Chapter 1

"Here's 500 thousand dollars. You have one week to leave the country and stay away from my son forever," said Tessa Colbert, who sat across from Julia Thalman with overt disdain on her ageless face.

Julia's past self would have teared up and claimed that she wasn't with Dylan Schneider for his wealth.

But now, all she did was nod quietly. "Sure."

Taken aback, Tessa paused for a moment before snickering. "I'm glad you know your place."

She put a heavy emphasis on the words "know your place" as if to remind Julia about the disparity of social status between her and Dylan.

With her head hung low, Julia accepted the check from Tessa and left.

It was dark when she arrived at the villa, so spacious that she often lost her way there.

The only familiar scene was the few photos on the coffee table. In the photos, Dylan held her waist and gazed at her with such warmth.

Her fingers brushed across the photos. Memories from the rainy night three years ago resurfaced.

That year, she stumbled upon Dylan at the entrance of an alley. He was stained with blood, and his eyes were unfocused.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I… I forgot." He shook his head, looking lost.

The rainwater, mixed with blood, dropped down his hair.

That was how she brought home a man with memory loss. They shared the space in her 300-square-foot tiny apartment, where the walls were peeling and the pipes were leaking. In winter, one had to be wrapped up in layers of blankets for warmth.

Yet, the purest love bloomed in the poorest place.

They leaned on each other for support and became the most important people to each other.

Whenever she worked overtime, he'd wait hours at her workplace just to walk her home.

When she suffered from period pain, he'd stay up all night to give her belly rubs.

He'd juggle five jobs behind her back just to buy an expensive necklace she had checked out thrice but never bought.

The only thing that exhausted her was that he wanted intimacy every night. She'd blush and ask him to forget about it, but he'd nibble her ear and chuckle. "Babe, that's because I love you too much."

At the height of their love, Dylan even brought her to a tattoo shop and got a tattoo of her name on his collarbone.

The tattoo artist asked if he was averse to pain. He smiled at Julia. "Pain is good. That way, I will never forget the woman I love."

Just when Julia thought they'd be in love for the rest of their lives, he regained his memories.

She found out he was not a poor homeless guy on the streets, but the heir of the Schneider family from Havenport, who held power over half of the financial industry. He had only lost his memory in a car accident orchestrated by his business enemy. That was how he ended up on the streets.

After Dylan reclaimed his identity, he brought Julia along to live in a villa that was 20,000 square feet. Even the bathroom was ten times the size of her old place.

But Dylan had changed after that. He started wearing haute couture suits of brands she couldn't recognize. He strapped on expensive watches as he negotiated massive business deals. Sometimes, he would be out all night.

Julia lied to herself, convincing herself that he was just busy.

One day, the tabloids published headlines about some dating rumors between him and Kaitlyn Lynch, a young lady from the wealthy Lynch family.

In the photos, Dylan was pictured opening the car door for Kaitlyn in his haute couture suit. They smiled at each other, a scene that was jarring to see.

The online comments praised them as "a match made in heaven".

Julia spent the night staring at the moon by the window. By the end of it, she came to a realization.

The version of Dylan, who braved the elements to pick her up from work, worked hard to buy her a necklace and tattooed her name on his collarbone, had faded away on the day his memory recovered.

Now, as the heir of the Schneider family, he was no longer from the same world as Julia. He stood atop the world, while she was just a commoner.

She could never reach his height.

A man like Dylan was destined to date and marry someone equally dazzling.

If so, she saw no reason to humiliate herself. She'd rather let him go and go easy on herself.

That night, Dylan did not come home. The villa was as empty as usual.

Julia did not wait for him to come home. Instead, she went to bed early.

When morning came, she visited the visa center and chose to expedite her application to receive both her visa and passport within one week.

She left the center at noon and picked a random restaurant for lunch.

However, she halted when she pushed the door open. While sitting at a corner table, Dylan gently dabbed Kaitlyn's lips with a napkin.

He radiated so much tenderness, just like the time he smiled and kissed Julia at her rented apartment.

Julia froze, and she felt her heart grow heavy.

She wanted to turn around and leave, but she accidentally bumped into the potted plant by the door.

Dylan spotted her when he heard the noise. His eyes turned frosty.

He slowly made his way over and addressed her icily, "Did you stalk me?"

Before Julia could speak, Dylan argued, "I've explained those photos to you. We were discussing business. Are you going to throw a tantrum again?"

Julia opened her mouth, but no words came out. Tessa's words still rang in her mind. "Dylan and Kaitlyn's marriage had been arranged before this. He's also in love with her…"

So, was the marriage part of their "business discussion"?

