Life had to go on.

Without Levi, I would continue pursuing my dream of becoming a designer.

Back then, to fit into his circle, I crammed etiquette knowledge and even worked at a luxury store to learn how to interact with high society. I was hoping one day, his family would accept me.

I was so naive.

I forgot that no matter how hard I tried, the gap between our statuses could never be bridged.

I spent all my savings and quickly found a clean small apartment to move into. The next day, I went to work.

Even if I wanted to quit, I would wait until after Valentine's Day. Earning more money was more reliable than relying on a man.

The manager saw me and exclaimed, touching me all over.

"Aria, are you okay?"

I felt a bit embarrassed. Had the news of me ruining someone's engagement party spread so quickly?

Just as I was thinking of what to say, the manager patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I saw you on the news this morning. There was a chain collision on the highway, and you were helping with the rescue, covered in blood, with cars on fire all around. It scared me to death!"

I suddenly understood. "The blood was from my arm. I forgot to wipe it off after sweating."

Reporters had indeed come to interview and take photos. I had been pulled aside to say a few words, not expecting to make the news.

"No wonder you're wearing long sleeves today. By the way, weren't you traveling with your boyfriend? Is he okay?"

Mentioning Levi made my heart ache instantly.

"He..."

"Oh, it seems he's fine. He's coming to find you right after you start work. Isn't he a bit clingy?"

The manager joked with a smile. Following her gaze, I saw Levi walking toward us.

My palms clenched involuntarily. My mind was echoing with his words from yesterday.

The manager didn't know what had happened between us. Since Levi had helped boost the store's sales before, she greeted him warmly and ushered us into the VIP room.

I stood far away from him, with a cold expression.

"Aria, come here."

I looked at him as if I were looking at an idiot.

"Mr. Davis, you are already engaged. It's better if I keep my distance from you."

He had just lifted his coffee cup but put it down heavily.

"Enough. You made such a scene yesterday and took all your things. I've come to find you. What more do you want!"

I trembled with anger. How had he become like this?

Was this the same Levi who would rather not acknowledge his biological parents for me?

Things had changed, and I no longer wanted to be entangled with him.

"I don't want anything. From the moment you got engaged, we were done. I'm not interested in being your mistress."

Mentioning this seemed to soften his expression. He came over to grab my hand.

"I asked you to wait at home yesterday so I could explain. It was wrong to get engaged secretly, but I had my reasons. The Brown family is powerful. I had to get engaged to her to secure my position in the Davis family. Otherwise, I could never marry you. Believe me, I did all this for you."

I shook him off, finding it funny.

"How long do you expect me to wait? Five years? Ten years? Or until you grow old together and she dies before me? Do you think Gianna will let you use her and then marry me?

"Levi, it's one thing to lie to yourself. But can you please leave me alone?"

He darkened his expression. He pushed me onto the sofa and leaned over to trap me.

His obsessive possessiveness erupted at this moment. He gritted his teeth.

"Can you stop throwing a tantrum? We've been together for so many years. Where else can you go if you leave me?"

I was both angry and aggrieved. I used all my strength to push him away. "None of your business! I'm an orphan anyway. I can go wherever I want!"

Levi narrowed his eyes, about to speak when his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen and walked to the corner to answer it.

"What's up, babe."

Hearing this familiar "babe" meant for another woman, I could no longer bear it. As I was leaving, I heard him say, "How could I look for her? She just threw herself at me, so I played with her. I'm tired of her already. Don't mention her. Wait for me at the bridal shop. I'll be there soon."

After saying that, he hung up and hurriedly walked over to explain, "Aria, I said all that for our future. I have to go now. Think it over and call me when you understand."

I laughed out of extreme anger, looking at him as if he were an idiot.

"Levi, when did your brain go bad?"

His expression changed drastically. "How dare you!"

At this moment, the manager stuck her head out. "Aria, someone is looking for you."

I nodded and walked out. Passing by Levi, I whispered, "Don't come here again. I don't want to see you anymore."

