Love Scam: The "Crippled" Boyfriend's Two-Year Plan

After I ended the call with Dad, Rosie Shaw's voice drifted out of the villa once more.

"My sweet Mark loves me the most, of course. That's why he's helping me teach that bitch a lesson. I'm so happy!"

When she held Mark Jamison's jaw, I saw the ring on her ring finger—it was Mom's ring.

Chuckling, Mark gently bit her finger, saying, "You're always so mischievous!"

His legs, which were supposed to be paralyzed, were stretched out comfortably on the coffee table in front of him. It looked like they could move just fine.

The thick layer of white cast around them, which'd fooled me for over two years, glared brightly under the light.

Clutching my delivery bag, I knocked on the door, which opened on its own. Everyone inside turned toward me. Immediately, the ruckus in the living room died out.

Step by step, I walked up to Mark, my soaking shoes leaving watery footprints on the floor.

Mark's eyes flickered with panic. His voice was tight as he asked, "What are you doing here? I'm just attending a gathering with some of my old classmates…"

Ignoring him, I stared at the ring Rosie was wearing.

"Give me back the ring."

Mark's smile stiffened. He didn't expect me to be this cold toward him. He rolled over in his wheelchair and attempted to calm me down in his customary gentle tone. "Emmy, let me explain—"

"Explain what?" I interrupted, my smile looking more like a grimace. "Explain that you kindly helped me sell my ring to Rosie for a high price? Or that by sheer coincidence, your paralyzed legs somehow started working again?"

Mark turned pale. His mouth was open, but no words came out.

The atmosphere grew even heavier.

Only Rosie let out a scornful snort. She stood up and strutted over to me in her heels, deliberately waving the ring in front of me.

"Mark gave this ring to me as a gift! Are you asking for it back now because you've taken a liking to it too?"

She emphasized the part about Mark giving it to her, her eyes filled with taunting glee.

Turning even paler, Mark exclaimed, "Stop talking, Rosie! Emmy's—"

"What about her?" Rosie snapped, cutting him off impatiently.

Her condescending gaze swept all over my cheap and soaking-wet delivery uniform.

"You want the ring? Sure. I can give it back to you as a courtesy to Mark, but not for its original price, since I've worn it already. But I'm in a good mood, so I'll give you a good price—500 thousand dollars in cash. Give me the money now, and you can leave with the ring."

500 thousand dollars?

After my fight with Dad, I'd exhausted all of my money to cover Mark's "treatments". I even had to pawn off the ring Mom left to me. I couldn't even scrounge up 500 dollars.

I looked at Rosie's smug expression before turning my gaze to Mark. He averted his eyes, silently supporting Rosie's ploy to humiliate me.

I felt as though my heart had been clenched in an icy grip. The last bit of hope, sustained only by the warm memories of the past, instantly died out.