Chapter 3

Seeing me freeze at the entrance, Christian had an "I knew it" look on his face.

Still, he rubbed his hands together, pretending to be embarrassed.

"I’m just a warehouse mover. I don't make much. After rent, there’s barely anything left."

"Amber, I’m so sorry to bring you to a place like this. Honestly, I usually can't even afford a buffet."

*[Lie.]*

The red warnings in my head flashed so bright my eyes practically ached.

I snapped back to reality, my stomach rumbling loudly.

"You have no idea. Ever since my dad brought my stepmother and stepsister into our house, I’ve barely had enough to eat."

"I have to work part-time to pay for my own tuition. When I’m hungry, I just buy expired clearance food from the grocery store."

"Don't worry. This buffet is a feast to me."

I spoke the absolute truth, without a shred of shame.

In fact, I couldn't wait. I marched right in and grabbed a tray.

If this were Chloe, she would have thrown the tray at Christian's face and told him to go to hell.

But my eyes were practically glowing as I piled food onto my plate.

"Fried chicken, yes please..."

"Mashed potatoes, definitely..."

"Roast beef, oh my god, yes..."

Christian followed behind me.

Seeing my plate piled high like a mountain and watching me eat with pure, unadulterated joy, he was utterly stunned.

"I can tell you're actually starving. You weren't lying."

I was eating so happily that I barely heard him.

Compared to my black-hole stomach, Christian clearly wasn't used to this kind of food.

He barely touched his plate.

I ended up finishing all of his leftovers, too.

After cleaning every plate, I patted my full stomach and thanked him repeatedly.

"Thank you so much. This is the most satisfying meal I've had in months."

"Don't worry. When I make it big, I'll treat you to the finest dinner."

Christian’s eyes flickered, and a faint, genuine smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

When he offered to take me home, I waved my hands in refusal.

"I’m not going back there. I've already rented a small basement room. I plan to stay there while I look for a job."

Before our date, Chloe had bragged to the matchmaker about being a pampered little princess.

She despised this date, hated his cheap clothes, and refused to even show her face.

So now, when Christian tried to dig deeper into my situation, I could tell him the truth with zero guilt.

"My mom passed away when I was young. Not long after, my dad married Tiffany and brought Chloe into the family."

"Since then, I became Chloe's favorite punching bag. She had so many ways to torment me. My dad knew, but he just didn't care."

"But hey, they gave me a roof over my head, so I guess I should still be grateful."

Christian’s fists clenched as he listened.

"And you just took it? You let your stepmother and stepsister bully you like that?"

I nodded, pulling up my sleeves.

I showed Christian the old scars on my arms.

Some were burn marks from Chloe's curling iron, others were deep scratches from her nails.

"I couldn't help it when I was a kid."

"When I got older and wanted to move out, they took my passport, birth certificate, and Social Security card so I couldn't leave."

I looked up and smiled at him.

"But it's fine now."

"I’ve finally graduated from college. I can survive on my own."

"Once I save enough money, I'll pay them back for the food and cut ties with them completely."

"Amber... to be honest, when I first met you today, I thought you were just playing victim to scam me."

Christian was now entirely convinced I was telling the truth.

He fell silent for a few seconds, his eyes deep and intense.

"If you could make one wish right now, what would it be?"

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