I was born a doormat. A chronic, incurable people pleaser. When I was a kid, my little brother wouldn't eat his dinner, and my dad flew into a rage. He screamed, "If you won't eat the food, eat dirt!" To diffuse the tension, five-year-old me literally went outside, dug up a spoon of dirt, and ate it just to make my dad smile. Growing up, I clawed my way into a top-tier Ivy League university just to please my relatives and fish for their compliments. The day I stepped onto campus for my junior year, I walked straight into a scene from a bad rom-com. Roses covered the quad. A crowd had gathered around a gorgeous girl. Some guy was confessing his love. And judging by his thunderous expression, he had just been brutally rejected. He stormed toward me, blinded by rage. The path was narrow, the crowd was tight, and I had nowhere to go. To avoid a collision, I panicked and dove headfirst into the campus fountain. Splash. The crowd erupted in laughter. I wasn't sure if they were laughing at the rejected guy or the soaking wet girl in the fountain. Hearing the laughter, the guy stopped. He turned back and stared at me as I climbed out, dripping wet. "You saw me get rejected, so you jumped in the fountain," he said, squinting. "Who are you? I’ve never seen you before." I opened my mouth to explain. "Oh. You like me." He nodded, connecting dots that didn't exist. "That’s why you jumped." A ten-ton accusation dropped on my head. I shivered. "Huh?" He shoved the rejected bouquet of roses into my hands and draped his suit jacket over my wet shoulders. His face was still dark. "Since you’re this obsessed with me, I guess I’ll force myself to date you." Me: ??? But the word "No" got stuck in my throat. I physically couldn't say it. Plus, he just got humiliated publicly... maybe he needed this to save face. As a people pleaser, I couldn't bear to see someone embarrassed. I stared at the wet pavement and whispered, "Okay, sure." If you know anything about people pleasers, you know we are allergic to confrontation. 1 Asher Sterling dragged me straight to his car. The heat was blasting. Asher ignored me the second we got in. It was just the stoic driver, Asher scrolling on his phone, and me. I figured the situation was too awkward, so he kidnapped me to escape the scene. I was dripping water all over his expensive leather seats. Drip. Drip. To cover the sound and break the suffocating silence, I started rambling. "Knock knock." No one answered. The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. Asher kept scrolling. "Who's there? Water. Water who? Water you doing ignoring me?" Silence. The air in the car somehow got heavier. "Haha," I laughed dryly. I lowered my head and pointed at the window. "You can just drop me off here." Asher finally looked up. "Why? I just ordered a dress for you. We’re going to the hotel so you can change." "The... hotel?" I gripped the door handle. Dating meant going straight to a hotel? Asher realized how that sounded. "Don't get any ideas. It's my brother's birthday gala tonight. I just need a plus-one to save face." Okay. Rich boy. If you tell me not to get ideas, I won't get ideas. I pulled my phone out of my pocket. It was dripping wet. Asher raised an eyebrow, looking horrified. "Is that... an iPhone 6? With a cracked screen?" I nodded. "Yeah. My mom was throwing it away. I thought the phone would be sad, so I saved it." Asher blinked. "You saved it because you didn't want your mom to be sad?" He nodded, impressed by my filial piety. "No," I corrected. "I was afraid the phone would be sad." Asher: ... 2 I changed into the dress and waited for Asher at the hotel entrance. I hate making people wait. When Asher walked out, I saw a flash of genuine surprise in his eyes. He quickly looked away, acting unnatural. "You waited out here this long? You really must like me." I didn't confirm or deny. We walked into the ballroom. The party was in full swing. A man walked toward us. When he saw Asher, he smirked with disdain. Then his eyes landed on me, and he paused. "Asher. Couldn't catch the last one, huh? But honestly... I think this one is prettier." Asher didn't speak. He just glared, his face dark. They stood there in a standoff. The silence around us was terrifying. I decided to break the ice. "Thanks! You're not too bad yourself." The man looked at me again, his expression complicated, before walking away. The room exhaled. Asher leaned in. "That’s Julian Cross. My sworn enemy. Business, personal, everything. Our families are rivals in DC and Wall Street, so naturally, we hate each other." I took a sip of champagne. "He loves trying to steal my women," Asher