Biting the Hand That Fed Him

I lifted my bloodied face, the mix of blood and cream making for a horrifying sight.

I was utterly wretched.

I, Cynthia Quinn, was nearly maimed by my boyfriend on my 26th birthday.

A crimson haze clouded my vision.

In my fading consciousness, the last thing I heard was Xander stammering, "I'm sorry, I really am… I didn't mean to… It wasn't Natasha's fault; I just wanted to tease Cynthia a bit. I never thought—"

"That's enough!" Mia shoved Xander aside. "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you really still making excuses at a time like this? Shouldn't you be worried about Cynthia's safety? What? Does dragging it out and making things worse make you feel better?"

With that, she helped me up and sped me to the hospital.

When I woke up, Xander wasn't there.

The anesthesia hadn't worn off yet. The pungent smell of disinfectant filled my nose, and my vision was still blurry due to blood pooling around my optic nerve.

The doctor's angry voice not far away echoed.

"What kind of friends do you people have? How could anyone shove something like that in someone's face? This is attempted murder! Do you have any idea how close it was? Forget blindness—just a little closer, and she would have been dead!

"Honestly, you should report this to the police. I can provide evidence anytime. This is an open-and-shut case."

"Forget it," I interrupted, expressionless, as I sat up in the hospital bed.

Mia fumed, "Cynthia, you're too forgiving with him. If you keep this up, you'll pay dearly for it!"

Pay dearly?

I had already paid so much for him that I had lost count. I couldn't even remember when I became this version of myself.

I was just waiting to wean myself off this relationship. Only then would I have the courage to unleash my full fury and take my revenge.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the golden sunlight crept inch by inch.

Xander turned up late, slightly sweaty and out of breath. He shoved a small, delicate box into my hands.

"Cynthia, please listen to me. I was stupid. I read online that you should first upset your girlfriend and then surprise her to make it more impactful. You get it, right? Look, this is my birthday present for you!" He smiled ingratiatingly and raised his hand to show me. "See? It's a pair of matching rings. I've been preparing this for so long!"

There was a men's silver band on his slender ring finger.

I stayed silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "Xander, I might not be able to see clearly right now, but I'm not blind."

Inside the box was a receipt showing the purchase time—20 minutes ago.

So much for "careful preparation" or "a long time".

My voice remained calm. "Even if you're going to lie to me, couldn't you at least put some effort into it?"

Xander's face flushed red.

After a long pause, he finally forced out, "If that's how you want to see it, then fine. I'll leave. Let's not contact each other again until you've thought this through."

Xander, ever the aloof and domineering man he was, never once yielded to me.

I knew that this matter would have been glossed over if I had simply pretended not to notice and had taken the gift with feigned joy.

But I refused to do that again.

At 3:00 am, I received a bank notification that Xander had transferred 500 thousand dollars to Natasha.

He didn't know that the account he transferred money from was mine.

When Xander was 18, he knelt before me and pleaded, "Dear sponsor, I dream of attending a prestigious university. I want to study abroad at Garnem. I want to escape these mountain ranges forever! Please help me fulfill my dream! I promise I'll repay your kindness in full one day!"

Xander was some boy I anonymously sponsored for three years. We only met officially after his college entrance exams.

Per the charity organization's requirements, I wore a mask and didn't reveal my real name.

The first time we met, he pleaded with me to support his dream of attending a prestigious university. Face filled with determination, he fought hard to hold back tears.

My heart melted at the sight of him.

That moment of compassion became a lifelong entanglement.

I paid his tuition for the Ivy League and gave him a bank card, depositing 50 thousand dollars into it every month.

All of this was just to help a promising student from a humble background achieve his dreams.

With my support, he completed a dual degree.

By chance, his outstanding interview performance landed him a position at Quinn Group as my assistant.

At that time, I had no personal feelings for him.

He was the one who cared for me with warm words and thoughtful gestures, pursuing me persistently for an entire year until I fell into the gentle dream he wove for me.

After we started dating, I gave him my whole heart.

I guided him step by step, helping him rise from an assistant to a COO and eventually become a small shareholder in the company.

In just a few short years, he transformed from an unremarkable nobody to a rising star in the business world. People now respectfully addressed him as "Mr. Loewe".

I understood his pride, so I never mentioned my financial support, nor did I ever bring up the fact that he is the fiancé of Quinn Group's CEO.

However, my silence and concessions only led to his betrayal.