Chapter 1 Chapter 1

With my car parked on the side of the road, I was just about to send my boyfriend, Harrison Leach, a text when I got rear-ended. "Harry, my mom's flying in late. I'm waiting for her outside the airport. I know you're working overtime, so you don't have to worry about us. Just focus on your work." I didn't even get to press send before a loud bang rang out. The force from the collision bumped my car several yards forward. Even my phone flew out of my hands. The pain from banging my head against the steering wheel made me wince. Still reeling from the shock, I stuck my head out of the window—only to realize that the car that bumped into mine was the Maybach I bought and had fully paid for already three months ago. Although the car was registered to my name, Harrison was the one who used it. He'd told me he had to work late today and refused to accompany me while I received my mother at the airport, who'd made the trip just to meet him. But seeing as how he'd shown up here at the airport, I figured he must've seen the news about the flight delay online and rushed over to surprise me. Touched by his gesture, I got out of the car. Approaching the Maybach, I was just about to call out to him when my voice got stuck in my throat. A young woman I didn't recognize was sitting in the driver's seat, looking extremely panicked—and my boyfriend had his arm out protectively in front of her as he consoled her gently. "Does it hurt anywhere, babe? I can't stand to see you hurt." I'd never seen such a warm and gentle side of Harrison before. The young woman looked moved too. She threw herself at him, and he didn't reject her. In fact, as if dissatisfied with the level of intimacy they were already displaying, he even cupped her face and kissed her tears dry for her. Soon, they were both so caught up in their kiss that they didn't notice that I was standing outside the car. I was rooted to the spot, too dumbstruck to do anything. Helplessness and despair washed over me, and my eyes turned red with sorrow. Three full minutes passed before Harrison and the woman finally separated with much reluctance. Smiling faintly, Harrison got out of the car, but his smile stiffened as soon as he looked up and met my furious gaze. His eyes flickered with panic, but he quickly regained his composure. Acting like he didn't know who I was, he shoved me aside and carried the young woman down from the car. She sensed my anger and grew so terrified that she buried her pale face in Harrison's arms and sobbed. "Harrison, that woman must be very angry. I'm scared." Harrison glanced at me with a hostile expression before looking at the secondhand car nearby. Smirking, he declared, "It's just a rusty old Volkswagen Beetle! It's not like I can't afford to pay for the damages." He tossed a business card at me with a flourish of his hand and continued, "Just let me know when you get the bill for the repairs." Stunned, I didn't bend down to retrieve the card. Harrison and I had been dating for four years. I knew his number by heart. Right now, I felt like a laughingstock. I now knew just how humiliating it was to be in an entirely one-sided relationship. I wanted to leave, but the comments from the spectating crowd made me so upset that I couldn't move. "That young man over there seems like a responsible guy. He even agreed to pay for the damages without trying to drag his feet about it! I guess that's to be expected when you're rich.""The young woman is so lucky too! She found herself a rich and handsome man who loves her so much. This Maybach must've cost a bomb, and look how damaged it is now, but her boyfriend didn't even say a single harsh word to her. What a loving couple they are." Taking in the praise from the crowd, Harrison became even smugger. Still holding onto the young woman, he declared nonchalantly, "It's just a car. It's nowhere near as important as my darling here." I bit my lip, doing my best not to let my tears fall. I was the one who paid for the Maybach.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

When I first bought the Maybach, Harrison told me it wasn't right for a woman to drive such an expensive car. It would be such a heartache if I damaged it. He proceeded to suggest that he be the one to drive it, saying that I could just be a passenger princess. He claimed that I'd be the subject of everyone's envy if they saw how handsome and rich he was as my boyfriend. I thought he had a point. So, before I even drove it myself, I handed the keys over to him. Yet, he had never once driven me anywhere. Whenever I asked him to come and pick me up, he'd find a reason to turn me down. The company I worked for was quite a distance from my house, and relying on the subway wasn't the most convenient option. As a result, I bought a secondhand Volkswagen Beetle a few days ago to get around more easily. Worried that Harrison would feel bad, I didn't tell him about it just yet. Alas, even though I always made my decisions in his best interests, all I got in return was this. He'd betrayed me and trampled on my dignity. Just as I was about to question him, he dragged me off to the side. All the warmth in his eyes disappeared, leaving