"What do you think, Howard?"

Howard was silent for a moment, then smiled faintly. "You're right, Mom. It's just a pheasant, after all. We'll do as you say."

Looking up in shock, I saw Megan throwing herself into his arms with a delighted laugh. Then, Howard took out a massive diamond ring he'd prepared in advance from his pocket. He slipped it onto her ring finger and tenderly kissed her fingertips as everyone cheered.

I'd seen that ring on TV a few days ago. It was worth two hundred million. I glanced down at the plain ring on my finger, now yellowed and tarnished. Howard had given it to me on our first anniversary. It wasn't expensive, just a few hundred bucks, but I was as happy as a fool back then. Even though it wasn't even real silver and the color had faded badly, I couldn't bear to take it off.

I hid in a corner like some shameful voyeur, watching as the two of them held hands and smiled while drinking toast offered by the guests. The drinks were meant for both of them, yet Howard took them all on her behalf and gently handed her a glass of juice instead. "You're allergic to alcohol," he said softly. "Drink this instead."

Megan leaned on his shoulder like a pampered little princess, blushing and happy. "Howard, you're the best."

Howard had a weak stomach. Back when we were together, I was the one who always drank for him at parties. I'd instead drink until I had a stomach hemorrhage than let him have a single drop. I had taken such meticulous care of him for three years. Now, to protect someone else, he didn't even care about his own body.

That man must have been thrilled today. I had never seen him drink so much. Soon, he was drunk and Megan helped him upstairs to a guest room. I knew leaving at this moment was sensible, but I was standing outside their bedroom door before I knew it. The door wasn't closed tightly and the sounds from inside were faintly audible, making my face burn. My hands were shaking as I dialed Howard's number. It rang for over ten seconds before he picked up. His voice was hoarse and breathless. "Freya, what's wrong?"

"Howard," I cried, "let's get married. I don't want a dowry or a house. Just come back now and we'll register our marriage immediately, okay?"

I knew how pathetic I sounded, how low I'd fallen. But sometimes, love makes you let go of your pride. If Howard stopped now, walked out of that room and returned to me right this second, I'll pretend none of this ever happened.

Howard paused for a moment, then gave a helpless little laugh. "Silly girl, why are you crying? I never said I wouldn't marry you, but my mom's still in the hospital. I don't have the heart to think about marriage right now and I don't want to rush you into something less than you deserve. Once she gets better and I've made more money and bought a house and a car, I'll give you the wedding you deserve. Okay? Just wait for me a little longer. My part-time job will run late tonight, so I won't be home. Lock the door and get some rest. I'll bring back something tasty for you."

He suddenly let out a muffled groan and quickly hung up the phone. At the same time, the sounds from inside the room grew more intense and unbearable. I numbly lowered my phone as tears poured down my face. On the way home, the sky opened, pouring rain that soaked me to the bone. The cold rain washed over my face, only to be repeatedly replaced by my own tears.

Suddenly, I felt so tired and my head grew heavier and heavier. Before I lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground, one final thought echoed in my mind: Howard, I'm never going to wait for you again.

When I opened my eyes again, it was already dusk on the third day. I was lying in a hospital bed. The nurse told me that a kind passerby had brought me in. I turned on my phone, but Howard hadn't sent me a single message. No matter how busy he was, he used to always message me goodnight and remind me to eat breakfast.

Now, the nurses were whispering to each other, full of envy, as they looked at their phones. "Did you hear that? The only son of the Garcias is getting engaged. The bride-to-be is the Lin family's daughter. Mr. Garcia liked Miss Larkin since they were kids. Last night, he bought out the entire city's fireworks to propose to her."

"That's not even the craziest part. There was a whole drone light show, too; there must've been over a thousand of them! Word is, Mr. Garcia planned the whole thing himself just for her. I'm so jealous."

I stood there in a daze and my phone started ringing. It was the manager from one of my part-time jobs. "Freya, we've got a client throwing a bachelorette party tonight. They want someone in a costume to perform. The pay's really good. I know you need the money, so I personally recommend you. Don't make me regret it, alright?"

I wanted to refuse, but this manager had always been good to me, always thinking of me first when there was work. I didn't want to make things difficult for him, so I agreed. Besides, I wasn't planning to use Howard's check. I'd given him all my savings and now I had to rely on myself to survive. I used the wages from that secret room part-time job to pay off some expenses. It was the first time I spent money on myself in three years. Anyway, Howard didn't need my meager savings anymore.

I forced a bitter smile. Maybe it was for the best. His little "Prince turned pauper" game was finally over. It was time for him to go back to the woman he truly loved. They were the perfect match, both from wealthy families, good looks, everything in common. He and I were never from the same world. The past three years could just be a bitter yet sweet dream. Now that the dream was ending, we should each return to our rightful places.

I didn't expect the client throwing the bachelorette party to be Megan. In the private room, it wasn't just her. A group of wealthy young men and women was there, staring at me with obvious contempt. Megan tossed a costume at my feet with a smug look. "Your manager said Miss Youngson is great at entertaining guests. Then put this on and show my friends a good time."

