Lucy couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. She typed a message again.

[Yeah, we weren’t even in a relationship for a long time. By the way, we haven’t told our parents yet, so don’t spill the beans, please.]

She watched her message appear on the chat box before sending a few random memes to make the atmosphere lighter. And to make them drop the topic, too.

A few messages later, Angelia Charles sent a ‘hello’ to everyone. Even in her message, it was apparent that she was a shy woman.

Of course, no one would dare disrespect Bruce’s girl. Messages of warm greetings started pouring in. Some even sent humorous messages, making Angelia loosen up a bit.

In the end, their friends liked Angelia. She was young and lovely, so they eventually warmed up around her as well.

Lucy noticed they were busy paying attention to their group’s new ‘member,’ so she exited the application and turned her phone off.

After she arrived home, Lucy busied herself unpacking her stuff before taking a shower.

After a while, she went out of the bathroom and cleaned up. She looked up, and her eyes widened when she saw Sherry Colin sitting on her bed.

“What are you doing here? You scared me!” she exclaimed.

“Aunt Zoe asked me to invite you for dinner. With her family,” Sherry said.

“Fine,” Lucy deadpanned before walking to her closet.

Sherry watched her rummage through her clothes. “You’ve been dating Bruce for almost three years now. When are you getting married?” she asked with curiosity.

Lucy’s body went still for a few seconds.

“He won’t marry me,” she quietly said and zipped her skirt.

Sherry thought that Lucy was just pertaining to Bruce’s ‘marriages don’t work belief.

She shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, don’t lose hope. You’ve been through ups and downs together for years! The fact that he’s still with you until now means that he truly loves you. Don’t worry. He’ll propose to you sooner or later.”

‘Or never,’ Lucy wanted to say.

She gave Sherry a small smile but stayed silent. When she opened her bedroom door, she heard familiar voices talking downstairs. She stood on the staircase to peek when her gaze immediately met Brandon’s.

“Hi, Darling,” Bruce greeted her. Beside him was her uncle.

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek. “Hi.”

“Mom told me you’ll join us for dinner, so I came here to pick you up,” he sweetly said. His tone was far different from when he discussed the stock market with Lucy’s uncle.

But only Lucy and he knew the truth. Everything they showed to people, even their families, was just a façade.

Lucy remembered the time Bruce rejected her proposal. The man told his friends that he had slept with her a ton of times and that he had already had enough.

“So, what’s the point of marrying her?” he laughed.

Lucy shook her head.

“Let’s go,” she said without looking at him.

Sherry looked at her with disapproval. “Don’t be rude, Lucy!”

“She’s been moody for the past few weeks, Aunt Sherry. She hadn’t been home for four months and rarely called me during those times. Hmm…” Bruce said with fake suspicion.

Lucy looked at him. She couldn’t decipher if Bruce had already begun his plan. He acted so sweet in front of other people but also made her look like a bad girlfriend. Perhaps he wanted people to think it was Lucy’s fault once they announced their breakup.

Lucy made a face but decided not to argue.

“But we’re fine, Aunt Sherry. Lucy is my future wife, and I don’t want that to change. I will do everything for our relationship to work,” Bruce muttered while looking at Lucy. He took her bag, grabbed her hand, and started walking.

As soon as they stepped out of the house, Lucy removed her hand from his grasp.

Bruce looked at her coldly. “My mother will probably convince us to get married later. Again. If I refused her whim, she’d get mad. We have to figure out some ways.”

And that way was to make Lucy appear like the bad girlfriend.

Lucy knew that. “From now on, every time we visit our families, you’ll pay me before doing something for you. Your real girlfriend won’t mind, right?” she said sternly.

She needed money.

Every time she needed money, she always needed to ask her aunt. Most of the time, she felt awkward about it. So, her solution was to do whatever Bruce wanted as long as he gave her money.

After a moment of silence, Bruce finally spoke. “Fine. I’ll provide a credit card for you,” he nonchalantly said.

Bruce was right. Their entire dinner was filled with nothing but Zoe asking them about their wedding. She even told them about her friend’s grandson!

“So, when are you two getting married?” Zoe asked excitedly.

“As soon as possible,” Bruce answered while Lucy remained silent.

