Chapter 3

Laura mentioning my twenty-year-old self brought back a rush of memories.

At twenty, I was the guy every boy in college wanted to be.

I came from a wealthy Boston family and had the looks to match.

More importantly, I had three stunning girls constantly by my side.

Laura, Maria, and Sophie grew up together.

Perhaps because their lives were so intertwined, their taste in men was identical. They all fell head over heels for me at the same time.

However, they didn't tear each other apart. Instead, they made a pact to compete fairly.

They all had different ways of pursuing me.

At twenty, I admired independent, confident women. I couldn't resist Laura’s elegant, self-assured charm.

So, I chose Laura.

Everyone at school thought that once Laura and I got together, Maria and Sophie would move on.

But they didn't.

They still put me above everything else. If Laura was even slightly neglectful as a girlfriend, they would call her out on my behalf before I could even say a word.

Our dynamic was unconventional, but it worked.

This lifestyle lasted until I turned twenty-six.

That year, my family went bankrupt. My parents passed away shortly after, and I went from a wealthy heir to a nobody overnight.

I refused their financial help. I wanted to stand on my own feet, so I got a job as a professional theater dancer.

During a cast dinner one night, I ran into Julian, who was being severely bullied by some corporate sponsors.

He was four years younger than me, a fresh graduate, looking completely helpless and terrified.

I couldn't stand bullies. Having been protected my whole life, I acted on impulse.

I grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it over the bully’s head.

The man let go of Julian, but his bodyguards immediately lunged at me.

The restaurant turned into absolute chaos. Since I was outnumbered, I got beaten to a pulp.

Fortunately, Laura and the girls arrived with their own security detail just in time.

Their bodyguards pinned the fat, middle-aged bully to the floor, forcing him to beg for mercy before he was dragged away.

Once the air cleared, Julian fell to his knees in front of me.

His eyes were red as he cried, "I’m so sorry, Davis. This is all my fault."

I thought I would never see Julian again.

But while I was recovering in the hospital, he showed up with a bag of cheap, bruised fruit.

I was staying in a luxury VIP suite arranged by Laura, and Julian looked incredibly out of place.

He rubbed his hands nervously. "Davis, if it weren't for you that night, I don't know what would have happened to me..."

"I asked Laura, and she said you like exotic fruits. I bought these. I hope you recover soon."

The fruit he brought was actually half-rotten.

But to spare his feelings, I ate it anyway.

That night, I ended up with severe food poisoning, throwing up and suffering from acute gastroenteritis.

Laura and the girls scolded me for being too naive, then went to confront Julian.

Julian, who had never faced such fierce women, panicked.

He apologized to me in tears while venting about how he had just been fired from his internship.

Back then, I thought he was just a sweet, helpless kid.

I felt sorry for him and wanted to help.

So, I pulled some strings at the theater and hired Julian as my personal assistant.

It was the single worst decision of my life.