The Breakup Checks

"Enough. Spare me the nonsense about true love. You're not worthy of my son!"

The woman threw a glass of water in my face.

Then, she threw a check at me.

"Take the check and leave my son."

She clearly did not want to waste any more time talking to me, so she turned and walked away.

She left me with a $200,000 check.

This was already the third one!

I had no idea what kind of curse I was under.

Ever since my first boyfriend, every one of their mothers had tried to break us up with a check.

All three were exactly the same. Even their lines had barely differed.

That was how I tearfully made $600,000.

Some people get rich through housing compensation, others through winning the lottery., others through the lottery. Somehow, I got rich through breakups.

Despite my heartbreak, I was relieved that there was finally hope of paying off the $1 million debt my deadbeat father had left behind.

My best friend, Jojo, said that if we were going to do something, we might as well go all out.

So, using her identity as a trust-fund heiress, she smuggled me into an exclusive singles mixer for the wealthy.

Among the roomful of sharply dressed elite bachelors, she pointed out one man who was especially handsome and striking.

He stood out among the exceptional men around him. His expression was cool and aloof, one hand lazily swirling his wineglass while his legs were crossed.

"See him? The one in the black shirt."

The black shirt fit him perfectly, outlining his broad shoulders and slim waist while adding to his tall, refined appearance.

"His family is incredibly rich. You should give him a try..."

My eyes lit up. Before Jojo could finish, I grabbed a glass of wine and headed over.

A group of dazzling women surrounded the man in the shirt.

They looked eager to approach him, but held their glasses with studied restraint, afraid of being rejected.

Instead, they whispered among themselves, subtly showing off their charms and doing their best to stay alluring.

I was determined to win him over.

But once I got closer, I suddenly lost my nerve.

He looked up.

He had a high-bridged nose, a sharply defined jawline, and striking, well-proportioned features. The top button of his black shirt was undone, leaving the collar slightly open, while loose strands of hair fell casually over his forehead to either side.

He looked somewhat familiar, as if I had seen him somewhere before.

Maybe in a financial news report.

"Hi." I gave him my most polished smile.

He gave a slight nod, but his eyes brightened. "You know me?"

"Not yet, but we will soon."

Or had I imagined it? The light in his eyes seemed to dim.

I sat down in front of him and wondered how to start the conversation.

"Isn't this a matchmaking event? Is there anything you'd like to know about me?"

He leaned back and studied me.

Everyone who could attend this event was financially well-off. If I managed to date any one of them, I would no longer have to worry about my debt.

"How many people have you dated?" I asked, my eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"None. I've been too busy with work." He took an awkward sip of coffee after he spoke.

A handsome guy who was clueless about love?

"Perfect!" I slapped the table excitedly.

Then I blinked at him and said, "I've dated three men, so I have plenty of relationship experience. We're a perfect match!"

He paused, looking slightly surprised.

I could clearly feel the intense gazes from those around us.

The women who had been showing off their charms had started sneaking glances at us the moment I sat down.

Just then, Jojo hurried over and pulled me aside.

"Not him, girl! What were you thinking? How did you even dare to go for him?"

Jojo discreetly gestured toward the man in the dark-gray shirt beside him. "I meant that one... The guy you approached is way out of our league."

I followed her gesture and looked over.

He wasn't bad either, but his looks were nowhere near as impressive as the man I had just spoken to.

After all that, I had picked the wrong target.

Fine. I would start over.

I picked up another glass of wine and prepared to try again.

The man grabbed his suit jacket and blocked my path.

I looked up at him in confusion.

"Didn't you say we were a perfect match?" he asked, watching me with amusement.

What did he mean? Had I actually succeeded?

I only realized what had happened when the two of us went to collect the little gift for successfully finding a match.

Was a man with no dating experience really this easy to win over?

Was my charm too powerful to resist, or did my dating experience appeal to him?

I couldn't figure it out.

"All right, look at the camera."

Everyone who successfully matched had to take a photo together at the venue.

All the guests turned to look at us, and I vaguely heard a few resentful voices.

"She succeeded after saying just a few words?"

"If I'd known he was this easy to win over, I would have gone for him!"

I came back to my senses and looked at the man beside me. He had put on his suit, which made his restrained, seductive appeal even more irresistible.

"So, what are we now?"

"We successfully matched. What do you think?"

"All right, boyfriend. What's your name?"