Chapter 2

Rebecca had called my thoughts filthy and claimed that everything she did was for her art, to give audiences something better to watch on screen.

In the end, she and Travis had conspired to kill me so they could be together for good.

She had secretly taken out a massive life insurance policy on me.

On my birthday, she had used the celebration as a pretext to lure me to the 23rd floor. She planned to push me off and make my death look like a drunken accident, all to collect the insurance payout.

Right before I died, she looked at me with open contempt and said, "You've treated me like nothing but your cash cow all these years! You've tried to control every aspect of my life!

"You forced me to take role after role that I hated, all to line your own pockets! You never once cared about what I wanted! You even went around telling everyone I was your fiancée just to keep me under your control! It's disgusting!

"If it weren't for you, Travis and I would have gotten together a long time ago! Once you're dead, we won't have to hide anymore!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the two of them pushed me off the 23rd floor together. The sickening crack of impact still seemed to echo in my ears.

Back then, Rebecca had been the one who wanted to become a household name. I had spared no expense to secure roles for her with top directors and pave the way for her success.

Yet she had seen my efforts as nothing more than an attempt to control her.

I had worried that people in the industry might approach her with bad intentions, so I told everyone she was my fiancée to protect her.

But in her eyes, I was nothing more than an obstacle between her and Travis.

How laughable. They had used my money and resources to establish themselves in the industry, only to turn around and bite the hand that fed them.

Fine. Let's see just how far their so-called talent could take them without my backing.

Rebecca seemed to have regained her confidence after hearing Travis' words. She lifted her chin, her voice thick with arrogance. "Did you hear that? Without you, I'll shine even brighter."

Her friends immediately chimed in to support her.

"Exactly! Becca has the looks and the talent! Who needs your filthy money?"

"Don't think having a little money makes you someone important! Becca doesn't even want it!"

One of the taller women, eager to show off, reached out to shove me. "Get lost already! Stop standing around here like an eyesore!"

I sidestepped her and swept my foot out in the same motion. She stumbled and fell hard to the ground.

Rebecca immediately rounded on me, her voice shrill with outrage. "Gordon! What do you think you're doing? Are you even a man? How could you lay hands on a woman?"

I watched her rush to her friend's defense and let out a cold laugh. I had treated them like decent people for far too long. That was exactly why every last one of them had grown increasingly brazen.

"Fine. Since you're all so proud, and since my filthy money isn't good enough for you, pay back every cent I've spent on you over the years. I won't accept a penny less."

She wanted to act like some untouchable saint while still clinging to every benefit my money had brought her. Did she really think the world worked that way?

The moment I said that, every eye turned toward Rebecca.

"Didn't she always say she never relied on anyone? Turns out she's spent that much of his money..."

"She didn't complain while she was spending it. Now that he wants it back, suddenly she doesn't want to pay?"

"She wants to have it both ways. That's just pathetic."

Her face went pale, then flushed red.

With everyone watching her, she forced herself to raise her voice. "Fine, I'll pay it back! As if I even want your money! Just stay away from me after this!"

I watched her put on that act and merely let out a cold laugh.

Stay away from her?

In my previous life, she had kept stringing me along. Whenever I started to grow distant, she would reach out to draw me back, only to pull away the moment I got close.

If she hadn't kept playing those games, would I have ever humiliated myself like that?

Not in this life. I would never make the same mistake again.

One was deceitful, and the other was vicious. They deserved each other, as long as they stopped ruining other people's lives.

As for the money? I would settle accounts with her, down to the very last cent.

"Gladly." I turned and walked away without hesitation.

After I had taken a few steps, I heard Rebecca's voice behind me. She sounded faintly uneasy.