As Julia walked downstairs, she saw Lawrence lounging in the garden under the sun. There was a rare smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Where's my breakfast?" she asked as she approached him.

The moment Lawrence heard her voice, his smile vanished. "I didn't make it."

"Why not? You know I always want your breakfast in the morning." Julia frowned. She could sense something was off about Lawrence today.

"I'm heading out to meet a client and don't have time. You can ask the maid to make it."

Lawrence turned to leave, but Julia grabbed his arm.

"What's wrong?" Noticing his odd behavior, she softened her tone.

"Is it because I'm getting engaged? That's what my family wants, and I haven't agreed to it yet."

"You misunderstood, Ms. Ware. Who you marry is your choice. No matter what, you told me from the start that our relationship is purely physical with no emotional strings attached."

He shrugged off her hand and walked away without looking back.

When Lawrence returned to the office, he noticed a gift box on his desk.

One of his colleagues, Elliot Wyatt, walked by and teased, "Mr. Hale, another admirer sending you a gift?"

Lawrence opened it nonchalantly. Inside was a limited-edition tie—the third one exactly like the others he had received.

He knew exactly who it was from. The gift was typical of Julia. After every intimate encounter, a new tie would appear on his desk.

He once mentioned liking ties, so every gift Julia gave him was a tie.

She would give him different colors of the same style, various versions from the same collection, or even the exact same tie over and over again.

At first, Lawrence had loved them, even though he knew she hadn't put any thought into them. But now, he wasn't interested anymore.

"Do you want it? You can have it."

He handed the tie to Elliot, who excitedly put it on around his neck. "Really? This is a limited-edition tie, Mr. Hale! You're so generous!"

Elliot proudly walked around showing off the tie. Just then, Julia stepped off the elevator.

Seeing him give away the gift she had given him made her furious.

She pulled Lawrence into her office. "What's going on with you, Lawrence? I told you from the start that I won't be marrying you."

"I know," Lawrence responded quietly. "I know very well, Ms. Ware."

"Then what are you trying to do?"

"Nothing. I already have three of the exact same tie. I'm tired of them. I don't want another one."

Julia was taken aback. Had she really given him three identical ties?

They were all the latest designs, limited editions, and expensive. She had bought them casually, thinking he'd love them.

"I'll buy you something else next time."

"No need. There won't be a next time." Lawrence glanced at his watch. "Ms. Ware, it's 9:00 am. You should be in your meeting."

As he walked away, Julia stood there, lost in thought.

Later, when Lawrence was preparing some materials for Julia's meeting, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his stomach.

In the past, he would have pushed through it.

But this time, he called a hospital and made an appointment without hesitation. He was going to take the day off and see a doctor.

Julia wasn't paying attention during the meeting. Her thoughts were consumed with Lawrence. Her dark eyes were fixed on him, but through the entire meeting, he didn't even spare her a glance.

When lunchtime came, Julia went to look for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Lawrence?" she asked.

"Didn't Mr. Hale tell you? He's on leave this afternoon."

"Where did he go?"

On leave? He'd never taken a sick day before. Even when he was burning with fever and close to fainting, he never took time off.

Why would he suddenly take a day off without telling her?

"I don't know."

"Find out. I want to know where he went," Julia ordered.

…

At the hospital, the doctor told Lawrence that his stomach issues were caused by not eating properly for too long.

Indeed, these years of working for Julia had made him forget what it felt like to sit down and enjoy a proper meal.

After the appointment, Lawrence didn't rush back to the office. Instead, he found a quiet spot to sit and relax.

The afternoon sun was warm. Sitting by the window, he sipped his coffee leisurely.

It had been a long time since he had the chance to sit and enjoy the moment.

These past years working for Julia had drained him completely. It was time for him to start living for himself.

Just then, his phone vibrated. He looked down and saw a call from Julia. He glanced at it and didn't answer.

Julia, growing anxious, called him again and again.

Lawrence grew irritated and turned off his phone.

