The next day, Jason didn’t come home. He didn’t even bother to message me. I was certain he was with Maddie.

And I was right. A few minutes later, Maddie uploaded a video of herself having breakfast with Jason. In the video, Jason was laughing, trying to hide his face.

“Ah, come on. I haven’t showered yet, don’t embarrass me, Maddie,” he said as he tried to catch Maddie’s hand that was holding the phone.

“You still look hot, Jason,” Maddie said playfully, sitting on his lap and cupping his face.

As if that wasn’t already enough to make my blood boil, she kissed him on the lips—clearly on purpose.

“Maddie, come on…”

“Don’t you like it?”

Jason gently stroked her head. “It’s not that. Just don’t record it,” he whispered with a soft laugh.

They looked happy. Too happy.

And I knew exactly where they were—Jason’s family hotel. He had taken me there once. Back then, he treated me with care, his gaze locked on me like I was the centre of his world.

“Ava, when we get married one day, let’s have a big party here,” Jason said, kissing my hand.

Just one call from Maddie had changed everything.

The guy who once made me feel special had dropped everything to see her when she returned to Sydney.

“Ava, I’m sorry. Maddie needs a ride from the airport. Don’t be upset. We’ll hang out again when I’m back, yeah?”

It wasn’t the first time. Two years ago, on my birthday, Jason took me out for a romantic dinner.

But when Maddie called crying, he left me at the restaurant and flew to Melbourne.

“I know it’s your first fancy dinner. But please understand—she’s alone and I need to be there. You can eat on your own this time.”

He handed me some money—actually threw it—and rushed off. That night, I realised I had always been second.

Whenever I brought it up, Jason would say, “She’s my ex, yeah. But we’ve been mates since we were kids. We’re just friends now. Don’t be childish, Ava. You’re the one I love.”

But his words were empty. If he really loved me, he wouldn’t always put Maddie first.

“Why don’t you just let me go now that Maddie’s back in your life, Jason!?”

Tears streamed down my cheeks before I even noticed. I quickly wiped them and took a deep breath.

“Wake up Ava! Come on, better focus on your studies!” I slapped my face to sober up.

From the start, I knew this relationship wouldn’t last. A rich guy like Jason would never end up with someone poor like me.

Fairy tales like Cinderella don’t happen in real life.

I threw myself into preparing for London. With help from my lecturer, all I needed to do was apply for a student visa.

I went to the agency with all the required documents. They said the visa would be ready in three to five days.

Seeing my full name on the papers made me smile.

“You don’t even know my real name. Maybe you never really cared,” I muttered.

Jason only knew me as Ava Mae, not Avaline Rossell.

The sadness tried to creep back in, but I pushed it away.

Thankfully, my parents had saved enough for me to live in London.

My aunt even gave me extra money. I refused, but she insisted.

“Autumn will be starting when you arrive in London. Get yourself a warm coat, Ava.”

Her kindness touched me deeply. She was all I had now.

I went to the mall to buy a coat and a few other things. I passed a jewellery shop and paused, staring at a beautiful diamond ring displayed in the window.

“It’s gorgeous,” I murmured.

Then, through the glass, I saw two familiar figures. My eyes narrowed.

Jason and Maddie walked out of the store. Maddie smiled brightly, clinging to his arm with shopping bags in hand.

“Thanks, Jason. I love this ring,” she said, raising her hand to show it off.

She was wearing the exact ring I had just admired.

“That ring suits a beautiful woman like you, Maddie,” Jason said, gently patting her head.

Jason’s smile disappeared when he spotted me. His face froze.

“Ava? What are you doing here?” he asked.

Maddie shot me a sharp look. No surprise.

I gave them a cold smile. What a pair.

“Jason, you should’ve broken up with me first if you were going to start dating Maddie,” I said.

“Ava, what? It’s not what it looks like. I told you—we’re just mates now,” he said, smiling without an ounce of guilt.

“Yeah, Ava. We’ve known each other since forever. It’s normal for besties to hang out, right?” Maddie added with a smug grin, still clinging to him.

