Chapter 3
“My wedding is the day after tomorrow!”
“If you stay with me, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of!”
Gideon’s words echoed in my ears, leaving me in shock.
After he finished speaking, Gideon left with large strides.
I picked up the pregnancy test report, holding it tightly to my chest, unable to contain my emotions.
Maybe I should have realized earlier that in the eyes of a true wealthy family’s heir, only interest matters.
And I was merely a tool to satisfy his needs.
I should have known.
At that moment, I suddenly remembered when I first got together with Gideon, people envied me, saying I had caught the eye of Gideon’s family’s heir. Even if we couldn’t stay together, there’d be plenty of money.
Back then, I said, “I like him for who he is, for his genuine feelings towards me, not for the money.”
But now…
I was wrong; there were no genuine feelings.
Only blatant arrogance.
Listening to the roar of his sports car as he left,
I realized he wasn’t afraid of losing me.
The next day, dragging my suitcase that I’d packed overnight, I was about to go to the hospital for an abortion when a strikingly beautiful woman knocked on my door.
When the woman saw me, she smiled gracefully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “Hello, I’m Gideon’s fiancée—Adeline, the eldest daughter of the Su family.”
I caught my breath.
Adeline walked directly up to me, looking me over with a flash of jealousy and disdain in her eyes.
“So, you’re Cora, Gideon’s companion for three years, aren’t you? You’re certainly very beautiful.”
Companion…
A wave of shame washed over me.
But Adeline’s next words took my breath away.
“I heard you ended up in bed with him within a month of meeting?”
“As a fellow woman, let me give you some advice: the easier something is to get, the less a man cherishes it. Gideon and I are childhood sweethearts; he’s never crossed the line. He said he wants to save my first time for marriage…”
Hearing this, I clenched my hand, my fingertips digging into my palm.
I pretended to be calm: “Miss Su, thank you for your concern. However, you might be mistaken. Gideon and I are boyfriend and girlfriend. It’s mutual consent, so it’s normal for us to have a relationship.”
Adeline was taken aback, clearly not expecting a poor student like me to be so composed in front of a rich young lady like her.
I looked at her, with her eyebrows similar to mine, and continued: “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going. I have other things to attend to.”
“Wait!”
Adeline called after me, pulling out a bank card and a property deed from her bag and handing them to me.
“Gideon is eager for a child after learning about his family’s genetic disorder. I didn’t want to rush into it, so he chose this path.”
“I don’t blame him. As a woman, I understand you too. It’s rare to find a wealthy bachelor, so I discussed it with Gideon’s mother.”
“This is the compensation given to me as Gideon’s family’s young mistress, so please accept it.”
My heart ached terribly. Did everyone think from the beginning that Gideon approached me just to use me as a surrogate?
I was about to argue with her when a wave of nausea hit me, and I covered my mouth, retching, my body convulsing in discomfort.
Adeline looked surprised and asked, “Is she pregnant?”
But then she sneered.
With a naïve and disdainful tone, she looked at me with a superior attitude.
“How could that be? If you really were pregnant, someone like you, trying to climb up, wouldn’t stay silent. After all, that’s your ticket into a wealthy family.”
“Even if you can’t marry into one, the scraps from a wealthy family are enough for ordinary people like you to live on for a lifetime.”
Adeline’s voice was soft and sweet, like countless soft needles piercing into my heart.
It stirred up wave after wave of empathy.
My eyelashes trembled.
I reached into my pocket and touched the pregnancy test report. I really wanted to throw it in her smug face.
But then I thought, what’s the point?
If word got out about a love triangle, it would seem like I still cared about Gideon.
I calmed myself and gently brushed away Adeline’s hand, “No need. Even if I’m poor, I know money should be earned with a clear conscience.”
Ignoring Adeline’s furrowed brows and displeasure.
I turned and closed the door, placing the villa key in her hand.
“Also, here’s the key. Please return it to Gideon for me.”
With that, I stepped directly into the downpour without hesitation.
The rain drenched me instantly.
Behind me, Adeline’s hysterical shouts rang out: “Stop pretending. Weren’t you with Gideon for money? Why play hard to get with me?”
“You poor people are just parasites, the scum of society. You just want to be bloodsuckers, feeding off wealthy families.”
“Cora, you can’t leave! Did I say you could go?”
“Come back! I order you to come back!”
I heard her words, but I didn’t argue or debate. Instead, I walked forward in the rain with determination.
I thought this would end with a peaceful breakup with Gideon, but they weren’t planning to let me go.
“Ivy League Tech University female graduate student climbs into her thesis advisor’s bed to marry into a wealthy family for a smooth graduation” became a trending topic.
Photos of me and Gideon entwined in the lab were posted online. His face was completely obscured, while I was fully exposed.
The dean called me into his office.
“I know you’re dating Gideon, but this has caused too much of a stir. The university has decided to expel you.”