Breaking Up Made Me the Villain

My boyfriend, Landon Schmidt, has sold his assets just to support me in building my livestreaming career. But when I become a famous streamer, I steal all of his money and dump him right away.

Landon slumps near a river and drinks from it while begging for money in the 104 degree weather. He's exposed to the heat for so long that he almost goes into shock.

Meanwhile, all I have to do is push the boundaries on camera, and I'll earn millions of dollars' worth of tips.

My best friend, Yvette Carter, thinks that it's unfair for Landon to suffer like this. She advises me not to bite the hand that had fed me in the past, only for me to slap her in return.

"If you pity him this much, you should pay for all of his expenses, then! Why should I pay for a broke and useless man in the first place?"

That night, Yvette exposes the recording of our conversation and takes me to court. Tens of thousands of Internet users flood into my stream instantly just so they can ensure that I get judged for my sins.

The moment I stepped out of the live stream, I was dragged straight into court. I was still wearing a skin-tight dress and hadn't even been given the time to change.

Countless comments floated in midair.

"This bitch still has the nerve to be a streamer? She dances around every day like she has no shame."

"That money-grabbing bitch ran off after scamming people. I want to see how she begs for her life once lightning strikes her."

"I've never seen someone this vile. Scamming her boyfriend was bad enough, and now she's doing racy streams to rake in money. You make so much every day. Have you ever done a single decent thing with it?"

I hadn't finished reading when a sudden stench hit me.

Landon Schmidt was clinging to my leg, crying uncontrollably. Right before his filthy face was about to rub against my skirt, I kicked him away.

"Annabeth, I miss you. I really do," he cried. "Even knowing you lied to me, I still love you. Can we start over? Let's forget everything that happened."

I stood a short distance away, watching him calmly. My face was filled with disgust and contempt.

The spectators, however, clearly loved this scene. They seemed ready to replace the judge themselves and strike me down on the spot.

"I can't take this. If I had a boyfriend like this, I wouldn't even care about money!"

"Same. If my boyfriend were that devoted to me, I'd melt on the spot."

I adjusted my hair and said flatly, "Landon, this is revolting. You look pathetic."

Meanwhile, my so-called best friend, Yvette Carter, was so angry that her face turned red as she helped Landon sit across from me.

Her voice trembled slightly as she pointed at me and said, "Annabeth, how did you become like this?"

Not far away, the judge's expression shifted. When he looked at me, his eyes were cold.

The onlookers below only grew more excited, as if the bigger the mess, the better.

"Just wait and see. The judge got his heart broken by his ex, too, and he won his case."

"I heard that woman got struck so badly that her soul didn't even survive."

The trial began, and a beam of light fell on Landon.

I sat across from him with my arms folded and smiled faintly, silently mouthing toward the judge.

"Trash."

Landon's memories were projected onto the screen. Everything was displayed for everyone to see.

On the screen, Landon knelt beside my bed and held out a card. His face was pale, and when he looked at me, he spoke carefully.

"Annabeth, I have money now. Let me help you start your business, okay? Please don't leave me. I can't live without you. This is all the money I have. I'll give it all to you."

At this point, my expression shifted slightly.

Back then, Landon really had sold off his assets to help me start my business. But that had been his choice. It had nothing to do with me.

The footage continued.

Landon watched as I changed into one revealing dress after another, until I finally put on a bodycon dress and went to my boss' company.

Before I went inside, he grabbed my arm, his expression pained. "Do you really have to do this? Can you not go? I'll work harder. I'll find ways to make money. I'll do construction. I'll even pick through trash if I have to. Annabeth, can you—"

My face went cold as I looked at him with open contempt.

"No."