“Wow. So you’d rather go out with your ‘bestie’ than your girlfriend, huh Jason?” I shot back.

“Don’t start again, Ava.” Jason rolled his eyes.

“But, why are you buying a coat in the middle of summer?” he asked, confused

I froze. He couldn’t find out I was leaving.

“It was on sale,” I said quickly.

“Right. Let’s go shopping, then. Won’t cost much—you like cheap stuff,” he said as he walked toward me.

His words cut deep, but Maddie’s irritated face gave me petty satisfaction.

I slipped my arm through his and smiled.

“Let’s go. Just you and me. Maddie, looks like you’ll have to head home on your own.”

For a moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, he would choose me.

Then Maddie suddenly clutched her stomach and groaned.

“Ah, Jason... my tummy hurts…”

“Maddie! Is it cramping again?” Jason asked, panicking.

“Take me to the hospital, please,” she whimpered.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Jason turned to me and pulled out some money.

“Ava, we’ll go shopping later. Just go on your own for now,” he said.

He lifted Maddie bridal-style and hurried off.

Maddie looked over his shoulder and gave me a smug smile.

I clenched the money in my fist.

“Damn it. You two are unbelievable.”

My heart ached, but then a message from Mr Liam, my lecturer, appeared on my phone.

“Ava, looks like you’ll need to leave earlier. I’ve recommended you to a friend in London who’s willing to help you prepare for uni.”

I smiled.

“This is my chance to leave you behind for good, Jason.”

When I got back to Jason’s place, it was dead quiet, and he still hadn’t come home by the time night rolled around.

“Typical. He never valued me as a partner,” I sighed.

I decided not to bother worrying about where Jason was. I could guess he was probably with Maddie again. And of course, there was always proof to back that up.

A mate of Jason’s just uploaded a photo and tagged both him and Maddie. They were at the bar, and I could see Jason hugging Maddie from behind, grinning at the camera.

I didn’t flinch, but the caption his mate wrote made my stomach churn.

“Real love is first love. Cheers to you, bro.”

I gave a bitter smile. I knew Maddie was Jason’s first love, and now they were flaunting it so openly, it pissed me off. Some of Jason’s mates commented on the post.

[For real, Jason’s hooking up with Maddie again?]

[Leveling up, bro! She’s way better than your girlfriend.]

[Girlfriend? LMAO, she’s just Jason’s fling!]

[Not just a fling, she’s a total gold digger, LOL!]

[But funny how a gold digger’s into cheap shit!]

I couldn’t believe Jason’s mates thought of me like that. They’d been so nice when Jason introduced me to them.

I let out a long, frustrated sigh, logged out of my account, but then Maddie dropped a comment too.

[You mean Ava? Yeah, she looked like a parasite!]

My blood boiled at the sight. She was the one acting like a parasite in our relationship, always calling Jason whenever we were together.

“They’re such a pain!”

Then a new comment popped up, making my head spin. Jason replied to Maddie’s comment with a laughing emoji. I couldn’t help but feel hurt by it.

“Does Jason also think I’m a parasite or a gold digger like they say?” I muttered.

Sadness gnawed at my heart. I’d told myself not to care, but it still hurt. Jason’s attitude cut deep.

A message notification popped up on the screen.

[Ava, can you help me out with decorating the ballroom?]

It was from my college mate. Decorating had always been my thing. I’d even done part-time event work during uni.

It wasn’t exactly interior design, but it was close, and making things look beautiful always made me happy.

I replied quickly and agreed to help. Keeping busy was my way of dealing with the heartache Jason was causing. If he was off with Maddie, I might as well focus on my own stuff.

The next day, I went to the hotel ballroom my friend mentioned. It was for a birthday event, and I thought it would take a day or two. But my friend ended up asking me to help for a whole week.

During that time, I barely heard from Jason and chose to ignore his messages. Some nights, I stayed at my friend’s house because I was too tired after working.

When I got home that night, I thought Jason wasn’t there. But he was, sitting on the couch with his arms crossed. When I walked in, he gave me a cold stare.