"Dylan, be nice." Kaitlyn wandered over with a smile to ease the tension. "What a coincidence. Let's share the table!"

She didn't give Julia a chance to turn down the offer. After dragging Julia to the table, she pressed Julia down on the chair.

Julia found herself face-to-face with Dylan, who looked distant.

"Ms. Thalman, what would you like?" Kaitlyn pushed the menu toward Julia. "They serve really authentic ethnic cuisine here."

Julia stared at the unfamiliar dishes on the menu. Overwhelmed by bitterness, she pushed the menu back to Kaitlyn.

"How about some soup?" Kaitlyn placed a bowl of seafood chowder in front of Julia. "It's super fresh."

Julia's stomach cramped just from staring at the shrimps floating in the chowder. She wanted to turn down the offer because she was severely allergic to seafood.

Dylan's phone rang at that moment. He got up to take the call, his wide and muscular back facing her.

She had seen that suit in a magazine. He could have bought her old neighborhood with the price of that suit.

"Have a taste." Kaitlyn suddenly lowered her voice, "I bet a woman of your social status rarely eats expensive food like this."

Julia looked up immediately and saw Kaitlyn beaming at her.

"Did you really think you'd marry into the Schneider family just because you dated him?" Kaitlyn gently tapped her fingertip on the rim of the cup. "A low-class woman like you doesn't even deserve to work for him, if he hadn't lost his memory."

Julia clutched the napkin tightly until the fabric became wrinkled. She might be poor, but she wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her dignity.

She spoke up. "Ms. Lynch, we don't know each other. You…"

"Ouch!" Kaitlyn cut her off with a scream and knocked over the bowl of seafood chowder. The hot liquid spilled on the back of her hand, as well as on Julia's.

Hearing the commotion, Dylan returned and grabbed Kaitlyn's hand. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing…" She grew teary. "It was all my fault. Ms. Thalman is your girlfriend. I understand her anger when she sees me dining out with you…"

Dylan glared at Julia. "Julia, I've explained to you multiple times. Why did you have to do this?"

"I didn't. It was her—"

"Enough!" he interrupted her. "I saw it with my own eyes. It's true. Since when have you turned into an unreasonable woman?"

With that, he put an arm around Kaitlyn and left without looking back.

While resting her head on his shoulder, Kaitlyn slowly turned around to flash a victorious smile at Julia.

Julia extended her hand, red and swollen from the burn. The blister had swelled, sending prickling pain through her hand.

But all that mattered to Dylan was the small patch of red and swollen skin on Kaitlyn's hand. He left in such a hurry that he did not even take a look at Julia.

Dylan once treasured her the most. Three years ago, he teared up when she was scalded while cooking. He ran to the pharmacy overnight to get her some cream. When he got home, he applied the cream to her hand, asking, "Jules, does it hurt?"

She was the apple of his eye then, but now, he no longer wanted to see her.

Chapter 2

Julia went home alone. When she arrived, she took out the first-aid kit in the living room and dressed her wound by herself. The prickly pain felt like ant bites.

When she made her way upstairs, she noticed the grand piano in the corner of the living room. Shortly after Dylan recovered his memories, he bought her the piano and promised to teach her how to play.

Yet, the piano was left collecting dust, just like their relationship.

She teared up and hurried into her room to pack her belongings. Slowly, she packed her clothes, identity documents, and bank cards. It was as though she was saying farewell to her old self.

Someone abruptly barged into the room when she was packing.

Dylan stood at the door with his jacket draped over his arm. His tie was loose.

He furrowed his brows at the sight of the open luggage bag on the floor. "What are you doing?"

"Packing my stuff," she replied calmly, folding her clothes with her head hung low.

He drew closer with a frown, smelling faintly of the fragrance on Kaitlyn from this evening.

He grabbed her wrist with a force that caused her to wince.

"Are you threatening to leave just because I had dinner with Kaitlyn? She was gracious enough to forgive you for hurting her. How could you throw a tantrum instead?"

She looked up at Dylan. He was clearly irritated.

"Kaitlyn and I are family friends. Her parents requested that I take care of her since she's just come home from abroad. Can't you be more mature?"

His remark was akin to a stab to the heart. She clutched her clothes, wrinkling the fabric.

She had planned to leave their relationship. What more did he want?

"Speak!" He raised his voice without warning.

She quietly turned around and went back to packing. Her silence infuriated him.

"Fine. Let's see how long you'll keep this up."

