After my family went bankrupt, I was picked up off the street by my former, gloomy lackey and taken to his cramped rental apartment. I was spoiled and delicate, constantly complaining about the food and the living conditions. To support me, he worked eight part-time jobs a day. The way he looked at me grew darker and more terrifying by the minute. But the conditions were still subpar, and I honestly couldn't stand it anymore. The day I decided to throw a tantrum and leave, a translucent comment stream—like a Twitch chat—floated across my vision. [Just let the side character leave. She's abandoning the only person who can help her reclaim her family fortune.] [Yeah, later when she finds out the Male Lead is loaded, she tries to crawl back. So stupid and pathetic. Why would he want her then? She ends up getting hit by a truck. RIP bozo.] [Why isn't she moving? Throw a tantrum! If she doesn't leave, the Female Lead won't have a chance to capture the Male Lead's heart. He looks all gloomy, but wait until you see him in action...] I froze, staring at the words "reclaim her family fortune." My lackey asked coldly, "What? Is the food not to your liking again?" I stopped my hand, which was about to smash the bowl on the floor, and gave a reserved nod. "It's... passable, I guess." 1 To show my sincerity, I scooped up a huge spoonful of oatmeal and shoved it into my mouth. I didn't realize that while the surface had cooled, the bottom was still scalding hot. I flinched in pain. "Caleb! Why didn't you let it cool down before bringing it to me?!" Tears welled up in my eyes. I stuck out my scalded, red tongue and glared at him accusingly. I totally forgot about the whole "be nice to Caleb to get my money back" plan. [Thought this side character changed her ways? Nope, still a brat. Even if she doesn't leave, the Male Lead is gonna snap eventually.] Reading that comment, my arrogance deflated instantly. I was about to stammer out an apology. But Caleb turned around without a word and walked away from the table. Panic surged in my chest. I stood there, helpless. Until he came back and grabbed my chin. Caleb’s gaze was quiet but intense, focused on my mouth. He popped an ice cube into my mouth, his fingers brushing against my lips. "Keep it there." Who gave you permission to order me around? I puffed out my cheeks and sucked on the ice, surprisingly not arguing back. Caleb didn't have much time. After making my meal, he shoveled a few bites into his own mouth. Then he had to rush to his next gig. Before leaving, Caleb stared at me for a long moment, then said slowly, "Be good and wait for me to come back." I felt a little guilty. If I hadn't seen those comments, I would have already stormed out in a huff. But now... Sneaking away like a coward? That's not my style. My guilt looked like agreement to Caleb. He walked over, face dark, and clamped his hand around my wrist. "I'm not going. Ava, don't even think about leaving." I wanted to cry. If he skipped work, our quality of life would tank even further. Skipping a whole afternoon? We'd starve. "I'm not leaving! Caleb, don't you want to buy me that bag? Go to work!" I finally managed to chase him out. I collapsed onto the rock-hard mattress, thinking about the bitter days ahead, and actually started crying. Ugh, if I had known, I would never have gone home with Caleb that day. 2 For the first twenty-some years of my life, everything went my way. I was the jewel of the wealthy Sterling family. I had a posse of followers who flattered and obeyed me. Caleb was the quietest, most unlikable one of the bunch. Since he was a scholarship student sponsored by my family and was decently handsome, I was usually willing to let him tag along. But he didn't know how to suck up. He just stared at you with those gloomy, silent eyes. Being stared at like that made me uncomfortable, so I bullied him in public quite a few times. Then my father went bankrupt and was framed, ending up in prison. My former followers moved into my mansion, and I was kicked out, barefoot. My so-called friends just laughed at me. Even my posse was threatened into silence; no one dared to help. In the cold wind, I heard more mockery than I had in my entire life. When I was terrified and lost, it was Caleb who found me. He brushed the dirt off my feet and silently carried me on his back. This gloomy, cold man... his hands gripping my thighs were burning hot. I sniffled. "What