“You ignoring me?” he asked.

“I’m tired, Jason!” I snapped, glancing at him before walking past.

Jason stood up and grabbed my hand. “You said we should talk if something’s up. What’s this? You’ve been avoiding me for days just because I spent time with Maddie,” he said.

“Is a week not enough for you to get that I’m pissed?” Jason asked, his tone sharp. “Come on, Ava, stop acting like a child.”

I sighed heavily and pulled my hand away. “Aren’t you sick of pretending like this?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve already made it clear you’re back with Maddie. So why even bother with me?” I said, fuming. “Look at your mate’s post! Just look at that!” I yelled.

“Oh, come on. It was just a joke between mates,” Jason said, hands on my shoulders. “Ava, listen to me. You’re the only one I love right now,” he added.

I gave him a sarcastic smile. “Then why did you stay quiet when your mates called me a parasite and a gold digger?”

“What’s the issue?” Jason said, shrugging it off.

“What? Jason, do you think of me like that too?” I asked, my voice shaking.

Seeing my watery eyes, Jason sighed and looked at me with annoyance. “Oh, God! Isn’t that why you went out with me in the first place? You’ve enjoyed everything I’ve given you, right?”

My eyes burned, and my heart felt stabbed. His words hurt so much, especially since all he ever gave me were cheap things I never even asked for.

I looked away, fighting tears, and sighed deeply to calm myself down.

“Whatever. I need a break!” I pulled away, but Jason grabbed my hand.

“Ava, stop being a pain! We need to talk and clear this up!” he snapped, his face flushed with anger. Even his neck veins were sticking out.

“You mean the Maddie drama?” I asked, smirking sarcastically.

He closed his eyes again and sighed. “Alright, forget about it. Tomorrow, I want you to stay home. Don’t go anywhere,” he ordered.

“Why should I stay home? I’ve got work, don’t bother me!” I snapped, bouncing off to my room and slamming the door shut.

“Shit! Ava, you’ll regret it if you don’t listen to me!” Jason yelled.

I ignored him and decided to sleep. Another job awaited me tomorrow.

The next morning, Jason wasn’t home. I didn’t care and headed to work to decorate for an engagement ceremony.

It turned out the ceremony was for Jason and Maddie. That’s why he told me not to go out.

I watched them walk in, hand in hand. Jason’s mates were there too, smirking at me.

“Isn’t that Jason’s girlfriend?”

“You mean the gold digger? Haha!”

“Yeah, she should know her place!”

“What a pity, having to watch your boyfriend get engaged to someone else!”

My ears rang from their mocking. Especially when the MC announced that the Brisbane family would soon have a daughter-in-law. And it was Maddie—not me.

The whole event felt torturous, especially when Maddie came up to me, making my blood boil even more.

"Hey, Ava. Your work's good. My engagement to Jason feels even more special because of the decor," Maddie said with a sly smile. "It wasn’t a waste to hire you."

I frowned. "Oh, so you hired me on purpose?"

"Of course. Watching your almost-tears makes me so satisfied! Jason’s mine, Ava. You don’t deserve him!"

Her eyes were cold, her grin made me want to rip her apart. I walked away, but she grabbed my arm with a fake smile.

"Could you grab my violin over there? I’m going to perform with it for my special event," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

I wanted to say no, but I couldn’t—because of the staff uniform I was wearing. I didn’t want people thinking I was unprofessional.

"Fine," I said, forcing a smile.

I grabbed the violin. My throat tightened as I locked eyes with Jason. His face was blank, while I almost cried.

"Four years together really meant nothing, huh, Jason?" I muttered.

Once I had the violin, I brought it to Maddie. She was standing with Jason and his dad. She spoke loudly so I could hear.

"Dad, if Jason doesn’t marry me, would you want an orphan for a daughter-in-law?"

Mr. Brisbane’s answer hit me like a hammer. "I’ll kick Jason out if he dates a poor girl, let alone an orphan. He’ll marry you."

My heart sank. Jason’s gaze was cold, making it worse.