When Julia discovered that Lawrence had turned off his phone, she was so furious that she nearly smashed it.

He had spent the entire afternoon at a café. For the first time, he felt like time truly belonged to him.

It wasn't until dark that he turned his phone back on. Dozens of missed calls and countless messages flooded in.

"Where are you?

"I'm waiting for you at your place. Come back now.

"Lawrence, I'm giving you half an hour. Come back now."

The last message was sent at 3:00 pm, and now it was 6:00 pm.

Looking at her messages, Lawrence sneered. Just by reading these, he could imagine how angry Julia must be at that moment.

He wandered around, ate some of his favorite foods, and then returned home leisurely.

The apartment was pitch dark when he walked in. He bent down to change his shoes. As he flicked on the lights, he saw Julia sitting on the couch.

Seeing him come back so late, Julia was seething. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you?"

Lawrence ignored her. He walked over to the kitchen island and poured himself a glass of water.

In the past, he would have been the one waiting there.

Whenever Julia said she would visit him, he'd sit on the couch waiting, no matter how late it was.

If she said she would arrive at 10:00 pm, he would be anticipating it from 6:00 pm.

If she said she would come the next day, he would prepare everything perfectly.

Since Julia mentioned liking the smell of sun, Lawrence would change the bed sheets. The duvet would be aired out before he put a fresh cover on it and made the bed.

But now, he was tired. He wouldn't wait for her anymore.

"I'm talking to you, Lawrence. Can't you hear me?" She grabbed his hand. Her dark eyes were filled with fury.

Lawrence remained calm. "I had things to do. If you didn't want to wait, you could have left."

"What's going on with you? You've been acting strange all day."

"I'm fine."

Lawrence moved around her and started heading upstairs.

At this moment, Julia's suppressed anger finally boiled over. "Lawrence Hale, remember your place. No one has ever made me wait this long. Don't forget. You're just my—"

"Your what?" he interrupted her. "Fling?"

Julia froze. "You heard what I said that night?" She finally realized why he had changed. "I was just saying it for fun. I didn't mean it."

"Then tell me. What am I to you?" Lawrence looked up at her. His sharp gaze locked with hers.

Julia fell silent, not knowing what to say.

"I'm tired. You should go now."

For the first time, he dismissed her. He went to his room, took a warm shower, changed, and prepared to sleep.

Downstairs, Julia leaned against her car and stared up at the apartment for a long time.

Lawrence ignored her. He pulled the curtains shut, turned off the lights, and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, before he was even fully awake, his phone started ringing.

"Lawrence, turn on the news! Julia just publicly broke off her engagement! Is it because of you?"

Lawrence jumped out of bed and turned on the TV.

Sure enough, he saw Julia telling reporters that she was canceling her engagement because there was someone more important to her now.

His heart skipped a beat. Seeing the determined look in Julia's eyes, Lawrence felt a rush of excitement.

"Congratulations, Lawrence! Looks like you finally won Julia's heart."

After hanging up, Lawrence was still filled with emotions.

He wanted to call Julia and ask what she really meant by those words. Was she truly canceling her engagement for him?

But before he could dial her number, he received a message from Julia. "Come to Moore Hotel at 8:00 pm. There's a party. Dress well."

After reading her message, Lawrence finally smiled.

She rarely invited him to parties. In the past, she almost never took him anywhere. But now, she was inviting him to a party.

He quickly texted his friend, David Gardner, who responded excitedly, "Is Julia ready to go public with you? It looks like you've finally got your chance."

Lawrence bit his lip. A sense of anticipation crept into his chest.

In his mind, he quietly repeated that this would be the last time—the final chance he would give to both Julia and himself.

He went to a mall, bought an expensive suit, and then went to a stylist and makeup artist to get himself ready.

At precisely 8:00 pm, he arrived at Moore Hotel.

He had heard a little about the event. It was an auction for the high society, full of influential people.

