The Three Thousand That Ended My Devotion

"There's a reason the old saying goes that like should marry like. Someone like Angela Swanson, dragged up out of some poor backwater, she's got that cheapness bred into her bones. Greedy the second she sees money. That's not something you can fix."

"Don't ever say her name in front of me again. Just thinking about her makes me sick."

He said it with contempt, the way a man talks about garbage.

I stood outside the floor-to-ceiling glass, pressed a hand over my mouth, and started to cough.

Desiree saw me.

Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned in and murmured something into Tristram's ear.

A moment later she pushed the door open and came clicking across the floor in her heels, the ruby necklace at her throat bright enough to hurt.

I lifted my head. My face was drained white from all the blood I'd lost.

Desiree held up a bank card and waved it in front of me.

"This is your breakup money, from Tristram. Guess how much is on it."

I pressed my lips together. I already had a good idea.

Desiree smiled, satisfied with herself.

"Three thousand dollars! Five years playing girlfriend to the Rowe heir, and all you walked away with is three thousand. God, Angela, you really are pathetic."

"But that's what you get for crossing me."

She let go of the card and it clattered to the floor.

My nails dug hard into my palms, and my heart hurt like someone had shoved a knife straight into it.

Five years ago, Tristram fell for me at first sight.

Back then I'd just clawed my way out of the mountains on my SAT scores, wearing patched clothes and a dated haircut, my English clumsy and accented. All of it drew mockery, and it left me self-conscious, quick to flinch.

But Tristram was willing to set aside everything about being the family's heir and chase me, hard, for half a year.

He tutored me in English himself, drove me to and from my part-time jobs, sat up by my bed through whole nights when I was sick.

He wore down every wall around my frozen heart with nothing but sincerity.

I never imagined that five years later, he'd end it with me like this.

I pressed a hand to my chest and crouched down to pick up the card, and the tears spilled over before I could stop them, landing on the back of my hand.

When I looked up, Tristram was standing in front of me. I hadn't heard him come.

I forced my spine straight and turned to go.

Behind me, Tristram said, coldly:

"Take the money and get out, Angela. Don't ever let me run into you again."

Something cold and hard flickered through my eyes.

I found the account I'd borrowed money from before and sent one message.

【I'll marry you. But I have one condition. I want the Galloway family destroyed.】