Chapter 3

Michael obviously had double standards, and I was the sucker.

"These are just some birthday gifts I got for a friend," I explained to him.

Immediately, his expression relaxed, and he asked, seemingly casually, "Which friend? Is it Ivy?"

I looked up at him. "How did you know that her birthday's coming up?"

Michael's eyes flashed with unease as he laughed and brushed me off, saying, "I was just guessing. I think you mentioned it before."

I snorted to myself. I'd never told Michael about Ivy's birthday before. He didn't even remember my birthday, but he sure did remember his girlfriend's friend's birthday.

It was truly a joke.

I didn't bother pressing any further. Pointing at one of the bags, I asked, "Do you think she'll like that color?"

He glanced at it before answering, "It looks nice. She'll like white."

"It's a little expensive, though," I said with feigned vexation.

"How is it expensive? After all, it's a gift for Ivy," Michael blurted.

I snorted again as I recalled what happened the last time he forgot my birthday. He said that he wanted to make it up to me by getting me a necklace, so I sent him the link for one. It cost 888 dollars, and that was the discounted price, too.

However, he ended up saying that it was too expensive, grumbling in displeasure, "Why are you so materialistic? I can't believe you'd ask me to buy such an expensive necklace."

I was stunned.

This necklace was already way cheaper than what I'd normally buy. I'd only picked it out because of his financial constraints, what with his company and everything.

In the end, he gave me a necklace that had supposedly cost 200 dollars. I wore it for just one day before having an allergic reaction. Now that I thought about it, I got the feeling that it probably didn't even cost 20 bucks.

Yet when it came to his birthday, I had given him a watch that cost five figures, and he showed no hesitation in accepting it. He was pretty thrilled with it, in fact.

The handbag I pointed at cost a few thousand dollars, but Michael said it wasn't expensive.

Looking at him, I suggested, "Since you also know Ivy, why don't you buy her a handbag as well? She likes them."

He hesitated for a moment before agreeing to it. He even picked out a handbag that was even more expensive than the one I had gotten.

If not for the money I received in my bank account, I would've slapped him across the face.

…

Ivy's birthday party was indeed a grand event.

It was held on the outdoor lawn of a five-star hotel, which was covered in pink roses. A massive heart made of red roses stood at the center, with her initials in the middle.

When all her friends came to take photos of the decor, they gushed over everything.

"Everything looks gorgeous!"

"I'd be thrilled to death if my husband treated me this well."

"You're so lucky, Ivy!"

"Look at all these lovely flowers. It must've cost a fortune, right?"

On and on they went, while I smiled faintly on the side. Over 200 thousand dollars had been spent on the party. How could it not be gorgeous?

Ivy wore a pink lace gown with a matching tiara, making her look like a princess straight out of a fairytale. Her eyes shone with delight as everyone showered her with compliments.

When I handed my gift to her, I curiously asked, "Why isn't your boyfriend here?"

Ivy glanced at Michael and, her smile shy, said, "Something came up, so he couldn't make it. But since he did all this for me, it feels like he's here, too. I'm very happy."

Smiling, I expressed my pity that he couldn't make it.

I watched as she flitted through the crowd, basking in the looks of envy everyone gave her. Turning to Michael, I said, "I envy her so much. Her boyfriend is such a great guy. When can I have a birthday party like this, too?"

I saw the imperceptible smile that crept over Michael's lips, but what he said to me was, "Don't even think about it. It'd be a waste of money if you throw a birthday party like this."

Then, he even changed the subject. "Besides, if you've got that kind of money to spare, you should invest it in my company instead."

My mood soured. Narrowing my eyes, I studied him.

Ever since we got engaged, he'd been dropping hints—some subtle, some not so subtle—about wanting my family to invest in his company.

He had even brought it up with my father before, but Dad didn't agree to it. His eyes had flashed with an almost undetectable hint of hostility then. He probably took it as his future father-in-law refusing to help him, and that pissed him off.

As it was, Dad simply wanted him to gain more business experience first.

However, it was from that point onward that his attitude started to change.

I took a sip of red wine before asking in feigned confusion, "Isn't your company doing perfectly fine? Why do you keep wanting my family to invest in it?"