My girlfriend is an heiress from the upper class of Jetland, and she is worth tens of billions of dollars.

In order to test me, she has never spent a single cent on me, nor given me any presents during the seven years that we have been together. She even splits the bill with me when we buy rubbers.

After my mother falls severely ill, I borrow all the money that I can from all my family and friends. I only need two thousand dollars more to afford my mother's operation.

However, even when I beg my girlfriend to lend me money, she refuses.

After my mother passes away, I take care of everything on my own.

When I go home to pack my things, I accidentally come across a list of presents that she has bought for our neighbor, whom she treats like a younger brother. These gifts include a luxury villa, a designer watch, and haute couture suits.

There is also an audio recording of her conversation with her best friend.

"Tessie, I heard that Ethan begged you so he could borrow two thousand dollars from you. Is that true?"

Tessa Seinfeld snorts, and her voice rings out carelessly. "Zeke's right. Only a leech would go down on his knees just for two thousand dollars. We've only been together for seven years, and he's already so eager to get money out of me."

In the end, our seven years of relationship mean nothing. It only takes a provocative comment from her neighbor, Zeke Palmer, for everything to fall apart.

But it doesn't matter. From the moment my mother died, I have already decided to leave Tessa.

I had just put the list of presents back in its original spot when the door to the foyer opened.

Tessa Seinfeld swaggered over and sat down beside me, smelling faintly of alcohol.

"You disappeared for a few days. I thought you'd finally grow a spine and leave for good. You still ended up crawling back to me, because you just can't leave me."

Tessa almost blurted out that I had just come back to scam her out of her money. Perhaps from the beginning, she had only ever seen me as a leech who was after her money.

I didn't even look up and just moved aside. I dodged her when she tried to hold my hand.

Tessa was startled for a moment. She looked at her hand, then at me. She thought I was throwing a tantrum because of the two thousand dollars she refused to lend me.

"I've been drinking, and I feel a little thirsty. Make me some soup to cure my hangover."

Tessa was always like that. She would unknowingly start acting like a spoiled heiress.

However, when she had made her move on me seven years ago, she pretended to be poor. She put on a terrible show, coming off as a broke young woman.

Still, Tessa had me completely fooled.

"Ethan, I don't have anything, and I can't have a stable future with you. However, we can work hard and build a good life together."

Back then, I nodded when I saw how sincere she looked. I lacked money, but I could rely on my own diligence and hard work to build a life for myself.

I chose Tessa because I had been touched when she said that we could work hard and build a good life together.

However, the longer we spent together, the more I felt that she was different from ordinary people.

Tessa would show contempt for bargain-priced items without realizing it. She would also order me to do things that she could easily have done herself.

When I was at work one day, I saw her get out of a luxury car and walk into a high-class club, surrounded by admirers. That was when I was sure that there was nothing but lies between us.

She had always been afraid that I would go after her money.

Tessa spoke again, interrupting my thoughts.

"If you want money in the future, you can just tell me. Don't use your mother's health as a smokescreen. Watch out, or you might end up getting what's coming to you."

Her words made me feel that the entire situation was laughable. I looked up at her coldly. "Would you give it to me if I asked you directly?"

Tessa was startled, and she looked hesitant. Then, confirmation washed over her face, and a mocking glint instantly flickered in her eyes.

"Zeke was right. You're only with me for my money."

Tessa transferred 1.88 dollars to me via her phone and added a note, labeling me as "Leech".

During the seven years we had been together, I had never spent a single cent of Tessa's. I would even prepare gifts for her during our anniversaries or on special days.

Tessa would accept them without any qualms, but she never prepared anything for me. She would remark sarcastically that men should buy their girlfriends gifts to make them happy, and that it was their duty.

Despite this, she had described me as a leech.

As an heiress from the upper class of Jetland, Tessa was worth tens of billions of dollars.

I thought of the list of presents that she had prepared for Zeke Palmer.

I thought of my mother, who had been tormented by her disease and had passed away in great pain because we hadn't had the money for treatment.

I did not want to face Tessa for a single moment longer.

I had just got up to leave when there was a noise at the door once more.

Zeke called Tessa's name with love in his voice as he walked in, taking off his coat. However, he looked startled and jumped in fright when he saw me.

"Ethan, what are you doing here?"

I turned to look at Tessa. "Unless I'm mistaken, this is the place we rent together. Not only did you give the password of the digital doorlock to someone else, but you even let him barge in."

Upon hearing this, Zeke looked as if I had wronged him immensely. He ran over and wrapped his arm around Tessa's shoulder as he sat down beside her.

"Tess, how could I be an outsider? I only came to stay the night because I forgot to bring the keys to my place.

"Besides, if Tess hadn't agreed to split the rent for this place, you'd have to pay it all by yourself. No matter how you look at it, you're the one with an advantage."

