Chapter 3

My eyes lit up, and the question slipped out before I could stop it. "Does that mean you're still willing to sponsor me?"

His gaze landed on the cat I was holding protectively. Under the moonlight, even his sharp, cold features seemed to soften slightly.

"The contract's been signed. Of course it stands."

[The female lead ran back home and refused to see the male lead. He's upset, so he came back to find the supporting female character.]

[Hilarious. The supporting female character actually thinks the male lead cares about her. Disgusting.]

[It was never stated outright, but the male lead only sponsored her to make the female lead jealous. She's too dumb to realize it. The moment she's no longer useful, he'll dump her again.]

Holding the cat, I followed Ian closely behind. I ignored the mocking comments.

I didn't care. As long as I could eat, stay in school, and get the cat treated, that was more than enough for me.

After realizing Ian sponsored me only to make Katie Stafford jealous, I committed many 'terrible deeds' under the relentless insults of the floating comments, all to prove my usefulness.

At meals, I took the initiative to place food on his plate. Before bed, I gave him head massages. I even shamelessly got into the car when he picked Katie up from school.

If Katie refused to sit in the passenger seat, I would brazenly take it myself.

After several such incidents, Katie finally threw a fit. She declared she would move to her childhood friend's house and never return.

The atmosphere inside the car became tense instantly.

I turned to look at Ian with bright eyes. "Snowy's injuries are almost healed. Sir, would you like to come see her with me?"

Snowy was the name I gave the white cat. Since Katie had a mild allergy to cat fur, Snowy had been staying at a veterinary hospital.

In the dim car, Ian rested one hand on the steering wheel and looked away from the rearview mirror.

He narrowed his eyes at me slightly and smiled.

"Sure."

Katie, whose foot was halfway out of the Porsche, stopped. She immediately sat back down and stomped her foot furiously.

"No! You can't! Today is your birthday. I promised I'd spend it with you. How can you leave with this wretch instead?"

Leaning forward from the back seat, she wrapped her arms possessively around Ian's arms.

His indifferent gaze flicked toward me.

I got the message and stepped out of the car. I let the gust of wind from the departing car whip my clothes into disarray.

What they forgot, however, was that the villa staff had the day off. The door was fingerprint-locked, and I couldn't get in.

So I curled up beneath the villa's outer awning and stared blankly into the night.

The late-autumn wind cut like knives.

Still, compared to the days when I had neither enough food nor warmth, this was already far better.

After that day, Katie's relationship with Ian eased considerably.

Ian's attitude toward me also shifted from fully cold and distant to slight kindness.

He began asking about my studies. When he returned from business trips, he brought me gifts.

If Katie received a diamond necklace, I received a delicate brooch.

If she received an extravagant bouquet of imported roses, I received a single budding tulip.

When the housekeeper prepared nourishing soup for Katie, Ian would instruct her to serve me a bowl as well.

Once I realized the sponsorship wasn't going to be revoked anytime soon, the tension I'd been carrying finally loosened, and I devoted more energy to my studies.

After all, just as the comments said, I would be discarded sooner or later. It was better to learn as much as I could before that day came.

After Snowy recovered, Katie brought her back.

Since she was allergic to cat fur, she played with Snowy through an airtight raincoat.