Together for Years, but He Didn't Know My Real Identity

Harriet's POV

Right, who would ever take a “clingy leech” seriously?

But I wasn’t one.

Damian and I met during a club activity in college.

I’d just finished practicing my Mixed Martial Arts and was starving, so I sneaked some snacks from my roommate’s stash. When she found out, she teased me and said I had to call her “Master” to make up for it.

It was all harmless fun between roommates, so I didn’t think much of it and actually went along with it, calling her “Master.”

That’s when Damian stepped in, defending me. He said it wasn’t right to pick on someone just because they seemed poor. Then he turned to me and scolded me for taking someone else’s food.

He was the type who loved being the righteous guy, always standing up for what was fair.

After that, I played the part of a struggling, pitiful girl and clung to him every day. It didn’t take long before we started dating, and soon the whole campus knew about it. People said I was a gold digger and that Damian was “taking care” of me.

I didn’t want to embarrass him, so I told him my family was actually quite wealthy. But he didn’t seem to care either way.

The four years we spent together weren’t filled with dramatic love stories, but our relationship was sweet and steady.

We rarely even fought.

That’s why I couldn’t accept it when he suddenly broke up with me. I needed to know why.

I looked at Damian on the stage and started walking toward him.

But before I could say anything, the woman stepped in front of me.

She was so short that she had to tilt her head back to look at me, and I had to look down to meet her eyes.

“You’ve got some nerve coming up here!” she spat.

She jumped up, swinging her hand to slap me, but I stepped back, avoiding her.

Frowning, I turned to Damian. “You broke up with me to marry this?”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Damian strode over and slapped me across the face.

When the woman tried to hit me, I dodged her. But when Damian raised his hand, I didn’t move.

He’d been sick recently, and I was afraid he’d hurt himself if he overexerted.

Even though he was marrying someone else, I was still worried about him. How pathetic was that?

I touched my stinging cheek, tears welling up in my eyes.

“So, you’re the girlfriend from college?” the woman sneered as she walked closer. Her lips curled into a smug smile. “A gold-digging tramp like you thinks you can put on airs in front of me? Do you even know who I am? I’m Astrid Holden—the wealthiest here in Denver.”

But despite her bragging, I ignored her and kept my gaze on Damian. “You left without a word. That’s just so unfair.”

“Unfair? I gave you a villa, car, and money. What more do you want? Don’t make a scene, Harriet. We’re done.” Damian’s brows furrowed in frustration. “You know how it works for people like me. Love and marriage are two different stories. I’m grateful for the four years we had, but my wife has to be Astrid. Do you understand?”

I met his eyes and asked quietly, “Do you love me?”

I understood how marriages worked among powerful families. My parents had an arranged marriage too. They were lucky—they grew up as childhood sweethearts and fell in love naturally.

As for me...

I was also supposed to marry for family alliances. But it wasn’t necessary anymore—our family’s status in Washington was secure without it.

“Love? Stop joking, Harriet,” Damian said, his voice laced with mockery. “I’ve known since I was a kid that I’d marry for my family’s sake. Love has never been real to me. The only reason I dated you was because you were pretty and seemed poor enough to be easy to control.”

His lips curled into a derisive smile. “There you have it—the truth you wanted. Now, leave.”

So, what I thought was a sweet, deep love between us... was all just in my head.