Chapter 1

Anthea's body stiffened. Through the gap of the door, she saw Harlan leaning back on the couch, holding a photo of Beatrice next to his lips. With his eyes shut, he gulped and moaned in a deeply husky voice, "Beatrice, my darling."

He had slept with Anthea so many times, yet he never truly felt satisfied. At this moment, however, calling out Beatrice's name and looking at her photo easily made him feel happy, albeit momentarily.

Anthea froze over as she watched his actions.

A second later, Harlan's phone suddenly rang. He took a moment to compose himself before he answered it.

Then, the voice of his good friend, Caleb Lott, could be heard on the other end of the call.

"Harlan, are you really going to bid on Beatrice tomorrow?" Caleb asked in disbelief before continuing, "Have you forgotten how she dumped you back then? She hooked up with the dean's son for a chance to study abroad when you were bankrupt.

"Now that you've made a comeback, she can't wait to throw herself at you again. This woman—"

Harlan closed his eyes and interrupted in a deep voice, "I know. This woman is vain, selfish, and fake."

He took a pause before he chuckled miserably and continued, "But I just love her. I've missed her so much all these years that I'm about to go crazy."

Caleb's breath fastened as he asked, "What about Anthea? She's your girlfriend now. What do you take her for?"

Pinching the top of his nose, Harlan replied, "I've tried, but I just can't fall in love with her. If you've already met that one special person, being with others means you're settling. Sure, Thea is great, but I'm just making do with her."

With a sigh, Caleb admonished, "Why you! I have no idea what Beatrice did to have you wrapped around her little finger. Once Anthea finds out that you've treated her this way, you'll regret the day she leaves you."

Sounding tired, Harlan commented, "It's fine if she leaves. It's been too many years. I can't bring myself to break up with her. If she brings it up, it'd be such a relief for me."

…

Anthea paled when she saw that Harlan had ended the call and was about to enter the room. Trembling, she quickly ran back to the bathroom.

As the water from the showerhead streamed down her trembling body, she thought about the first time she met Harlan.

It was high school orientation for freshmen, and as the student council's president, Harlan was giving a speech on stage. He was in a white shirt and a pair of black pants that hugged his long legs, radiating an elegant air that he was born with.

What was most important was that he was stunningly handsome. The moment he looked up, all the young women in the hall gasped.

Anthea stood in the crowd, looking at his fingers that held the mic gently and watching his Adam's apple move as he spoke.

At that moment, she seemed to have heard her own heart pounding.

…

"Earth to Anthea." Noelle Jefferson, Anthea's best friend, nudged her with her elbow and said, "That's my brother. He's handsome, right?"

It was later that Anthea learned there was a saying in her high school—it made sense if no one knew who the school principal was, but impossible for one not to know who Harlan, the school heartthrob, was.

Every young woman in school went after him, but he always rejected their love confessions in a polite and distant way. As time went by, everybody thought he was not interested in women.

Anthea had only dared to steal a few glances at him when she went to visit Noelle.

Everything changed after Beatrice transferred to the school. She relentlessly pursued Harlan without ever backing down. Everyone thought, like the girls before her, she would be rejected. However, much to their surprise, Harlan accepted her three months later.

That was a day that Anthea would never forget. She stood at a corner and saw Harlan pinning Beatrice against the wall, kissing her. He combed his fingers in Beatrice's hair, his usually cold gaze on fire.

Anthea had never seen him like that before.

She watched him lose himself for Beatrice. He stood in line overnight to buy a limited-edition item for her, got into a fight with her, and even skipped classes to accompany her to a concert.

Then, the Jefferson family went bankrupt when Harlan was a junior in college.

Beatrice immediately dumped him and went abroad with the dean's son. Before she left, she said, "Harlan, you can't give me what I want."

Harlan was someone with such strong pride, yet he ran after Beatrice's car for two blocks. He kept begging her, but she did not even look back.

After that, Harlan went through his days like a zombie. Due to her worry, Anthea followed him until she was discovered.

Turning, Harlan asked, "Why do you keep following me?"

She struggled to find her words.

"You like me?" he asked bluntly before suggesting, "Let's be together, then."

