I, Daphne Thorn, am an impoverished woman from the slums. William Blackburn, on the other hand, is the son of the richest man in Wylland.

Unexpectedly, the two of us who share such vastly different identities end up being together. So far, we've tried out various difficult positions in our bouts of passion during our secret rendezvouses in secluded areas.

Like the madman he is, William often torments me in every session.

I'm so exhausted that I'm about to fall asleep. That's when a notification pops up on William's phone, which is sitting next to me. So, I take a peek at it.

"William, my stomach hurts a lot! I'm suffering so much right now!"

It's a text from someone named "Ellie".

All the exhaustion in me disappears. I can feel my chest tightening up in discomfort.

Once William is done with his shower, he leaves the bathroom and picks up his phone.

"You should sleep first. I'm heading out," he says.

When I see William turning his back on me, I blurt out, "Are you going to meet that childhood sweetheart of yours?"

William wheels around to look at me. Suddenly, he moves to lift my chin. There is a trace of wariness in his eyes.

"Don't go around sticking your nose in my business, Daphne. I like my woman docile and obedient."

But I end up stalking William all the way to Royale Hotel, where I witness him visiting Elaine Moore, his childhood sweetheart. He coaxes her as though she's the most precious treasure in the world.

I don't have the courage to question William in person. But still, I want to know who he thinks is more important to him—me or Elaine?

So, I give him a call.

"William, my gastritis is acting up again! It hurts so much! Can you drive me to the hospital?" I said.

I use the same tactic that Elaine had used earlier.

That night, I keep waiting for William, and yet he never returns to me. That's when I decide to not love him anymore.

I was an impoverished woman who came from the slums. On the other hand, William Blackburn was the son of the richest man in Wylland.

The two of us, with vastly different identities, would end up getting involved with each other. We secretly tried out various difficult positions in all sorts of secluded spots while engaging in physical intimacy.

William would torment me during every session.

Exhausted, I was about to fall asleep when I heard the chime of a notification popping up on William's phone. I glanced at the screen, only to see a text on the screen.

"William, my stomach hurts a lot. I'm in so much pain…"

The text came from a woman named "Ellie".

All traces of sleep vanished instantly, and my eyes regained their clarity. Almost immediately, I felt a sense of discomfort coming from my heart.

William exited the bathroom after his shower. He then picked up his phone and looked at the screen.

"You should rest. I'm leaving now."

When I saw him turning his back on me, I blurted out, "Are you going to meet your childhood sweetheart?"

William turned around to look at me. Suddenly, he lifted my chin, a hint of wariness in his eyes.

"Don't peek at things you shouldn't be peeking at. I like my woman obedient and docile," he warned.

After that, he left the room hurriedly.

I lowered my gaze and thought for a few moments. In the end, I chose to tail him.

I followed him all the way to Royale Hotel, where I saw him knocking on the door of a particular hotel room. A sweet-looking woman opened the door afterward.

I recognized her as Elaine Moore, William's childhood sweetheart. I saw her photo on his phone a long time ago.

The delighted Elaine jumped into William's arms right away. Meanwhile, William began patting her on the back gently in order to soothe her discomfort.

"Don't be scared. Is your stomach still hurting?"

Elaine shook her head while nestling in his arms, but she was still crying softly.

Heartbreak was etched all over William's face as he coaxed Elaine gently, "Be a good girl now. No more crying, okay?"

Then, he scooped her into his arms protectively and entered the hotel room, as though she was the world's most precious treasure to him.

As I watched the door being closed behind them, I felt as though my heart was being stabbed over and over again. The pain went rampant in my heart, making me feel suffocated.

My hands had already curled into tight fists by then. I even dug my nails into my palms, hoping to use pain as a method to suppress my urge to look for William.

Since his beloved childhood sweetheart was back, did he still have feelings for me?

I had gotten to know William thanks to an accident.

That day, I stumbled down the road in a daze after I was done with my mother's funeral. It was raining at that time, and I didn't bother paying attention to the road ahead of me. That was how I ended up getting knocked down by a car that shot out from behind a corner.

William got out of the car hurriedly. When he noticed my bleeding leg, he scooped me into his arms and rushed me to the hospital right away.

He apologized to me, saying that he didn't pay attention when he was behind the wheel, which resulted in him knocking me over. He also told me that he'd take care of my medical bills.

William often dropped by my ward to visit me when I was hospitalized.

As time went by, we got to know each other better. Things between us were amicable and comfortable. In fact, we got so comfortable with each other that the atmosphere between us started becoming intimate.

On the day I got discharged, I took the initiative to treat William to a meal, as I wanted to thank him for taking care of me during my hospitalization.

We both had wine that day. Seeing as we were the only ones in the room, it didn't take long before the sparks between us grew into flames of passion.

