Chapter 6

The next day, Laurent introduced Caroline to his buddies.

They greeted her politely but hid the mockery in their eyes. In their minds, the swan would never really love an ugly duckling. They were convinced that he was just playing.

Caroline was pretty but too earnest. Her heart was on display, and that got boring fast.

Laurent shared the same thought, not expecting her to change him. He'd be traveling abroad often, and they'd barely see each other.

What he said to her the other day was probably adrenaline from the fire.

But her love was too fervent. He couldn't bring himself to break up with her, and their relationship lasted years.

She wanted no money, just his love.

In their senior year of college, Laurent started managing the family business. Caroline, preparing for grad school, moved in to take care of him.

Everyone at school knew she had a rich boyfriend, but no one deemed her a gold-digger, despite her poor background.

She was sincere, hardworking, and brilliant.

Guys saw her as a goddess, and girls admired her. They believed that she would be a star someday and that Laurent would be the one punching up.

But then, her mom's cancer diagnosis hit like a freight train. Pancreatic cancer tormented Linda Whitley.

Caroline's world cracked. She called Laurent, asking tentatively, "Could you lend me ten grand?"

He was drinking in a bar, though he lied about a business meeting.

His eyes cooled. "What do you need it for?"

"If you could..." Caroline, always proud, sounded broken. "I really need it right now."

Unimpressed, he cut her off. "Let's talk tomorrow. I'm tied up."

He hung up, leaving her dangling in the dark.

It was her first time asking him for money, but he was unconcerned. She tried to convince herself that he was just busy with work.

Then a call came. It was a fellow student at her school.

"Your boyfriend is messing around at a bar. My friends and I saw it. Don't let him fool you," said the girl.

The sisterly gesture pulled her out of the abyss.

When Caroline reached the private room, laughter spilled out.

Reckless and untamed, Laurent never cared about others' feelings.

"Your girl is gonna be pissed if she finds out, right?" said one of his friends.

"My girl? No way I'd marry her. She is barely girlfriend material," Laurent laughed.

"She is gorgeous, though. Tons of guys at school want her. Don't mess this up."

"So what? Those losers can't even touch me. Caroline is naive, and I'm her first love. She does whatever I want in bed."

Their chemistry was perfect. His darkest kinks found a home with her.

"You're living like a king."

"Pretty much."

Laurent's eyes flickered, blurring truth and lies.

"She's good to you. You're not worried she'll be heartbroken if she hears this?"

"Good? Who knows why she's really with me?" Laurent sneered, thinking of the call. "She just asked me for money."

His friends started jeering.

"Gold-digger? Caroline doesn't seem like that."

"She's good at playing the good girl. Five years of acting sweet, and now she's showing her true colors. Trying to scam you, huh? High-class gold-digger."

"She's straight-up using you. Asking for a big chunk, right? That's basically selling herself."

When they trashed Caroline, Laurent frowned instinctively.

His friend punched his arm. "You're not actually catching feelings, are you? Can't let her go?"

Laurent snapped out of it. "Come on. I chased her for ages in high school. It was a thrill. Got her, slept with her, and now it's kind of boring. I'm thinking of dumping her."

More chatter followed, but Caroline couldn't hear it anymore. The crushing blow woke her up.

All these years, she'd been living in an illusion, beautiful and destructive.

If Linda hadn't been so sick, she'd never have begged him.

She didn't barge inside. Confronting him would only humiliate her further.

She leaned against the wall, sliding down and bursting into tears.

Inside the room, someone slurred, "If you dump her, let me have a shot."

Laurent's expression shifted. He smashed a bottle at the guy's feet, spitting, "Get lost!"

"Take it easy, man. Just kidding," the guy muttered, cowering.

Caroline didn't hear that because a tall, elegant woman came up, concerned about her state.

Mistaking her for an overworked waitress, the woman helped her up and spoke softly. "Hey, don't cry. What's wrong?"

Caroline couldn't cry anymore, her throat raw.

"I'm here for Laurent," the woman said, squinting at Caroline's face. "Why are you crying out here alone?"

Caroline stepped back. "Sorry, I..."

"Is Laurent in there?" the woman asked. "I'm his fiancée. Here to pick him up."

Caroline's mind went blank. After a while, she found her voice. "He's inside. I'll grab some glasses."

The woman patted her shoulder and pushed the door open. Shouts of surprise erupted.

"Whoa! Laurent, your princess is here!"

"Dragging my fiancé out so late. I'll deal with you later."

"Come on, don't be so uptight. After the wedding, you'll have Laurent on a leash. Can't he have some fun before?"

His friends' voices carried, but Laurent's was faint.

Caroline caught the keyword. 'If they're getting married, what about me? I've given him my heart.'

She pretended to be a waitress, running down the hall and out into the night. The cold wind stung her eyes, forcing tears out. Her heart convulsed, like it were dying.

Laurent liked her playing different roles in bed, feeding his extreme, obsessive kinks. She always went along with it because she loved him.

But now, she realized she'd been playing one role all along. She thought their bond was deep, but to him, she was just a toy.

The truth hit her like a storm. Passing through it, she would not be the same person anymore.

Like a lost soul, she went home alone, never telling Laurent she'd been there.

She wouldn't try getting a dime from him either. The humiliation was too deep. She just stopped reaching out to him, something he couldn't be more glad of.

A week later, he suggested breaking up, and she agreed.

Laurent frowned at the simple reply. 'That's it? Isn't she supposed to beg and cry? She is crazy about him. Why is she so calm?'

He checked her social media, only to find that she had blocked him.

The office fell dead silent. His throat tightened. 'What does she think she's doing? It was just a week of no contact before I suggested breaking up, and now she is giving me attitude?'

He sneered, gripping his phone tightly. He was aware of her pride, but he didn't think she could handle the fall.

He believed she loved him too much to let go, waiting for her to crawl back.

One year later, he was still blocked.

He wouldn't admit it, still thinking that she was just sulking. Then, a month ago, news broke that the notorious playboy, Roderick Reed, got married.

A friend told Laurent that no heiress would marry Roderick because of his discreet behavior and rumored sickness.

Laurent laughed, "Who's the saint taking out that trash?"

"Some girl from outside the circle," his friend said. "She's after money, and he's after an heir. Perfect deal. Heard she's a grad student, always winning national scholarships. Guess she's upgrading the Reed family genes."

Laurent's heart lurched.

"What's her name? They tied the knot?"

"Yesterday. The bride is named Caroline Whitley. Sounds familiar."

Laurent's cup slipped, shattering on the floor.