My Rich Girlfriend Refused to Lend Me $3,000, So I Left Her

1: 1

Five years into our relationship, I asked my rich girlfriend to lend me three thousand dollars.

She turned me down without a second's hesitation.

"Baby, three thousand is what I'd spend on one meal. I can give it to you if I want, but you can't be the one asking for it. My family would look down on you."

I begged her through tears. "Grace, my mom's been in a car accident. The surgery fee is short by exactly this much. Please help me. I swear I'll pay you back."

Before I could finish, I heard the crack of a gavel on the other end of the line.

Then the auctioneer's sweet voice.

"Eighteen million! Congratulations to Ms. Rowe on winning this rare sapphire ring."

The call cut off.

Only then did I remember. She'd gone to an auction today, buying a birthday gift for her childhood friend.

A ring worth more than ten million. I couldn't even picture it, but it had to be prettier than the silver band on my hand.

She was afraid I was after her money.

Fine. Then I didn't want her money, and I didn't want her either.

1

I pulled the silver ring off my finger and threw it in the trash.

It was the token Grace and I had exchanged when we started dating.

A hundred-dollar silver band, so cheap it was almost laughable, and yet I'd worn it all this time like it was priceless.

Back then she'd said, "Morton Delgado, bear with it for a while. I'm scared that if I give you something too expensive, my family will get the wrong idea, that you're only with me for the money."

I'd been so lost in the joy of being in love that I just wrapped my arms around her and kissed her like a fool.

"It's no hardship. It's you I want, not your money."

Too bad Grace never believed that line.

Five years together, and in her eyes I was still a man who chased money and despised the poor.

Just then my phone lit up. A news alert popped onto the screen.

《Grace Rowe Spends Millions on Sanchez Heir's Birthday, Childhood Sweethearts Rumored to Be Marrying》

I wiped my eyes dry and pulled up a text thread.

【You said before that if I agreed to break up, you'd give me some money. Does that still stand? I only want three thousand.】

The reply came almost instantly.

【Of course it stands. What's your account number? I'll transfer it right now.】

Clean and quick. Not one wasted word.

Soon a deposit hit my account. A full three hundred thousand.

I stared at the number for a long time, then sent Grace a message.

【Let's break up.】

She didn't reply. Probably busy comforting her sick childhood sweetheart.

I dumped every one of her contacts into the block list, packed my suitcase, and booked a ticket home for first thing tomorrow morning.

At ten that night, Grace came home.

She slid her arms around my waist and rose onto her toes to kiss me.

I shoved her away hard.

"Grace, didn't you see the text? We've already broken up."

Grace pulled her hands back, her face darkening.

"Morton, be good. So I didn't give you the money this afternoon, so what? It was only three thousand. Don't throw a tantrum at me. Once you've married into the Rowe family, you'll have far more than that to spend."

I dragged the corner of my mouth into a bitter smile. "Right. I understand now. I won't ask you for money ever again."

Grace ran her fingers over my throat, smiling. "That's more like it. With your background, you're not even good enough to marry into the Rowes. If you want to marry me without any trouble, you have to give my family nothing to criticize. So before the wedding I can't spend a single cent on you, or they'll assume you're just a freeloader."

I pulled free of her clinging embrace, a deep helplessness rising in me.

Here it was again.

Every time we hit a conflict, Grace said the same thing.

In college I worked part-time to cover my living costs, and a modeling agency wanted to sign me. They promised an A-level contract. Grace said parading around in front of cameras was too humiliating, that there was no way she'd marry some performer.

So I gave it up. And a guy who signed around the same time is walking international fashion runways now.

After graduation I made it through five rounds of interviews into a top architecture studio. I was pulling all-nighters constantly, and she pushed me to quit, said the late hours were ruining my health and would leave me no good for taking care of a family after marriage.

So I switched to a nine-to-five with no shot at promotion.

Five years of dating, and every single time Grace said she'd marry me, it came attached to some harsh condition.

And for the chance to marry her, I backed down again and again.

Until now.

I looked her in the eye and said it plainly. "Grace, I don't want to get married anymore. Your family's way out of my league!"

Grace frowned.

She was about to speak when her phone rang with Theodore's personal ringtone.