I was Blinded by Your Love

I majored in journalism and, after graduating, started working at a daily newspaper.

The company I applied to rejected me after learning about my family background.

It was Ryan who pulled some strings to get me in.

This is the first time in years that I’ve taken a day off.

I wanted to take the time to plan out my future path.

Just as I was drafting my leave request, the editor-in-chief messaged me:

"I heard you're quite familiar with Sir Ryan, right? There happens to be an exclusive interview, I'm assigning it to you."

"Two thousand dollar bonus, and your promotion will be prioritized."

I was about to decline, but the words caught in my throat.

It was obvious—this was Ryan’s idea, just to make me go back and beg him.

In the past, whenever he coaxed me and apologized, I’d make excuses for him in my heart.

For the first time, I went against his will, and he found it refreshing.

For someone like him, a spoiled Sir Ryan, when had he ever faced setbacks?

I sighed and began preparing the interview questions.

The next day, Ryan cheerfully told me he had arranged an extra day of leave for me.

Once again, making decisions for me without considering my opinion.

He can be very charming, but I’ve known him too long, and seen through him too well.

Beneath his wealthy, handsome exterior lies a rotten soul.

As I turned off the recorder, I stood up to leave.

Ryan looked pitiful, tugging at my sleeve,

"Claire, can we sit down and have a proper talk?"

I knew if we didn’t resolve things now, he would make more trouble for me later.

I glanced at my watch, "You have fifteen minutes."

He nodded obediently, just like when he promised to quit smoking and was caught sneaking cigarettes.

But after all this time, nothing really changed, and knowing him, it never would.

He always liked to push the blame onto others, never admitting his own faults.

"Claire, I was just joking with them that day, trying to show off..."

Ryan cautiously looked up at me.

Whether it was a joke or the truth, we both knew.

My love should not be a tool for your bragging.

After dating Ryan for so many years, it felt like I was raising a child who would never grow up—

Not only managing my own life but also protecting his fragile ego.

"Claire, believe me, I didn’t betray you!"

I packed up my things and left,

ignoring the tears that were about to fall from his eyes.

When he saw that this tactic wasn’t working, he switched to his face-changing routine:

"Claire, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you have my love!"

"I’ll be waiting for the day you come begging me to take you back!"

His face turned cold, and he gritted his teeth, ready to make me pay.

But I won’t regret it.

You might not know, but on my alternate account, you’re my only friend.

Under a notorious solicitation account, there’s a line that reads, "You have a friend following this page."

I brainwashed myself into blindly trusting you, that’s all.

Besides, my colleagues in the entertainment section had already told me—

Your mom has found you a fiancée for an arranged marriage.

After finishing the interview script, I went to the parking lot, only to be blocked by one of Ryan’s friends.

"Sister-in-law, no need to take Ryan’s drunken words so seriously, right?"

The blonde guy leaned against my car with a sly grin, arms crossed, looking at me with ill intentions.

I stared at him coldly, "Move aside."

The grin on his face only widened, showing off a set of yellowing teeth.

"Hey, no rush, sister-in-law. I heard you’re thinking of breaking up with Ryan?"

"That’s our fault, but Ryan wasn’t wrong—

Sister-in-law, you’re in your twenties and still look as fresh as a teenager."

I frowned at his increasingly smug expression, sensing something was off.

He moved closer, trying to reach out and touch my face.

"Sister-in-law, if you break up with Ryan, why not give me a chance? I’m in way better shape than that scrawny chicken Ryan!"

He dared to lay a hand on me?

I couldn’t hold back—I threw a punch right at his face.

Before he could react, I swiftly dialed the police.

It was Ryan who bailed him out.

He even brought takeout for the guy, making sure he wasn’t mistreated.

I recognized the brand—luxurious and pricey, something I had long dreamed of trying.

Ryan had once promised,

that once he was established at work, he’d take me there to celebrate.

Even after I had enough money, I waited for him instead of going on my own.

This hope had been worn down over time,

and seeing that takeout finally extinguished it.

I lowered my eyes, a mocking smile tugging at my lips.

After comforting his friend, Ryan instinctively looked for the person who called the police.

When he saw me, he assumed I was there for the interview.

"Well, well, Claire the journalist, still working, huh? Haven’t they fired you yet?"

He tried to act cool, whistling at me,

but I shut him down with a glare.

When he finally realized I was the one who sent his friend to jail,

his face softened in an attempt to appease me.

"Claire, he was just looking out for me…"

I couldn’t help but laugh at his attempt.

Looking out for you?

Since when does that justify harassment and groping?

