The Heiress Who Lied

I was getting ready to bring my girlfriend home to meet my mother when Rosalind Whitehall suddenly went silent. I was starting to panic when a notification popped up on my phone. It was a wedding livestream from a couple with 1,000,000 followers. "Looking back, the laughter and joy of that wedding celebration made it the happiest moment of my life. Mr. Grosvenor, I'm counting on you for the rest of my life." "We promised that once we hit 1,000,000 followers, the groom would finally show his face. A promise is a promise." In the video, Rosalind stood in a wedding dress and gently exchanged rings with a man. Our mutual friends flooded the comments. [Five years, and we finally got to watch you two tie the knot!] [The part where Victor read his vows wrecked me. Today was another day I cried over a real-life fairy tale.] My best friend proudly declared on camera, "As Victor's security guard of love, I can finally retire." As I stared at the familiar face on my screen, I suddenly couldn't breathe. Rosalind and I had been together for seven years, but for five of those years, she'd been in love with another man. My closest friends and our mutual friends knew, but I was the only one left in the dark. Everyone had been part of that wedding except me. Chapter 1 I arrived just as the wedding reached its centerpiece moment. The lights flickered, but I recognized the groom at a glance. He was Victor Grosvenor, the campus heartthrob who had lived in the dorm next to mine in college. Applause thundered through the venue. Familiar face after familiar face cheered from the crowd. "Rose really lucked out. Even Victor, the school's biggest heartthrob, fell head over heels for her." "Please, Rose is worth hundreds of millions. She could have any man she wanted." "You see that watch? Rose spared no expense on it. It's priceless. A rich heir and a noble lady? This couple already has my full support!" I stared at Rosalind Whitehall onstage in disbelief. Dressed in a luxurious wedding gown, she gently fastened the watch around Victor's wrist. Then the two shared a tender kiss. The diamonds sparkled so brilliantly that they nearly blinded me. Yet the Rosalind who had dated me had scrimped and saved on everything. She would rather pedal a rental bike for two hours than pay for a cab. She even delivered food after work just to earn extra money. The crowd's cheers were deafening. Rosalind turned her head without thinking, and her gaze landed on me. She froze, then instinctively put some distance between herself and Victor. I was about to speak when someone suddenly seized my wrist. My best friend, Jayden Lloyd, dragged me into a corner with a reproachful look on his face. "What are you doing here? Are you trying to ruin this wedding?" My gaze fell on the groomsman's suit he wore. I remembered how Jayden had cursed me out right after Rosalind and I got together, telling me I had ruined my whole life over a woman. Then he had turned around and spent two months' worth of his part-time wages on a tie for me. I had been touched and a little embarrassed, but he had only snorted. "As your good friend, I have got to dress decently, don't I? When you two get married, I have to be the only groomsman!" Now my voice trembled as I asked, "W-What the hell is going on—" Before I could finish, Jayden cut me off, impatience written all over his face, "Samuel, you're standing right here at their wedding. What else is there to ask? Give it up. They've been together for five years." But Rosalind and I had been together for seven. Jayden pulled up the couple's blog account. Thousands of videos filled the page, more than I could possibly scroll through. "This was last Valentine's Day. Vic got hooked on skiing, so Rosalind flew him straight to Scerdovia." That day, I had been out making deliveries. The orders had not stopped coming. On my way home after my shift, I had gotten into a car accident. I had called Rosalind again and again, but she had never picked up. It turned out she had taken Victor to some far-off country. "This was your birthday. Vic wanted to see fireworks, so Rosalind rented out all of Visenia Harbor." That day, I had gotten off work early. I had gritted my teeth and spent half a month's wages on the imported lobster Rosalind had been talking about for weeks. But late that night, Rosalind had called to tell me she had been sent on a business trip. It turned out she had spent the whole night watching fireworks with Victor. "There was also Norvaland for the northern lights and Ballese for diving. Honestly, I knew about all of it a long time ago. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd make a scene." I stared at the video in front of me and suddenly struggled to breathe. Frantic footsteps sounded behind me. Rosalind had finished the wedding ceremony and rushed over. She grabbed my hand. "Sam, listen to me. It's not what you think. Vic and I are only married because our families arranged it. It's all for show. You have to understand." A sharp pressure gripped my chest. I fought back my tears and stared at Rosalind. "An arranged marriage? So you're finally admitting it. You pretended to be poor this whole time just to fool me." Rosalind froze. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, and she started to open her mouth. Before she could speak, Victor walked over and stopped in front of me with a faint laugh. "Samuel, if I were you, I wouldn't have shown up at my wedding looking for trouble. "There are 180 media outlets outside, and cameras are livestreaming everything in here. Are you worried people won't realize you're the other man?" Rosalind gave Victor a helpless look. "Sam hasn't seen much of the world. Don't scare him." She lowered her voice and spoke gently as she tried to soothe me. "Vic was just joking. Don't take it to heart." I tried to push Rosalind away, but she wrapped her arms tightly around my waist and refused to let go. I could not stop the tears from falling. "Why would you do this to me..." I murmured. Chapter 2 Victor looked as though he had just heard something amusing. He tilted his head. "I'm better looking than you, and I'm richer than you. Isn't it only natural that Rose would choose me?" Just as he seemed ready to say more, an assistant hurried over. "Ms. Whitehall, the reporters outside are still waiting for an interview." Rosalind nodded. "Wait for me, Sam." She released me, turned to Victor, laced her fingers through his, and walked toward the door. "Jayden, take him away." Jayden dragged me out through the venue's back door and took me back to my rented apartment. Before he left, he tried to talk some sense into me. "Sam, a person needs to know their place. Someone like Rosalind is beyond your reach. "Vic can post a couple of random videos and rack up 1,000,000 followers without even trying. He's already out of your league in every way. What do you even have to compete with him?" When he saw how lost and defeated I looked, Jayden seemed to want to say more. In the end, he stopped himself and left in silence. I sank onto the couch and stared blankly around the apartment. I came from a single-parent household. My greatest dream had always been to have a home of my own. The day we rented this apartment, Rosalind hugged me tightly. Her heart seemed to ache for me as she made a solemn promise. "Sam, we'll have a home of our own. I promise." After that, she worked as a barista every day after her regular job, all so she could save enough for her dowry. But no matter how much she saved, it was never enough. Then one day, Rosalind got into a car accident while delivering food in the rain and ended up in the hospital. With red-rimmed eyes, I told her I didn't need her to contribute anything toward our future home, but Rosalind immediately covered my mouth with her hand. "Sam, I love you. I don't want money to come between us. I want to contribute my share. Just wait a little longer. I'll save enough," she had claimed. Only now did I understand. The future home had never been what she couldn't save enough of. It was her sincerity toward me. My tears struck the floor. I picked up my phone to cancel the lease, but a trending news notification suddenly appeared. [Wedding of the Century! Even the Wealthy Elite Can Find True Love!] The article meticulously detailed the lavish assets Rosalind had brought into her marriage with Victor: a luxury yacht, a luxury cruise ship, an entire floor of a luxury condo building downtown, company shares, and more. A fresh wave of humiliation swept through me as the truth finally sank in. Then I heard a sound behind me. Rosalind stood in the doorway. The moment she saw the open suitcase, her pupils contracted sharply. "Sam, are you leaving?" My nails dug into my palms as I clenched my teeth. "What else am I supposed to do? Stay here and let you keep jerking me around?" She rushed over, snatched the suitcase away, and wrapped her arms tightly around me. "I won't allow it!" An unfamiliar scent reached my nose. Then I saw the source clearly: a faint trace of men's cologne lingered on Rosalind's collar. I shoved her away and shouted, unable to contain myself, "Wasn't today's humiliation enough for you?" Rosalind sighed at the sight of my hysterical expression. "Sam, you blame me for not telling you the truth. But when have you ever amounted to anything?" I froze. Rosalind's expression remained gentle, but every word that left her mouth was merciless. "Vic inherited the family business as soon as he graduated. He can give me real support and bring in new business partnerships. And you? What can you give me?" Two years ago, I had considered dropping out of school to find a job that paid better. Rosalind had been the one to tell me that I was only young once and shouldn't sacrifice my future for money. "Sam, do whatever you want to do. I might not come from money, but I'll work hard and fight alongside you!" she had claimed. I spent every spare hour outside class doing work-study jobs. During the busiest stretch, I worked 18 hours in a single day. But now, the casual disdain in her voice ground my self-respect into dust. In the span of just a few