I picked up a deaf boyfriend. I lied to him, saying I worked three jobs a day just to pay for his medical treatment. In reality, I'd just wander around outside all day before coming home. After all, I was only in it for his body. There was no need to actually exhaust myself. One day, at an exclusive club, I unexpectedly saw him sitting in a private VIP room. My pitiful little puppy had suddenly transformed into an aloof, wealthy young master. Someone asked him how much longer he was going to keep up the act. He smiled carelessly. "Once Mia gets back to the States, she'll naturally have to disappear." "Worst case, I'll just throw her a few million as compensation." Only then did I realize that I was nothing more than a stand-in for his "first love." Heartbroken, I prepared to turn around and leave. But as I turned, his even more handsome friend sneered at me: "Stop acting. The corners of your mouth are practically touching your ears." 1 "I don't know what you're talking about." I eyed him warily. But secretly, I was admiring the tight, defined muscles visible beneath his black dress shirt. Asher Sterling's jaw tightened under my gaze, his expression growing even colder. "You probably didn't expect this, did you? Liam had people reporting your whereabouts so he could go out and play the field." I gasped. "You...?" The corners of his lips curved up, his clear, sharp eyes tilting upwards with a hint of mockery. "Your so-called 'working three jobs a day to support the family' consists of window shopping all morning, lounging in a cafe all afternoon, and then jumping rope for two hours outside before going home?" Cold sweat broke out on my back. He found out about all of that? The persona I maintained in front of Liam was that of a poor, resilient girlfriend who loved him to the bone. Handing out flyers in the morning. Working at a coffee shop in the afternoon. Collecting recycling at night. When I got home, I'd be drenched in sweat, so exhausted I couldn't lift a single finger. Working myself to death just to scrape together a measly two thousand bucks a month for his "treatment." Liam ate it up. Not only would he do all the household chores, but he'd also "serve" me at night to help me relax. Damn it. I thought I could keep this fairy-tale life going a little longer. I looked up, testing the waters with Asher. "What do you want?" He leaned in close, his flawless face filling my vision, and let out a low chuckle. "Liam really isn't a good guy. But I'm not here to judge you, and I won't tell him." I snapped out of my daze caused by his overwhelming good looks and swallowed hard. "Then what are you trying to say?" "Chloe Vance. Dump him, date me. If you're worried, you can take me to get a full physical too." I was speechless for a long time. "Wait, what's in it for you?" A smile spilled into Asher's eyes as he raised an eyebrow. "I'm in it for your looks, your youth, and your talent." Well, that makes sense. It's just human nature, after all. 2 The day I picked up Liam, it was raining harder than a monsoon. Historically speaking, randomly picking up men off the street never ends well. But that day, my heart felt like a damp, moldy corner. And it perfectly resonated with Liam's pitiful aura. After graduating college, I lived alone in the city. My parents tricked me into coming back to our hometown for a "family dinner," only for me to realize halfway through that it was actually my own engagement party. Sure enough, I never should have harbored any illusions about them. I decisively flipped the table and went scorched earth on everyone. My mom cried and stomped her feet, cursing me for being an ungrateful wretch. My dad was even angrier, running to the kitchen to grab a meat cleaver to threaten me. I just smiled disdainfully. I told them that if they dared touch a single hair on my head, I would absolutely make sure their precious golden boy became a girl. Perhaps they had never seen me act so tough and fearless before. They backed down, told me to get the hell out of their house, and disowned me. After all, in their eyes, I was just a girl with no value other than the bride price I could bring in. I got the hell out immediately. The day I returned to the city, I took Liam in. According to his story, he had a gambling-addicted father and a cowardly mother. At 3:00 AM, he had been kicked out of his house. He claimed he had suffered years of domestic abuse, which resulted in acquired deafness, and needed a massive amount of money for treatment. Honestly, even back then, I thought his story was full of holes. His skin was smooth and refined, without a single callus on his hands. Even though he was wearing cheap clothes from a street stall, they had that distinct "new clothes" smell. Not to mention his looks. With a face like that, where couldn't he make money? At worst, he was a rich kid down on his luck. But who told him to be exactly my type? It was a classic case of one willing to beat and one willing to take the beating. I half-heartedly agreed to start dating him. The very day we got together, I took him to the hospital for a full physical. That night, I used a flashlight to examine every single inch of his body. Liam's body was tense. Blushing furiously, he typed on his phone to ask me what I was doing. Checking to see if you have any diseases, obviously. After repeatedly confirming he was clean, I bit his lip. I whispered endless dirty talk into his ear. Anyway, he "couldn't hear" it. Liam's body went incredibly stiff, his ears and neck flushing bright red. That night was incredibly wild. A fantastic experience. From then on, it became me working outside and him taking care of the home. I actually had savings, and I had even bought an apartment. I started drawing original comics in college and gradually gained some fame. After a few of them got adapted into shows, I made quite a bit of money. But you shouldn't flaunt your wealth. I didn't tell anyone. Even my parents thought I was barely surviving. Liam obviously approached me with some ulterior motive. I just treated it as a transactional exchange. But if he thought I was going to invest more than necessary, he had another thing coming. Anyway, neither of us was exactly a saint. 