It was after they got together that Anthea learned the truth: Harlan had only agreed to be with her to move on from that painful episode. Still, she was devoted to him, being good to him and making him warm up to her.

Then, he seemed to gradually fall for her.

He started to remember her birthday and care for her when she had her period. He even embraced her and consoled her whenever there was thunder.

After making a comeback and bringing the Jefferson family back to its former glory, he spoiled Anthea even more.

…

Then, two weeks ago, they bumped into Beatrice, who was working as a waitress at a club.

She had accidentally dirtied Anthea's dress, so Harlan sneered and forced her to pay five million dollars as compensation.

With tears in her eyes, Beatrice answered, "I don't have money, but I still have my virginity. I'll auction it off and pay you. Is that alright?"

Harlan pinched her chin and agreed in an icy voice, "Sure. I want to see the money in three days."

…

That night, Anthea lay in their bed as Harlan stayed in the study for two hours. By the time he got into the bedroom, he reeked of cigarette smoke.

He lay down with his back against her, but he did not sleep a wink.

He had already decided to win the bid for Beatrice's virginity at that time.

As it turned out, at the core of his deep resentment was an intense longing and love.

He had slept with Anthea so many times for years, but he never felt pleasure. It was simply because she was just someone he settled for, and not who he truly wanted.

Looking at her pale reflection in the mirror, Anthea suddenly laughed. Then, tears started rolling down her face. She was someone who could walk away when there was no more love.

Harlan could have been honest with her that he never loved her. She would let him go and not cling to him.

She turned off the shower, grabbed her phone, and sent a text.

…

The following morning, Harlan saw Anthea walk out, fully dressed, when he was about to head out after having breakfast.

"Why are you up so early instead of sleeping in?" he asked.

Anthea looked down and replied, "I have some things to take care of today."

"I'll give you a ride," suggested Harlan, smiling gently.

…

Just as he was about to ask her in the car where she was going, his phone rang.

His assistant's voice could be heard through the phone asking, "Mr. Jefferson, Ms. Wilkin's auction starts tonight. Would you be attending yourself?"

Harlan's gaze darkened as he answered, "Yes." Taking a brief pause, he then added, "I'm on my way now."

He hung up the call and looked at Anthea. He was just about to look for an excuse when she was already smirking.

How worried he must be that someone else would win the bid for Beatrice's virginity.

She beat him to the punch and commented, "Go on ahead if you have something on. I'll get there myself."

Harlan did not even hesitate. He was dying to leave. "Alright, Thea. Stay safe," he answered.

Anthea did not respond.

…

After she got out of the car, she got into a cab and went to meet Noelle at a cafe.

As soon as she walked through the door, Noelle ran up to her, grabbing Anthea's hands with tears in her eyes.

"Thea, are you being serious about the text you sent yesterday? Are you really going to marry into the Taylor family in my place?" Noelle asked.

Chapter 2

Anthea nodded, saying, "Yes, I am."

"No can do. The Taylors are an affluent family, but their heir, Sean Taylor, has been living abroad all this time. He's rumored to be disfigured and hot-tempered. If this marriage hadn't been agreed before my grandfather's death, I would have…

"Wait. Weren't you in love with my brother? Why did you suddenly bring up getting married in my place?" Noelle asked. Suddenly taking a pause, she stared at Anthea's pale face before continuing, "Did Harlan bully you? Is it because of Beatrice? I'll seek justice for you at this instance!"

Quickly grabbing Noelle's hand, Anthea answered, "Ellie, Harlan and I are done. I don't like him anymore. I no longer want to have anything to do with him.

"I know you've been planning to elope and made plans to do so today, but you've been hesitating." Taking out a flight ticket from her purse, she shoved it into Noelle's hand. "Go on. Samuel's waiting for you at the airport. The flight is at 10:00 am. You'll still make it if you rush over right now."

Tears streamed down Noelle's face as she asked, "What about you?"

"I'll get married on your behalf at the wedding in two weeks," said Anthea, gently wiping off Noelle's tears. "Between the two of us, one must be happy."

Noelle's lips trembled. At last, she hugged Anthea tightly and said, "Thea, I'll never ever be able to repay you."

Then, Noelle left.

…

Anthea stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window at the airport and watched Noelle's flight take off.