He slammed the door loudly. The sound left her shaken.

…

The next morning, Julia went down to the first floor and found Kaitlyn chatting and laughing with Dylan in the living room.

Kaitlyn donned a white maxi dress today, looking pure and elegant in her exquisite makeup.

Upon seeing Julia, she sprang from the couch and put on a sweet, innocent smile. "Ms. Thalman, you're up! My parents insisted that Dylan bring me to the auction today. Please don't overthink."

Julia glanced at Dylan. Head lowered, he was busy fumbling with the buttons on his sleeve, not even giving her a look.

"I won't," Julia whispered back. "Whatever happens between you is none of my business."

Upon hearing that, he paused and frowned deeper.

Before he could say anything, Kaitlyn invited, "Ms. Thalman, do you want to join us? It's not like you're occupied anyway."

Julia wanted to turn down the invitation, but Kaitlyn had enthusiastically grabbed her arm and hauled her into the car.

That was how Julia attended the auction event. Many important figures were in attendance at the venue, which was lit up with dazzling lights.

Dylan sat in the front row, casually raising his paddle once in a while. He won bids for jewelry and luxury watches and handed them over to Kaitlyn, who sat next to him.

Kaitlyn wore a demure smile, occasionally whispering into his ear. Their intimate exchange was jarring to the eyes.

"Dylan, do you want to make some bids for Ms. Thalman?" Kaitlyn threw out a thoughtful suggestion deliberately.

Dylan replied flatly, "It's fine. She's not used to luxury anyway."

A smirk appeared on Kaitlyn's face. She secretly gave Julia a victorious smile when Dylan wasn't watching.

Julia looked down, rubbing her fingers against the auction booklet with bitterness.

Was it true that she was not used to luxury? Or did Dylan believe she wasn't deserving of luxury?

Perhaps, in Dylan's eyes, she would remain that woman who came from the slums. Even if she became his partner, she wouldn't be deserving of luxurious items.

But it hardly mattered. Soon, she would have nothing to do with him anymore.

She quietly sat in a corner, watching Dylan splurging at the auction for Kaitlyn. They acted lovey-dovey, making her feel like an outsider.

Finally, the last item was presented for the auction—a diamond bracelet.

Julia held her breath. She rolled her fists.

That bracelet belonged to her late grandma!

Three years ago, Dylan worked at a construction site just to get some money for Julia's birthday present, and he was nearly killed in a fall.

To gather money for his surgery, Julia was forced to sell the bracelet—the only thing her late grandma left for her.

When she saved enough money to pawn it back, someone had bought that bracelet. She visited all the antique stores in town to find it but to no avail.

She was taken aback to see it before her eyes now.

Elated, she lifted her paddle without thinking. "A million dollars!"

Kaitlyn turned around and stared at her in surprise. Chuckling, she raised her paddle. "Three million dollars!"

"Four million!"

"Five million!"

After rounds of competitive bidding, Dylan frowned, his gaze sweeping past Julia and Kaitlyn.

Finally, he raised his hand slightly to offer the highest bid at the venue.

The auctioneer slammed the gavel on the table. "Congratulations, Mr. Schneider!"

Amidst the gasps of the attendees, Dylan turned to Kaitlyn. "Since you love that bracelet, consider it my gift to you."

The paddle fell out of Julia's hand onto the floor.

Chapter 3

At a loss, Julia watched as the staff member politely handed the bracelet to Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn smiled and reached out to take the box, but she dropped it upon contact.

The bracelet fell out of the box and onto the marble floor, snapping in half from the impact.

At that moment, Julia nearly stopped breathing. The sharp sound of the bracelet snapping echoed in her ears, and her mind promptly went blank.

She dashed over and shoved Kaitlyn aside. With trembling fingers, she picked up the broken pieces from the floor.

Dylan's expression darkened. He held Kaitlyn to prevent her from stumbling. Then, he addressed Julia with a stern growl, "Julia, what are you doing?"

Julia looked up with tears in her eyes. Her voice trembled. "How could you ask that? The bracelet belonged to my late grandma. Didn't you promise to buy it if you ever came across it?

"But you forgot, right?"

Dylan was taken aback, and a look of realization flashed across his face. However, he quickly reverted to his cold demeanor.

"I can't possibly remember something from ages ago! Besides, Kaitlyn didn't break the bracelet on purpose. How could you push her?" He sounded aloof and slightly furious.

Kaitlyn's eyes shimmered with tears, and she pitifully tugged at his sleeve. "I'm sorry. It was all my fault…"

With his eyebrows furrowed, he reached out to wipe away her tears. He comforted her in a deep and lazy voice, "It's not your fault."