“Really?” Zoe asked with wide eyes. “What happened to your I-don’t-want-to-get-married speech?”

Bruce chuckled. “I’ve changed my mind, Mom. Also, I want to have a daughter.”

Zoe grimaced. “I prefer a grandson, though. Girls are a handful. You may have a hard time with a daughter.”

Bruce looked at Lucy affectionately. “Whatever my wife gives birth to, I’ll be happy.”

Then, he pinched Lucy’s face and tucked some hair behind her ear. Aware of the people staring at them, Bruce mockingly leaned to her ear and said, “Want to get married in April? I have a perfect day in mind. Let’s get our wedding certificates first, shall we?”

Zoe shook her head. “So clingy. Stop being PDA in front of us!”

Everyone at the table laughed. Zoe felt happy upon watching the couple.

A year ago, people thought Bruce and Lucy weren’t for each other. However, the couple seemed to prove them wrong.

Lucy and Bruce started dating when they were in college. Zoe witnessed their relationship and growth over the years. She was fond of Lucy because, aside from finding her innocent, Bruce genuinely liked her.

“I’ll cling to my Lucy whenever I want to,” Bruce said and looked at Lucy. “Darling, listen. After we get our certificates, I’ll give you my house and car. I won’t look at other women! If you ask me to go east, I’ll never go west. I will listen to all your rants all day,” he cooed.

Lucy slightly turned away when she felt his warm breath hit her face.

“Sorry,” she awkwardly said.

Zoe’s eyebrows furrowed. Bruce glanced at his mother before looking at Lucy again. He sat up straight and squeezed Lucy’s hand.

“I’ll give you some time to think about it. There are a lot of benefits in marrying me, you know.”

Lucy stared at him. She thought that if she wanted to play the villain, she needed to be good at playing her role.

“I’m not ready yet.”

The tension in the room remained palpable. Bruce leaned closer to her. “Alright. If you don’t want to get married right away, then I’ll wait ‘til you’re ready,” he said, enough for Zoe to hear.

Zoe remained to stare at Lucy. However, she realized she must be holding back because of Bruce’s past misdemeanors. So, she decided to let it slide this time.

“On, I’m just checking on you two. You’re both young, and it’s all up to you when you want to get married. Anyway, let’s eat? I cooked all this by myself!”

The dinner continued. The food was delicious, but Lucy had already lost her appetite. She brought down her fork and muttered an excuse to leave.

“I’ll see you off, babe,” Bruce said.

Lucy almost said no, but she instantly realized that his parents were watching them. She nodded at him and smiled.

The two of them waited for the car outside the door. Lucy let out a confused look when she saw a vehicle approaching them. It was different from the one Bruce used earlier.

In fact, Lucy wasn’t really unfamiliar with the car. Although, this car only reminded her of ugly memories.

Lucy and Bruce had lots of sex inside this car. It was safe to say that they spared no corner of this vehicle.

She didn’t expect that he still used this car.

‘Well, he must have forgotten those stupid days,’ she thought.

Still, Lucy felt disgusted by the thought.

Bruce was good at sweeping women off their feet. He was a known ladies’ man. With his looks and aura, no one would dare ignore him.

His all-time favorite line was, “Remember, darling, only I can satisfy you in bed.”

“Do you need me to drive you home?” Bruce suddenly asked.

Lucy knew that line very well. If Bruce really wanted to drive for someone, he wouldn’t ask a such thing and just tell them to get in the car. If he asked this question, it meant a warning to people to think about their answers carefully because he didn’t want to drive.

She shook her head and waved her phone. “No, thanks. I’ll call a cab.”

In a flash, Bruce went inside the car. Lucy could still hear his voice from the outside.

“Where are you? Let’s have fun tonight. My treat! You should meet my new girl,” he said on the phone.

And by a new girl, of course, he meant Angelia.

The disco lights illuminated the jam-packed club, and pop music blasted everywhere. Bruce stood in front of his guy friends. His hand his holding the aloof Angelia who was standing next to him.

The men stared at Angelia as they nodded their heads. They thought that their friend must be serious this time. She looked pretty but not as attractive as the women he had dated.

Perhaps Bruce was really fond of her.

