On the day the Lowens go into bankruptcy, my best friend, Winona Quentin, dumps Justin Lowen on the spot.

Meanwhile, I quickly swoop in and take Justin to a hotel for an unforgettable night together.

Once the deed is done, Winona lies in the arms of Justin's best friend, Hunter Jackson, while laughing at me.

"Robin, you don't have any standards at all! After all, you just went for the guy whom I dumped! He's nothing but a broke fool right now! Why do you still want to be with him?"

When Winona isn't paying attention to me, I smile mysteriously.

She really is an idiot.

While Justin is broke, he's not stupid. Sooner or later, the Lowens will make a glorious comeback thanks to their connections and resources.

"My family has declared bankruptcy," Justin Lowen said. "I can't give you what you want. You should switch targets as soon as possible if your goal is money."

Ignoring my aching body, I crawled up from the bed.

Justin was looking down at me from the tip of his nose. He was already fully dressed, and his words were both upsetting and dripping with mockery.

I could tell that he viewed me as a scheming woman who tried to steal her own best friend's boyfriend. He only left with me last night because he wanted to toy with me.

I wasn't surprised at all. "I know," I said calmly.

Justin was stunned by my words.

"You do?" he asked with a frown. "Then, why did you…"

I knew that he was referring to what happened between us last night.

I slowly raised my head. My eyes were bloodshot as if I was being forced to deal with something terrible.

"Do you really believe that I wouldn't know when it was all over the news? What kind of person do you take me for?"

I took a deep breath before continuing, "If I harbored ulterior motives toward you, why would I wait until your family went bankrupt to make a move?"

Surprise flickered in Justin's eyes.

"Then… Why did you…"

I pursed my lips. Tears pricked my eyes, but I didn't say a word. I simply turned around and pulled out a card from my pocket, saying, "I want to help you."

Justin didn't accept the card. He left my hand suspended stiffly in midair as more tears welled up in my eyes.

Meanwhile, I was discreetly calculating the odds of whether I would succeed in breaking past Justin's psychological defenses in my heart.

We were stuck in a stalemate when my stomach rumbled loudly.

The tension in the air dissipated in an instant.

I blushed furiously and didn't dare make eye contact with Justin.

Justin chuckled and said, "Let's get breakfast downstairs."

His tone was as casual as ever, but it lacked the icy edge from before.

Justin's expression darkened when we entered the hotel's restaurant.

My best friend, Winona Quentin, was being intimate with Justin's best friend, Hunter Jackson.

Hunter came from new money, and he often benefited from Justin by getting in his good graces.

Based on how affectionately Winona and Hunter were behaving around each other, it became obvious that they had been involved with one another for a long time.

Winona looked at me. Her eyes strayed toward my and Justin's intertwined hands. Her lips curved up into a mocking sneer as she said, "Do you enjoy picking up other people's trash that much, Robin Dorne? The Lowen family has already declared bankruptcy, and yet you're still so eager to be the rebound?"

I immediately planted myself in front of Justin before he could get a word in.

"You've already broken up with him, Winona. You have no say in what goes on between Justin and me," I said seriously. "All I know is that even when he was still rich, he was never a cheater."

I could feel Justin's casual gaze turning cold behind me.

Winona's face twisted into an upset expression. She seemed to recall something as she glanced at me. She clicked her tongue and asked, "Don't tell me that you actually have feelings for Justin?"

My body stiffened as a blush stained my cheeks.

My appearance made it seem as if Winona had seen right through me, but in reality, I was silently praising Winona's perceptiveness in my heart.

It would be too obvious if I confessed to Justin directly. He would only lower his guard around me if Winona were the one who exposed me.

As expected, Justin let out a light but uneasy cough behind me.

Winona looked incredibly smug when she assumed that she had revealed my secret. Her sense of superiority was off the charts.

"Well, I lost interest in him when his family declared bankruptcy. I suppose I can let you have him. We were best friends, after all. If you beg me, I might even consider asking my boyfriend to introduce someone to you. I can guarantee that he'll have a brighter future than this pauper."