Seeing the manager's gossipy look, he held back his words and left with a dark expression.

After a while, a couple rushed in eagerly. When they saw me, they became instantly excited.

The lady even hugged me tightly.

"My daughter!"

They kept talking to me until the manager came in with coffee, which calmed them down.

I did not believe that they were my parents.

I had memories from as far back as I could remember. My parents treated me well and could not have been traffickers.

These two had lost their child and had searched for twenty years. Although I felt sorry for them, I told the truth politely, "Sorry to disappoint you. I look like your wife, but I have my parents. Even though I have longed for a family since their passing, I cannot pretend to be someone I am not."

Hearing this, the lady, Mia Stewart, began to cry. "No, you are my daughter. You look exactly like I did when I was young."

Seeing her sadness made me feel uncomfortable.

The man, John Clark, seemed accustomed to coming with hope and leaving disappointed. He quickly regained his composure, apologized to me, and asked for a paternity test.

"We have searched for so long and almost lost hope. When my wife saw you on TV, she was happy again. As a reward, I can help you meet the sales target for this month."

The manager beside me looked excited and nodded at me eagerly.

I nodded in agreement. Earning a big commission before leaving would be nice, but I knew I would disappoint them.

They left eagerly with the sample I provided to do the test.

All the staff bowed to see them off. After they drove away, the manager excitedly hugged me. She touched the wound on my arm, causing me to hiss in pain.

She quickly let go. "Sorry, Aria, I forgot you were hurt. But you are about to hit it big. Do you know who they were? The man's John Clark, the richest man! Even if you are not their daughter, you could become their adopted daughter with your looks!"

I smiled helplessly. If I were not their daughter, it would be more painful to be kept by their side every day.

Now that the sales target was met early, I decided to resign to avoid Levi coming to find me again.

She looked regretful. "Alright, don't forget about us when you become successful."

I burst out laughing. As expected of the manager, she never stopped talking about sales.

I suddenly realized that I could laugh even without Levi.

The first lover was unforgettable, but a tainted lover was not worth keeping.

After applying for resignation, I still had to work for another month to train new employees.

So the next day, I still stood at the door to greet customers.

Unexpectedly, the first customer was Gianna.

She looked at me with contempt and a hint of resentment.

She did not come with good intentions.

Sure enough, she refused service from others. "Let that one at the door come and fit my shoes."

The manager also saw that she came specifically to target me and looked worried.

I winked at her, indicating it was okay.

I had no guilt. If she had not provoked me first, I would not have ruined her engagement party.

I treated her like an ordinary customer, introducing and fitting shoes for her without any faults.

Gianna spent a long time choosing. She either said the size was wrong or the color was not good.

I knew she was deliberately making things difficult for me. But I had dealt with difficult customers before. As long as I adhered to service standards, the store could not be complained about because of me.

The shoe boxes piled up high beside us. Perhaps she could not find any fault. As I knelt to help her change into high heels, she mocked me, "People should know their place. Look at your status. How dare you dream of marrying into a wealthy family."

She suddenly kicked my knee. My legs, already sore from squatting, could not bear the kick from her pointed high heel. If I had not supported myself with my hands, I would have knelt before her.

Seeing I remained silent, Gianna's face turned vicious. "You hurt me! Get someone else. This lowly orphan is not fit to serve me!"

The manager quickly helped me up. "Miss Brown, I will serve you!"

Gianna smiled, but her smile was filled with undisguised malice.

"I will buy these shoes, but I am not satisfied with her service. I demand you fire her!"

I clenched my fist. I had been careful and could not possibly have hurt her.

The store's policy was that if fired due to a complaint, the entire month's bonus would be deducted and there would be no severance pay.

I had little savings left after renting a place. I depended on this month's salary to get by until I found another job.

I had to admit. What she did would indeed make things difficult for me.

The manager looked troubled, but her eyes kept glancing towards the door.

Gianna crossed her arms and sneered, "What? I am a VVIP of your store. Even your mall manager greets me with a smile. Can’t you fire a staff? Now! Immediately! Get rid of her!"