The sunlight shone on her pale face through the glass, suddenly bringing her back to the day Harlan agreed to be together with her. Standing on the steps leading to the library, he reached out to her.

She was so foolish back then to have thought that the light was truly shining on her.

Anthea let out a miserable smile before leaving the airport and heading straight to the most expensive bridal boutique in town.

The staff welcomed her with great enthusiasm and asked, "What kind of wedding dress are you looking for, miss?"

Anthea glanced at the luxurious white dresses before her gaze landed on a simple fishtail dress. "I'll take this. Please pack it up for me," she said.

The staff was shocked. "Are you not going to try it on?"

"Nope." Anthea shook her head and added, "It'll fit."

The wedding was nothing but a deal, after all.

Sean's grandpa, Thomas Taylor, was gravely ill and desperately wanted to see Sean get married. However, rumors circulated that he was disfigured and hot-tempered.

On top of that, he had been abroad all along, which was why all the heiresses had been avoiding him like the plague.

Since nobody was willing to marry Sean, the Taylor family thought of the engagement they had with the Jefferson family.

At the moment, even if Anthea were to marry Sean in Noelle's place, the Taylor family would accept the idea. It didn't matter who the bride was.

After Anthea arrived home, she put the wedding dress into a suitcase and started packing the rest.

She took out a thick stack of photos from the drawer. That was filled with her memories of Harlan—a candid photo of his side profile in high school, the first photo she took with him on the pretext of hugging him in college, and her beaming the first time he took her to the beach after they became a couple.

Tearing them up one by one, Anthea threw them into the trash bin.

Then, she took out the limited edition purses and custom-made necklaces he had given to her, as well as the cup he had personally made for her.

She threw them all out.

At last, she took out her phone and deleted all the notes she had about his likes and dislikes.

Just as she was about to put her phone away, somebody called her—it was the club manager.

"Ms. Murphy, you left a silk scarf in our club the last time you were here. Would it be convenient for you to come and collect it?" asked the manager.

Anthea looked at the time. "Alright. I'll head over now."

…

The club was brightly lit and was much livelier than before. As soon as she walked through the door, she heard an uproar.

"Ms. Jefferson is the highest bidder! He'll be the one to pop Beatrice's cherry!"

Anthea froze and immediately looked up.

Harlan was standing in front of the glass window in the VIP room on the second floor. He had a black card between his fingers, and he tossed it so casually on the auction stage.

Beatrice, on the other hand, was wearing a white dress, with a bodyguard escorting her on stage. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she looked so pitiful.

Anthea was shaking a little. It was only then that it hit her—that was the night the club was auctioning off Beatrice's virginity.

Discussions broke out below the stage.

"Doesn't Mr. Jefferson have a girlfriend? Why is he bidding for his ex-girlfriend's virginity?"

"Oh, what do you know? He almost went crazy when Beatrice dumped him back then!"

"Is he taking revenge on her or has their old flame rekindled?"

"Look at the way he looked at Beatrice. Does that look like resentment? He's clearly madly in love with her!"

"What about his current girlfriend, then? She has been by her side for years. Is he still not in love with her? The crying ex always gets the upper hand."

Chapter 3

The whispers came washing over Anthea. She had known how much Harlan loved Beatrice, but her mind still went blank as she heard the discussions.

She felt empty, as if someone had dug her heart out.

By the time she came to her senses, she realized she had been following behind Harlan.

She watched Harlan take Beatrice to the suite on the top floor. Perhaps he had been too hasty, but he did not even care that the door was left ajar. Their voices were clear as they flowed from the suite.

"Harlan!" Beatrice questioned in tears, "Don't you resent me to your bones? Didn't you make me pay five million dollars as compensation just because I dirtied your girlfriend's dress? Why did you win the bid to take my virginity? Are you still in love with me? You still love me, don't you?"

Harlan sneered and asked in return, "Love you?"

Pinning her wrists down, he continued in a deep and vicious tone, "You have a wild imagination, Beatrice. I bid for you for two reasons. Firstly, I want to torment you. Secondly, your first night with a man was always meant to be mine. Do you need me to refresh your memory on how you seduced me back then?"

His words were filled with hate, but the way he kissed her was nothing but love.