That night, I kissed him.

William gave into his urges immediately. As he held me, he kissed me fervently and caressed every inch of my body. After that, we had a wild night together.

When I woke up, I felt sore all over. There were marks littering my body. William quietly cleaned me up and applied cream to my injuries.

I smiled at him brightly.

"From now on, you're my lover," I said, my tone laced with pride.

William gazed at me with mixed feelings. Finally, he replied softly, "Okay."

His response soothed me greatly. After all, I had fallen in love with him unknowingly when we were still getting to know each other.

Since then, we have been entangled in a secret relationship. Every time, we'd immerse ourselves in bouts of passion. I greedily enjoyed the love and affection William had showered me with.

I supposed it wasn't just because I longed for love, but also that I was unbearably lonely. But now, my love for William was tormenting me.

I slumped to the floor all of a sudden, feeling my energy draining from my body rapidly. I had no courage to question William in person, but I really wanted to know who he thought was more important—me or Elaine.

So, I called William and used the same tactic Elaine had used earlier.

"William, my gastritis is acting up again… I'm in so much pain right now… Please take me to the hospital…"

This time, he hesitated.

A few seconds later, he finally answered, "I'll have my driver take you there."

As I stared at my phone screen, which showed the call being disconnected, I felt sorrow tearing my heart apart. Still, I refused to give up.

I texted William, "I really need you right now. Can you please come over and keep me company?"

I refused to let William's driver pick me up. Instead, I just stared at the door, hoping to see William walking in anytime soon.

Yet, he never bothered looking for me that night.

Only when the sun rose did I receive a notification from an entertainment tabloid on my phone. It read, "#Rich scion William Blackburn spotted on vacation with his lover."

In the video, William and Elaine were seen holding hands together as they took a romantic stroll along the beach. The love he had for her was practically written in his eyes.

After walking for a while, Elaine rested her head on William's shoulder. He lowered his head slightly, while she lifted hers a little as well. Just like that, both of them shared a sweet kiss.

Internet users filled the comment section.

"Wow! The son of the richest man is already dating another woman! Ugh, I no longer stand a chance in dating him!"

"Hey, I know that lady! She used to be the campus belle of Osmond Academy!"

"I know her too! But she came from a poor family. I suppose this is a fairy tale where the prince falls in love with a peasant girl."

"Both of them are so good-looking and talented! They're definitely a match made in heaven!"

The video and the comments stung my eyes so much that I dared not continue to scroll. The date of the video being taken hurt me even more—after all, that day happened to be my birthday.

Originally, I had intended to spend the day with William. But he told me that he was very busy with work, so he turned me down.

Apparently, he wasn't working at all that day. Instead, he was on a vacation with Elaine.

Once I recalled William's decision, I knew what the answer to my question was. Tears blurred my vision instantly. The heartbreak overwhelmed my senses, and the swirling mess of feelings threatened to drown my rationality.

At that moment, I finally realized that I was just a plaything whom William could toy with.

My body swayed from side to side as I walked over to William's residence, feeling dazed and helpless as though I was a marionette. Somehow, my instincts led me into his study, where I found a jewelry box sitting on his desk.

When I opened the box, I saw a diamond ring. As soon as I picked it up, I noticed the "E" carved onto the diamond.

It turned out that William truly loved Elaine to the point that he wished to marry her. He once told me that he'd consider marrying someone one year later. It was just that… I wasn't the one he wanted to marry.

I was so disappointed that I trembled violently. Finally, I broke down and slumped to the floor while sobbing out loud. I could only clutch my chest. My heart throbbed in extreme pain, as though that could miraculously tide the pain over.

I cried my fill that day. Once my tears dried up, I sobered up as well. That was when I packed up my stuff and left William's place.

He wouldn't know that I loved him with all my heart. Of course, he would never know that there was once a time I wished to spend the rest of my life with him.

The moment William chose Elaine, I decided not to love him anymore.

After that, I returned to the slums. My father, Charles Thorn, whom I hadn't seen for quite some time, welcomed me at the door.

I knew what he wanted to say, so I just gazed at him coldly.

"I'll marry him… on one condition."

Ever since I was born, Dad had wished to sell me off to someone else for a good price. Now, he found a suitable buyer. Even though my future husband was a man on the brink of death, Dad was still willing to push me into the pits of hell for the sake of money.

"What condition?" Dad looked very uneasy.

I merely sneered before saying, "I want to sever our father-daughter relationship."

Dad was stunned by my declaration.

"You… You ingrate! Stop spouting nonsense!"

I just shrugged before replying mockingly, "Well, you got yourself a mistress, which pissed Mom off so much that she died from an aneurysm. And now, you want to sell me off in exchange for a million Merydean dollars. What makes you think I still want you as my dad?"