I couldn't help myself and burst into laughter.

Winona truly was a fool.

Didn't she know that a starving camel was still bigger than a horse?

How could she think that someone from new money could compete with the Lowen family's generations of resources and connections?

Meanwhile, Hunter was staring at the mark on my neck. A salacious smile stretched across his lips as he asked, "So, you're Winona's best friend? Why are you following that useless piece of trash, Justin, around? You should come with me instead."

He then pointed at Justin and said mockingly, "To think you used to be the cream of the crop of the elites that everyone used to fawn over. You don't even deserve to carry my shoes for me at this moment."

Just then, Justin draped his coat over my shoulders, hiding them from Hunter's obscene gaze. He then stepped forward, and his eyes flashed coldly.

"Keep talking, and I'll make sure you'll regret it."

Hunter immediately shrank back at Justin's words.

Worried that Hunter would take an interest in me, Winona hastily made up an excuse and dragged him away.

"Thank you," I murmured as I pursed my lips and shot a soft, appreciative look at Justin.

Justin averted his gaze. "I misunderstood you about what happened last night. Don't overthink things. I'll definitely make it up to you when I get the chance."

He turned around and left after he was done speaking, acting as if he wasn't willing to get involved with me.

I didn't chase after him. I knew that I couldn't be hasty when worming my way into the heart of someone as proud and arrogant as Justin.

Besides, I had already achieved more than I set out to do that day. Justin stepping forward to defend me meant that he already viewed me as someone who was on his side.

I brushed my fingers along the coat across my shoulders. A knowing smile stretched across my lips.

I already had an excuse to see Justin again.

I received a message from Winona when I returned home.

"I'm warning you, Robin. Don't get any funny ideas about Hunter."

My lips curled up into a smile. My fingers flew across the screen as I typed out a reply.

"Why would I want to seduce Hunter? Not only is he less handsome than Justin, but his figure isn't as good either. I'm not blind."

Winona immediately lost her temper when she read my message.

"Two paupers like you don't even deserve to be compared to someone like Hunter. Do you really believe that you can win Justin's heart? Stop dreaming. An arrogant man like him will only use you and toy with you. Mark my words."

I arched my brow.

Winona wasn't wrong.

I knew that Justin's relationships with his previous girlfriends were purely transactional in the past. They didn't actually love each other.

However, the circumstances had changed ever since the Lowen family declared bankruptcy.

I didn't care and continued boasting about Justin.

"But I think that Justin has leverage against your boyfriend. Who knows? The two of you might need to follow his orders in the future. You might remain under someone else's thumb for the rest of your lives."

As expected, Winona didn't reply to my last message.

I was in high spirits as I placed my phone down and started humming to myself.

My plan had succeeded.

…

The next day, I woke up bright and early in the morning to do my skincare routine. I had to make sure that my face looked good from every angle.

I picked out a sleeveless, white dress that made me look pure but also carried a hint of allure.

I only languidly left the house when the afternoon rolled around, hailing a cab to Lowen Group.

As expected, Hunter was leading a group of people and causing a scene on the first floor of the building.

"I'll have you know that you're no longer the heir of a prestigious family, Justin. You need to learn how to conduct yourself properly when you're around me in the future."

Hunter grabbed a chair and smashed it against the glass coffee table. The broken shards were scattered all across the floor.

After Lowen Group filed for bankruptcy, all the employees were laid off, so the building was completely deserted.

It was obvious that Justin was summoning all his willpower to keep his anger in check.

Justin's former employees also turned on him, joining Hunter in mocking him.

"It'll be as easy as breathing for Mr. Jackson to crush you."

"You should grovel at Mr. Jackson's feet if you know what's good for you. Who knows? Maybe Mr. Jackson will feel charitable and give you some money. At least you won't have to starve to death on the streets."

Raucous laughter erupted among the crowd.

