01
Lucilla also sent me the engagement photo of Jerry and his fiancée.
In the photo, the man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful. They truly seemed like
a perfect match.
Jerry sat down, his fiancée’s hand resting on his shoulder. Suddenly, I noticed the familiar wedding band on her ring finger.
I looked down at my own hand and saw that my ring was identical to hers.
I thought, “No wonder when I bought the rings, the price was about half more than the initial estimate. Jerry must have brought three rings!”
I sneered.
Lucilla’s messages kept coming: [He’s the center of attention today, so he’s probably too busy to see my messages.]
[He had sent me the address, but I accidentally deleted it when I was cleaning up my chat history.]
son.”
[Fortunately, I still have your WhatsApp account. Could you please send me the location?]
I picked up the phone and called her.
Lucilla answered with a smile, “Mrs. Brewer, congratulations to you. It’s a big day for your
“Ms. Foster, why did you think I was his mother?” I asked calmly.
Lucilla froze for a moment. “Are you his sister?” She cautiously guessed my age, trying to make me sound younger.
I simply replied, “I’m his girlfriend.”
Lucilla was stunned.
“No, now I’m his ex–girlfriend,” I added.
Saying I wasn’t heartbroken would be a lie.
I met Jerry the summer after he took his SAT.
I built a coffee chain from scratch while he worked as a summer intern at one of my stores. When I visited for an inspection, he accidentally spilled coffee on me. That was how we met. I wasn’t interested in relationships, but Jerry pursued me relentlessly, creating all sorts of opportunities for us to meet.
Even after I clearly rejected him, he didn’t give up and insisted that we should be together.
By the end of his freshman year summer break, he spent his entire part–time job salary to arrange a grand fireworks display for me.
That day, the dazzling fireworks illuminated his sincere, earnest face, and for the first time, I accepted him to be my boyfriend.
I said, “Jerry, I’m ten years older than you.”
He replied, “So what? Love has nothing to do with age!”
Op Wed, 15 Jan Ea
I frowned, “But when I’m forty, you’ll only be thirty. When I’m wrinkled and gray, you’ll still be in the prime of your youth.”
“Valerie, what I love is your soul, not your face. Do I look that shallow to you?”
That was when I decided to give him a chance and to give myself a chance as well.
We were together.
In front of him, I was no longer the mature, composed CEO who bore the heavy responsibility
of the company.
姓
I became a little girl who could act coy and speak sweetly.
It was a happiness I had never experienced before.
As our relationship deepened, I even suggested that we move in together.
At that time, he said, “I’m still a student. Living in the dorm is more convenient.”
her
Seeing my disappointment, he gently patted my head and smiled, “Don’t rush. After I
graduate, we’ll get married. I swear, I’ll only marry you in my life!”
I believed him.
But I never expected that, just before his graduation, he secretly got engaged to another girl.
With Lucilla’s help, I hurried to Jerry’s engagement party.
The venue was the luxurious Elysium Hotel, the most extravagant place in town.
I parked my car at the entrance and saw Sophia Natt standing nearby, welcoming guests.
She had a similar body type to mine, and she was wearing my brand–name clothes.
From the little dress and high heels to the earrings and bracelets, everything she wore was
mine.
Dressed in such luxury, she looked incredibly elegant.
One guest, holding her bracelet, couldn’t stop admiring it. “Wow! This is a limited edition!
Sophia, you’re so lucky to have such a great boyfriend.”
Sophia proudly smiled, “Yeah, everything I’m wearing is from him! He said he’ll buy me things.
for a lifetime!”
The other girls around her were full of envy.
I called Jerry.
“Did you see the new bracelet I bought?”
There was a pause on the other end, and then he feigned ignorance, saying, “What bracelet?
I don’t know.”
“I remember you picked up the delivery for me,” I stared in Sophia’s direction, speaking In a flat tone. “I’ve got an important client to meet today, and she loves that brand. That limited–edition bracelet was really hard to get. Do you remember where you put it?”
