Chapter 3

I swore that I would protect Lesley for the rest of my life.

She and I quickly became a couple. Maybe it was love at first sight, or perhaps it was simply two wounded souls trying to find solace in each other.

Back then, as I was still heavily shrouded in debt, I constantly kept her on the run from my creditors so they wouldn't be able to hurt her.

While other couples enjoyed Christmas dinner in brightly lit restaurants, I huddled in a tiny hut with Lesley, eating discounted grocery-store rotisserie chicken past its prime.

Yet, she never once complained.

Instead, she would rest her chin in her hand and grin as she listened to me boast about making a comeback, buying the biggest villa in the city, and throwing her the wedding of the century.

Back then, her eyes held nothing but me.

Later, my company's performance gradually improved. I honestly believed she and I would continue down that path until we finally tied the knot.

However, everything changed the moment Archie appeared in our lives.

Archie came from a village in the mountains. He was a truly impoverished young man. Lacking the basic skills required for office work, he was only hired because Lesley strongly recommended him.

For the next three months, Archie failed to generate any profit for the company. In fact, his mistakes caused significant financial losses.

Still, Lesley pitied him. Watching him grind through endless nights, she pressed me to give him a raise and better benefits. When I refused, we argued for the first time.

She accused me of being a privileged rich heir mooching off my parents' inheritance, claiming I would never understand the struggles of people at the bottom rung of society.

At first, I didn't think much of it, assuming my relationship with her was too solid to be threatened by a new employee.

Gradually, however, I noticed Lesley coming home later and later, spending her nights keeping Archie company at the office.

I worried she was wearing herself down, so I urged her to rest and even offered paid leave. But even that small gesture became the spark of another fight.

"Calvin! You think you can buy anything just because you have money? A conceited heir like you will never understand how I feel!"

As time passed, friction between Lesley and me multiplied, turning daily conversations into exhausting brawls. If I tried to make amends with gifts, she would claim she didn't want them—only to accept them anyway and hand them over to Archie the next day.

Eventually, she began publicly accompanying Archie to various events under the guise of work, while her attitude toward me grew increasingly hostile, as though my very presence tainted her reputation.

Reflecting on the past, I found it hard to reconcile the Lesley standing before me with the genuine, carefree young woman from seven years ago—the one who had shared dreams of an infinite future with me.

Perhaps because my "saint's heart" was gone, I didn't feel a shred of sorrow or heartache. Instead, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over me.

For seven years, I had tiptoed around Lesley's feelings, terrified my family background might unsettle her. But now, I'd finally come to my senses.

How could she possibly call herself independent? I had been the one footing her bills all along, only to be met with constant scolding and criticism.

I wasn't just providing financial assistance; I was funding an ingrate and teaching her how to disrespect me.

Beside me, Lesley still hadn't realized that the "saint's heart" inside me had been stripped away. Crossing her arms over her chest, she demanded arrogantly, "Take your filthy money and get out of my sight, Calvin Gardner!

"I can win the championship and hold my own art exhibition on my own merits without any help from you!"

Had this been the past, I would have immediately caved, groveled at her feet, apologized for my lack of consideration, and begged her to stop. Then, she would "reluctantly" accept whatever apology gift I offered.

Now? I just found the whole spectacle laughable. She was clearly asking for a favor, yet she put on an aloof, self-righteous front, expecting me to grovel and feed her pathetic ego.