He gave Julia a cold look and firmly said, "I will get the bracelet repaired. As for you, stop making a scene."

With that, he put a shoulder around Julia's shoulder. They left with that broken bracelet.

Julia froze on the spot, feeling her heart break as she watched them leave. She almost suffocated from the pain.

Meanwhile, rain started to fall when the auction came to a close. She stood at the entrance, watching Dylan's black Maybach ferrying him and Kaitlyn away.

The auction venue was out of the way, and Julia still couldn't hail a cab after 30 minutes. She had no choice but to walk home in the rain.

When she got home, her feet were numb from all the walking. She took off her heels. Her blister broke, bled, and got stuck to her stocking. The pain made her inhale sharply.

She lay on the couch and stared at the ceiling. Memories of that rainy night from years ago flooded back. Dylan had carried her on his back and walked miles to the hospital.

He was too poor to pay for a cab, but he stubbornly refused to let her walk.

"Jules, hang on. We'll be there soon."

The warmth from his back was a sweet memory, even when she was drenched in the rain.

But when Dylan could finally enjoy a luxury car, he refused to wait five more minutes for her.

Julia put some medication on her feet and curled up under the blanket. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she went to sleep.

She tried not to think about what had happened lately. Every time she thought about them, she'd feel extremely sad and bitter.

She did not care for the version of Dylan who was a scion from Cabana City. She just wanted the old Dylan back—the version of him who'd live in a tiny, run-down apartment with her, smiling and calling her nicknames.

But that version of him was gone.

Eyes closed, she let her tears flow.

…

The next morning, Julia was woken up by the sound of the door opening to find Dylan standing stiffly by her bed.

He announced, "There's a family dinner tonight. You'll attend with me."

Chapter 4

After a pause, Julia nodded. She didn't want Dylan to notice something was off before she left him.

After that, she endured the pain in her ankles and went to the closet to pick out some outfits.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the brightly lit Schneider Villa. When Julia walked behind Dylan into his family home, she instantly spotted Kaitlyn on the living room couch.

Kaitlyn, donning an elegant Chanel outfit that day, was merrily chatting with Tessa. Dylan's father, Simon Schneider, was nodding and smiling beside them. What a lovely scene it was.

"Dylan's here!" Tessa happily wandered over, ignoring Julia in the process as she grabbed Dylan by the arm. "Kaitlyn's been waiting for you."

Startled, Dylan immediately turned around, fully expecting to see a begrudged look on Julia's face. Maybe she'd try to hold back her sadness.

However, Julia merely stood silently by the side, as if she had nothing to do with this situation.

"Ms. Thalman, you're here too!" Kaitlyn faked surprise before putting on a gentle smile. "Have a seat. Make yourself at home."

Tessa finally glanced at Julia. She said unfeelingly, "Since you're here, behave yourself. Do not embarrass our family."

Julia responded with silence.

At the dinner table, Tessa and Kaitlyn gossiped about what was happening in the socialite circle. At the same time, Simon and Dylan were busy discussing company projects. No one bothered to chat with Julia.

Like a ghost, she quietly ate dinner while taking in Tessa's passive-aggressive remarks.

"It's important to marry someone of a similar social standing. Some women are too confident in themselves."

"Dylan and Kaitlyn are childhood sweethearts. They're the perfect match because they know each other well."

Julia had heard these comments countless times.

At first, Dylan would cut Tessa off with a cold expression. As time went on, he'd frown and tell her to stop. Now, he did not bother to frown at Tessa.

Julia kept her head low and drank the hot soup with a cold heart.

After dinner, Dylan drove Julia and Kaitlyn home. Kaitlyn immediately assumed the front passenger seat, leaving Julia alone in the backseat.

Kaitlyn's favorite song played in the car while she happily talked about the dinner with Dylan.

Behind them, Julia stared out of the windows at the blurry neon lights. She thought of that winter when Dylan sent her home on his second-hand bicycle.

She circled her arms around his waist, sliding her frozen hands into his coat pockets.

"Jules, when I'm rich, I will buy a nice car so you won't have to freeze in the winter."

Dylan had indeed become rich, but Julia wasn't the woman in the front passenger seat of his car.

All of a sudden, a blinding light shone in their faces. Julia saw a truck lose control and veer toward them.

Following a loud bang, she witnessed Dylan throwing himself at the front passenger seat to shield Kaitlyn with his body.

Before Julia blacked out, she remembered her heart shattering into pieces.