Jerry hesitated. “Let me think for a second.”
He hung up, and shortly after, he rushed out.
He whispered something to Sophia, and she got angry.
Jerry reached out to grab the bracelet from her, but she slapped him. I could hear her voice shouting at him.
06 Wed, 15 Jan AB
“She’s so rich. Why doesn’t she just buy another one?”
I froze.
I hadn’t realized that Sophia knew about me.
Lucilla helped me slip into the back of the venue. I wore a mask and simple clothes, keeping
a low profile as I sat next to her.
Along the way, Lucilla told me about Sophia’s background.
Sophia and Jerry had grown up together.
Sophia had excellent grades and could have gone to a prestigious university, but because of a promise Jerry made, she decided to attend this university with him.
“They’re always together on campus, going to classes and having lunch together, so I never suspected anything..” Lucilla awkwardly glanced at me. “Ms. Morrison, I hope you’re not upset.
Most of the strangers who contact me are students‘ families, so I assumed you were his…”
“It’s fine, actually. I owe you my thanks,” I replied.
If it weren’t for Lucilla, I would still be in the dark.
Taking advantage of the crowd and the chaos, I snuck backstage, where the men were lounging, smoking, and the air reeked of stale tobacco.
“Jerry, you’re lucky. When can you introduce us to some rich women?” one man joked.
“Yeah, those two girls are so devoted to you. You must be something special,” another
chimed in.
“I really admire Jerry. Valerie must be in her thirties by now, right? At her age, she’s probably all saggy. How could you still enjoy being with her?”
A group of men laughed loudly, their faces filled with disgusting mockery.
These were Jerry’s close friends.
They had always treated me with respect in person.
I never expected them to talk about me like this behind my back.
Jerry sat in the corner, staring at his phone, not paying attention.
One of them suddenly asked, “But seriously, aren’t you worried that Ms. Morrison will find
out?”
Jerry raised his head and scoffed.
“What’s there to be afraid of? If she finds out, so what?”
His face was filled with annoyance and disgust.
“I’ve had enough of that old woman! I feel embarrassed shopping with her.
She always acts like a young woman, pouting and flirting with me. It’s so disgusting!
If it weren’t for her money, I wouldn’t…”
I couldn’t bear to listen to the rest.
I had never imagined that the same boy who once said age didn’t matter would now call me
an old woman.
Nor had I imagined that the affectionate, girlish behavior I’d naturally shown in our relationship would disgust him.
out?”
Jerry raised his head and scoffed.
“What’s there to be afraid of? If she finds out, so what?”
His face was filled with annoyance and disgust.
“I’ve had enough of that old woman! I feel embarrassed shopping with her.
She always acts like a young woman, pouting and flirting with me. It’s so disgusting!
If it weren’t for her money, I wouldn’t…”
I couldn’t bear to listen to the rest.
I had never imagined that the same boy who once said age didn’t matter would now call me 1
an old woman.
Nor had I imagined that the affectionate, girlish behavior I’d naturally shown in our
relationship would disgust him.
I suddenly felt repulsed. I covered my mouth and slowly crouched down.
Just then, my phone rang.
It was a message from Jerry.
[Darling, I found the bracelet. Where are you? I’ll have it sent to you right away.]
I squatted there, my hands and feet numb, and slowly, I typed a few words: [I’m at Elysium Hotel.]
Jerry’s face changed dramatically. He suddenly stood up.
I quickly sent him another message: [I’m in the meeting room on the top floor. Can you send it up directly?]
Jerry let out a sigh of relief, though a lingering unease still gnawed at him.
He pulled back the curtains and glanced outside.”
One of his friends teased, “What’s the matter? Still worried about getting caught?”
Jerry, with a grim expression, snapped back, “You don’t understand! I’m about to graduate, and I was thinking I could just work at her company after graduation. She has to give me a management position, right?
