On my birthday, my fiancé used his supermarket points to get me a pair of dishwashing gloves.

But at an auction, he bought a five-million-dollar gem for his first love.

I was mad, confronting him, but he called me a gold digger.

"I've been giving you money to spend. Isn't it only right that you take care of me? This was supposed to be my final test for you. If you passed, we'd get married. You've let me down big time."

I broke up with him.

He turned around and proposed to his first love.

Five years later, we ran into each other on a private vacation island.

Alex Thompson saw me in the workers' uniform picking up trash on the beach.

He mocked me on the spot. "You turned your nose up at the gloves I got you, and here you are, scavenging garbage. Now, even if you begged me, I wouldn't give you a second glance."

I ignored him.

My son's social studies project was to clean up the backyard with a parent.

His dad had expanded the yard all the way to the beach. Cleaning it up was exhausting.

My fiancé, Alex Thompson, spent a fortune at an auction for his first love, Betty Bates.

But he only got me a pair of dishwashing gloves from his supermarket points.

On the country's biggest private vacation island, Alex stepped off the plane with Betty, who was in a high-end mermaid gown.

They drew a crowd of admirers right away.

"Mr. Thompson, I didn't expect you'd show up for this charity gala. I heard you took over the company just five years ago and crushed dozens of competitors. You're really making waves young," someone said.

Alex smiled. "This gala is just a cover. Everyone here is gunning for that big investor's attention."

People nodded, sharing the same goal.

The host of this event was a rare gem of an investor.

Someone turned to Betty and showered her with praise. "This must be Mrs. Thompson. She's stunning. You're a lucky man, Mr. Thompson."

Betty hooked her arm through Alex's and giggled behind her hand. "We're not married yet. Alex says once this project is a success, we'll tie the knot. The wedding will be huge and extravagant."

Alex faltered but soon composed himself, smiling. "It's just a piece of paper anyway. We loving each other is what counts."

His words surprised me.

Five years ago, after I broke up with Alex, he had turned around and proposed to Betty.

The next day, all the major media outlets had announced their engagement. They had even held a press conference.

They had been the envy of everyone as the perfect couple, yet the wedding dragged on for five years.

While I puzzled over it, a temp server walked up to me with a straight face.

He looked me up and down with clear disdain in his eyes. "Sorry, ma'am, but there's a gala going on right now. Cleaners come in after it's over."

I'd been doing a full day of beach cleanup with my son for his project. Now I was wearing a ragged uniform I had grabbed from the storage shed.

Compared to the glamorous guests around, I sure didn't look like an invited attendee.

"This beach is mine," I tried to explain. "I'm here to..."

The server burst out laughing. "You're hilarious. A cleaner thinks the beach is her property? Leave now, or I'll call security."

His loud voice drew attention from the nearby guests. Their scornful stares hit me like spotlights.

Among them was Alex, who was chatting smoothly with others.

The moment our eyes met, he froze. "Chelsea?"

The server blinked. "Mr. Thompson, is she a friend of yours?"

Alex regained his composure. "Barely. She is just some gold digger who latches onto rich guys."

He turned back into the crowd, not glancing my way again, like I was too dirty for his eyes.

The server stepped forward to shove me. "Get out! This place is for high-class people. If you're looking for a sugar daddy, hit up a nightclub."

His words annoyed me. I grabbed his arm and snapped, "I'm just doing a parent-child social project. I'll clean up this beach and leave. If there's any damage, I'll cover it myself."

"You think you can afford anything here?" he snorted. "One highball glass would cost you a lifetime of trash picking to pay off."

I tried to explain, but Alex came up. "I know you're here for me. But we're done. Save your stunts to get my attention. I'm not interested. I'll give you 500 grand. Go find a decent job."

I laughed, ignoring him, and continued to pick up the garbage.

My attitude stung his pride. He reached out to yank at my work uniform, tearing it with a rip.

My necklace snapped. Pearls scattered and clattered to the ground.

Betty, noticing the situation, covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my God, you're out here being someone's side chick?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I snapped.

Unfazed, she spoke seriously. "I know what I saw. That necklace on your neck was bought at last year's auction by some mysterious guy with a kid. But here it is on you. If you're not a mistress, what are you?"

Betty's words jogged my memory. This necklace was a birthday gift from my son last year.

To surprise me, they'd gone to the auction incognito. That was why no one knew who bought it.

Alex bought her story, frowning. "I thought you were just materialistic. Didn't figure you'd stoop to being a side piece for cash."