It was a clown costume, but the style was strange and the neckline was very low, exposing my entire back. I replied politely, "Miss Larkin, this doesn't comply with our work regulations. I've already prepared a Doraemon costume and can perform magic tricks for you and your friends."

The next second, a sharp slap landed on my face, burning with pain. Megan was nothing like the kind and considerate person I saw that day. She sneered coldly, "What a joke. In your line of work, the customer is the rule. If you don't wear it, I'll assume your manager lied to me and his business can kiss goodbye."

For these rich people, crushing a small business was as easy as flipping their hands. I couldn't drag my manager down with me. Clenching my teeth, I picked up the clown costume and put it on. Megan said lazily, "Wait. Where's your professionalism? Take off your own clothes first, right in front of us. I don't want you sneaking off."

The men on the couch suddenly looked at me with disgusting, leering eyes. If I still couldn't see that Megan had set this up to humiliate me, I'd be an idiot. "I'm sorry, but I can't do what you ask. I don't want the payment either. Please find someone else, Miss Larkin."

I turned to leave, but two men grabbed me firmly. One of them kicked my knee hard and I fell to the ground in pain. Megan walked up to me and slapped me across the face more than ten times, then sneered, "That's more like it. You poor trash only deserve to kneel before me."

Megan yanked my hair, forcing me to look up at her. "He told you his mom was seriously ill and he was drowning in debt, didn't he? That was just a lie to trick you, you idiot. I can't believe you fell for it and were eager to throw yourself at him. You're nothing but some cheap fling he picked up to make me jealous. How dare you even call him and ask him to marry you? Who do you think you are?"

"How about those hundreds of thousands you transferred to him over the past three years? He used all of it to make me happy. If I replied to one of his messages, he'd send me a hundred or even a thousand dollars. Too bad it wasn't much; it disappeared after a few messages, so Howard had to dig into his pockets. Even when you practically begged to give him money, you were still useless!"

"Did you use your cheap body to seduce Howard into sleeping with you? Well, today, I'll let you seduce to your heart's content. My male friends here are more than enough to satisfy you. Strip her!"

They started tearing at my clothes. I struggled as hard as I could, but Megan was annoyed by the noise. She casually picked up a bottle and smashed it against my head. Warm blood trickled down my forehead, blurring my vision. My head spun with dizziness. Just as the fabric of my clothes ripped, the door slammed open with a loud kick. "What the hell are you doing?"

Howard kicked the men away and tried to pull me up, but I shoved him away. I looked at his expensive suit and gave a bitter smile. "Howard, do you find playing me for a fool fun?"

"I didn't … "

"At this hour, shouldn't you be working at KFC? What kind of KFC has a waiter wearing a suit worth hundreds of thousands? I'm afraid your daily wage of a hundred and twenty yuan wouldn't even buy a single thread on that suit, would it?"

He had nothing to say, but Megan sneered and said, "Wow, you're not as dumb as you look. What, now that you know he's rich, you're in a rush to cash in? I knew it. No one's stupid enough to give so much for free. You probably discovered who he really is long ago. Now you're shamelessly clinging to him, hoping to turn from trash to treasure. Pathetic."

Anger and despair welled up inside me. I had fallen in love with someone and wanted to help him through his hardships. I never played with anyone's feelings. Why did I deserve such humiliation? Beyond endurance, I slapped Megan across the face.

Howard immediately tensed up, forcefully pushing me away and holding the crying Megan protectively in his arms. "Freya, are you crazy? How can you just hit someone?"

I laughed out of anger, pointing to my forehead. "That woman cracked my head open with a wine bottle and all I did was give her a slap in return. Now, you're this worried, huh? Howard, have you had enough of your prince-turns-beggar game? Let's break up."

I turned to walk away, but Howard instinctively chased after me and grabbed my wrist. "Freya, don't go, I … "

Before he could finish, Megan suddenly cried out, "Howard, I'm pregnant. My stomach hurts … "

Howard froze. He hesitated for a few seconds, then let go of my hand. "Freya now's not the time to argue. Just go home and wait for me, okay? I'll explain everything tomorrow." Then he carried Megan out.

I watched his back as he walked away and laughed helplessly. Tomorrow? Tomorrow is your engagement party. Oh, wait! Megan is pregnant now. Maybe you'll skip the engagement and go straight to getting married.

My manager messaged me. [Freya, the client, was pleased with your performance. Here's your payment.]

The transfer amount was generous. Megan really was generous when it came to spending his money. Later, messages from Howard came flooding in. [Freya, it's not what you think. Once I get everything settled, I'll explain everything. Please, just wait a little longer, okay?]

I had already waited for three years. I didn't want to wait anymore.

The clock struck midnight, marking our fourth anniversary. Yet, Howard was marrying another woman. I sent him one last text. [Happy engagement, Howard Garcia.]

The next second, my phone lit up with his call.