Anthea stood outside the door, watching him pinning Beatrice to the bed and tearing her dress apart. He could not be less impatient.

Their clothes were stripped as their breaths were intertwined.

…

The moment he finally made Beatrice his woman, a teardrop rolled down the corner of Harlan's eye, dripping on her collarbone.

"Harlan, are you crying?" Beatrice was stunned.

Grabbing her waist with all his might, Harlan snapped in a husky voice, "Shut up."

Anthea was shaking all over. She dug her nails deep into her palm, but she could not feel the pain.

She watched them get entwined with one another until midnight. She had also watched him take Beatrice over and over again until Beatrice passed out, unable to endure it anymore.

She watched him embrace Beatrice after he fell asleep, kissed her deeply on the forehead, and called out her name over and over again.

At that moment, Anthea finally lost it. Walking out of the club in a daze, she suddenly saw everything around her turn dark.

Suddenly, a blinding light shone on her, and what followed was a loud crash.

Failing to dodge in time, she was knocked to the ground by a car before a wave of pain engulfed her.

While her consciousness was in and out, she heard people shouting in shock and calling the ambulance.

…

By the time she woke up, she was already at the hospital.

"Thank God you're finally awake! You need to have surgery right now. Hurry up and call your family over to give their consent," said a nurse.

A few nurses were standing before Anthea, holding a surgical consent form anxiously.

As Anthea was in a daze, she subconsciously called the number at the top of her favorites in her contacts. She only realized that it was Harlan after she made the call.

Just as she was about to hang up, the call was answered. However, what she heard was Beatrice's choppy voice.

"Harlan, your girlfriend is calling. Since it's late, it must be urgent… Why don't you go to her? Let me leave… I can't take it anymore…"

In the next second, Harlan mentioned in an icy voice, "Just ignore her. Beatrice, I've won the bid to have the entire night with you. The night is still young, so try me if you dare to escape."

What followed was the sound of sensual kissing.

Then, the call ended.

Awkwardly looking at Anthea, the nurse asked, "Do you… have another family member to call?"

Trembling, Anthea closed her eyes. With tears streaming down her face, she felt her heart had been torn into pieces.

"I'll sign the consent myself. I'll take responsibility if anything happens," she replied. She grabbed the pen while shaking and signed her name. Her blood streamed down her fingertip and dyed the consent form red.

Once she penned the last stroke, she lost consciousness.

Chapter 4

The smell of sterilizers was so pungent when Anthea woke up that she frowned.

She opened her eyes and saw Harlan at the bedside. His jacket was draped casually over the back of the chair. His sleeve was rolled up to his elbows, revealing his well-defined forearm.

"Thea!" He immediately leaned closer after he saw that she was awake. Placing his warm palm on her forehead, he asked, "Does it still hurt?"

Anthea subconsciously turned away.

Harlan's hand paused in midair, causing him to gulp.

"I'm sorry," he apologized in a deep and husky voice. "I had something important to attend to yesterday, so I didn't answer my phone. I didn't know you were in a car accident. Please forgive me, alright?"

Something important to attend to? Did he mean sleeping with Beatrice?

Anthea was reminded of the suggestive moans that came from the other end of the call. She smirked, but her tears stained the white sheet instead.

Harlan thought she was in pain, so he rang for the doctor.

…

Once the doctor checked on Anthea, he commented, "The surgery was successful, but she needs to recuperate for two weeks." He paused before glancing at Harlan meaningfully and added, "It's best to have someone stay by her side to take care of her."

Nodding, Harlan replied, "I'll be right by her side."

He was not lying. Over the course of the next few days, he had barely left her side and even reserved the entire floor of VIP rooms to let her recuperate in peace.

When Anthea wanted to have some fresh air in the garden, Harlan carried her downstairs carefully, fearing that she would bump into things.

When she said she was craving some food from the western part of the city in the middle of the night, he drove to buy it without any hesitation. By the time he returned, the food was still warm.

If this had been in the past, Anthea would have been so touched that her eyes would well up with tears. However, she felt empty now. She would have believed Harlan had she not seen how he loved Beatrice.

…

On the day she was discharged from the hospital, Harlan put on the seatbelt for her and said gently, "Thea, I've prepared a surprise for you."

