Chapter 3

Unable to listen to Lina anymore, I bellowed, "Please watch your words, Lina! I didn't ask him for money to buy a house!"

Lina instantly shrank back as if frightened. "Let's just forget it, Jayden. Look. Her temper is still the same as always. It's no use helping her, so let's leave her alone already."

I said thoughtfully, "There's no need for you two to worry about my affairs."

However, Jayden was unwilling to let the matter rest. He grabbed my arm again and gripped it hard.

"Stop acting pitiful, Emily. You looked down on the 10 dollars I transferred to you all those years ago, but you'd hardly find as much in a trash can, right?

"And now, you're refusing the money I'm offering you. Do you think your dignity is going to fill your belly?"

I stared speechlessly at him. After all these years, did he still think I broke up with him because of those $10?

Back then, Lina left to study abroad without even a farewell. She broke up with him so suddenly that he found it difficult to accept reality and was extremely upset.

Jacob Porter, who saw his son so depressed, asked me to spend more time with him and get his spirits up. At that time, I thought that since I was friends with him, I would stay by his side and help him get over his emotional pain.

Later, we naturally started dating each other. Yet, when Lina returned from abroad, he started to grow cold, distanced himself from me, and hurt me.

When Lina and I both needed money, he only gave me $10 while transferring $3 million to Lina to buy a detached villa in Centralis.

Such obvious preferential treatment made me understand that Lina was the person he loved most. I still loved him back then, so I couldn't bear to let him go. It wasn't until Lina sent me a message that I gave up on him completely.

Could it be that he didn't even realize that? No, he was surely just playing dumb.

He was now the one harassing me. How utterly ridiculous.

I gazed coldly at his complicated expression. "Stop being so full of yourself, Jayden. I'm perfectly well-off right now, and it was just a coincidence that I met you here."

I then tried to tug my arm out of his grasp, but he was holding on too tightly. In fact, his grip was hurting me.

I continued, "Our relationship already ended many years ago, and I've never tried to seek you out again. You can rest assured of that."

He frowned at me, looking deep in thought.

In order to dispel his confusion, I elaborated, "Also, I'm married. My mate has a rather bad temper, so it'll be bad news if he sees you clinging onto me."

He dragged me over to him in shock upon hearing this. "Did you get married behind my back?"

I immediately broke out of his grasp and retreated a few steps.

He looked at me with great curiosity and asked, "Who's your mate? How could he allow you to be reduced to picking up trash?"

I hated being asked invasive questions like these and didn't reply.

Upon seeing that I wasn't speaking, he suddenly sneered. "You almost managed to trick me. Oh, I get it now.

"You wanted to use marriage to upset me and make me return to you. I'll have you know that even if you told me you gave birth to our child, I wouldn't care."

I was once again rendered speechless. He didn't have to put it so bluntly. I was also well aware that Lina was the only person he loved.

He had been the first to confess his love to me back then. I even asked him over and over again whether he had gotten over Lina. It wasn't until he swore that he had forgotten Lina that I agreed to be with him.

So, why did he now feel that I was still unwilling to give up on him and wanted to continue to be with him?

I wasn't the kind of person to go looking for trouble only to make a fool of myself.

Unfortunately, he had already formed his own preconceptions of me, so it didn't matter what I said. I turned around and continued to rummage through the trash, deciding to ignore him.

Lina held onto Jayden's arm. "Since she doesn't appreciate your help, it's useless trying to help her, Jayden. Let's just go!"

However, Jayden refused to leave. He stared closely at me, a trace of hesitation crossing his face.