If I don’t make something of my time with her, then all the time I’ve spent on her will have been for naught. I can’t just be with her for nothing, you know.
Well, even if she finds out, I bet she’ll just get angry. I’ll smooth things over, and she won’t break up with me.
When she was chasing after me, she worked so hard to win me over.”
Jerry stood up, heading toward the door.
I was so furious that my legs felt weak. I could barely stand up, but I didn’t want him to catch me just yet.
I tried to get to my feet, but I lost my balance and started to fall backward. Suddenly, a pair of hands caught me.
Lucilla stood beside me, her expression complicated. “Let me help you,” she said.
After leaving the backstage without Incident, Lucilla seemed even more upset than I was.
Wed, 15 Jan
I calmly sipped my orange juice and said, “How about you do me a favor?”
Lucilla sat quietly for a moment, then drank a shot of liquor in one go.
31%
The liquor gave her some courage. I watched as she stood up and stormed toward Jerry and Sophia.
I couldn’t even find a chance to stop her.
Lucilla slapped Jerry on the shoulder and said, “Congratulations!”
I sighed in relief.
Then Lucilla added, “Jerry, you and Sophia are such a perfect match. I hope you two live happily ever after!”
Before Jerry could respond, Lucilla continued, “I ran into Mrs. Brewer on the way here!! brought her along with me.”
Jerry froze for a second. “My mom said she couldn’t get a ticket.” He subconsciously looked in my direction.
I turned away. I was wearing a simple dress, so Jerry’s glance just brushed past me. He didn’t recognize me.
“She must have gotten a last–minute ticket,” Lucilla said.
“Don’t worry. I even took her shopping to make sure she looked nice. She’s backstage now, waiting for her turn. You’d better get ready. The host says you two need to go on stage!”
Lucilla turned to me and gave me a sly smile as if to say, “The show’s about to start.”
The host began with E
speech.
That was when I realized that if I hadn’t barged in as the other woman, they really were the perfect, romantic match.
They had known each other since childhood and grew up together as childhood
sweethearts.
They started dating in high school, and instead of breaking them apart, their teachers and parents encouraged their relationship and helped them both work harder in school, leading them to attend college together.
The host wiped away a tear, saying, “I rarely see a man so devoted to his wife. He gives her everything good while he himself suffers.
And just look at how the bride is dressed. She’s wearing all designer clothes and jewelry!” I sneered.
Those were all things I bought.
“Now, take a look at Mr. Brewer. He’s wearing a brand–new suit. I heard Mr. Brewer is usually very frugal, and this suit was a gift from Ms. Natt. She saved up to buy it for him!”
It was totally nonsense.
That was also something I bought.
“Mr. Brewer, at this exciting moment, do you have anything you’d like to say to Ms. Natt?”
Jerry looked deeply into Sophia’s eyes and said, “Sophia, from now on, I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life!”
the rest of your life!”
I sneered again.
I thought, “Are you planning on using my money to take care of her?”
The applause was deafening.
The host raised his hand, announcing, “Today, we also have a special guest with us. It is Jerry’s mother.
I’ve heard she has known Ms. Natt since she was little and always treated her like her ow daughter!
Let’s welcome Mrs. Brewer to say a few words to Ms. Natt!”
The applause echoed louder.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward the entrance.
Even Jerry couldn’t hide his excitement.
Sophia looked puzzled. “But didn’t Mrs. Brewer say she couldn’t make it?
My mother even said she had plans to go out with Mrs. Brewer today…”
Jerry cut her off. “It’s fine. I’m sure they just want to surprise us.”
He was right.
I certainly wanted to surprise them.
Under the gaze of the entire room, I slowly stepped forward, dressed in the same designer gown Sophia was wearing.
Jerry’s smile instantly froze on his face.
Sophia was stunned.
I took the microphone and raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry, I’m late. I’m the so–called ‘mom‘ Jerry mentioned.”
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