3 It was late at night by the time I got home. The moment I opened the door, Liam hugged me. He was wearing the loungewear I had bought him. His eyes were red, and he held up his phone for me to see. [Why didn't you answer my calls? Do you know how worried I was about you?] Covered in exhaustion, I looked up with dead, lifeless eyes and scrutinized him. His expression slowly morphed into confusion. [What's wrong?] I suppressed my voice, making it sound strained. "Mr. Sterling, are you having fun? How much longer do you plan on lying to me?" "Playing me like a stand-in... it must be really entertaining, right?" Liam froze. [Chloe, did you misunderstand something?] My smile shattered. I looked at him as if I had never truly seen him before. "I saw it with my own two eyes at the club today. Are you still going to lie to me?" After a long time, he took a step back. His expression was complex, his voice slightly hoarse. He instantly transformed from a pitiful puppy back into an aloof, wealthy young master. "...What were you doing at the club?" See? Even at a time like this. His first reaction was to interrogate me. My shoulders slumped in defeat. I pulled a pale yellow envelope from my bag and threw it at his face. "I was trying to earn that thousand bucks for your medical bills! Are you satisfied now?!" The envelope fell to the floor, revealing the red corners of the cash inside. His jaw tightened, his pupils trembling slightly. He looked moved, yet also annoyed. I shoved past his shoulder and headed for my room. Liam grabbed my wrist, his tone freezing over. "I never planned on lying to you forever." "Right. Once your 'first love' comes back, a stand-in like me can naturally just get lost. I understand." "I will compensate you." Hearing those words, I violently yanked my hand away. The tears pooled in my eyes fell without warning. "Compensate? Is my genuine love just something you rich people can measure with money?" "Then tell me, Young Master Sterling, how much do you think my devotion is worth?" He lowered his eyes and didn't say another word. I pointed at the door. "Now, please leave." After entering my room and locking the door, I instantly dropped the act. I think I played the tragic, innocent victim pretty well just now, right? I wonder if he'll give me a little extra. Not long after, I heard the sound of the front door closing. He was gone. I hurriedly ran out and, sure enough, found a bank card on the coffee table. Underneath it was a piece of paper. [There's ten million on the card. Take good care of yourself.] Ten million. A whole ten million! Asher's call came through with impeccable timing. "He's gone, right? I'm coming over to help you move." My forehead was covered in imaginary black lines of frustration. "There's no need to rush, is there?" Asher's tone was ominous. "You don't want him to change his mind and take it back, do you?" "Moving right now!" 4 A few days later, holding his physical exam report, I looked a bit dazed. "So... we're together now?" Asher sat on the sofa reading some documents. He didn't even look up. "Obviously." I said quietly, "Shouldn't we at least get to know each other first? Even Liam and I didn't move this fast." "Heh. You call that plastic relationship built on mutual deception 'getting to know each other'?" "Hey, don't talk about my sugar daddy like that!" "What do you want to know? I went to college abroad, came back to inherit the family business, had one previous relationship, my private life is clean, and I'll give you five hundred thousand a month. Any other questions?" I was speechless. "Nope." I could have just taken the ten million and run. But Asher is truly the most handsome man I've ever seen in real life. My entire life is going to be ruined by the word "lust." As for why he chose me, a girl with nothing but beauty and talent? I didn't really care. It was probably just like Liam—some hidden, ulterior motive. Maybe his kink is cucking his best friend? Or maybe he also likes that "first love," and I'm just a recycled stand-in. But he's giving me five hundred thousand a month. That's a million times better than Liam, who I had to subsidize! What more could I ask for? I should just thank the heavens for this gift! Asher stood up. "Then let's rest. It's getting late." He pointed to a room. "Your room is over there." I instinctively grabbed him, a bit confused. "We're not sleeping together? A platonic relationship?" The muscles in Asher's arm instantly tensed. He tried his best to look calm, but his reddening ears betrayed him. "...It's too fast." This time, it was my turn to sneer. "Since you know I'm a manga artist, you should know that creators need a proper outlet to relieve stress. "Some people like going to clubs, some people like watching gore movies. I'm different. I like..." As I spoke, my gaze drifted down to his lower abdomen. "Don't tell me... the reason you haven't dated in all these years is because..." He suddenly grabbed my wrists and pinned me down onto the soft sofa. "Why don't you try it and find out?" My gasp was entirely swallowed by him. His scorching body heat roamed over every inch of me. That pure cotton nightgown fell softly to the floor. Just as things were getting heated, the doorbell rang. Liam's voice came from outside. "Asher, I need to talk to you."
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