Chapter 1

A New York tycoon named Holden Lancaster sponsored two poor students.

One was the pure and innocent Charlotte Shaw.

The other was me—beautiful on the outside, but supposedly brainless.

The difference was that the former was someone he begged on his knees to sponsor.

The latter was me, who shamelessly begged him for help.

Years later, I became Holden Lancaster's secret lover.

And Charlotte returned from studying abroad.

At nine PM, while Holden and I were having sex and he was about to change positions.

I caught a faint whiff of gardenia perfume on the back of his neck.

At that moment, my scalp tingled.

I realized almost instantly—

Charlotte was back.

She had once stepped on my finger bones with her dance shoes in the studio.

Cheerfully cut up my practice clothes with scissors in the changing room.

And cursed me out as a shameless seductress in front of everyone.

The scent drifting from her body was this same disgusting fragrance.

Holden bit my ear, his eyes full of desire.

I instantly lost all interest.

I pushed him away.

"I don't want to do this anymore."

Holden indulged me, lighting a post-sex cigarette and laughing.

"Tsk, which one of us is supposed to be the sugar daddy here?"

That scent still lingered on him. I opened my mouth, about to ask about it.

His phone rang.

A weak female voice came through the receiver.

"Holden, I drank too much and my stomach hurts. Can you come pick me up?"

"If it's not convenient, never mind..."

Holden's expression changed instantly. He hung up the phone and brushed me off without leaving a trace.

"Something urgent came up at the company. Go to sleep early."

Watching his panicked, retreating figure, I lay in the darkness with my eyes open.

Suddenly I remembered a few things.

When I first received his sponsorship, rumors that I was being kept spread throughout the entire school.

I anxiously explained to everyone, but Holden took a phone call and told me: Forget it.

The year I graduated, I received a spot to study abroad.

Charlotte wanted to go too. Holden looked at me affectionately and said: Eve, stay by my side.

In my third year with Holden, I got pregnant.

An overseas call came in. Holden said with difficulty: Get rid of it. Now isn't the right time.

And now, I'd slept in the same bed with him for over a thousand nights.

But I still couldn't compete with one phone call from Charlotte.

Half an hour later, Holden's close friend posted on social media.

A photo with a location tag.

Caption: [True love conquers all! Congratulations to Holden for finally winning over his one true love!]

In the picture, Charlotte nestled in Holden's arms as he kissed her forehead.

The usually wild and reckless man's eyes held no trace of frivolity, only tenderness.

Just a kiss.

I clenched my fists, letting my nails dig into my flesh.

Telling myself not to care.

In all of New York, seven whole years of support—what was one kiss?

Just as I was about to put down my phone.

A notification popped up on Instagram: Charlotte followed you.