nothing but frostiness behind. "Vivian, this is the woman my mom wants me to date. My mom would get a heart attack if I didn't agree to it. Don't worry. I'm just playing along for her sake. However, if you make things embarrassing for me, I'll break up with you at once." His self-righteous display made him feel like a stranger to me. "But you're my boyfriend! You should be clarifying things with your mom instead of choosing to hurt me. Furthermore, I only let you drive this car because I felt bad about you having to take the subway to get around. I didn't even get a chance to ride in it yet. How can you let some other woman drive it? She even crashed the car!" Harrison looked at me as though he was eyeing a fool. "Why would my mom ever accept you? You know how traditional she is. She won't let me marry a career woman like you. Plus, didn't you give me the car? How is it any of your business who I allow to drive it then?" In the first place, I'd bought the car for myself! Initially, I planned to get a more affordable model, but Harrison turned his nose up at it. He thought it was too cheap and humiliating to be seen in. He said he preferred a Maybach. Then, when we got married, he could drive over in a luxury car, and everyone would be envious of how lucky I was. It would reflect well on him too. For the sake of fulfilling that wonderful dream, I bit the bullet and used up all my savings to buy the Maybach. But now, I wasn't even allowed to get into the car. I couldn't figure out if he was merely putting on a show or truly had no feelings for me at all. Feeling incredibly upset, I started choking up. Amid all of that, I suddenly heard a familiar voice ringing out behind me. "What are you doing, Vivi?" I turned around and saw Mom heading toward me while dragging her suitcase along. Upon seeing my mother, Harrison wiped the hostility from his expression and replaced it with a pleasant smile. "Over here! We came by to pick you up." Feeling touched, I teared up. He did love me after all. I trailed behind him and walked toward my mother. However, when he got up to my mother, he paused and pushed her away before cheerfully taking a suitcase from the hands of another middle-aged woman. He even affectionately hooked his arm around hers. "You're finally here, Mrs. Dunham! Anna and I have been waiting ages for you." I watched in a daze as he brushed past me and helpfully opened the car door for his new girlfriend and her mother. I felt like I'd fallen into a frozen lake at that moment. I'd made countless requests for Harrison to head home to meet my parents with me, but he always found a reason to decline firmly. He said he had social anxiety and found it difficult to treat older people in a friendly manner, the only exception being his own mother. But now, not only was he being friendly, but he was going out of his way to leave a good impression. I watched Harrison drive off, giving someone else's mother a ride with the car I bought. The pain I felt almost suffocated me. Yet, Mom chose to approach me right at this moment. Her words felt like a personal attack as she said with envy, "Vivian, when are you going to find me a son-in-law who's as thoughtful as him? I'm dying of jealousy here." I sorely wanted to tell her that the man she had just seen was my boyfriend, but he was simply doting on some other woman. But when I saw her eyeing me in a way that expressed her exasperation, I couldn't bring myself to get those words out.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Mom looked at my car in disdain. "What kind of junk car are you driving? Look at what they drove off in. It was a Maybach! How grand indeed. A car like that costs hundreds of thousands!" I smiled wryly. Mom had no clue I paid for that Maybach. She'd probably faint in anger if she found out. During the drive, I dared not meet her gaze. I was scared I'd fail to hold my tears back. She kept chastising me the whole time. She said I wasn't getting any younger and hoped I could find someone to spend the rest of my life with. When I first got together with Harrison, I'd happily called Mom up and shared the good news. She immediately booked a plane ticket to come and meet him, her future son-in-law. However, he said he was busy that day and had to go on a business trip the next day. He used all kinds of excuses to refuse to see her. He even refused to answer my calls. Mom stuck around for two weeks, but even so, she never got to meet him. In the end, she had to leave in disappointment. She even reflected on herself, wondering if she'd scared him off with her impatience. From then onward, she never mentioned wanting to come over to see him. Nevertheless, during the festive season, she often hoped that I could bring him home with me. Alas, he adamantly refused each time. This continued until half a year ago when Mom finally lost her temper. She interrogated me, asking me if I'd faked a boyfriend to avoid her nagging me about getting married. Why else would I not be able to show her my boyfriend after four years? In the end, she gave me an ultimatum. If she still didn't get to meet my so-called boyfriend, I would have to comply with her demands and go on blind dates