“Hi!” Jack and the rest of the group greeted her.

“Hi,” Angelia timidly replied before tightening her hold on Bruce’s hand.

“Don’t you dare scare my girl, or I’ll kick your asses,” Bruce jokingly warned.

Jack let out a smile. “Aww, you found your little baby, man.”

Bruce raised his hand, ready to order his favorite drinks. A few bottles of beer and wine later, he noticed that Angelia’s eyes turned red even though she only had a few sips.

“What’s the matter, babe?” he said near her ear.

Angelia looked at him with hesitation. In the end, she lowered her head and sighed. “I don’t like you drunk, Bruce.”

“Okay,” Bruce replied. Then, he called a waiter to order a soda.

Jack laughed at Bruce. “Where on earth is Bruce? This isn’t him! This one looks like a lovesick puppy!”

The boys broke into laughter while Bruce playfully glared at Jack.

Jack instantly raised his hands in defeat. “Fine, that’s my last joke tonight,” he said.

Jack suddenly remembered a similar scenario from before. Lucy fought Bruce about his drinking habits over and over again. The woman started giving him the cold shoulder, but Bruce didn’t care. He continued his excessive alcohol intake every time he went out for a drink.

‘Who could have thought that this bastard will finally change, huh?’ Jack thought.

The truth was that Jack was attracted to Lucy. The first time Bruce introduced Lucy, Jack couldn’t take his eyes off her. Of course, he didn’t tell Bruce about it.

And since Lucy and Bruce were over now, he thought he might have a chance with her.

Jack took a couple of tequila shots and turned to Bruce. “Bro, you and Lucy are over, right?”

Bruce nodded.

“I want to pursue her.”

Silence filled them for a while.

“Oh,” Bruce finally said while pouring drinks for Angelia. He didn’t even look at Jack.

“It’s okay, right?” Jack asked.

Bruce coldly looked at him. “Why are you asking me? She’s not my business anymore.”

“Angelia—” But before Jack could finish his sentence, Bruce had already grabbed his collar.

“What the fuck, man?! Are you nuts?” he growled.

Jack raised his hands. At least now, he understood that Bruce was not kidding about Lucy.

“I’m not hitting on Angelia, dude. I was about to say that her fork fell off the table,” he uttered.

Bruce let him go and immediately called a waiter.

Angelia, on the other hand, felt relieved and satisfied. She didn’t know that Bruce was this serious about her. Of course, she knew she was just an ordinary person compared to him. She always thought that Bruce was just toying with her.

It was already enough for her to know that he really cared and respected her. She couldn’t believe that he would always go out of his way to make her happy.

Their little party continued. Jack was in a great mood. He grabbed the tequila bottle and poured some into Bruce’s empty cup.

“Come on, man, just this once,” he said, trying to persuade him.

Bruce looked at Angelia, asking for her permission. Angelia didn’t want to leave a wrong impression on his friends, so she nodded her head and smiled.

Jack hooted as they all emptied their cups. A few more shots later, the men were already wasted and drunk.

Angelia took a glance at Bruce, who had already passed out in their seat. She didn’t know how to drive, so she needed to contact a substitute driver for them.

Jack, whose mind was already clouded with alcohol, picked up his phone and dialed Lucy’s number. He drunkenly asked her to pick him up.

Lucy agreed to Jack’s request. Aside from being free, she felt it was okay to do it since they were in the same social circle.

As soon as she opened the VIP room, her eyes instantly landed on Bruce lying in Angelia’s arms. She stopped in her tracks, slightly taken aback. When she recovered, she gave Angelia a small smile and headed to where Jack was.

Jack was too drunk that he didn’t wake up from Lucy’s constant calls and taps on his arm. Lucy even tried to yell his name twice, but the brute didn’t even move.

Instead, it was Bruce who woke up from Lucy’s yells. When he saw Lucy, he immediately pushed Angelia to the side and hugged his ex!

He removed her grip from Jack and locked her with his arms. Then, he crouched and rested his head on her neck.

Lucy froze in her spot. Her wide eyes looked at Bruce, surprised and slightly alarmed. Bruce looked up at her, showing his drunk and unsteady gaze.

