All Chapters of Built Him Up and Left Him Behind: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

"Madam, are you sure? Once we pull the plug, it's hard to undo." My assistant hesitated. "You know the plaintiff is powerful. If this isn't handled, Mr. Gilliam could lose money or even go to jail. His career would be over."I left the venue, staring at the honor wall where Cade Gilliam's smiling face beamed from the top. We had been together for five years, but he had always been vague about marrying me."I'm focused on my career right now. Once I'm settled, we'll tie the knot," he excused.I heard those words over and over, but I trusted him, time and again, pouring everything into paving the way for him to become a partner at a top-tier law firm.All I got was betrayal right to my face."Defend him again, and you're out too," I snapped, hanging up the phone.Someone suddenly grabbed my arm and spun me around."What's your deal?" Cade demanded, a bit out of breath.His brows were knitted together as he continued, "Everyone was there, and you just walked out before I finished.

I took a deep breath, fighting back my tears.It was frustrating that Cade thought of me that way too.I looked up and glared at him. "You've been thinking that all along, haven't you? "That's why you paraded Caitlyn on stage for your speech."He slammed his fist down on the table and stood to yell at me. "Enough! I told you we're just colleagues. She helped me so much. What's wrong with her joining me on stage? Do you think everyone's like you, stuck with a dead-end job and no ambition? All you do is a bit of housework. What else are you good for?"I flipped a bowl of soup over his head. The warm broth dripped from his hair to the floor. It was a sticky mess.But instead of hitting the roof, he laughed and slowly took the bowl off his head."Fine! Stay here and cool off. I shouldn't have come back," he said, grabbing his jacket and storming out.The room fell silent once again.I looked at the book, opened it, and tore off the page with their writing. I crumpled it and threw i

"You're the investor?" Cade gasped, shivering.The phone slipped from his hand and hit the floor."All my connections and all those resources... They came from you?" he stammered, incredulous. "No way. You're just a clerk who doesn't know anything."He lunged to grab my phone. I just let him take it and see the truth. The call logs on my phone matched his perfectly."Did you tamper with something?" he muttered in disbelief.I watched him flip through my phone. He even dialed the number Connor had given him over and over. Finally, he accepted I was the one backing him all along.His bravado vanished, and his crest fell. He stood in front of me, ready to say something.I grabbed my things and said, "We're done, officially!""No." Cade grabbed my hand. "I'm not breaking up with you. Even if you're not the investor, you're still my girlfriend."His words were laughable. If he had said so before I revealed my identity, I might have believed him. Now he had no credibility left with

Then Kian went quiet.We switched to other topics. He asked how I had fallen for Cade and helped him become a partner at a top-tier law firm.I put down my fork and knife, lost in memories."Well, it started with love at first sight," I chuckled bitterly. "He was interning at the firm, always working overtime. I felt bad, so I joined as an assistant to stay close and take care of him."Kian silently picked up some beef and started grilling it.I went on, "On one rainy day, he got sick with a fever. I went to his dorm to care for him and saw a tacky little cake on his desk. He remembered it was my birthday and spent his last dime on it. He got sick because he ditched his umbrella to carry the cake."Kian straightened up. "And then?"I stared ahead, recalling the past. "He was making three grand a month but saved up for half a year to buy me a necklace. It was made of silver, thin and kind of unpresentable. When he gave it to me, his hands shook so badly. He nearly crushed the box

That night, Kian drank a lot, his face flushed.He pinned me down on the bed and held me in his arms. He murmured, "I'm so happy. I finally have you for real."I realized there was a past between us that I didn't remember. It was in the three years of memory I'd lost.I nudged him and asked, "Where did we meet before?"Kian froze, propping himself up and gazing at me. "Have you remembered anything?"I shook my head. "No. Tell me about it, and maybe it'll come back."He pressed his lips together, leaned against me, and held my arm. Then he started recounting the story.Eight years ago, we were college classmates. Our parents wanted us to be independent, so we stuck to each other and became roommates.We learned to care for each other, cooking and cleaning together.Slowly, he took over all the chores, always telling me to wait by the TV before dinner. That explained why he knew my tastes so well.Cade had never cared to do the same.Later, Kian fell for me.He searched onlin