I was Blinded by Your Love

While I was still in a daze over my boyfriend of seven years emotionally cheating on me, my mom called.

"Claire, what kind of tantrum are you throwing now?"

"Ryan is such a great guy. You couldn’t find someone like him even with a lantern. And now you're breaking up with him?"

As usual, it was a string of accusations.

Am I really her child, or is Ryan?

"Why don’t you worry about your precious son first?" I retorted.

She still hadn’t gotten used to my sarcasm: " Claire is that any way to speak to your elders?"

"I don’t care. The 100,000-dollar betrothal gift is already in my hands. Consider it your contribution as an older sister to your younger brother!"

Before I could respond, she hung up.

I sighed deeply.

Ryan knows how to get his way.

Doesn’t he realize that’s a bottomless pit?

He used to always consider my opinion, but now he’s learned to act first and force me into a corner.

Maybe I never truly knew him at all.

My family has always favored boys over girls. I barely managed to get into a prestigious university.

My parents secretly hid my acceptance letter, wanting to trade me for a 10,000 dowry.

The principal and teachers tried to reason with my parents, but they refused to let me go.

In the end, I wrote a promissory note, agreeing to pay them 100,000 dollars after I graduated, just to be able to leave.

When I left home, the principal secretly slipped 200 dollars into my hand and told me to study hard.

Of course, my family never gave me a dime for living expenses, so I had to support myself with part-time jobs.

Even so, I never let my studies slip.

I consistently ranked first in my class.

By all accounts, I was supposed to receive a scholarship.

But connections trump everything.

I was counting on that scholarship to pay for my next semester's tuition, when this devastating news hit me.

I had little money, and it had been a long time since I’d eaten a full meal.

I fainted, and when I woke up, I saw a transfer in my bank account, labeled "Scholarship."

It was Ryan who fought for me and used his family’s influence to secure the scholarship spot.

And the money? He covered it in advance.

He never liked doing group assignments, and I always ended up doing them for him.

He knew it was awkward, so he’d transfer me enough money to cover my expenses for six months as compensation.

For me, someone preparing for graduate school, it was a lifeline.

I’ve always felt a sense of gratitude toward Ryan.

It’s no exaggeration to say that half of his good grades were thanks to me.

But over the years, I’ve helped him enough.

In every aspect, I never embarrassed him.

Maybe, though, he never really brought me into his true circle.

After I slapped Ryan, we didn’t contact each other for a while.

I packed up everything he gave me and returned it all.

It wasn’t that he didn’t try to reach out, but every time I thought of his words, "I’ll wait until I get bored of her," I felt disgusted.

Besides, I’m aware of my worth.

When we officially started dating, Ryan’s mother came to see me.

She gave me a meaningful look, then took a casual sip of coffee.

"You’re still young. If you’re going to date, fine, but don’t cause any trouble."

She naturally assumed I was a gold-digger and had already written a soap opera in her mind where I got pregnant to secure my place.

She investigated my background.

When my mom saw the impressive people she sent, she immediately asked for a dowry of 660,000 dollar.

When I heard the recording, I didn’t know where to put my face.

It was at that moment that Ryan arrived and pulled me out of that oppressive, gloomy room.

Because he stubbornly insisted on being with me, his family cut off his financial support.

With graduation approaching, the expenses were piling up.

He just ruffled my hair and told me not to worry.

How did the boy who was willing to turn against his family for me end up so rotten without me noticing?