I forced a smile and handed the violin to Maddie. "Here’s your violin, Miss."

"Thanks," she said, reaching for it. But then she pulled her hand back, letting it fall.

"Oh no! Dad, your gift violin fell!" she whined.

Mr Brisbane glared at me. "Can’t you do anything right?!" he snapped.

I flinched. He dared yell at me in front of everyone.

"I-I’m sorry, Sir," I said, bowing my head.

"Get out! Useless worker—no wonder you’re poor!"

His words slapped me. No matter how hard I worked, I’d never match the Brisbane family’s money.

I walked away quickly, holding back my tears. I didn’t expect Jason to come after me.

"I told you, you’ll regret not listening," he said.

"I’m glad I didn’t listen, now I know you’ve been cheating with Maddie!" I shot back.

"I’m not cheating!" he yelled.

He hated cheating, but he was doing it. He once told me how his mom left because of his dad’s infidelity. But his love for Maddie blinded him.

"If it’s not cheating, then what is it?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"You heard what my dad said. He’ll disown me if I don’t marry Maddie," he said with a sigh.

Jason slicked his hair back and grabbed my hand.

"Ava, do you think my dad would ever approve if he found out I was dating you? Don’t kid yourself, just understand. I’ve sorted everything. You just need to stay home and do what I say."

"I’m not your damn puppet, Jason!" I snapped.

Maddie showed up, pulling Jason away.

"Jason! What are you doing here? Our event isn’t over!" she said, glaring at me.

I smiled bitterly. "Wow! Maddie Joy, fighting for someone else’s boyfriend!"

"Watch your mouth!" she snapped.

"What? It’s true, right? Jason’s still my boyfriend, and now you two are engaged?"

"Oh, Ava, do you really think you could be part of the Brisbane family? You’re poor, you don’t even have parents. Isn’t the money Jason gives you enough? Gold digger!" Maddie sneered.

My jaw clenched. I’d never even spent a cent of Jason’s money—it was still untouched.

"Calm down, babe," Jason said to Maddie with a smile.

"She is a gold digger! Like being poor isn’t enough, now you think you can join the Brisbane fam? Shameless!" she snapped. "Listen, Ava—even if you sell yourself and become rich, you’ll never measure up to me!"

Maddie mocked me again, holding Jason’s hand tighter. What made me even angrier was that Jason didn’t react. He just stared at me coldly.

"Jason, are you just going to stand there while I get insulted?" I asked.

"What do you want me to do when you won’t even listen to me?" he replied, uninterested.

"Let’s go, Jason!" Maddie said, dragging him away.

"Okay, babe," he said, smiling sweetly at her.

Jason glanced at me. "You’ve changed, Ava. You’re not obedient like before," he said coldly, walking away with Maddie.

My blood boiled. Did he really see me as some pet who should just obey him?

"You're such a jerk, Jason!"

My work kept piling up, and I knew Maddie was intentionally making things difficult for me, trying to show her power.

I just stayed silent as I watched Maddie play the violin, with Jason on piano. Everyone clapped after their performance.

"Ava, can you grab my violin?" Maddie called.

I walked over reluctantly. She taunted me one more time before I handed it over.

"See? You’re just meant to be my servant, Ava," she laughed.

I was furious. As she handed me the violin, I dropped it on purpose and stepped on it.

"Ouch, Miss, why’d you drop it? Isn’t this valuable?" I teased. "Maybe you should buy a new one. You said you have a lot of money, right?"

I walked off, flipping her the bird as I went.

***

At home, Jason was furious.

"Ava, are you crazy?! Why’d you destroy her violin?!" he shouted.

"She took you from me. It’s just a violin. She can buy another one. What about you? Should I go find a replacement for you?" I said coldly.

"Oh, Ava. I know you’re jealous, but there’s no need for that. I’m with Maddie just to please my dad. How many times do I have to say it?" His neck veins were bulging, eyes sharp.

"Then why was there a condom in the trash in our room the day you and Maddie were here?" My voice cracked as I held back tears.