are you doing here? Here to laugh at me too?" He said simply, "I'm taking care of you from now on." I blurted out, "Why? I was so mean to you." I regretted it as soon as I said it. Finally someone came for me. I was freezing to death. After a long silence, Caleb said, "Just repaying a debt. Don't overthink it." Unexpectedly, he actually had a conscience. I was cold, so I pressed tight against his back. Caleb looked thin, but his broad shoulders blocked the wind completely. He walked steadily, step by step. An unfamiliar emotion began to spread in my chest. I suddenly felt like crying. I looked up and said stubbornly, "Fine... I'll temporarily allow you to take care of me." 3 Later, I realized what that emotion was. Gratitude. I rarely thanked anyone. From birth, I got whatever I wanted. Good things were supposed to be mine. Why would I need to be grateful? This resulted in my gratitude sensors being extremely weak. Just one day after Caleb took me in, I regretted it. I wanted to scream. Caleb poured me water. Me: "Does boiling toilet water suddenly make it drinkable?" Caleb cooked for me. Me: "Cheap ingredients matched with your atrocious cooking skills. It's garbage upon garbage." I threw tantrums all day until bedtime. As soon as I lay down, I cried. How can a mattress be this hard?! Caleb padded it with everything he had, but I still couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned, finally sitting up. "Hey, stop sleeping on the floor. Come up here." Caleb's breathing hitched. "Don't mess around, Ava. How can I sleep with you?" Everyone called me "Princess" or "Miss Sterling," but Caleb refused. My rebellious streak flared up. "No! I need you to be my human mattress!" Caleb didn't move or speak. I pouted. "Fine. If you don't come, I won't sleep." I sat cross-legged on the bed, prepared to outlast him. Moonlight streamed through the window. I saw a struggle on his face. Finally, he gave in. "Don't move around. And of course, I won't do anything..." Caleb was giving disclaimers. But I had already picked my spot, curled up, and hugged him tight. Caleb stopped talking mid-sentence. I felt much better. I used to sleep hugging a giant polar bear plushie. Caleb wasn't as soft, but the size was about right. I was in a good mood, muttering "Goodnight" to myself. Then I fell into a deep sleep. In my dream, the plushie got warmer and warmer, like a little furnace. So cozy. I hugged tighter. 4 Since then, I’ve been sharing a bed with Caleb. Today was no different. Caleb, looking exhausted, brought a basin of warm water for my feet. "Wash up and get in bed. I'll dump the water after I shower." The comment stream exploded. [Is this girl for real? Living off him and making him wash her feet? She should be serving him!] [Ahhh when does the Female Lead show up? Only she will treat our boy right.] [Soon, soon. Then this brat can go live on the streets!] I was confused. I've had people wash my feet since I was a kid. I was used to it. I didn't think Caleb minding was bad. I knocked my head. I said I'd be nicer to him today. So I got out of bed and clumsily dumped the water myself. Water splashed on my hands. I was disgusted and washed them several times. When I came back, Caleb had just finished showering. Seeing me holding the basin, he paused. "Why did you dump it yourself?" I shrugged. "Felt like it." After getting in bed, Caleb habitually tried to pull me into his arms. I refused. I thought, I dumped the water and I'm not using him as a mattress. That's nice enough, right? He shouldn't kick me out now. Unexpectedly, Caleb sat up, face dark, eyes scary. "Ava, what is wrong with you today?" I felt wronged. I was being nice, and he was yelling at me? I snapped, "I sleep how I want! What's your problem?" Hearing this, the rims of Caleb's eyes turned red. He looked even scarier. He grabbed my wrist tight, leaving a red mark. "Ava, do you think I'm a toy? You play with me when you want and toss me aside when you don't?" He guessed it. He was literally the replacement for my polar bear. Caleb read my expression and gritted his teeth. "What are we, Ava? What is this?" What are we? I'm not a rich heiress anymore, and he's not exactly my lackey. I stammered, unable to answer. Caleb gave a dark smile, locked me in his arms, and wrapped his limbs around me tight. "Ava, I don't care what we are. I'm never letting you go."
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