I wondered how often Zeke had made such provocative remarks without my knowledge.

When Tessa heard this, she did not feel like she had made a mistake. To her, Zeke made perfect sense.

"Zeke's right. I have a place of my own, and I'm really the one at a disadvantage here since I have to share the rent with you. This is just like spending money on escort services. There's no difference."

She showed me her bank account number.

"You don't want people to call you a leech, do you? Pay me back for the rent that I've paid over the past seven years."

…

Tessa and I had rented the apartment when we first got together. It was only about 450 square feet in size.

After graduating from university, I stayed in Jetland to work and earn more money. At the time, I had only been able to afford the rent for a cramped place that was far away from the city.

Tessa had been the one who said that the place was too far away and that it would be inconvenient for her to visit me.

It was also Tessa who had said that it wasn't a place fit to live in, and that it would ruin the mood for her to get intimate with me.

She wanted to rent a bigger place with me.

Therefore, I took on the pressure of a high rental fee and got a part-time job with the extra time I had from a shorter commute.

Now, not only did she want me to return her half of the rent for the past seven years, she even felt that she had been paying to sleep with me and that it was her loss.

"Tessa, it's been seven years. What am I to you?"

My expression was filled with humiliation and rage, and I couldn't help but feel regret.

I had wasted seven years of my youth on someone like her.

Her hand was still stretched out in front of me, but it shook slightly when she saw my dejected expression.

She pressed her lips together and withdrew her hand. "I was just joking. After all—"

Before she could finish, Zeke clicked his tongue again and looked contemptuous.

"How could you have the audacity to claim that you're not after Tess' money? If it weren't for her, you wouldn't be able to afford such a nice place to live in.

"Tess, I think you should stop renting this next month. You can't let outsiders keep taking advantage of you. Alternatively, you can tell Ethan to write you an IOU. That would be fair."

If it wasn't illegal to hit people, I would have slapped Tessa and Zeke. But if I did that, they would definitely find a way to scam me out of my money.

Rich people with no morals loved malicious games like that. I had played along with them for seven years.

It was more than enough. I wasn't going to do it any longer.

"I won't write an IOU. If you want money, then sue me. We'll see who's the loser. Also, I refuse to stay in this place any longer.

"Since you want to stay for a night, Mr. Palmer, remember to pay Tess the rental fee. Otherwise, you'll be considered a leech too."

I was about to leave when Tessa grabbed hold of me. The playful expression she had had earlier was gone, replaced by a reproachful anger.

"Ethan, must you go this far? Zeke and I were just joking. I advise you to think this through. Once you leave, you won't be able to stay in such a nice place any longer."

I had made a terrible, ridiculous mistake.

I shouldn't have given up on the idea of breaking up with Tessa when I found out that she was one of the heiresses in Jetland's upper class, just because she had persuaded me.

Whenever Tessa felt that I was greedy for her money, she would keep talking about equality in love and that we should not let money control us. I never should have believed her.

The only thing I had in mind back then was during the coldest time in winter, she had let me warm my hands on her stomach. When I had a headache, she would massage my head gently with her warm hands.

We had once been in love, and we had once been sweet together. However, we should not have let money taint our love.

"Tessa, let's break up." Once I said the words, Tessa's tantalizing smile finally dropped. There was a tinge of panic in her expression.

"Break up? Ethan, are you actually breaking up with me? I won't agree to it! What right do you have to dump me? Even if you're throwing a tantrum, you should know your limits."

Tessa had always acted as if she were superior. It was as if she were doing me a favor by dating me.

I merely looked impassively at her.

"I'm not throwing a tantrum. Since you keep thinking that I'm a leech who's out to get your money, you'd better find someone who has the same status as you so that you can have an equal relationship."

I did not want to say a single word more. I turned around and went back to the bedroom to continue packing my things.

After about half a minute, I heard Tessa scream angrily, "Don't regret this, Ethan!"

I ignored her threats and did not care when she left with Zeke, slamming the door behind her.

I had persisted in our relationship for seven years, even though I had been treated like a leech while doing so.

I did not blame Tessa for the fact that I had been unable to save my mother's life.

It was true that she was not obligated to lend me money.

However, at the time when I needed help the most, she had ignored me and even called me a leech. I had even gone down on my knees with an IOU and begged her to save my mother.

I had completely lost hope in her and our seven-year relationship.

…

Late that night, I walked along an empty street with all my luggage.

Jetland was huge, but there was no place for me there. I no longer had any reason to stay.

My mother was gone, and I had parted ways with the woman I loved.

Every further second I spent there would just make me feel more grief.

I had nowhere to go, so I sat in the lobby of a nearby hospital for the whole night.

When I went to work the next day, the first thing I did was to resign from my job.

My superior looked shocked when she received my resignation letter.