hours, my best friend and the woman I loved had told me the exact same thing. I wasn't good enough. My tears struck the floor as I stared at her, utterly lost. Something like pity softened Rosalind's eyes. She reached out as if to hold me, but perhaps she remembered how I had resisted her moments ago. Instead, she changed course and gently shook my arm. "But I don't care. Sam, I love you for who you are. I still have some things to deal with over the next few days. Once I'm done, I'll come get you. "Vic has a proud temper. Calm down a little, and don't butt heads with him." Rosalind wore the confident expression of someone certain I would never leave. Before she walked out, she kissed my forehead. I stood there until my legs went numb and I could barely feel them. Only then did I open my email, pull up the offer for a government-sponsored PhD program abroad, and accept it with trembling hands. The government-sponsored scholarship covered everything. I wouldn't face any financial pressure. I had once considered giving it up for Rosalind. Now there was no need. I stared into the pitch-black night and didn't sleep at all. Early the next morning, someone pounded urgently on my door. The moment I opened it, a bucket of foul-smelling dirty water hit me square in the face. Chapter 3 "Shameless bastard, get out of here! Who knows what filthy disease someone like you is carrying? You're probably about to turn this whole building into a pigsty!" Only then did I realize the story had exploded online. [Male College Student Sneaks Into Bed at Night, Throws Himself at the Whitehall Group's Female CEO] Someone had taken photos of Rosalind holding me in her arms and of me leaving the rented apartment late at night. Someone else had dug up photos of me from college and claimed that all my part-time jobs and tutoring work were nothing more than a cover for seducing women and hunting for a sugar mama. Countless vicious comments flooded the internet, and someone even threw trash at me. I slammed the door shut in a panic and called Rosalind, desperate for help. The call connected. Before I could say a word, Rosalind tried to calm me down. "Sam, I saw the trending post. Don't panic. I'll handle it. Don't open the door for anyone, no matter who it is. Keep yourself safe." I could hear a faint edge of anxiety in her voice, but she still tried her best to sound gentle. My voice cracked. "Let's break up—" Before I could finish, Victor's panicked voice came from her end of the line. "Something's happening with the board..." The call ended before I could finish my sentence. … Half an hour later, a new video set the trending topics ablaze once again. Victor stood in front of the camera with tears streaming down his face. "Samuel Cooper is a student from a poor family whom Rosalind sponsored back in college. Rosalind only helped him out of kindness. She never expected him to develop ulterior motives because of his greed for money. "A word of advice to certain people: if you're going to act like a rat, stay in the gutter where you belong and out of the light." Victor's words nailed me firmly to a pillar of shame. Rosalind's statement was the blade that drove straight into my chest. "Those photos were edited. Vic and I have a very good relationship. Anyone who continues to spread these rumors will face legal action." The internet erupted. [Knew it had to be fake! What normal person would give up a perfectly good young heir like Mr. Grosvenor to cheat with some poor college student instead?!] [Is this some scheme where the kept man tries to force out the original husband? This college student's getting dragged through the mud worse than anyone I've ever seen...] … Someone dug up my personal information and posted it online, and countless abusive messages flooded my phone. Then I received a call from my school. My advisor's tone was grave. "Samuel, the program abroad has already contacted us. They're asking you to provide a reasonable explanation for the public backlash online, or your offer may be revoked..." Blow after blow left me almost numb. My phone buzzed with a message from Rosalind. Rosalind: [Sam, don't hold this against me. This is the best way to handle it.] When I didn't reply, Rosalind called again. Deep exhaustion weighed on her voice. "Sam, just bear with it a little longer. Once this storm passes, I can give you everything except the title of husband." In her heart, I would never come first. I spoke quietly. "Rosalind, stop lying to yourself. The one thing you could never give me wasn't the title. It was love." I didn't stay on the line to hear her explanation. I hung up. Then I opened my phone and began drafting a post, gathering seven years' worth of evidence of our relationship. Just as I was about to hit send, another call came in. Jayden's voice rang through the phone. "Samuel, someone told your mom you were some woman's kept man. She got so angry she ended up in the hospital!" Chapter 4 My mind rang with a single, sharp buzz. My mom's health had never been good. Recently, she had been in and out of the ICU several