with the guys she picked out. I got into a huge fight with her over that. I even refused to talk to her for months. This situation went on until two months ago when my dad passed away in a car accident. I begged Harrison to return to my hometown with me, but once again, he disappeared like he always did, with nothing more than a text to excuse himself. "My aunt broke her leg. I need to head back to take care of her, so I can't accompany you." After seeing such a ridiculous excuse, I finally gave up and went back to attend Dad's funeral alone. It was a sudden tragedy. Unsurprisingly, Mom fell into a state of grief and sorrow. Seeing how upset she was, I steeled myself and told her to fly over to meet me soon. I promised she could meet Harrison then. I assumed that as long as I cajoled Harrison and garnered his pity, he would agree to meet Mom. However, he eyed me coldly and flat-out rejected me. "Vivian, I've told you many times that I'm not used to interacting with older people. If you continue to force me like this, let's just break up." This was what he always did. Whenever I went against him, he would threaten me with a breakup. Once that happened, I would always apologize in fear and agree to all of his unreasonable demands. The loving relationship I thought we had was merely the product of my foolishness. He didn't love me and couldn't even be bothered to pretend. It was time for me to get out of this situation too. Mom became even angrier when she saw my tiny rental when we got home. "Vivian, even if you can't find yourself a decent boyfriend, why must you rent such a terrible place?" Smiling bitterly, I said nothing. This was Harrison's rented apartment. Previously, figuring that it was closer to my office, I asked if I could move in with him. He was reluctant at first and only agreed to it once I offered to pay the rent for him. When he came over to help me move my things and saw the apartment I owned, which was over 2,000 square feet in size, his eyes gleamed. He remarked that the apartment was in a good location, and the assigned parking lot it came with made it convenient for heading to and fro work. Then, he tentatively asked me if he could stay here whenever he had to work late. I agreed without hesitation and immediately added his fingerprint to the smart lock on the door. Who would've thought he'd end up staying almost entirely at my place? He rarely ever returned to his original rental. After taking a tour of the place, Mom eyed me in contempt. "Vivian, I don't see any signs of a man staying in this place. I knew it. You've been lying to me all along." Having heard what she said, I looked around as well. Only then did I realize that at some point, Harrison had moved all of his things out. I guessed I was so used to being alone here that I never noticed. I brushed Mom off and told her to get some rest before heading off with my car keys. As soon as I got to my apartment, I spotted the Maybach in my parking lot. Harrison was back. Feeling upset, I went upstairs and scanned my fingerprint at the door, but it didn't unlock the way it usually did. Instead, it beeped to signify that my fingerprint scan had failed. I refused to give up. I tried a few more times, but I still couldn't get the door to open. Left with no choice, I tried to key in the password instead, but it had been changed as well. My crushing sense of defeat turned into rage, and I pounded the door. "I know you're inside, Harrison! Get out here!" I kept shouting until my throat was strained before the door finally opened ever so slightly. Harrison scowled at me, his gaze making it seem as if I were his mortal enemy. Keeping his voice down, he threatened me, "Are you crazy, Vivian? Must you insist on causing trouble for me? If you insist on keeping this up, we should just—" I couldn't resist interrupting with a sneer, "We should just break up, right? Sure! If you get out here and explain things properly, we can call it quits right here, right now!" Harrison probably never expected me to be this determined this time. He stared at me in disbelief. Just as he was about to speak, I heard a coquettish voice calling out behind him, "Who is it, Harrison? Why are you opening the door to our house for no reason?" He was so flustered that he stammered through his reply. "I-It's no one. It's just an old tenant of mine. She's not right in the head. She thinks she still lives here." Ignoring my fury, Harrison shoved me away and warned, "Get lost! If you ever disturb us again, I'll call the police!" As I stood outside the door, I began to tear up at how pathetic and laughable I was. I slaved away at work all day and night to buy this apartment, but now I can't even get through the door. In Harrison's eyes, I was nothing but a fool he could use as he pleased. I realized how quick it was to lose all feelings for a person. Glancing at Anna, the young woman Harrison was doing his best to protect, I smirked and took my phone out. "Let's get the police involved then. I hope you haven't forgotten that I'm the one who lent you this apartment. Let's see who the police will arrest!" Ignoring the panicked look on Harrison's face, I clenched my jaw and called the police.