Some people only realize the sting of a slap when it lands on their face!

I had acted in self-defense, and his friend had committed sexual harassment. He’d likely stay in jail for a few days.

I leaned in close, my voice dripping with sarcasm,

"If groping me is his way of looking out for you, then you’re pretty cheap, aren’t you?"

Ryan’s face turned pale,

but after a moment, he regained his composure.

"Claire, he’s the son of an important business partner for my family. If you send him to jail, it’ll be hard for me to explain to them."

I wasn’t planning to engage with him.

Since the moment he said those words,

I had begun reevaluating our relationship.

Is someone this insincere still worth my love?

If I weren’t strong enough to defend myself, I might’ve been assaulted.

And yet, Ryan wasn’t concerned about me—he just wanted to get his friend out of trouble?

What am I, a saint?

I chuckled to myself,

wondering why it took me this long to see through his false kindness.

Seeing that I wouldn’t budge, Ryan gritted his teeth and handed me a bank card.

"There’s 180,000 dollar in here, money I saved to marry you."

"Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get my parents to agree!"

I was so angry I saw stars. I slapped his hand away.

"Stop flattering yourself!"

Everything he did seemed innocent on the surface, but underneath, it was rotten.

Ryan stood there, holding the card, dumbfounded. His eyes began to redden.

This trick had worked on me countless times before.

By now, I would’ve felt sorry for him and comforted him.

But this time, I was numb to his antics.

" Ryan, I’m giving you two options."

"One, he apologizes to me and gets it on record, and you stop bothering me."

"Two, I write a settlement agreement, and we discuss compensation."

Ryan hesitated, holding the card.

"Claire, how about you write the settlement and he apologizes? Would that work?"

He frowned at me, "I don’t want my family knowing my friend got arrested for harassing you. It wouldn’t look good for any of us."

"Especially for you, Claire. You’ll be entering our social circle, and this could hurt your reputation."

I didn’t respond and signed the settlement for his friend.

Watching Ryan smile with relief, I unhesitatingly slapped him across the face.

"We’re done. Stay out of my life from now on."

I took a step closer and whispered,

"By the way, your friend said you’re just a weak little chicken compared to him!"

Leaving him with a black face, I walked away in a surprisingly good mood.

While driving home, the editor-in-chief called me, which was unusual after work hours.

"Hey, Claire, the Hale family pressured us to fire you…"

I went silent.

Damn it.

I should’ve thrown the interview script in Ryan’s face.

The editor-in-chief could only help by negotiating a hefty severance package.

As much as I fumed, I knew I couldn’t go up against the powerful Hale family. How could I even think of revenge?

Why does Ryan insist on cheating, yet still want to stay with me?

When I first started dating him, he would often take me to places I couldn’t afford. I gently mentioned it to him, but he would pout and carefully cut my steak, muttering softly, “I just want my self to get used to my world ahead of time.”

Back then, I felt guilty yet happy. But looking back now, it was just him showing off his superiority to me time and time again. Thanks to my study guides, Ryan, who used to skip classes and go racing, could still pass his final exams. Using my guilt and love, he had no trouble getting his name added as the project leader and winning scholarships. I was just a source of blood for him to drain.

Suddenly, it all became clear. Ryan kept chasing after me because I still had some value to him. I wasn’t sure what it was, but what he sought from me wasn’t small.

I was feeling a headache. Not only did I have to protect myself, but I also had to figure out how to bring Ryan and his family down.

Just as I was brooding over it, the phone rang.

“I’m Ryan’s fiancée. Can we talk?”

My heart skipped a beat. Even though I was nervous, I composed myself and went to meet this young lady. Who would have thought, Emily glanced at me coldly and said, “A good graduate of University A, why on earth would you become Ryan’s mistress?”

“You’re living such a miserable life; why not beg me for help?”

My mind buzzed, and I was stunned. Mistress? What the hell? Mistress?!

Seeing my face turn pale, Emily frowned and waved her hand dismissively at me. “You alright?” she asked with a bit of concern and then showed me her phone. “Look, he said it himself.”

I saw the message from Ryan: “Her? Just a side chick. If you don’t like her, I’ll cut her off before the wedding.”

The coldness in my heart deepened even further. The hurt from this added another scar. Perhaps my expression was too grim and scared the naïve young lady. Emily hesitated and said, “Honestly, I’m not that into him anyway…”

“I have no one and no power. I’d like to ask you to help me break off this engagement.”

“I don’t mind giving him to you,” she added, after some thought, handing me a USB drive. “I think after you see what’s in here, you’ll want to work with me.”