When he saw me, he clicked his tongue with clear impatience and flung his bag at me without a second glance.

The landlord turned to him and said, "If you’re breaking the lease early, the deposit won’t be refunded. You still need to cover these two months’ rent. I mean, you two don’t exactly look broke, don’t make things difficult for me."

The moment those words left his mouth, Drew shot me a cold, cutting glare.

"You didn’t pay the rent? Waiting here to ambush me? Anya, do you have to make yourself this cheap? Throwing your little games in my face. Are you really that desperate for money?"

I answered without thinking.

"Yes, I am."

The five hundred thousand dollars my mom spent her life saving was nothing but spare change to him. But for her, it had cost everything, her life.

He scoffed and yanked a thick wad of cash from his bag, slamming it across my face.

"Here, how much do you want? Take it!"

Red bills flew across the hallway, scattering at my feet.

Just days ago, I might’ve dropped to the floor and grabbed every last note.

But now, they were worthless to me.

I counted out just enough to cover two months’ rent and handed it to the landlord. Without saying another word, I turned the key and stepped inside.

This apartment had once been our little world, where Drew and I lived together for two years. Every corner, every shadow still held the warmth of our past.

My gaze landed on the photo hanging on the wall. We looked a little awkward in it, but we were leaning into each other, our smiles wide and foolishly bright.

It was our first photo together.

Fresh out of college, he had approached me in the pantry during my internship, claiming he was an intern from another department.

I still remember the way his eyes curved when he smiled, that quiet gleam in them as he said he didn’t know much and hoped I could teach him.

He had seemed so sincere, so harmless. Even if it was all deliberate, I still fell for it, fell for him.

I truly believed we could build a future together. I worked hard, fought tooth and nail for a permanent position, trying to carve out a space for us in this ruthless city.

For two years, we held each other up, brick by brick, life by life.

But now, everything had crumbled to dust.

All those dreams were just a rich boy’s temporary fantasy, a role he got bored with playing.

A bitter sense of absurdity welled up in me, but Drew didn’t notice the shift in my expression. He walked straight to the couch and sat down like nothing had happened.

"Happy now, Anya? You finally got your money. Must feel good, right?"

"You being this obsessed with money is honestly disgusting. What happened to your dignity? You used to be proud."

"Think about it. How many times have you asked me for money these past few months? All for some stupid Mercedes. You didn’t even bother to pretend anymore. So that whole story about fighting for your future? Just empty talk, wasn’t it?"

I lifted my gaze to him. The man in front of me, dressed in a flawless suit, every detail of him polished, felt like a stranger.

He clearly had no intention of keeping up the mask anymore.

The frustration and disdain in his voice chipped away at me, piece by piece. Still, I didn’t react to his accusations. I only said quietly, "Let’s get a divorce, Drew."

A strange silence filled the space. Then, out of nowhere, he laughed.

"Shouldn’t I be the one saying that? Just to get that 500,000, you even made up that your mom had cancer. You know how much I hate being lied to. After two years together, I was completely blind. If we’re ending this, I’ll be the one to say it."

His voice burned with rage as he pulled a sheet of paper from his bag and signed it without hesitation.

"Come here. Sign it. Let’s get this over with. I don’t have time to waste on you."

So, he’d come prepared all along.

I carefully placed the box of ashes and the upside-down portrait on the cabinet, then walked slowly, step by step, until I stood in front of Drew.

Without a flicker of hesitation, I picked up the pen and signed my name.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him scanning me coldly from head to toe. All I felt in return was a wave of disgust and a quiet sense of powerlessness.

As soon as I finished signing, he gave a mocking snort and tossed a bank card onto the floor.

"All your money’s in there, untouched. Take it as my gift for two years together. I was wrong about you."

I turned back and looked at him one final time.

I remembered just days ago when my mom was on the brink of death. She whispered that she wanted to see Drew and said she just wanted to know we were doing well.

By then, he had already lost all patience with me, ever since I begged him for help. Still, for my mom’s sake, I swallowed my pride and called him.

It wasn’t until the next morning that he finally answered. The moment he picked up, he snapped with biting sarcasm.

"Back to beg for money again? Go ahead. What is it this time?"

I choked back my anger and said quietly, "My mom’s not going to make it. Can you come to see her? Just once. Let her believe we’re okay. That’s all she wants."

