When Tessa Shoreman read Henry Jennings' cancer report, she immediately paid her hard-earned money of sixty thousand to the hospital. She had saved the money from working part-time while she was in university.

However, she was worried the money was not enough, so she held back her fear as she sold a kidney to the black market to get more.

As she walked to the ward door with a heavy bag filled with cash, she heard shrill laughter coming from inside.

"That cheap woman, Tessa Shoreman, got tricked by us again. Haha!"

Tessa's hand gave pause right when she was about to push the door open.

What did he mean by saying she was tricked?

Tessa looked through the glass on the door to see inside the ward. When she left, the man looked extremely weak, but he was now sitting up lazily in bed.

Henry had a cigarette in his mouth, and he was blowing smoke rings nonchalantly.

He did not look like a cancer patient at all.

"It's been two years, and that woman still has no idea."

"If she hadn't beaten Serene to first place, Henry would never have left behind his life as a rich heir and planned such an elaborate scheme to become a working-class man living in a cheap rental home. The way that cheap, penniless woman looks at Henry is so amusing."

"We agreed that the punishment ends when Henry and Serene get engaged. It looks like time is almost up. We've probably punished her 108 times in the past two years."

"The first time was lying to her that Henry didn't have a suit for a job interview. She worked tirelessly for 72 hours straight before she earned enough money for one, but that suit was given to the domestic help to use as a cleaning cloth. The second time was tricking her into believing Henry had a high fever. She forfeited during the finals of a scientific research competition to race home and take care of Henry in the hospital…"

"Sigh. Too bad it's coming to an end. I'm going to miss entertaining myself with her."

Tessa Shoreman was pale from her surgery. When she heard the wild laughter coming from inside the ward, her face turned whiter.

No anesthetic was used for her kidney surgery, which was done on the black market. She was still reeling from the fear and intense pain of having her flesh sliced open.

However, the pain was nothing compared to what she was feeling in her heart.

Henry Jennings was dating her just to punish her? Even his identity was fake.

Tessa's hand trembled as she took out her phone. She typed in Henry's name to search for his information. Massive information about him poured out instantly.

"The heir to Jennings Corporation graduated from Harvard at 20. His net worth is in the billions, and he's been engaged to Serene Chord, the heiress to Chord Group, since they were young."

Tessa had no idea that Henry was someone of such stature.

Tessa had been silly enough to believe that he was an orphan just like her, who was too poor to pay for his university fees.

Henry had appeared heroically to save her from being sexually harassed while she was working part-time. After that encounter, he started wooing her relentlessly.

Tessa thought she was a lucky woman to have met someone who shared the same background as she did. They found warmth in each other during the hard times and became each other's family.

It never occurred to her that this was all a sham.

He had gotten close to her just to help Serene, his childhood sweetheart, punish her.

Their relationship was nothing but a lie.

Tessa looked at the face in the smoky environment inside the ward. He was like a stranger to her. She listened to the jeering and insults thrown at her from inside, feeling like a complete clown.

She did not notice that her face was covered in tears. The heavy bag filled with cash seemed to be mocking her stupidity. Tessa had paid the price for believing a liar with her kidney.

A nurse passing by felt concerned for Tessa.

"Do you need any help, miss?"

Tessa snapped out of her sadness. Someone was about to walk out of the ward. She quickly thanked the nurse and weakly dragged herself to hide in a washroom nearby. The mirror reflected her pale face. She was as white as a sheet.

Her mind kept replaying the last two years she spent with Henry.

Tessa wanted to make sure he ate healthy foods, so she made time to tutor kids for extra income to afford it aside from her three other part-time jobs. She did not want him to tire himself out, so she took up the burden of paying for their monthly rent.

Even today, she sold one of her kidneys for money to treat his cancer.

However, two years of unconditional love had only brought her jeering and insults. She had given him her heart, only to have it stepped on and crushed beneath his foot. What a joke she was.

Tessa wiped away the years from her face. She took out her phone and called her lecturer, Lawrence Werner.

Lawrence wanted to nominate Tessa for a university placement overseas half a month ago. However, Tessa did not want to have a long-distance relationship with Henry back then, so she rejected the offer without hesitation.

Now that she knew the truth, there was no need to give up her future for Henry. She no longer wanted to be a part of his game.

"I'd like to take that placement to study overseas, Mr. Werner."

Lawrence was delightfully surprised by the call.

"You've finally thought it through, Tessa! Don't worry. I know your difficulties. I'll apply for financial aid for you with the university. I'll help you figure out a way to pay for your boyfriend's treatment too. If there's a need, we'll just hold a donation campaign on campus—"

"It's fine, Mr. Werner."

