Chapter 1 The Cruel Truth

I clutched my father's memorial portrait and sat on the steps in the back alley of the private club.

My father's favorite drink had always been whiskey. He didn't even buy himself a proper urn.

Before he died, he told me to use his old whiskey bottle to hold his ashes. He said the money should be used to pay off Derrick's debts.

As I stood up, my phone buzzed with a Twitter notification.

'Derrick Waterson, the heir of Waterson Group, has officially taken over the family business and announced his engagement to his fiancee, Jessica Ackley.'

On the screen, Derrick was dressed in a tailored suit. One of his arms was wrapped around Jessica's waist as the two smiled sweetly at the cameras.

As I looked at the picture, my tears fell onto the back of my hand, and I could feel my heart throb in pain.

My father's accident.

My endless overtime shifts.

The suffering of the past eight years.

To him, it had all been nothing more than a test of true love.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. It was Derrick calling.

"Millie, there's a storm tonight. Are you still on your way home?" His voice was full of concern.

When I heard his voice, I couldn't say a single word. It was as if something was stuck in my throat.

In the past, whenever he fussed over me like this, my heart would soften. I would hurry home just to be with him.

However, now all I felt was disgust.

Derrick seemed to sense something was wrong and immediately grew anxious.

"Are you tired? I'll come pick you up right—"

"I'm busy." I cut him off.

In that split second, silence fell on the other end of the line. Then, he suddenly said in a low voice, "If you're tired, get some rest. My debts can be paid off slowly."

To help him repay those so-called debts, my father and I had worked ourselves to exhaustion. I even slept barely two hours a day.

Derrick had promised me that he would marry me once he had finished paying his debt. Then, he would cut ties with Jessica and the others before settling down for a peaceful life.

Even until his death, my father believed Derrick was a man worth marrying.

"Oh, right. There's something I need to tell you. I'm actually the heir of Waterso—"

Before he could finish, I hung up.

From now on, I would never believe another word he said.

I sat alone on the bus, letting my tears sting the back of my hand.

My phone kept vibrating wildly with messages from Derrick.

I turned it off, leaned against the window, and closed my eyes in exhaustion.

Today had originally been the day we would register our marriage after paying off the debt. However, his test had cost me the person I loved most in this world.

Eight years of my youth had been traded for nothing more than a cruel joke.

At that moment, I decided to cut ties with Derrick for good.