I stayed silent, unwilling to waste my breath on people like them.

But my silence made Alex think he'd hit the nail on the head. He pulled out his phone, sanctimonious. "How much do you need? I'll give it to you. Consider it compensation for your necklace."

"No need. It isn't expensive," I said coldly.

The necklace might be pricey for them, but even my son's allowance could cover that.

I didn't need his money, nor did I want any connection with him. My husband would be mad.

Alex paused, then chuckled, "Don't get me wrong. I simply can't stand seeing you like this. This is a charity gala. Helping an ex out with some living money is just humane. Don't worry. I've got zero other intentions toward you."

Betty stepped out from behind him and linked arms with him, trying to pull him away. "Let's just ignore her. She is in that trade. Who knows what germs she's carrying? We can't risk catching anything. Besides, she graduated from a top college. Even at her lowest, she could wait tables and eat. But no, she chases guys. It's all because she's lazy and won't hustle."

"Watch your mouth!" I cut her off. "Slander is a crime, you know."

She flinched, hiding behind Alex. She glared. "What, you can do it but can't own it?"

I grew anxious. The sun was setting, and my son's project wasn't done yet.

I had no time to waste on these two.

I bent down to pick up a bottle when Alex roughly grabbed my arm and yanked me up.

"You sneered at the gloves I gave you. Now you're out here picking trash?" he spat. "Even if you begged me now, I wouldn't look back at you."

I was speechless.

It was just ridiculous for him to think that I broke up with him over some gloves.

Back then, Betty wanted to leave Alex for a married old guy. Alex got so down that he tried to jump off a bridge.

I bumped into it and saved him. To stop him from trying suicide again, I stuck with him through that tough time.

Maybe my presence filled the gap Betty left. Alex grew fond of me and chased me.

I agreed to date him, but everything changed with Betty's return.

That old guy had scammed her out of everything and dumped her.

That same day, Alex started distancing himself. He stopped answering my calls or replying to my texts.

On my birthday, he used his supermarket points for a pair of dishwashing gloves as a gift. That was like an implication that I was just a maid to him.

The irony? I still held out hope for him then.

Then the media blasted that Alex had spent five million dollars on a gem for Betty. That was when my heart shattered.

Now he still didn't get it. The gloves didn't matter.

I shook him off and rubbed my sore wrist. "I'm doing great now. Mind your own business."

He eyed me suspiciously, and I sighed, "Plus, I'm married. If my husband saw you grabbing me like this, he'd flip."

Alex stepped back. Shock was written all over his face. "You got married behind my back?"

Alex's hand shook slightly with the highball glass. "You're married and still doing that stuff? Does your husband know?"

I said nothing.

His furrowed brow relaxed a bit. Then he scoffed, "Ha, I get it. You're bluffing to rile me up and make me come back. I didn't know you were this scheming. But we're over. Even if you claimed you had kids, I wouldn't care."

He didn't have to tell me that. I knew he only cared for Betty.

But back then, he pursued me, swearing he'd gotten over Betty long ago to ease my worries.

His resolve touched me, and I agreed to be with him.

Now, in his mouth, I was desperately clinging to him.

Betty snatched my bag and dumped the trash all over the ground. "With your broke-ass vibe, you think you can snag rich folks' trash? You aren't taking even one bottle today."

My hard work on my son's project was ruined, making me furious.

I reached to grab the bag back, but before I could touch her, she flung herself backward and fell onto the sand.

"Ah, you bitch! How dare you push me?" she cursed.

I rolled my eyes, unimpressed by her crappy acting. Only a blind fool like Alex would fall for that.

She sat on the ground, sobbing dramatically. "Look what you did to my dress. You need to pay me!"

Alex glanced at her, then locked eyes with me. "Picking trash on a private beach is wrong to start. Betty was just kindly reminding you, and you shoved her? How can you be so vicious?"

I sneered while Betty kept demanding compensation.

Alex sighed, "Betty, get up. Look at her. Does she look like someone who can afford to replace your dress?"

Betty smirked, "That's true. An apology will be good."

I laughed, tired of their drama, and pulled out my phone. "It's just a dress, right? I'll pay you."

Betty frowned. "Do you even know how much this costs? You think a hundred or two covers it?"

I ignored her and was about to unlock my phone when a hand gripped my wrist.

Alex stared at the wallpaper. His nostrils flared, and his breath came in short, sharp pants, like a dog on the edge.

Finally steadying his breath, he croaked, "Don't you get it? I don't need those roses anymore."