Tessa rejected Lawrence's offer softly. "I can pay for my university fees. Let's leave the financial aid to someone who needs it more than I do. As for payment for his treatment… We don't need it any longer."

Lawrence did not think much of it. He was sincerely happy for her when he found out Tessa had the means to pay for her studies.

"That's good. You can focus on studying overseas now. There's still half a month before classes begin. Use the time to settle everything you need at home before you leave."

"Thanks, Mr. Werner."

Tessa did not say anything further. She hung up and hugged the bag in her arms even tighter.

She did not waste any time as she turned to leave the hospital. She put all the money in her bag into her bank account and used it to pay her university fees. She also bought plane tickets for half a month later. Only two thousand dollars was left.

Tessa pressed on her abdomen, which was still burning with pain. She looked at the remaining amount in her account and smiled miserably.

She was lucky.

She was lucky enough to find out the truth before she handed her hard-earned money over to Henry.

When she returned to the entrance of the ward, Henry was alone, lying on the bed.

Tessa bit her lip and decided to push down on the door's handle.

Henry hid the nonchalant look on his face, reverting to her considerate and wonderful boyfriend. "Why are you late today, Tessa?"

Tessa clenched her fingers and looked down. "I had something to settle in class."

Henry did not suspect a thing. He held Tessa's hand with a look of excitement in his eyes. "I have good news for you."

Tessa gave a pause but still asked the question, "What is it?"

"The doctor just told me that my cancer was a misdiagnosis. I'm fine!"

It was just as Tessa expected. She closed her eyes. She was reminded of the time his phone, which had been beside her, lit up with a message and she accidentally glimpsed at the content. How ironic it had been.

The name 'Serene' had popped up. She had sent a message to a group chat.

[Henry, tell that penniless woman that your cancer was a misdiagnosis. I'd like to see her reaction when she finds out she forked out every single penny she had for nothing. That'd be fun.]

Everyone else in the group supported the idea and even thought it was a great one. Some in the group even started to bet on whether Tessa would lose her temper at Henry.

The last message stopped at Henry's reply.

[Your wish is my command, my lady.]

Henry did everything Tessa asked of him, and this made her think that she had the best boyfriend in the world. Never did Tessa expect that it was all just an act built on the foundation of Serene's orders. Tessa was nothing but a toy to them.

Smiling, she replied to him sincerely, "It's great that you're fine."

Henry did not expect such a calm reaction from her. He hesitated momentarily before continuing to blame himself for everything. "I should've visited more than one hospital for a diagnosis. That way, you wouldn't have ended up using all your hard-earned money for nothing."

Tessa shook her head. "It's worth using the money on you."

She decided to treat that money as buying out the last two years she had with Henry.

Sixty thousand dollars for two years with the heir of Jennings Corporation… They had spent every day together. No matter how Tessa looked at it, it was considered a gain for a penniless student like her who had nothing.

Her reply was like a hammer that slammed down hard on Henry's heart.

As the heir to Jennings Corporation, Henry had always been surrounded by people who fawned over him and pretended to care for him. He had become immune to such situations.

However, Tessa was different. She had no idea who he really was. Every word from her came from the bottom of her heart. She was even willing to use up the savings she had squirreled away for four years on him.

Even when the money had been spent for nothing, she did not say a bad word to him.

Henry was overcome with mixed emotions. He pulled Tessa into his arms. "Thanks, Tessa."

She lowered her eyes to hide the irony in them.

…

When they returned to their rented apartment in the suburbs, Henry sighed as he lay down on their three-foot-long bed. "Our bed is the best."

Tessa spoke up softly. "It's been hard on you."

Henry was a rich heir who was supposed to live in a villa and sleep on a six-foot-long bed, but he gave up those luxuries to squeeze on a small bed with Tessa for two years.

There was no need to dwell on it. Soon, both Tessa and Henry would gain freedom.

Henry thought Tessa was just feeling sad about him having to be hospitalized. He got up and hugged her around the waist, burying his head in her neck. "It's my greatest fortune to have met you, Tessa."

Tessa didn't wear perfume. She smelled like the fresh scent of her shampoo. Henry loved the smell of her, and his breathing got increasingly heavier. His hand tightened around her waist.

Tessa's wound from the surgery in the morning was still fresh. Her face turned pale, and she took a sharp breath when his hand suddenly tightened around her waist.

Henry quickly released her, looking at her anxiously.

"What's wrong? Why do you look so pale?"

Tessa forced a smile. "It's nothing. It's just that time of the month. My tummy doesn't feel that well."

He placed his warm palm on her lower abdomen while pulling her into his arms with his other hand.

"I'll help you warm up."

She did not push him away. She closed her eyes. That slight warmth could no longer warm up her heart, which had been chilled to its max.