"Why are you still being so stubborn, Justin?" Hunter sneered. "Even your girlfriend belongs to me now. You're truly nothing more than a piece of trash after you lost the support of your family."

Justin's patience snapped upon hearing Hunter's words, though no one could discern which insult was the one that pushed Justin over the edge. He cursed aloud before driving his fist into Hunter's face.

"Fuck! How dare you hit me? Teach him a lesson he won't forget!"

Many of Hunter's lackeys leaped in and joined the fray upon hearing his orders.

I quietly watched the chaos unfold, having no desire to get myself involved.

Although Justin was a good fighter, he couldn't defend himself against so many people. It didn't take long before he found himself at a disadvantage.

He swung his fists like a madman, taking out the frustrations that had built up within him over the past few days. Whenever someone landed a blow on him, he would return the favor tenfold.

Hunter felt humiliated when he realized that things hadn't gone according to plan. Furious, he grabbed a knife and stabbed it in Justin's direction.

"Watch out!" I screamed in alarm.

Summoning a burst of energy from my schooling days' fitness assessments, I dashed forward and threw myself in front of Justin.

The sharp blade plunged into my shoulder, breaking skin and causing fresh blood to flow profusely from the wound.

I couldn't help myself and frowned at the pain, but I pretended to be calm as I shielded Justin behind me.

"I've already called the police!" I shouted.

Hunter hadn't expected to actually injure someone. He was so shocked that he soiled himself.

The crowd dispersed in an instant.

I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if I had just completed my final task. I swayed from side to side and nearly lost my balance when Justin caught me. I shot a comforting smile at him when I noticed the shock glimmering in his eyes.

"I'm glad that you're not hurt," I murmured.

There was a complicated look on his face, along with gratitude.

My lips had turned deathly pale. My hands trembled violently when I lifted the bag and said, "I sent your suit jacket to the dry cleaners. I wanted to give it back to you."

…

My vision was filled with white when I opened my eyes again.

Justin was sitting by my bedside, peeling an apple for me. It seemed that he didn't leave this time. His expression turned serious when he noticed that I was awake. He no longer looked as carefree as he did when we first met.

"You didn't have to do such a thing, Robin."

I lowered my gaze and chuckled. I didn't continue the conversation. Instead, I changed the topic.

"Five years ago, when I first enrolled in university as a freshman, I was so poor that I couldn't afford to eat. I was on the brink of passing out from hunger when you appeared and took me to have the most delicious meal of my life.

"From that day on, I swore that I would become an amazing person like you. I wanted to chase after you even if you didn't notice me."

Truth be told, Justin had simply made a bet with his friends. They wondered if he was capable of getting my number by treating me to a meal.

It was also then that I made a secret vow to myself. I swore that I would become a despicable person who was swimming in money in the future.

However, my vow didn't stop me from making up that story.

I took a deep breath. Tears pricked at my eyes. I pretended to be nonchalant as I said, "That's why you don't have to feel guilty. I simply did what I wanted to do."

I spotted a hint of remorse in Justin's eyes at that moment.

Empathy was often the starting point for someone to fall in love.

"I'm sorry, Robin," Justin said, subconsciously clenching his fists by his sides. "Thank you."

I smiled gently at him and said, "I should be the one apologizing to you. Truth be told, I shamelessly felt rather happy when I heard that your family declared bankruptcy. I thought that the distance between us had finally lessened.

"However, I finally understood that it's an awful feeling today," I said seriously as I looked up at Justin. "That's why you can't give up, no matter what happens. In the end, I still prefer the version of you who's generous with his money."

While my earlier words aimed to lower Justin's guard, my current ones were designed to pierce his heart.

Justin pulled me into a hug in the next second. His heart was hammering against his ribcage.

I didn't need to continue the rest of my speech.

"You have to work hard, Mr. Lowen," I thought to myself. "You need to retaliate as soon as possible. I'm eagerly awaiting the day when I can live a comfortable life."