“Don’t hold hands with Jack!” he muttered like a spoiled child.

“You’re drunk, Bruce. Let go of me,” Lucy calmly said.

“No! I’m not drunk!”

Angelia stood up from her seat and looked at Lucy apologetically. She pulled Bruce’s arm, but he only tightened his hold on Lucy.

“Babe,” Bruce told Lucy.

“Babe!” Bruce muttered louder when Lucy didn’t reply.

“If you don’t answer me, I’ll get mad at you,” he mumbled.

Lucy looked at Angelia. “He’s looking for you,” she said.

Angelia glanced at Bruce, worried and nervous. She bit her lower lip. “Bruce, I’m here. Come on, let’s go home.”

Bruce stayed silent. The two other friends, who were not as drunk as the two, stood up and pulled Bruce away from Lucy. Angelia grunted as she hugged Bruce’s waist, feeling his weight since he was already sleeping.

Lucy went to Jack. However, she noticed Angelia’s stare directed at her. She sighed.

“Don’t overthink, Ms. Charles. He’s just drunk. He always hugs every person he sees when he’s drunk. And everyone in this room was addressed by Bruce as ‘babe’ once or twice.”

“Oh,” Angelia muttered. She kissed Bruce’s cheek, relief washing over her. “I guess we’ll get going first.”

Lucy stared at them as they went out of the room.

When they were out of her sight, she scoffed. She knew that Angelia’s little display of affection just now was her way of marking her territory.

Even the men who witnessed the scene earlier knew what Angelia’s move meant.

There was an evident tension in the air that would send shivers to anyone who felt it.

In addition, all of Bruce’s friends knew that Lucy liked Bruce a lot. After all, they also had been friends with her for years. So, to ease the tension a little and comfort her, they offered some suggestions.

“Hey, Lucy. How about we help you carry Jack to your car?” one of them said.

Lucy turned to them. “Sure,” she replied. “You may continue your little party here. It seems like you’re having a blast.”

“We’ll make sure to invite you next time,” another one replied jokingly. “And you look so pretty! Damn!”

Lucy laughed. “Bye!” she said and trailed behind the men who carried Jack.

Angelia pursed her lips. It was apparent that Lucy was already familiar with Bruce’s friends. Well, who could even forget a face as beautiful as Lucy’s?

The difference between Lucy and Angelia was that Bruce’s friends seemed to have grown fond and comfortable around Lucy. There was a familiarity with the way they acted around her. And this made Angelia feel uneasy.

Not to mention, Bruce deliberately called Lucy a “babe.” He might be drunk, but Angelia still couldn’t help but feel hurt.

Angelia paused for a moment.

‘Still… A pretty face doesn’t guarantee you everything. In the end, Bruce chose me over her.’

Right after Lucy drove Jack home, she received a call from Sherry. The woman informed her about a party at some rich women’s club tomorrow, and she wanted her to come with Bruce.

The scandal about Bruce rejecting Lucy’s proposal still haunted Sherry now. She hoped that someday, she would be able to hold her head high and face the people again after all the embarrassment they got from the scandal.

Seeing Bruce act sweet and caring around Lucy gave Sherry a new perspective. She thought that perhaps Bruce had already matured this time.

At the same time, Lucy also seemed happy and comfortable with her boyfriend’s behavior, so it seemed that there was no problem on her part.

On the other hand, Lucy was unsure if Bruce would be willing to come to such an event.

So, the next morning, she decided to call Bruce.

Bruce didn’t answer her calls until after a few rings. When he finally picked up, a soft feminine voice entered Lucy’s ears.

“Uhm, Bruce is still in the shower.”

Lucy paused for a moment. Then, she finally decided to tell Angelia the reason why she called.

“Sorry, Miss Glen. Bruce and I are supposed to go skiing today,” Angelia said after a while.

Lucy raised her eyebrow. The agreement that she and Bruce had was clear. They need to do some things to please their families.

“I think you should ask Bruce first,” she calmly said.

“Bruce has already said I can also decide on his behalf,” Angelia retorted. Her tone was gentle, but Lucy still sensed her dismay.

Lucy didn’t push the matter anymore. In the end, she showed up at the party alone.

