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.

Jason stared at me, his face shocked. "Okay, sorry. Before you went home, some of my friends came here. The condom's one of theirs."

"Then you let a stranger into our room, Jason?" I asked, giving him a sarcastic smile at his lie.

"It’s not a stranger, it's a friends! This is my house, I can bring anyone I want!" he snapped, clearly annoyed.

"Fine, if that’s how it is, I’m outta here. I agreed to stay because you said you wouldn’t bring anyone else here!" I shouted, turning to leave.

"Ava!" Jason grabbed my arm, his face angry. "Do you think you can live without me, huh?!"

"Fine! I won’t bring anyone here again! Happy now?!"

I pulled my arm away, forcing a bitter smile, holding back tears.

"Do you think I can sleep in the bed you used for sex with Maddie?" I asked, my voice tight.

"I told you, that condom isn’t mine! Do you have proof it’s mine, huh?!"

"Let’s check the CCTV then. Everything’s recorded, right? Who went into our room when I wasn’t there?!" I challenged him.

His face went pale, panic taking over as he grabbed my hand. "Is this because you're jealous of Maddie? You're so cute, Ava," he said, trying to soften the moment.

"Stop changing the subject! If I say I’m jealous, would you cancel your engagement to Maddie? No, right?"

Tears started to fall down my cheek without me realizing it. "Enough, Jason. Let me go. Let’s break up."

I took a step back, walking away from him. I’d had enough of this toxic relationship after four years.

"Ava, calm down. Don’t do this. You know I love you," he said, pulling me into a tight hug. "I promise I’ll treat you better. Don’t go, okay? I can’t live without you."

He wiped away my tears, giving me a sweet smile. His eyes were full of guilt.

"I’m sorry I wasn’t there for your graduation. I’m sorry I brought someone else into our home. I’m sorry I disappointed you. I promise I’ll prioritize you from now on."

Jason hugged me, kissing my forehead with affection. But I knew it was all just to keep me from leaving. Maybe he didn’t want to lose his obedient girlfriend.

In the end, I pretended to forgive Jason. In three weeks, I’d leave him. I’d go to London earlier than planned.

"Don’t break your promise again, Jason. I really will leave if you do," I said, looking at him seriously.

He smiled and kissed my cheek. "Of course, babe. Now let’s sleep together."

"No, Jason. I’ll sleep in the other room," I refused.

"Ah, okay. Goodnight, love."

I went to the smaller room in the house. Since I found the condom in our room, I couldn’t bring myself to sleep there. I didn’t want to always picture what Jason and Maddie had done in that bed.

The next morning, Jason acted like the perfect boyfriend. He woke up early and made breakfast for me.

"Morning, babe. Here, this is for you," he smiled, handing me a plate of toast.

"Thanks, Jason," I smiled, pretending.

"I hope tomorrow it’s you making me breakfast," Jason smiled, kissing my hand.

"Alright, I’ll make it tomorrow."

A week passed, and I played the role of the perfect girlfriend Jason wanted—always doing what he asked. But quietly, I started packing my things bit by bit, getting ready to leave.

I was working on some projects, decorating for a baby’s birthday. And, of course, bad luck followed me. The baby’s parents were Maddie’s friends. She showed up alone, boasting about marrying Jason.

"Yeah, soon I’ll marry Jason, my first love," she said loudly, making sure I heard. "But sadly, he's been busy lately getting everything ready for our wedding."

“Wow, Maddie, you’re so lucky. But I heard Jason has a girlfriend—did they break up?” Maddie’s friend asked.

"You guys know Jason’s girlfriend? She’s just a gold digger, like a parasite stuck to Jason. I’m not worried about her. She’s nothing compared to me!" Maddie said, glancing at me with a sneer.

I didn’t care, finishing my work and leaving. But Maddie wasn’t letting me off that easily. She showed me a video of her having sex with Jason in our bed.

"Look at how Jason does it with me. He’s so good, right?"

"You know, Ava. We did it a few times," she said, trying to get under my skin.

And she succeeded. Watching Jason hugging and kissing another woman broke my heart.

But I didn’t want to show Maddie that I cared. I forced a cynical smile at her.

"I see you’re really proud of yourself, Maddie. But you don’t know, do you? What Jason did for me yesterday and the days before."

"What? He made breakfast and acted like he loved you? Ava, don’t be naive. You know that’s all fake," Maddie laughed, mocking me. "If you want to know the real reason Jason’s with you, come to this place, and you’ll find out."

She gave me the address to a nightclub and walked off with a smug look. I tried not to care, but I was too curious about what she said.

I decided to go to the club, and I regretted it. I overheard Jason and his friends talking about me.

"Hey, Jason! What’s the deal with you dating Ava when you’re gonna marry Maddie?"

Jason gave a thin smile, then replied, "Ava’s for my biological needs. She’s sexy and always gets me horny. She also does whatever I say. Yeah, it’s not bad having a sex doll around the house.”