Meeting Henry was her greatest misfortune.

…

Tessa woke up early the next day.

The rustling noises she made woke Henry up from his sleep. He opened his eyes in a daze and saw Tessa packing all her clothes in the wardrobe into a suitcase. He jerked awake instantly. There was panic deep in his eyes.

"Why are you packing your clothes? Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm going back to the orphanage to see the director. I'm donating my old clothes to them." Tessa continued packing without looking up.

Henry would probably leave behind all her cheap clothing after she left in half a month. After all, he was a rich heir whose one pair of shoes was probably more expensive than everything put together in their rented house. It was better to donate her things to the orphanage than throw them out.

Henry quietly sighed with relief. He knew that Tessa had always been grateful to the orphanage and would bring stuff over every month.

"I'll accompany you there."

Ever since they got together, Henry would often visit the orphanage with Tessa.

However, she wasn't planning on going there with him today. This was the last time she would see the director and the children before she left the country. She wanted to have a proper goodbye with them.

Before she could reject him, Henry's phone suddenly rang. He looked at the name that popped up on the screen and quickly clenched it in his hand. He was a little nervous when he spoke. "My boss wants to talk to me. I'll pick up the call first."

He quickly got out of bed and went into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him.

This house was only about 110 square feet. It did not have a great soundproofing system. Tessa could hear the sickly-sweet voice of a woman from the other end of the call. "Come shopping with me, Henry. I feel down today. You have to accompany me."

Henry agreed without hesitation. He had the familiar apologetic look on his face when he walked out of the bathroom. "I'm so sorry, Tessa. I was away from work too long when I got hospitalized, and my boss wants me to start working today. I can't go to the orphanage with you."

Tessa did not expose his lie and nodded calmly. "Alright. You should go do your thing."

Henry quickly changed his clothes and left the house.

She watched him leave and was reminded of how he would always leave hurriedly in the past two years, especially late at night or when they were finally on a date. He would always use his boss needing him to work as an excuse.

She had once worried over him for working too hard and even tried to talk him into changing jobs.

He would always respond by hugging her from behind and leaning his chin on the top of her head. His tone would be filled with helplessness. "I'm not afraid of hard work. I'm just worried I won't have enough money to marry you. I don't want you to live a poor life with me."

Henry's loving words had touched her so much. After that, she took up chores at the university, in addition to her three part-time jobs, just to earn as much as possible—even if the amount was not that much.

Henry was working hard for their future, so she could not let him down.

Now that Tessa thought about it, she realized how stupid she was.

The last time she visited the orphanage, she promised to bring the children snacks. After packing up all her clothes, she headed to the supermarket.

She did not have much left in her account, but it was enough to bring smiles to the children's faces.

Tessa bought two huge bags of snacks. She carried them with great difficulty toward the subway.

When she walked past a cosmetics store, she heard a familiar voice. "Just buy everything. It's so much trouble to try them one by one."

Tessa looked in the direction of the voice. Henry was smiling fondly as his eyes focused on the woman in front of him.

Despite saying it was a lot of trouble, he obediently reached his arm out for the woman to try swatch lipstick colors on it.

Even though Tessa's memory from two years ago was a blur, it was not difficult to guess that this woman, who looked exquisite from head to toe, was Serene. It seemed like every time he used his boss as an excuse, he was really accompanying Serene.

Serene pouted while saying unhappily, "You're always with that working-class woman. Are you so reluctant to come shopping with me instead?"

Henry rubbed her head. There was adoration in his eyes. "Why would you think that? Aren't I doing this to get back at her for you? I'll get all of these for you. I'll continue shopping for clothes with you. I promise I'll be with you the entire day."

He waved his hand for the staff to pack up a full set of lipsticks.

The staff clearly knew them. She packed up their items expertly and took Henry's black card for payment. "That will be a hundred thousand dollars, Mr. Jennings. Thank you, and please come again."

A hundred thousand dollars.

Tessa nearly fell when she heard the amount.

In their past two years together, Tessa only had gotten some cheap gifts from Henry. The most expensive one was a silver bracelet that was about 15 dollars.

Tessa could not bear to wear it when she got the bracelet. She even kept it carefully inside a box.

However, she was now watching Henry cheer Serene up with a hundred thousand dollars, and it seemed to be something he did regularly.

This was the real Henry. He was someone who paid for things without looking at the price.

Tessa could no longer watch the rich couple being lovey-dovey, and she turned to leave. That was when her bags broke and all of her snacks fell everywhere on the ground.

The loud crash caught Henry's attention. When they met each other's eyes, Tessa could see Henry's eyes widen. There was panic in his eyes. He was at a loss for what to do.