Before she could respond, his phone rang.

"Harlan, are you coming to the class reunion tonight?" an old classmate asked over the phone.

"Forget it. I'm just wasting my time. You definitely won't come," the classmate teased and continued, "It's better if you don't, anyway."

"After all, Beatrice is coming as well this time," they elaborated. "I have no idea that she is this shameless. Everyone knew she dumped you for a chance to study abroad. We all hate her vanity, yet she still tries so hard to associate with us."

Harlan's fingers stiffened as he said, "I'll come."

"What? You're coming?" the classmate asked in shock.

"Yes." Harlan glanced at Anthea and added casually, "I'll take my girlfriend with me. She was hospitalized earlier, so it's a perfect time for her to relax a little."

The classmate laughed. "Alright. You can also piss Beatrice off and show her what she has lost out on."

Gazing at Anthea after ending the call, Harlan explained gently, "I'll take you out to unwind a little."

Her fingertips were trembling a little.

To unwind a little? He clearly said he had a surprise for her earlier, but he no longer brought it up.

Taking her out to unwind was also just his excuse when he merely wanted to see Beatrice.

However, Anthea did not blow his cover. Feeling exhausted, she just closed her eyes.

…

The class reunion was held at a private club. In the private room, the lights were dim, with the sound of glasses being clinked filling the room.

The crowd went wild after Harlan appeared with his arm wrapped around Anthea's waist.

"Damn! Harlan has shown up!"

"He even brought his girlfriend! Isn't she the junior who kept following him around and bringing him water back then?"

Someone deliberately commented loudly, "What a match made in heaven! She looks like a great person, way better than a certain materialistic ex!"

Beatrice's face paled as she sat in the corner. As she held the wine glass, her fingers trembled.

Harlan, on the other hand, took meticulous care of Anthea the whole time, as if he had not noticed Beatrice. As soon as Anthea sat down, he helped her to adjust the cushion. Once she sipped the wine, he handed her a glass of water, commenting, "Go easy on the wine. You've not fully recovered."

Another person teased, "Mr. Jefferson, you're spoiling your girlfriend so much. You must be so in love with her."

Harlan merely smiled and stroked Anthea's head gently.

However, it was obvious to Anthea that he had been looking at Beatrice from the corner of his eye.

She finally could not stay seated and headed to the restroom, only for Beatrice to stop her on her way out.

"You saw everything from outside the hotel room last night, right?" Beatrice let out a smug smile. "How does it feel to watch Harlan sleep with me? Anthea, you're really good at holding it in."

Anthea's nails pierced into her palm, but she was calm on the surface. "I'm not affected. Please make way."

"Not affected? Why are you pretending to be all high and mighty?" Beatrice grabbed her hand, demanding, "Anthea, listen up. If I hadn't made the wrong choice back then, Harlan would have been mine. You're nothing but a thief who swooped in. I'll be honest with you—I'm back this time to snatch him away!"

Leaning closer to Anthea, she grinned as she added, "Do you know how much he loved me back then? In high school, he skipped his classes and stood in line for three hours just because I said I wanted to have the cake in the northern part of the city.

"In college, when I suffered from period cramps, he rubbed my belly for me for the entire night. Even now—"

Beatrice lowered her voice and said smugly, "He said he hates me, but he kept taking me over and over again last night, refusing to stop even after the day broke.

"He loves me so much, so how are you going to win him over?"

Anthea felt her heart drop. She slowly looked up at the person in front of her.

She had only liked Harlan in secret and watched how he liked Beatrice in the past, never once going head-to-head with her.

Therefore, even after Beatrice dumped Harlan for money, Anthea felt that she might have had her own reasons to do so. Otherwise, why would Harlan be so hung up on her?

However, Anthea finally understood something that day—this was simply who Beatrice was. She was selfish, materialistic, and without boundaries, yet Harlan was head over heels for her.

"I wish you success, then," replied Anthea, shaking Beatrice's hand off and leaving without looking back.

…

Everybody was suggesting to play "Never Have I Ever" when Anthea returned to the room, and they quickly got her to join in.

They were worried she did not understand the rules, so they deliberately explained it to her.