whispered. I didn't know how to respond, so I went with empathy. "That’s a little mean." This was the harshest insult I was capable of. I was trying to please the Prince of New York, after all. Asher looked at me. "...Just a little?" I grit my teeth and went for the jugular. "Okay, that’s very mean." Asher’s driver walked over and handed me a box. A brand new iPhone. The latest model. "My old one," the driver lied, looking awkward. It was still in the plastic wrap. I broke my moral code for the sake of the gift. "Julian Cross is a terrible person." Asher nodded, satisfied. He gave me a few instructions and went to find his brother. Across the room, Julian Cross raised his glass to me. I immediately smiled back. He couldn't have heard me, right? 3 I drank too much champagne. The room was spinning. I went to the hallway to find a bathroom, but suddenly, a hand grabbed my wrist and yanked me into a supply closet. Click. The door locked. It was Julian. I looked at him calmly. Was he going to yell at me for calling him terrible? I stared at him. He stared at me, the corners of his lips twitching upward. He placed one hand on the door and the other on my waist. "Where did Asher find such a perfect little puppet? Pretty and obedient." His warm breath hit my face. "If you're drunk," I said politely, "I can call room service for some coffee." He shook his head. "Why don't you leave him and be with me? I can buy you as many phones as you want." I blinked. "But I only have one SIM card." Who needs that many phones? He lowered his eyes, his voice dropping to a whisper. "If you don't say yes, I might get hurt. I'll be depressed. I'll be lonely and sleepless for the rest of my life." He sounded so sincere. I could almost see tears in his eyes. "Okay then," I said. "Just don't tell Asher." Julian blinked, genuinely shocked. He didn't expect me to fold just because he played the victim card. Sigh. It’s hard being a people pleaser. Outside, I heard Asher calling my name. He was looking for me. I moved to open the door. Julian pressed me harder against the wall. "Babe, my heart is racing," he rasped. "Check me. Do you think I'm having an allergic reaction to the alcohol?" He pulled open his mesh shirt. What was I supposed to see in the dark? I could only see abs and chest muscles. I looked down seriously. "It looks... asymptomatic." Asher’s voice faded into the distance. Julian chuckled darkly. He was playing Asher. And he was playing me. I looked up at him calmly. "By the way, are you trying to seduce me?" 4 The question was too direct. Julian froze. I smiled, reached out, and buttoned his shirt for him, smoothing out the wrinkles with care. "Babe, you should hit the gym. I measured with my eyes... you're not as big as Asher." Julian’s playful smile cracked. "Turns out you aren't a puppet," he murmured. I switched to my 'admiration' face. "What are you saying? If you want a puppet, I can act like one. I can be whatever you want." His pupils contracted. He looked... conflicted. "I think I like this version better," he said. I smiled. I’m a people pleaser. I’ll be whatever makes you happy. I learned to be this way to survive. In a family with too many mouths and not enough food, I had to please my parents to get the scraps left over after my brother ate. When my brother started stealing from neighbors, I stole my mom’s phone so they’d blame the theft on him, balancing the scales of justice in my own twisted way. When my parents discussed selling me to the neighbor's mentally disabled son for dowry money, I smiled and said, "Okay." Then I put sleeping pills in their porridge, took my ID and all the cash in the house, and ran. Compliance is my armor. Asher likes them innocent? I can be innocent. Julian likes them wild? I can be wild. I am a full-service people pleaser. Julian fixed his collar. "I originally just wanted to use you to mess with Asher. But I’ve changed my mind." I raised an eyebrow. "So? Should I say thank you?" He looked incredulous. I pushed him aside and unlocked the door. He blocked my path. "Clarify something. Where am I smaller than Asher?" I looked him up and down. "Everywhere." The crack in his perfect mask shattered. He dropped his arm. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell Asher we were in here?" See? One second he’s whining about being lonely, the next he’s threatening me. I made a terrified face, cupping my cheeks. "Oh no! What should I do? I'm so scared!" Then I pushed past him and walked away. I left him standing there, grinning like an idiot. My instincts told me: some dogs only chase you if you ignore them.
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