times. I had been in such a hurry to bring Rosalind home to meet her because I wanted my mom to finally feel at ease. I rushed to the hospital like a madman. … Jayden was already waiting outside the emergency room. The moment he saw me, he shoved me hard. "I warned you. Don't become somebody's kept man! You nearly angered your mom to death!" Jayden's parents drank and gambled. They never had time to take care of him, so my mom had always treated him like her own son. I held back my tears. "How is my mom?" The emergency room door opened, and the doctor stepped out and pulled down his mask. "The patient is stable for now, but she absolutely cannot take another shock." My phone buzzed with a transfer notification. Rosalind had sent me 200,000 dollars. Rosalind: [I heard about your mom. Take this for now. If it's not enough, ask me for more.] I had already made up my mind to cut all ties with Rosalind, but I couldn't bring myself to send the money back. I needed to make sure my mom was safe first. In the hospital room, my mom weakly opened her eyes. "Sam... did you really... Did you really become someone's kept man?" I shook my head as tears streamed down my face. "No. I really didn't..." My mom nodded with great effort. "I believe you." Jayden turned on the TV, trying to distract her. My mom managed a relieved smile. "You're both good kids. Seeing you two still as close as real brothers puts my mind at ease... "Back when little Jay was too shy to take food for himself at meals, Sam always shared the food from his own plate with him..." Before she could finish, her eyes suddenly widened and locked on the television screen. I spun around and saw explicit photos of me plastered across the screen. "Turn it off! Now!" Faced with my panic, Jayden let out a quiet laugh. "Mrs. Cooper, you've been fooled. Samuel really did become someone's kept man. "Not only did he wedge himself into someone else's relationship, but he also went looking for a sugar mommy. This is the proof. "I'm scared I'll catch something filthy from him just from being friends with someone like this." "Shut up!" In a panic, I grabbed a stool and smashed it into the TV. The screen shattered, and the explicit photos finally disappeared. At some point, Victor had entered the room without my noticing. He sneered, "I always said poor people shouldn't have kids. Just look at your son. Who knows how many beds he's crawled into for money." I looked at my mom through my tears. "He's talking nonsense. Don't listen to him..." But it was too late. My mom's already gaunt face turned even more ashen. Her eyes fixed on a single point, then went completely blank. I clutched her body and cried until I had no voice left, "Mom!" In despair, I pulled out my phone and published the post I had drafted earlier. [Rosalind and I have been together for seven years. The real third party in this relationship is Victor Grosvenor.] Not long after, Rosalind stormed into the room. "I told you to give me a little time, and I would handle it! Why did you have to make a scene? Delete that post right now, or I'll have the hospital stop all her treatment this instant!" My face had gone completely numb. "My mom is already dead." Rosalind instinctively looked toward my mom's lifeless body. When Victor saw the doubt on her face, he took her hand, his eyes reddened. "Rose, I came here out of goodwill to visit his mom, but Samuel told me I'm not even worthy of being with you. He said someone like me, a homewrecker, deserves to die..." Rosalind immediately became convinced that I was lying. "You'd even lie about your own mother's death and curse her like this. Samuel, I completely misjudged you." An assistant hurried over. "Ms. Whitehall, the press conference starts in half an hour." Rosalind gave me a long, disappointed look. "Sam, you're the one who forced me into this." Not long after she left, a new email arrived on my phone. It stated that my conduct had seriously damaged the school's reputation and that my offer had been rescinded. Then my phone rang. My advisor's furious voice came through the speaker. "Someone reported you for academic fraud. You've been expelled!" Everything I had built over more than 20 years—family, love, my education—shattered in that single moment. In despair, my gaze fell on the half-open window beside me. I forced myself to climb onto the sill. The howling wind roared in my ears. A message came in from Rosalind. Rosalind: [Sam, once this all blows over, I'll take you abroad. We can start everything fresh.] I didn't reply. "Rosalind, let's never meet again, not even in the next life." I closed my eyes and jumped. - Across the city, Rosalind had just opened her mouth to offer a clarification at the press conference when an unfamiliar reporter pushed to the front row and fired off a pointed question. "Ms. Whitehall, I've heard that you spent years pretending to be poor to deceive Samuel. After he discovered the truth, you not only tried to keep him as your kept man, but you also caused his mother's death and drove him to jump to his own death. Is that true?"