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All Chapters of Nothing Left to Repay: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

"That boy's a lucky one. His girlfriend's scraping together money to buy him a car."The sales associate shook her head with a smile as she slipped the bag into its dust cover.I watched the hand-drawn dried-flower card get swept into the trash.My stomach churned.Suddenly, I remembered Veronica's birthday last year.That boy, Dylan, had given her a two-dollar coffee mug."Veronica, my internship barely pays anything. This is all I could afford. Please don't think less of it."Veronica, who was usually so cool and aloof, had put that mug in the most prominent spot on her desk.Every day, whenever she drank from it, she'd snap a picture and post it online.And now the gift I'd given her had become nothing more than a way to raise cash.I took out my phone and called Veronica.It rang five times before she declined the call.And that was it. Nothing after that.In the past, even if she really was in a meeting, she'd sneak me a text.No matter how busy she was, she always f

Chapter 2

I closed my eyes, and my mind filled with scenes from two weeks earlier.To win the lead on a major deal, I'd drunk so much at client dinners that I ended up in the hospital with a bleeding stomach.The boss cared about that deal more than anything, and because of it, I'd leapt to become the youngest partner at Summit Crest Capital.I'd clawed my way up so I could stand beside her with my head held high.That Chanel bag had cost nearly eleven thousand dollars. I'd bought it with an advance on my profit share.I wanted to show her I wasn't the poor kid who needed her family's money anymore.But she'd turned all that care and effort into one small piece of Dylan's new car.My phone chimed. She'd sent me a photo of herself in a lace nightgown."Be good. Don't be mad anymore."I'll come see you this weekend and make it up to you, okay?"In the past, whenever she did this, I'd decide I was the one being unreasonable.Now, looking at the sexy curves she'd so deliberately posed on

Chapter 3

Through the car window, I watched them lace their fingers together, just like any couple head over heels in love.The early-autumn wind slipped in through the gap in my window, so cold it made me shiver all over.Dylan leaned in close to Veronica's ear, his voice loud enough for me to hear every word. "You dressed this sexy today just to tempt me, didn't you?"Veronica blushed and thumped his chest. "You little devil. It's all for your naughty tastes, isn't it?"My lips twisted into a bitter, self-mocking smile.So none of it had ever really had much to do with me.Watching the two of them wrapped around each other as they walked into the hotel lobby, I finally broke.It was the hotel our firm used most often for VIP clients.I'd worked myself to the bone at client dinners and fought my way up just so I could stand beside her with my head held high.And she'd sold the bag I bought her without a second thought, then turned around and taken her boy toy to a five-star hotel!A s

Chapter 4

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a sofa in the hotel lobby.Veronica was sitting beside me, holding a glass of warm water."Caleb, what are you doing here, acting like a lunatic?" She frowned, her voice heavy with reproach. "Forget it. Since you've seen everything, I won't hide it anymore. I'm with Dylan now."We... should break up."All these years together, and it turns out I misjudged you. I never should've listened to my dad."At least Dylan gives me emotional support. What do you give me?"I sold one bag of yours, and you actually follow me!"I looked at her phony face and suddenly felt completely clear-headed.In her eyes, I'd never been someone she loved. I was just a pawn she could toss aside whenever she wanted.Every dollar her family put toward my tuition, I'd written down in a ledger, one entry at a time.After graduation, I worked like crazy and paid it all back to her with interest.She smiled and said she'd put the money into investments, but I saw

Chapter 5

For a second, the air in the lobby seemed to freeze.The woman was Fiona Whitlock, the only daughter of Richard Whitlock, the founder and chairman of Summit Crest Capital. A genuine heiress.Veronica stared at the obviously expensive couture suit Fiona was wearing, the color draining from her face.Dylan suddenly snorted with laughter."Caleb, man, you actually hired an actress just to show off?"A partner at Summit Crest Capital? If he's a partner, then I'm the owner."He swaggered forward and reached out to shove Fiona's shoulder."Hey, gorgeous, how much is he paying you a day? I'll pay you double if you come with me..."Before he could finish, the two bodyguards in black behind Fiona stepped forward.One of them grabbed Dylan's wrist and wrenched it back hard.There was a sharp crack as the bone snapped out of place.Dylan let out a shriek like a stuck pig.The other bodyguard kicked him square in the stomach.Dylan flew back a couple of feet and slammed into the glass

