Chapter 4

"Felix is just a student! You didn't pay a single cent for his tuition or living expenses, forcing him to work three jobs a day on top of classes, and he doesn't even have enough to eat or much to wear!" the man continued yelling at me.

"He's got stomach cancer now and can't even afford the hospital fees anymore! Are you finally happy now?"

I was shocked.

How could this be? I had given Dylan all of my salary every month, and he'd promised me that he would regularly send Felix pocket money and living expenses. He even vowed to take care of him on my behalf!

I hurriedly pressed the man for more details. I learned that his name was Troy Brennan, and he was one of Felix's classmates.

As it turned out, Dylan told Felix that the company had been doing extremely poorly, and therefore, he wasn't able to give him any money regularly.

Felix was worried that I would be put in a tough spot if he brought it up with me, so he didn't ask me for money. Instead, he worked odd jobs and saved up enough to even give Dylan 1,000 dollars a month to help him with the company.

And now, he was overworked to the point he'd gotten stomach cancer. He didn't want to be a burden to me and decided to hide it. He'd even planned to give up on the treatment without telling me.

I looked at Felix lying helplessly in the hospital on the verge of death and felt my heart being sliced to shreds. I couldn't hold back anymore and sobbed hard, tears and snot covering my face.

Yet, I didn't have the luxury of time to continue feeling sorry for him.

I wiped my tears away and thought of a way to come up with money urgently.

For the past five years, my life had revolved completely around Dylan, and I'd already distanced myself from my old friends. My colleagues were all eager to watch my downfall, so it was obvious that I didn't even have to bother considering borrowing any money from them.

Left with no other choice, I felt for a ring box in my pocket.

There was a pair of wedding bands inside this box, worth 15,000 dollars in total. I'd bought it with five years' worth of my savings without Dylan's knowledge, thinking of surprising him with it when the time came.

But now, I couldn't wait for that timing anymore.

As of now, these rings were the only things still of value that I had left.

I brought them to the pawnshop and was told they would only give me 6,000 dollars for the pair.

"Sorry, miss, but tiny diamonds like these aren't worth much. Given how urgently you need the money, 6,000 dollars is the best price I can offer for these.

"If you want your jewelry to keep its value, you should have just bought gemstones from those luxury fine jewelry stores instead," the pawnshop owner said disdainfully, pointing opposite the road.

I looked in the direction that he was pointing. Just as I was about to look back at him, I caught sight of Dylan inside the fine jewelry store, shopping with Lynette.

She looked as if she were hesitating between two pieces of jewelry.

"Other people's wedding bands are plain and boring. Don't you think it's too much for you to be buying an emerald one for me?"

Dylan didn't think much about it as he said, "Occasions like these only happen once in your lifetime. Of course, I need to make a big deal about it!"

The salesperson said respectfully, "Sir, these rings aren't sold individually. They are only sold in a full set, and the cost is 20 million dollars."

Lynette was shocked. "What? That's too much! I like this ring, but I don't like the necklace or earrings in the set. It's such a waste to buy the whole set!"

Although she said it like that, she still held on tightly to the emerald ring until her knuckles went white, not looking like she was going to set it down anytime soon.

When Dylan noticed it, he smiled affectionately at her and said, "That's not a lot of money. Just buy it if you like it that much. We can always give the other jewelry to your mom instead. It would be a good gift for her anyway."

I lowered my gaze and dug my nails deeply into the flesh of my palms, feeling desolate and pathetic.

Dylan told Felix that the company hadn't been doing well and didn't have enough cash flow. Dylan also forcibly reduced my daily spending to five dollars. I could barely even afford a drink with my meal at times.

He was even more ruthless toward Felix, asking him for money rather than paying for Felix's living expenses.

And yet, there Dylan was, casually spending 20 million dollars on Lynette like it was no big deal.

So, was this what he meant by them just being regular colleagues at work?

Had this been in the past, I would have rushed up to him at once to confront him and make a huge fuss. But now, I just pretended that I never saw him after all and went back after pawning off my rings.

I didn't have much time left, and I was still trying to raise enough money to cover Felix's hospital expenses. I didn't have the time to settle scores with Dylan anymore.

Dylan never came home for the rest of the day. But when he saw that I had never even reached out once to ask where he was, he surprisingly took the initiative to tell me. It was a very rare occasion indeed.