Dad went silent at my outburst. So, I continued.

"You plan on trading your own daughter's happiness in exchange for wealth and luxury, and yet you still want me to be grateful to you? You've got to be kidding me, right?"

Once I was done speaking, I spotted Dad's mistress, Valerie Moore, who stood at the stairway while eavesdropping on our conversation.

So, I added, "I'm leaving now, and just in time, too. That way, your precious mistress' daughter can love and care for you in my stead."

Dad's expression darkened instantly. He was already trembling from rage, but in the end, he never did chastise me. After thinking for a moment, he made up his mind.

"Fine! We'll sever our father-daughter relationship! But that man only has a month left to live! You must marry him in ten days!"

I nodded before passing the letter of disownment to Dad. He didn't seem to expect that I'd be ready to sever our relationship once and for all, judging from how disappointed he looked when he gazed at me.

"You really are cruel."

I raised an eyebrow in return before glancing at Valerie, who looked rather smug.

"Oh, I'm not as cruel as you, that's for sure. After all, a normal man wouldn't have brought his mistress home the day after his wife died," I retorted.

Dad was rendered speechless. After he took the letter, he signed it without hesitation.

Even though I was already mentally prepared for this moment, I still felt my heart throbbing in pain. After all, my own father had abandoned me.

I turned on my heel and ascended the stairs. Every step exuded unwavering resolve and defiance.

Only when I returned to my room did I sink to the floor as though I had lost my soul. Sorrow and agony engulfed me in an instant.

The next day, I was still asleep when I was awakened by the noises outside my room.

I could hear Valerie saying nervously, "Ellie, this is Daphne's room. You can't stay in this room."

I opened the door to see Valerie stopping a woman from entering my room. When I made out Elaine's face, I felt as though my blood had just turned to ice in my veins.

Never in a million years would I expect Valerie's daughter to actually be Elaine, William's beloved lover.

God sure knew how to make me look like the biggest clown ever.

The men whom my mother and I loved the most ended up getting stolen by the mother-daughter duo!

Elaine approached me happily and took my hand. "Daphne, can I stay with you? I like your room!"

I yanked her hand away before closing the door in Elaine's and Valerie's faces.I wanted to shut them out of my life.

Dad—no, Charles yelled angrily from outside my room, "Where are your manners, Daphne Thorn? Elaine's your younger sister, and yet you never greeted her properly!"

I snapped, "I don't have any sisters!"

Charles began chastising me loudly, his voice coming out in a rumbling roar. Then, he issued an order.

"Elaine loves your room. Besides, you're about to get married soon. You might as well give your room to Elaine and move to the attic. She's going to be living in your room from now on."

What little familial love I had for Charles ultimately dissipated. The heart-wrenching pain was back to haunt me.

I just smiled bitterly. As I smiled, I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks. I no longer cared about the wisps of conversation that took place outside my room. But somehow, I just knew that the scene outside my room painted an amicable picture of a family comforting and soothing each other.

I didn't want to see Elaine at all, so I left with my suitcase in tow. Even when Charles saw me leaving, he didn't bother stopping me. Instead, he reminded me to carry out my side of the promise.

"I'll let you know when the wedding date is set. If you dare disappear on me, I won't hesitate to dig up your mother's ashes."

As I watched the family of three eating happily at the dining table, I retorted, "Unlike you, I'm a woman of my word. If you dare lay a finger on my mom's ashes, I'll make sure that you won't receive your money!"

When I was about to leave, I spotted the delight in Valerie's and Elaine's eyes. Now that I was gone, they'd be able to really exert controll.

Charles didn't have a single cent under his name. The fact that Valerie was still willing to marry him meant that she had her eye on the one-million-dollar check that he'd be receiving after selling me.

Even if Charles were to get his hands on the money, I would never let him enjoy it. Once the time came, I'd like to see if Valerie was still willing to stay with an old codger who didn't have any money at all.

At that moment, my phone buzzed once. It was a text from William.

"Where did you go?" it read.

I just stared at the text in a daze. For a moment, I didn't know how to answer that question.

William's concern for me just made my heart throb even more in pain. I raised my head to force my tears back into my eyes so that I didn't cry.

After that, I just wandered around aimlessly with my luggage in hand. Since I didn't know where else to go, I decided to sit on a bench in the park and stare at the scenery, spacing out.

I didn't know how much time had passed before I sensed a figure looming over me. When I lifted my head, I saw a familiar face that made my heart wrench in pain once again. Tears began streaming down my cheeks.

William wiped my tears away for me with his fingers. In a helpless tone, he said, "If you're done with your tantrum, let's go home together."

I fell silent at his words.

Clearly, William was starting to get mad at me. His tone became lower and gruffer.

"Now now, Daphne, don't be wilful."