Standing outside the entrance, Lawrence took a deep breath. He subconsciously reached into his suit pants pocket to feel the small box before stepping inside the ballroom.

The grand hall was filled with people, everyone dressed to impress.

Amidst the sea of beauty and glamour, Lawrence immediately spotted the woman he had been thinking about.

He began walking toward her but overheard someone say, "I didn't expect Ms. Ware to bring a partner tonight."

"I heard it's her beloved man who finally came back from being abroad."

"No wonder she held a press conference this morning to break off her engagement to Mr. Horne. Turns out, her first love has returned."

Lawrence's smile froze. First love? What were they talking about?

As Julia turned, the man beside her followed suit.

Lawrence's eyes widened when he saw a face strikingly similar to his own. At that moment, every drop of blood in his body seemed to freeze.

Who was the man standing next to Julia? Her first love?

Lawrence had been with Julia for seven years and never knew she had a man she couldn't forget.

A sharp pain pierced his chest. As he turned to leave, Julia called out to him, "Lawrence, you're here!"

At his words, the crowd stared at Lawrence and whispered among themselves.

"Lawrence? Julia's assistant?"

"Why does he look so much like Patrick?"

"Didn't you know? He's the substitute. I heard that while Patrick was away for those seven years, Julia found someone to fill in for him. I guess that's him."

Their words kept rushing into his ears. Lawrence felt as if someone had wrapped their hands around his neck and was choking the breath out of him.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hale." Julia's first love, Patrick Harrison, approached Lawrence and looked him up and down.

"Sorry, I heard Jules say you don't like attending events like this. But I really wanted to meet you, so I had her invite you."

Noticing the challenge in Patrick's eyes, Lawrence clenched his fists at his sides. "You wanted to meet me?"

He now realized that Julia hadn't canceled her engagement because of him, but because Patrick had returned.

The reason she had him dress up for the banquet was to let Patrick see what he—the substitute—looked like.

The pain in his heart was overwhelming. Lawrence felt his legs go weak, as if he could barely keep himself standing.

"I heard someone say that you look a bit like me. Jules, do you think we look alike?" Patrick tilted his head and asked Julia.

Smiling, Julia casually replied, "It's just a coincidence. He can't compare to you."

Lawrence's heart broke even more at her words. He staggered a step back.

He turned to leave, but Patrick blocked his way.

"Mr. Hale, I haven't had a drink with you yet. Thank you for taking care of Jules all this time. She's a bit spoiled, so I'm sure you've had it tough."

Patrick's condescending tone made him seem like the rightful partner, while Lawrence felt like the other man.

The crowd's eyes were all on him. They were watching him like a joke.

Lawrence forced a smile. "It's my job. I get paid to do it. It's not hard."

"I'm sure you've done more than just your job." Patrick raised his voice and laughed boisterously. "But now that I'm back, there are some things you don't have to take care of anymore."

Lawrence looked up at Julia, but she stood there with a blank expression. She didn't even spare him a glance.

It was as if everything happening right now was none of her business.

Lawrence nodded in disappointment. "Alright, I understand."

He turned to leave but accidentally bumped into a waiter holding a glass of wine.

The red wine spilled all over him, ruining the expensive suit he had bought for the event.

Patrick was startled. "Are you okay, Mr. Hale? Your suit is ruined! Let me get the waiter to bring you a new one so you can change."

"I'm fine."

Compared to Patrick, Lawrence looked utterly pathetic at this moment.

When Julia saw his clothes were ruined and he nearly tripped, she reached out to help him. However, Patrick stepped in first and grabbed her hand.

"Jules, since Mr. Hale doesn't need my help, let's go in. The auction is about to start."

Julia nodded. She retracted her hand and cast a quick glance at Lawrence. "You should go back and change your clothes. Be careful not to catch a cold."

With that, they turned and walked away without looking back.

The crowd began to disperse, but Lawrence stood there, unmoving.

At that moment, he was completely and utterly disillusioned with Julia.