Chapter 6

In less than five minutes, a black Mercedes screeched to a stop outside the hotel.Victor practically tripped over himself rushing into the lobby."Ms. Whitlock, I'm so sorry, I...""Dad, what are you doing here?"Veronica stood up, still not grasping the situation."Who is this woman, anyway? Caleb, he..."Smack!A loud slap cracked across Veronica's face.Victor hit her with everything he had, knocking her straight to the floor.Veronica clutched her red, swollen cheek and stared in disbelief at the father who'd doted on her since she was a little girl."Dad... you hit me?"Victor was shaking with rage. "You blind idiot! Apologize to Ms. Whitlock right now! She's Richard Whitlock's daughter, the chairman of Summit Crest Capital! Whether our family survives depends on a single word from her!""Ms. Whitlock?"Veronica murmured, staring up in disbelief at the woman towering over her.Suddenly, she understood just how far above her this woman was. Dazed, she turned to look

Chapter 7

Three days later.I was sitting in my bright, spacious private office at Summit Crest Capital.Under a private doctor's care, my stomach had gotten much better.The intercom buzzed. The receptionist sounded uncomfortable. "Mr. Ashford, there's a woman named Veronica Hale downstairs who insists on seeing you."She says she made you something for your stomach herself. We can't get her to leave."My hand paused as I flipped through a file."Send her up."Some things needed to be ended once and for all.The office door opened.Veronica stepped in cautiously.She was carrying a familiar insulated food container, the one I used to cook meals for her in all the time."Caleb."Her eyes were red. "You've got a bad stomach, so I made you some oatmeal."What happened before was my fault. Dylan tricked me. Everything he said was a lie."I've cut him off completely. Come home with me, okay?"She reached out to tug at my sleeve.I leaned back in my chair, avoiding her touch. "Veronic

Chapter 8

I stood up and planted both hands on the desk, staring her down. "The truth is, you're just a pathetic, deeply insecure, vain woman."You can't face anyone better than you, so you go looking for validation from losers like Dylan."Now that you've lost everything, you come running back to me, pretending to be devoted."You never loved me. You just loved having a dog who'd put up with anything and keep paying your way!"I'd hit a nerve. Her whole body shook violently.She opened her mouth, but she couldn't say a single word in her own defense.Just then, Veronica's phone started buzzing like crazy.She answered on instinct, and a woman's shrill voice screamed through the line."Veronica, you shameless slut!"You seduced my husband, and now he's run off with the company's money. The police are on their way to arrest you."You just wait. I'm never letting you get away with this."The phone slipped from Veronica's hand and hit the floor, and she crumpled.When she finally pulled

Chapter 9

After the gala, I drove back to my apartment.I'd just pulled into the underground garage when I spotted a huddled figure crouching beside my parking space.On that early-winter night, Veronica was wearing nothing but a thin, worn-out coat.Her hair was a mess and her face was sallow. There was no trace left of the polish and pride she'd once had.When she saw me get out of the car, she hurried to her feet but stumbled from crouching so long."Caleb..."Her voice was hoarse, and she was trying so hard to please me. "I found out you lived here. I'm not trying to start anything. I just wanted to see you."She pulled a plastic bag from inside her coat. Inside were a few bagels that had long since gone cold."You always loved the bagels from that place on the corner. I waited in line forever to get these."I looked at the woman in front of me and found the whole thing absurd.Not long ago, I'd drunk myself into a bleeding stomach at a client dinner just to buy her a Chanel bag.

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