My mom and I work our butts off in order to clear Gregory Hudson, my boyfriend's crippling debt. Because of that, Mom even contracts lung cancer.

But when I rush to the hospital to pay off the hospital bills, I find out that she's already taken her life by hanging herself. All she leaves is a suicide note.

"I can't hang on anymore, Hailey. You should use the money to pay off the debt. Gregory is a good man. I know he loves you; it's just that he's stepped down the wrong path.

"Once the debt is cleared, both of you should stay together and live a good life."

After collecting Mom's ashes in an urn, I entrust the 300 thousand dollars—the money that Mom has earned with her blood, sweat, and tears—to Gregory.

When I return to the company, I accidentally overhear the conversation between Gregory and a few of his debtors.

"Mr. Hudson, Ms. Jackman has already passed all of your trials so far. What other arrangements do you have for her?"

Gregory's childhood friend, Sophia Wagner, suddenly speaks up.

"Even though Hailey can endure all the suffering with you, we still need to test if she can still handle living a good life with you."

Gregory purses his lips. "Next, I'd like to know if Hailey's love for me is pure and sincere. If she doesn't pine for my wealth and doesn't become materialistic after finding out about my identity, I will marry her."

As I look down at Mom's ashes, I can't help sobbing like a lost child.

Both my mom and I are wrong about Gregory. I don't want to marry him anymore.

After leaving Hudson Corporation, I sat by the roadside, holding Mom's urn. In her suicide note, she instructed me to place her ashes in any simple jar, saving the cost of an urn to help Gregory Hudson pay off his debts.

On the big screen in the square, Gregory appeared.

The news anchor reported, "After three years out of the public eye, Gregory Hudson, CEO of Hudson Corporation, has appeared at the ceremony with his fiancee, Sophia Wagner."

I stared at the screen. Gregory was brimming with pride and confidence.

Tears welled up in my eyes. Mom and I had spent years working ourselves to the bone to pay his debts. In the end, all we received in return was a lie.

I sat there in silence until night fell, then Gregory called. His voice was as gentle as it had always been. "It's late. Why aren't you home? Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

I opened my mouth instinctively, but no words came out.

If this had been before, I would have answered with irritation, blaming him for interrupting my work again. But now, his intimate tone left me completely silent.

Gregory's voice carried a hint of worry. "Hailey, where are you right now?"

"I'm working," I replied.

He fell silent, seemingly struck by the memory of how I had worked late into the night to clear his debts. He had sworn that once everything was paid off, he would marry me and live an ordinary life with me, just as Mom had hoped.

Today, he should have told me the truth.

"I have something to tell you," he said. "I'm the CEO of Hudson Corporation. I'll come get you right now—"

I hung up.

I hailed a cab and left. I no longer had any expectations of Gregory.

When I finally came back to my senses, my tearful reflection was already staring back at me from the car window.

His messages kept popping up on my phone, but I didn't look at them. I didn't want to.

This was supposed to be the day our new life began. Instead, his lies turned Mom's suicide into a cruel joke. Five years of struggle brought us nothing but an absurd truth.

"Gregory, I don't want to marry you anymore."

…

That night, I didn't go home and stayed at a hotel. Gregory's messages and calls kept coming without pause, but I ignored them all.

The next morning, I arrived at the company early, ready to hand in my resignation.

The office was a branch of Hudson Corporation. I was just an ordinary accountant.

I first met Gregory five years ago when we joined the company at the same time. After we started dating, I introduced him to my mom. She approved of our getting married and began planning the wedding.

Then Gregory told me he owed a huge debt and had been fired from the company.

I took on countless part-time jobs to pay off his debt. Mom's weary face grew older with each passing day, and all this time, we hadn't realized the company had always belonged to him.

I let out a bitter laugh.

Just then, Gregory walked in. Calmly, I took out the printed resignation forms. He stood beside me, and under his gaze, I signed the papers as if nothing had changed.

He looked at me, gently asking, "Are you done?"

"Yes," I replied. "I'm done."

Gregory bit his lip slightly, seemingly unaware of the change that had settled over me.

Gregory cleared his throat. "Hailey, could you come with me for a moment?"

The moment he called me aside, my coworkers started whispering.

"Did you see the news? Gregory is the CEO of Hudson Corporation!"

"Does that mean Hailey is about to become the CEO's wife? But look at her face…"

"You don't understand. They probably just had a fight. They'll make up soon."

Everyone assumed I was about to step into the role of a high-society wife. They had no idea I only wanted to disappear forever.

Inside the office, Gregory reached out toward me.

I took a step back. "Mr. Hudson."

He frowned. "Why didn't you come home last night? Are you still upset with me?"

I shook my head. "I went to see Mom."

I hadn't gone back because I couldn't bear for Mom to see Gregory. She could have survived if she had undergone treatment, yet she chose to give up rather than be a burden to us.

Gregory seemed to sense a shadow of my pain. After a moment of silence, he said, "Let's go pay a visit to Mrs. Jackman this evening."

After that, he appeared to remember something. Uncertainty flickered in his eyes as he carefully handed me a card. "There's a million on it. Use it to buy Mrs. Jackman some new clothes. Just think of it as a…"

I stared at the card and didn't take it. Money could never make up for what he owed us. Panic flashed in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak again, his phone rang.

He glanced at his phone, hesitated for a moment, and then walked away.

I realized this was probably his test to see if I truly cared, to see if I was tempted by money. However, I didn't care anymore.

Afterward, I submitted my resignation.