All the participants were to hold up five fingers and take turns saying something that they had never done. If the others had done it before, they had to put a finger down.

The first to have five fingers down would be the loser.

Beatrice walked in behind Anthea. Once she heard about the game, she quickly rushed over and said she wanted to play, but everybody ignored her.

"Thea, you start the game," suggested someone. "You go first."

Anthea raised her fingers and thought of the way Beatrice taunted her earlier, which made her smile.

There was no need for Beatrice to provoke her because she no longer wanted Harlan.

"Never have I ever been the one in this group to get married soon," Anthea began softly. "Put your finger down if you are getting married."

Chapter 5

The room fell silent after Anthea dropped that bombshell. Even everyone's breath could be clearly heard. All eyes were on her before they slowly turned toward Harlan.

A few seconds later, the room was abuzz with exclamations.

"Gosh! Harlan, you've already proposed? Why are you still calling her your girlfriend, then? You should call her your fiancee!"

"No, he should just say that she's his wife."

The crowd teased while Beatrice saw red, gripping the strap of her purse tightly.

Harlan glanced at her, and his gaze darkened.

He closed his eyes for a moment, keeping his fingers up. Then, he commented in a deep voice, "I don't have plans for that for now."

His voice was soft, but it felt like he was slapping Anthea in the face.

That was because everyone thought they were a couple. She said she was getting married, but he said he was not. Didn't that mean that he rejected her, saying that he had no plans to marry her?

The crowd clearly noticed that something was off. Feeling awkward, someone tried to ease the mood and said, "What's up with you guys? Did you not discuss with each other about getting married?"

Anthea was about to explain that she and Harlan were not a couple. Yes, she was getting married, but not to him.

However, before she could say anything, a loud crack sounded right above her head.

"Watch out!" someone shouted.

Anthea looked up and saw that the huge crystal chandelier was about to drop—and it was about to fall toward her and Beatrice.

In the blink of an eye, Harlan suddenly rushed over, pulling Beatrice into his embrace and protecting her tightly.

Anthea, on the other hand, was hit by the chandelier.

She felt a sharp pain all over her body. Glass shards broke her skin, soaking her sleeve with her blood in an instant.

Things became chaotic. While someone frantically moved the chandelier away, another person yelled her name in a panic.

Harlan, however, only thought of her after he confirmed that Beatrice was safe.

He quickly walked over and apologized, "I'm sorry, Thea. I caught the wrong person."

Anthea looked into his eyes and smirked.

He got the wrong person? She did not share any similarities with Beatrice, be it her hair, clothes, and height. How could it have been possible for him to mistake Beatrice for her?

Harlan would always instinctively choose Beatrice when it came to life or death.

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt," came Anthea's reply.

Perhaps she had been hurt so many times that she no longer felt pain.

However, Harlan was not convinced. He anxiously wanted to take her to the hospital.

Anthea shook her head, explaining, "I'm not seriously injured. I'll just bandage the injuries myself when I get home. Carry on and have fun without me."

Turning, she wanted to leave, but he carried her up by her waist.

"You're badly hurt. How could I possibly let you head home by yourself? I'll give you a ride," said Harlan, not taking no for an answer.

…

While they were in the car, Harlan apologized again. "I really mistook her for you, Thea. I won't let you get hurt anymore. Also, about the matter of getting married, you're still young. There's no need to rush into it."

Anthea could tell that his explanation was full of holes. She said nothing and simply looked out the window, silently watching the raindrops hitting the window.

His phone suddenly rang. It was from Beatrice.

"Harlan, have you dropped Ms. Murphy home? Is she alright? I'm calling because someone stopped me at the club's entrance and asked for my number. I wanted to ask if I should give it to him or not," Beatrice asked.

Harlan's expression darkened. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Go for it, if you dare!"

After he hung up the call, he calmed down and looked at Anthea once again. "Thea, I have an urgent matter to take care of. You should head home first, alright?"

Before she said anything, he stuffed an umbrella into her hands.

"It's raining outside. Be careful not to catch a cold," he added before driving off in a hurry.

Anthea stood in place, suddenly thinking of what he had said earlier. "You're badly hurt. How could I possibly let you head home by yourself?"

She laughed, but it was not clear if she was laughing at herself or Harlan.