Even when facing death, Dylan chose Kaitlyn over herself.

…

Julia woke up in a hospital bed. The staff had dressed the wound on her forehead. However, her wounded ankle now hurt even more with the new injuries from the car accident.

She forced herself to sit up in bed. At that moment, Tessa marched into the room, her high heels clicking as she walked.

"Julia, didn't I ask you to leave the country?" Tessa bore down on Julia with contempt. "Why are you still around? Are you still dreaming of marrying Dylan?"

Julia met her gaze calmly. "No. I'm still getting the paperwork processed. Don't worry. I'll leave when I get my visa."

After a pause, she added, "I'll leave for somewhere far—so far that he will never see me again."

Tessa snickered. "I hope you make good on your promise."

The door creaked open again. This time, Dylan stood at the door with a brooding expression. "Who's leaving?"

Chapter 5

Julia lowered her gaze and lied to Dylan, "Tessa is here to visit me. I told her she could leave because I'm doing fine now."

Tessa immediately played along and said a few words to Julia to fake concern. She excused herself soon after, leaving Dylan with Julia in the room.

"About the accident…" Dylan began.

He made his way to her bed and said stiffly, "I didn't have time to react because it all happened so fast."

She grunted. "I know. It's fine."

He looked surprised. "Aren't you angry?"

"No."

He searched her eyes for hints of grievance or anger, but they betrayed no emotions.

Irritated, he reached out to touch her face. "Don't throw tantrums. I…"

"I'm not." Julia moved away to shun his contact.

Sounding soft yet determined, she insisted, "I'd like to rest. Ms. Lynch is hurt too. Why don't you spend time with her?"

She closed her eyes and turned away from him in bed.

She sensed him staring at her for a prolonged time. Finally, he left the room and closed the door.

…

Dylan visited Julia for the next few days.

He'd work by her bed, occasionally checking if she was in pain, but she'd shake her head and deny it.

Every time she woke up, Dylan was gone. She'd hear the nurses whisper amongst themselves.

"How nice is the boyfriend of Ms. Lynch's boyfriend from the VIP room next door!"

"I heard he's the heir of Schneider Group. He's hot and loyal."

Julia closed her eyes, pretending that she didn't hear the gossip.

…

Dylan personally picked her up from the hospital on the day she was discharged.

She limped to the car, still recovering from her ankle injury. However, she froze when she opened the car door.

Kaitlyn beamed at her from the front passenger seat. "Ms. Thalman, do you mind if I hitch a ride back home? I have to take the front seat because I'm carsick."

Dylan's brows furrowed. He wanted to explain the situation, but Julia replied, "It's fine."

She calmly walked into the backseat and stared at the two of them from behind like she was an outsider.

Dylan stole a glance at her through the rearview mirror, but he said nothing in the end.

It wasn't until they pulled up before a luxury villa that Julia realized Dylan wasn't driving her home. Instead, he had brought her to attend a 50th wedding anniversary celebration of two respected figures in his social circle.

"Isn't that Mr. Schneider? Why is he with two ladies?"

"Is that woman in white Julia Thalman? I heard she grew up in the slums. Her family background is ordinary at best."

"Ms. Lynch and Mr. Schneider are a match made in heaven."

The guests gossiped without a care. Julia stood in a corner as though she hadn't heard them.

Throughout the event, Dylan kept Kaitlyn company, holding her drink and putting a jacket over her shoulders. His eyes were filled with tenderness.

"Ms. Lynch, I'll introduce you to a few friends." Kaitlyn approached Julia unprompted. She grabbed Julia's arm in a friendly manner, not giving Julia time to turn down.

"This is Julia Thalman. She's Dylan's … girlfriend," Kaitlyn introduced Julia with a smile before switching to Gremanian and conversing fluently with the socialites.

The socialites were stunned but soon switched to Gremanian. Laughter punctuated their conversation while Julia stood there like a fish out of water, shut out due to the language barrier.

"Ms. Thalman, what do you think?" Suddenly, Kaitlyn asked Julia in Calonian.

"What?"

"Oh, I forgot you're not a Gremanian speaker."

Seemingly apologetic, Kaitlyn turned to explain to the others, "Ms. Thalman has never learned a foreign language. Please be understanding."

The chuckles around Julia made her uncomfortable.

"It's okay. Take your time to learn it." Kaitlyn patted the back of Julia's hand, sounding condescending like she was addressing a child with learning disabilities.

Julia cast her eyes to the ground and dug her nails deep into her palm. She felt like she was being stripped naked in public, and every breath she took hurt.