He had become a renowned surgeon.

The illness that had once nearly defeated him had become a condition he could cure.

The future we had once dreamed of together had come true for him.

On the other hand, I had no future left.

His interviews were everywhere. They were on TV, in newspapers, and all over social media. Everyone praised him for his talent and bright future.

A strange, bitter feeling crept over me.

Yet, I felt a faint trace of happiness too.

At least his future was bright.

The sudden ringing of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts. It was the bank.

They told me the transfer of one hundred thousand dollars had been a mistake. I had to return the money immediately. If I failed to return it, they would take legal action.

After hanging up, I lay on my bed and stared at the stained ceiling. My mouth was filled with unbearable bitterness. It was like I had swallowed something vile.

After a long while, I called Lily and asked her to help me find a job.

Roman must have done this on purpose.

Since he thought I loved money so much, he must have wanted to see me experience the disappointment of gaining it, losing it, and then struggling to pay it back.

Because of my health, I could not apply for just any job.

I was unable to handle heavy labor, nor could I endure exhaustion or stress. There were too many jobs I simply could not do.

As Lily put it, at least I still had my looks.

And so, I ended up taking a part-time job at a high-end business club.

The pay was good. It was fifty dollars an hour.

That night, I dressed in an elegant gown and stood at the entrance to greet guests.

That was when I saw Roman again.

He wore an expensive suit, which made him look even more handsome and strikingly confident.

Blake was dressed in a custom-made gown. Every movement she made was elegant and breathtaking.

Roman opened the car door for her, then took her hand and led her inside.

I could only stand at the entrance, smile, and bow to them.

At first, Roman did not notice me. But just as I lowered my head, Blake suddenly spoke.

“Bring my suitcase inside. Be careful. Everything inside is extremely valuable.”

I was not in a position to refuse.

As soon as I lifted the suitcase, I realized how heavy it was.

With my current strength, I simply could not carry it all the way to the guest room.

Sure enough, I lost my balance and fell. The suitcase burst open and spilled everything inside.

“Oh no! My Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry!”

Blake’s sharp gasp drew everyone’s attention to me.

Roman frowned as he looked at me. Blake’s eyes were filled with contempt.

Without warning, she shoved me. Her long nails dug into my skin. It sent a sharp pain through my arm.

“Where’s the manager? Is this how you treat your guests?”

She looked furious, but I could see the smugness in her smile.

Roman took a small step forward as if he was going to help me up. But he hesitated and withdrew his hand.

He raised a hand and stopped the approaching manager. Then, he raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

“That was very rude of you, Celeste.”

Blake gasped and pretended to have just recognized me. She immediately pulled me to my feet.

“Celeste, I never thought I’d see you here. Even if you’re Roman’s ex, you shouldn’t be working as a hostess. Shouldn’t you be doing something more respectable?”

Her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

The room instantly filled with mocking laughter.

“So, this is Dr. Roman’s ex-girlfriend? I heard she abandoned him when he was at his lowest.”

“Really? Then she doesn’t deserve any sympathy.”

“Exactly. Women like her should be picking up trash on the streets.”

Before I could react, someone splashed red wine over my head.

Juice, milk, and more wine followed. Glass after glass hit me, shattering upon impact.

The people around me wanted to curry favor with Roman. They seized the chance to vent his anger on his behalf.

Blood trickled down my forehead and stained my face.

I felt nothing. My heart had long since gone numb.

Roman watched me with a cold and indifferent gaze.

“Celeste, don’t you have anything to say? Do I have to pay you just to get you to talk to me?

“Looks like you’ve studied my schedule well. You came here just to ask me for money, didn’t you?”

He pointed at the stacks of wine crates beside the waiters and said, “Move all of these to the storage room. Do that, and I’ll give you five hundred thousand dollars.”

He was doing this on purpose.

Even at my healthiest, I was never strong. With my illness, I had grown even weaker.

I could barely lift anything heavy. Even walking a few extra steps left me gasping for breath.

To me, those crates might as well have been an immovable mountain.

My doctor had warned me: if I wanted to live longer, I had to rest. I could not overexert myself.

But I had no choice.

I looked at him and asked, “Do I still need to pay back the hundred thousand dollars you gave me?”

His expression hardened as he emitted a cold aura.

He was furious.

“No.”

The moment he gave his answer, I did not hesitate. I grabbed the heavy box and started dragging it toward the storage room one step at a time.

It was so heavy that I felt like I could collapse at any second.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself forward. Roman was right behind me. I could not collapse.

By the time I finished moving one box, I was drenched in sweat. My legs trembled uncontrollably, and my heart pounded wildly

I did not dare stop. I was afraid that if I did, I would die. So, I picked up another box immediately.

This time, my steps became even slower. In the end, I could only stand still and hold the crate with trembling hands.

Everyone watched with mocking eyes. They were treating this as nothing more than a joke.

Only Roman’s expression darkened further.

It usually took two waiters to lift a single box. That showed just how heavy they were.

When I reached for another, Roman finally lost his patience and pressed down on my shoulders.

“Celeste, is money really that important to you? Will you die without it?”

His eyes were bloodshot. I looked at him and nodded.

“Yes. Without money, I’ll die.”

His anger intensified as he shoved me away.

“Fine! Move them all! Don’t leave a single one behind!”

I bent down to pick up a box, but before I could straighten up, he stacked another on top.

Combined, they weighed as much as a twelve-year-old child.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor. The bottles inside the box shattered, and broken glass pierced my hands.

Dark red liquid spilled everywhere like fresh blood staining the floor.

A searing pain tore through my waist. I felt completely drained. My breathing grew weak.

But it was not over yet.

I struggled to get up, but my body no longer had the strength to move.

Seeing me like this, Roman finally reached his limit.

“That’s enough!” he yelled.

I could no longer hold on. My body gave out, and I lay motionless on the floor.

At that moment, Lily burst into the room. She screamed at Roman sharply as she rushed to hold me in her arms.

“Roman, you’ve gone too far! Cece gave you her kidney! She only has one left! If you keep this up, she’ll die!”