Chapter 2

Cillian's POV

"Who said you could lay a hand on him?" Celine shoved Marcus away and anxiously examined my injuries.

The strap of her dress slipped off her shoulder, revealing the hickeys littering her skin.

Marcus staggered back a couple of steps, but he didn't seem to mind. He merely watched me with a mocking smile.

"Celine and I are only in a marriage of convenience. We don't love each other, so you can still be with her. I'm being a damn good friend, aren't I? I don't even mind being cuckolded, so what the hell are you getting so worked up about?"

"You two are in a marriage of convenience?" I muttered.

Marcus was the campus heartthrob. He was known for being handsome and rich. Countless people would pay a fortune just for his contact information.

Celine, on the other hand, came from an ordinary family. She'd even missed today's graduation photo shoot because she'd been working overtime at her company.

A while ago, I'd jokingly asked her when she planned to turn our dating anniversary into a wedding anniversary.

Celine had blushed profusely and thrown herself into my arms. "Once I graduate, land a permanent job, and save up enough money, I'll marry you in style! So, you have to work hard as well. I want to be the most beautiful bride!"

Drinking in the look on my face, Marcus scoffed. "Cillian, you're even more of an idiot than I thought!"

He pointed at Celine, his face full of scorn. "Celine's the only daughter of the Waverly family, the sole heiress to Waverly Group. Word spread across the entire campus on the very first day of school. She paid everyone off to keep their mouths shut just so she could play pretend with you.

"You're the only one who had absolutely no idea, even though you're her boyfriend, and you were with her day in and day out. You've been kept in the dark like a complete fool!"

Tears burst through the dam. I desperately tried to wipe them away, but I couldn't stop them no matter how hard I tried.

"That's enough!" Celine snapped, reaching out to wipe my tears away.

I took two steps back to put some distance between us. I wore a poker face as I looked at her. "Is he telling the truth? Have you been lying to me all this time?"

She remained silent for what felt like an eternity before letting out a sigh. "Marcus is telling the truth. I'm the heiress of the Waverly family."

Guilt washed over her face, yet her tone was light, as though a weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders. "Remember the necklace you gave me for my birthday last year? I told you I couldn't bring myself to wear it because I didn't want to damage it, but the truth is, I thought it was too cheap.

"I didn't tell you my identity because I was afraid you'd be a gold-digger like other guys and have ulterior motives.

"Cill, you can't even recognize the brands of my clothes. How could I possibly marry you and become a laughingstock?"

I bit down hard on my lip. My heart ached until it went numb.

I'd worked part-time every single day to earn money throughout college.

Knowing Mom was in poor health and I needed money to cover her medical bills, Celine had secretly wired me money and deleted the transaction records so I wouldn't find out.

Then, one day, I stumbled upon her handing out flyers in a bulky mascot costume under the sweltering heat, on the verge of dehydration.

My heart ached terribly for her, yet she wore a carefree smile and said, "I'm not doing this for you; I'm saving up for our wedding in advance!"

I'd scrimped and saved for three whole months before biting the bullet and buying her a designer necklace from a lesser-known luxury brand.

I was short on money, so I used what little I had to show her how much I loved her. Celine was wealthy, yet she used her wealth to put my love to the test.

Marcus regarded me with pity. "You need to know your place, Cillian. The Waverly family is one of the most prominent families in the country. They'd never allow her to marry someone like you. I told you ages ago to find another girlfriend, but you were too dense to take the hint."

Ever since Celine and I made it official, Marcus would constantly tease me for being whipped, claiming I'd forgotten all about my best friend the moment I got a girlfriend.

However, he couldn't bear to watch me starve myself to the point of developing stomach problems just to save money, so he always found ways to help me out.

He'd often buy me an extra portion of food and pay me to pick up his packages.

It hit me then that those were nothing but handouts. In an instant, a metallic tang flooded my mouth as humiliation swept through me.

I shoved Celine away and shrieked, "You bloody bastard!" But she seized the chance to grab my hand and pull me into a tight embrace.

Her voice was gentle as she tried to soothe me. "Dry those tears. The graduation ceremony's tomorrow, and you still have to go up on stage to give a speech as the outstanding graduate.

"Since you and Marcus are best buds, we'll be one big family from now on. Plus, you won't ever have to worry about money again."

Marcus leaned lazily against the wall and let out a derisive chuckle. "If I weren't worried that some other guy might make Cillian's life hell after marrying you, I wouldn't have agreed to this marriage of convenience. Don't worry, Cillian.

"We've been friends for more than a decade; no one can come between us. In other words, you and Celine can still see each other. I'm only her husband on paper."

I pushed Celine away and punched Marcus in the face. "No way in hell!"

I ran out into the night in utter despair, and she didn't chase after me.

…

The following day, I showed up at the school auditorium with eyes as swollen as peaches.

Before I went on stage, someone recognized me and exclaimed, "Wait, aren't you the guy whose best friend stole his girl?"