Chapter 1

In the third year of having Sebastian Cooke as her kept man, Clara Zimmerman's world collapsed as her family went bankrupt. Desperate to salvage the situation, her father, Frank Zimmerman, forced her into a marriage alliance. That night, she stuffed her belongings into a suitcase, ready to flee with Sebastian. But when she arrived at the bar where he worked, she saw him raising his glass with effortless confidence, his every movement polished and refined—nothing like the broke young man who'd been her kept man for three years. "Seb, I heard the Zimmerman family has run out of luck and has to resort to selling their daughter for cash. Aren't you going to step in to save your girlfriend?" "Girlfriend? She's nothing but a plaything for when Seb is bored and lonely. His real girlfriend is coming back to the country soon, and when that happens, he'll dump that fool Clara and get back together with her. He's good at this, huh? He didn't leave any gaps at all." "Well, say what you will, but Clara is gorgeous, has a great figure, and even pays for Seb's time. He's hit the jackpot. Still, for the golden boy of Bellmore to put up with being mocked every day as a kept man—that's some serious patience." "After three years, Clara still hasn't realized that Seb isn't an employee working at the bar but the owner. How can she be this stupid?" Laughter erupted in the private room. Amid the haze of smoke, Sebastian slowly replied to a message from Clara on WhatsApp. She'd sent it half an hour ago. "Sebastian, why don't we elope?" Clara's phone buzzed. She looked down to see his reply, which read, "Sure." It sounded mocking to her. "Elope? Where could she possibly run off to? She's her dad's cash cow. She'd get dragged back and sold off for money before she could make any moves." Sebastian stubbed out his cigarette, then casually yanked a cheap necklace off the neck of the hostess beside him. Someone teased, "Another gift for Clara? Previously, you gave her a cheap silver ring from Amazon, and the gift before that was a bunch of plastic flowers. Clara is a socialite, isn't she? How can her taste be so poor? Didn't she complain?" Sebastian chuckled. "Well, she adores everything I gave her. She didn't even want to take off that silver ring after putting it on." Clara froze in her tracks, her fingers brushing across the silver ring she was wearing. A sharp ache pierced her heart. Back when he'd given her the ring, she'd been delighted, thinking he was hinting that they should get married. But it turned out to be just a cheap gift he'd given her on a whim. She'd had no idea that Sebastian had been lying to her this entire time. Three years. He'd kept up the act of being penniless in front of her for three long years. Yet, she'd been truly and hopelessly in love with him. She'd bought him clothes, luxury watches, expensive cars, and even a villa. When others had mocked him for being just a pretty boy, she'd furiously defended him. What a joke she must've been to him. Clara had no idea how she managed to find her way home. All she remembered was the torrential downpour on her way back and how she came down with a high fever the moment she got home. She drifted into a hazy sleep, her dreams filled with scattered fragments of the three years she and Sebastian had shared. Three years ago, after a heartbreak, Clara had gone to the bar to drown her sorrows. There, the sight of the strikingly handsome Sebastian had instantly tempted her. Somehow, she'd mustered the courage to corner him in the men's restroom, shoving cash at him in exchange for a night together. After that night, Clara hadn't been able to get him out of her head. She'd assumed he was a bartender working at the bar. The second time they'd met, she'd offered to take him on as her kept man. After that day, they'd quickly made their relationship official. She'd supported him financially, while he'd played the role of a loving boyfriend. They'd gone on walks, shopping, and watched movies just like any normal couple in love. In their three years together, Clara had always called the shots. She'd once assumed that she would never fall in love with him for real, yet when she'd been forced into an arranged marriage, her defenses had crumbled completely. One night, after a heated fight with Frank, Clara had gone to Sebastian, her eyes tinged red. "If I'm no longer rich, will you still love me?" Sebastian had given her an adoring kiss and reassured her, saying, "Of course I will." "Sebastian, even if I go bankrupt, I'll make sure you never suffer. Trust me." Later, she'd begun selling off everything of value she owned to prepare for their escape, dreaming of starting over with Sebastian in another city. It wasn't until tonight that she'd belatedly discovered she'd fallen for a big, fat lie. Her dream of starting a new life was completely shattered. Sebastian was nothing but a liar. … By the next morning, her fever had broken, and Sebastian was back. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, but the perfume he wore wasn't her favorite scent. "I'm exhausted after pulling the night shift. Oh, I got my salary, so I bought you a present." He fished out the cheap second-hand necklace and fastened it around her neck. "It looks good on you. Do you like it?" She replied indifferently, "Yes." Sebastian immediately sensed that something was off. In the past, whenever he gave her anything, it would move her to tears. She would keep telling him that he didn't have to give her gifts, as being with him was the greatest gift she could ask for. He remarked, "Looks like you don't like it." Clara forced a smile. "I might not have that much money from now on, so stop spending unnecessarily." Upon realizing that she was worried about the Zimmermans going bankrupt, Sebastian pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry. I've saved every bit of the allowance you gave me, and I still have a job at the bar. If it comes down to it, I can be the one to support you." Clara smiled but said nothing, pushing him toward the bathroom instead. As the sound of running water came from the bathroom, Sebastian's phone buzzed. Clara's eyes caught a steamy text popping up on his phone screen. "Sebastian, thank you for spending the night with me. I can't believe you still remember my favorite perfume after three years." At once, Clara's smile faded away. It turned out that the perfume Sebastian had suddenly switched to was another woman's favorite. While Clara had been burning up with a fever, he'd been keeping another woman company. Feeling exhausted, Clara decided to give up. She'd spent three years giving her all to him—if he still didn't love her, it was time to stop trying. Stepping onto the balcony, Clara gave Frank a call. "Dad, I'll go along with the arranged marriage. Make it happen quickly before I change my mind." She was the one who'd started this relationship with Sebastian, and she would be the one to end it too.