laughed.

I held out my hands, showing him ten fingers tipped with crystal-studded nails.

Lucian nearly dropped his bowl.

"Audrey! Where did you get the money for that?

"You dipped into our joint account?! That's our house fund!"

So he knew perfectly well what that money was for.

I scoffed. "You're the one who drained it first to buy the dog a new outfit."

"And that's your excuse to get back at me? It was Milo's birthday! You couldn't chip in?

"Audrey, when did you get so petty? So materialistic?!"

The disappointment in Lucian's eyes cut deep.

When Vivian got a manicure, that was perfectly natural, and she deserved to be waited on.

When I did the same thing, I was shallow and money-hungry.

How was that fair? Just because I loved him, he thought he could treat me like this?!

Sensing that things were about to blow up, Vivian seized me and half-pulled, half-dragged me into the bathroom.

"Audrey obviously has some kind of misunderstanding. Lucian, don't get worked up. Let me talk to her."

The second the bathroom door closed, every trace of her sweet act vanished.

"So. You know everything now, don't you?"

4

Vivian admired her nails, her voice slow and deliberate.

"I spent a fortune making sure that video landed in your feed. Worth every penny.

"Audrey, you must see it by now, don't you? What could someone in your position possibly offer him?

"You think you've got heart? So do I! But I'm the one who can actually help him. I'm the one who belongs by his side!"

I looked at Vivian's crazed expression and felt nothing.

"You want him? He's all yours."

Vivian blinked, clearly not expecting that from me.

"You mean it? You think I'd actually believe you?"

The next second, Vivian gave me a vicious grin, grabbed me, and pulled us both backward into the door.

The momentum sent my hand raking across her face, and my jeweled nails tore a gash deep enough to expose bone.

The worn-out door couldn't take the impact and shattered into pieces.

Dust exploded around me, and tiny splinters dug into my skin, bringing tears to my eyes.

"Audrey!"

Lucian's voice cracked with panic.

He moved to pick me up, but the moment he saw Vivian's face, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Lucian..."

Vivian's tears spilled instantly.

"Audrey called me a slut... said she was going to strangle me...

"Lucian, my face hurts so much... Am I going to be disfigured? Is no one ever going to want me?"

"No, no. Of course not."

Lucian murmured softly, his eyes full of tenderness.

When he turned to me, all that was left was ice.

"Audrey, I thought you were just being moody. But now... you've disappointed me beyond words."

A jagged splinter had pierced straight through my palm. I was pinned in place, my breathing slowly weakening.

"Lucian..."

He saw. He clearly saw. But in the end, he turned away, scooped Vivian into his arms, and strode out.

"This is what you get, Audrey.

"If anything happens to Vivian, I won't let you off."

"I didn't hurt her..."

My voice dissolved into the air. No one answered.

I tasted the salt of my tears and smelled the metallic reek of blood.

Somewhere nearby came a rustling sound. I thought Lucian had come back and struggled to lift my head.

"Take me to—"

But it wasn't Lucian.

Several ugly, leering men towered over me, openly sizing me up.

"So this is the one going after Vivian's man?"

"Not bad. Great body, pretty face. Blame it on her for falling for the wrong guy. Lucky us, right, boys?"

Hands pawed all over me, their stench making me gag.

I clenched my teeth, my eyes so bloodshot they seemed ready to bleed.

"I'm promised to the Bennetts. You wouldn't dare..."

Before I could finish, a vicious slap cracked across my face. My head snapped to the side, blood seeping from the corner of my mouth.

"The Bennetts? Keep dreaming. You're just some woman the boss is done with."

A heavy body bore down on me. I was about to shut my eyes in despair.

Then gunshots rang out.

The man on top of me went limp. The rest crumpled to the ground.

I struggled out from beneath him. A broad hand appeared in front of me, offered with impeccable courtesy.

"I'm sorry, Audrey. I should have been here sooner."

...

After days without a word from me, Lucian's already grim expression darkened further.

This had never happened before.

"No. I need to see what game Audrey is playing."

The second he stood, Vivian caught his sleeve with a small, helpless tug.

"Lucian."

Her tears fell.

"I'm glad it was me this time and not someone else. But if you just forgive Audrey like it's nothing, what happens the next time she goes too far?"

Lucian looked at her shaking and crying, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Vivian had a point.

You couldn't coddle a woman. Besides, where could Audrey go without him?

"Lucian, I heard the Bennett heir is getting married at the end of the month, and you still haven't chosen your plus-one. With Audrey gone, I'd be happy to step in..."

Lucian had been too busy these past few days to look at the invitation properly.

As a fellow heir, he was expected to attend. He had planned to use the occasion to introduce Audrey publicly as his future wife.

But given recent events, Audrey clearly wasn't ready to stand beside him in public. She needed more testing.

Lucian made his decision. "As compensation, I'll put your name down as my plus-one."

He opened the digital invitation, missing the smile Vivian couldn't quite keep off her face.

But the instant he read the bride's name, the phone slipped from his fingers and hit the floor with a crack.