Sherry saw her niece at the entrance. Her face looked pale, and she didn’t see any trace of Bruce.

“Lucy,” Sherry met her halfway.

Lucy smiled at her. She was wearing a designer dress and a limited-edition necklace. She looked very sophisticated and elegant.

She handed the gift to Sherry and said, “Bruce is busy at the company with Uncle. It’s an important project, so he couldn’t leave there. He says he’s sorry.”

Sherry’s shoulders relaxed as she let out a sigh of relief.

Sherry was satisfied with Bruce’s excuse. It showed that he was taking the project with the Glen family seriously. Most importantly, his gift cost millions of dollars, showing how much he valued Lucy’s family.

The other women couldn’t stand Sherry’s blatant joy with Bruce’s gift. However, they still complimented Lucy, saying she was lucky to have such a generous and thoughtful boyfriend.

Sherry let out a sad smile. “Lucy’s parents passed away when she was still a child. Bruce came into her life to make up for all the mishaps she had suffered. I saw how Bruce changed because of Lucy, and he was willing to do anything for her. This girl is one lucky woman. I want to know she catches men like that.”

The women listening mentally scoffed upon hearing Sherry’s speech.

Lucy touched her aunt’s arm. “I’m starving. Shall we eat out dinner?”

Unlike her aunt, Lucy was a humble woman with good character. She was respectful and polite to others. Not to mention gorgeous. That was why these rich women liked her very much.

Despite her remarkable personality, most of them didn’t think of Lucy as a potential wife for their sons. Lucy had no parents, and the Glen family was facing a major crisis. The worse thing was that Lucy was not directly part of the family. So, she basically had nothing to do with their company.

Of course, the scandal between Bruce and Lucy wouldn’t be forgotten. No one would want their sons to become Lucy’s fallback after being dumped by Bruce.

Lucy was aware of all of these. After the scandal, she rarely dated other guys. She became wary of guys that might take advantage of her.

Halfway through the meal, Lucy volunteered to pay the bill. She took care of everything and made sure that everyone was having fun. The party ended very well thanks to her.

Satisfied and happy, Sherry asked Lucy to go shopping with her. Inside the car, Sherry wouldn’t shut up about Bruce and their relationship.

“You should handle your boyfriend well, Lucy. He’s so clingy and too smitten. You can control him a little bit, you know? Your position in the Glen family would definitely improve. Imagine the jealousy on people’s faces once that happens,” she said.

Lucy gave her a fake smile. She kept thinking about how long she needed to pretend in front of everyone, especially her aunt. Bruce was such a good actor, so her aunt was pretty convinced that they were getting on very well.

In the end, she stayed quiet and let her aunt say whatever she wanted.

Lucy thought that things would end well today, but she was wrong.

As soon as they entered a shoe store, the first people they ran into were Bruce and Angelia.

Unaware of their presence, Bruce kneeled in front of Angelia and gently held her slender snow-white ankle. There was a small bruise on her feet, probably caused by her skiing shoes.

Bruce leaned near her ear and muttered something. Angelia instantly blushed and gently slapped his arm. Then, she bent down and kissed his cheek.

Lucy froze on her spot, not knowing what to do. However, Sherry had already seen everything. Livid, she walked past her niece and slapped Angelia.

Everything happened so fast that no one stopped her.

Bruce quickly hid Angelia behind him. He coldly looked at Sherry, very different from the way he had behaved toward her before. Then, he turned to Angelia and checked her face.

“Are you okay? Does it sting?”

Angelia’s eyes blurred with tears. “I’m okay,” she said.

“Let’s go to the hospital,” Bruce worriedly said as he scanned her flushed face.

“No, I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt,” she said before smiling reluctantly.

Sherry was extremely furious. Her shoulders constantly moved as she breathed.

“You, bastard!” she yelled. “How dare you cheat on my niece?!”

Bruce thought he and Lucy could continue their pretend relationship for a long time. But now that Sherry had already seen them, he decided to reveal the truth.

“Why? Should I feel sorry for her?” he mocked.

Sherry’s eyes glistened with anger. “You’ve wasted my niece’s time! Everybody knows that you have fucked her several times, thanks to you! Now, who would ever want Lucy? No one!”