Steven Zimmerman, the vice president, didn't seem surprised. "Hailey, you're stepping down? Is this about Mr. Hudson?"

I bit my lip, feeling how absurd it all seemed. Everyone thought I was about to marry Gregory, enter high society, and be admired for my fortune. They didn't know that I had lost Mom forever along the way.

If it were up to me, I would rather never have known Gregory.

As I left the company, he was there with his childhood friend, Sophia.

Gregory's eyes met mine, and he instinctively began, "This is Sophia. She's my—"

Before the words left his mouth, Sophia slipped her arm through his. "Fiancee," she said.

I said nothing.

Then Sophia added, "Hi. Step aside, please."

Her gaze carried a subtle challenge. I stepped back silently and let them pass.

Gregory looked at me hesitantly, as if he wanted to say something, but Sophia pulled him away before he could.

…

That night, I went to the memorial hall. I placed Mom's ashes inside and stayed until the prayers ended.

Gregory didn't show up, nor did he ask.

I didn't care. It no longer mattered whether he knew about Mom's death. I imagined her spirit would never wish to see him again.

Five years of misdirected devotion concluded here, finally drawing the chapter to a close.

…

At dawn, I returned home. Gregory hadn't come back, and I didn't care.

While I packed, the news reported that Gregory had appeared at a ceremony with his fiancee, Sophia.

I glanced at them, looking every bit the perfect couple, but I felt nothing. Just as I finished packing, the door opened, and Gregory stepped inside.

The moment he saw me, he rushed forward and grabbed my hand. "Where did you go last night? Why didn't you answer my calls?"

I froze for a moment before pulling my hand away. "I was with Mom. I didn't want to disturb her rest, so I turned my phone off."

At the mention of Mom, Gregory's face tightened with guilt. "I'll see that Mrs. Jackman gets the best doctors."

He then took out a small box and placed it in my hand. "I promised to give this to Mrs. Jackman."

I opened it without thinking. Inside lay the genuine version of the bracelet Mom had held dear for so long.

I froze.

Long ago, Gregory had held Mom's hand and sworn with complete sincerity that one day he would give her the genuine, priceless version of this bracelet.

Mom had smiled then. She had never cared whether it was real or not.

As long as it was from Gregory, the good son-in-law she would someday have, Mom would be pleased. However, I knew that was history now.

I closed the box and handed it back to him. "If you ever get the chance, you can give it to her yourself."

Gregory frowned slightly. I had always made the choice he expected most, but my politeness now felt unfamiliar to him.

Unease flickered in his eyes as he grabbed my hand and squeezed gently. "Mrs. Jackman's condition—"

At that moment, Sophia appeared and looped her arm through his. "Greg, I want to stay in that room!"

She meant my room.

"That room is already occupied," Gregory replied, then immediately turned to explain to me. "She's a friend of mine. She's staying here temporarily because of work."

He stared at me, waiting for me to object.

I nodded without hesitation. "Let her have the room. I'm going to stay with Mom."

Gregory paused, and Sophia didn't give me a chance to change my mind. She charged into the room before I could stop her, and only then did Gregory notice the luggage in my hands.

He pressed his lips together, holding my hand tightly, with guilt written across his face. With Sophia urging him along, he finally said, "I'll visit Mrs. Jackman tomorrow."

…

With my luggage in hand, I returned to Mom's place to gather her belongings. However, the moment I stepped into her room, I couldn't hold back my tears.

Her room was large enough to hold many things, yet small enough to hold only the memories of Gregory and me.

Photos of the three of us hung on the walls. On the desk sat the small, cheap duck toys Gregory and I had given her. In the corner, the milk I had brought remained untouched, carefully set aside for us.

The bracelet Gregory had given her was polished to a shine and carefully stored in its box. Everything else—countless handmade trinkets, endless embroidery, and a small mountain of purses—belonged solely to her.

She had scrimped and saved to help Gregory pay his debts, all so I could have a happy future.

In a rush of grief and anger, I shredded the photos and smashed the toys. Still, I couldn't bring myself to destroy the photo of Mom holding our hands. I hid it at the bottom of the box, packed the rest, and returned to the office to complete the handover.

At the office, I found Sophia sitting in my chair. My coworkers watched silently, as if they were spectators to a showdown between us.

As I walked up, Sophia crossed her legs and tossed a check onto the desk. "Ten million dollars, and this spot is mine."

I calmly picked up the check and put it away. "Fine, I'll pack up."

Everyone assumed I had sold out for a trivial gain and shook their heads. I paid them no mind and quietly packed my things.

Just then, Gregory walked over and noticed me carrying my luggage. His face darkened as he asked, "Where are you going?"

"I—"

Before I could answer, Sophia jumped in. "I bought this spot."

Gregory frowned at me. I held up the check. "I accepted the money."

He froze, glancing at Sophia's triumphant smile. His face shadowed over, and the air around us grew heavy. He didn't say a word, as if he had given in.

Only after I was gone did Gregory push Sophia away. In front of everyone, he struck her across the face and snapped, "Don't you dare humiliate her again. Got it?"

After leaving the building, my phone buzzed nonstop with Gregory's messages.

"The specialists I hired are on their way to Mrs. Jackman's room."

"Tonight, we'll visit her together."

"I'm craving your cooking."

A smile tugged at my lips, but it carried a sharp edge of sorrow.

"Goodbye, Gregory."

I took all my luggage and headed for the airport. Just as I was about to board, his messages came pouring in.

"Hailey, the specialists are at the hospital. Why isn't Mrs. Jackman there?"

"Hailey, where did she go?"

"What happened to her?"