What came next was a loud burst of laughter from his end.

"Nice upgrade to your little script. Do you really think that’ll make me feel sorry for you? That I’d suddenly throw money at you because you tugged a few heartstrings?"

"This drama’s not really my thing. Keep practicing. Maybe next time, come up with something actually touching. Who knows. I might even believe it."

Then he hung up. When I called again, I was already blocked.

He never showed up. Not even when my mom passed away.

I couldn’t forget the last thing she said to me.

She looked at me, her voice soft but filled with warmth.

"When the baby comes, I won’t be around to help with your postpartum care. Women really need rest after childbirth. I still wanted to remind him to take good care of you."

"A couple needs to understand each other. He’s a good boy. You two should live well together."

Even in her final breath, she still wished for me to have a good life with him.

But she didn’t know that just one day after I begged Drew for help, he dragged me to the hospital and forced an abortion on me.

He said he didn’t want a child to be used against him. Said he’d crush any hope I had left.

Fresh out of surgery, I had no time to breathe. Medical bills hounded me like shadows, and I threw myself into endless side jobs, day and night, without pause.

And what was Drew doing during that time? Drinking, partying with another woman, whining to his friends that I was using him?

I couldn’t even summon the strength to be angry anymore. All that remained was a bitter, ridiculous sense of absurdity.

I picked up the card because inside was the money my mom had spent her entire life saving. That money was hers. I had every right to take it back.

Drew let out a cold snort behind me as if mocking the way I stooped to retrieve it.

I said nothing. I pocketed the card and quietly began packing my things.

Five hundred thousand dollars, enough to buy my mom a proper urn and a grave where she could finally rest in peace.

The thought hit me like a blow, and a sharp sting rose in my nose.

I had never been someone who cried. Not when I was caring for her, not even when she passed.

Even now, I keep wondering if I had just tried a little harder, would things have turned out differently?

But the truth was, the pain had only just arrived. And it was only now that I began to realize, piece by piece, that my mom was truly gone.

Tears slid silently down my cheeks as my trembling hands struggled to keep packing, until, all of a sudden, the doorbell rang.

Drew went to answer it, and I slowly looked up.

The woman standing at the door looked familiar; it was the same young girl I’d seen at the dealership picking up her new car.

She beamed at Drew, her voice light and sweet.

"Brother, I was worried she might lose it and do something desperate, so I came to protect you. Poor people can be terrifying when they’re cornered. Did you finish signing the papers? I came to take you home."

Drew’s expression softened the instant he saw her.

“You’re always so thoughtful.”

The woman lowered her head with a sly smile before shifting her sharp gaze toward me.

“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard Drew talk about you plenty. I thought you’d be different from the usual lowlifes, but turns out you’re just a poorly-skilled liar. Such a devoted daughter, huh? Now that you’ve got your money back, feel free to drop the act. Go ahead, resurrect your mom, though be careful. Saying unlucky things too often might just make them come true.”

Her mocking tone and contemptuous smirk ignited the fury I’d buried deep inside.

Say whatever you want about me, but not my mom.

Without thinking, my fist shot out and connected hard with her face. Before Drew could even scream in rage, she was already crumpled on the floor.

“Anya, are you insane?! Do you lose it the moment someone hits your sore spot? Do you even know who you’re hitting?”

Did it matter who she was anymore? I had nothing left to lose.

Ignoring his threats, I grabbed her roughly and slapped her again, hard.

But before I could let out all the anger I held, several burly men dressed in black stormed in and forced me down to the floor.

The woman scrambled to her feet, tears streaming as she threw herself into Drew’s arms.

“I’m fine, brother. I provoked her on purpose! I caught her hitting me on a hidden camera. I’ll sue her right away!”

Pinned to the floor, unable to move, I could only grit my teeth and lock eyes with her.

She pulled a tiny micro-camera from her collar, flashing me a cruel smile.

“I’ve got everything I need now. She hit me. Brother, you have to avenge me!”

Drew’s gaze shifted to me. Without hesitation, he slipped off his shoe and slammed it across my face, and then his hand followed with a brutal slap.

The sting landed perfectly, a fierce blow that instantly blurred my vision with tears.

For a flicker of a moment, guilt crossed his features, but it vanished quickly, replaced by cold disappointment.

“I never thought it’d come to this. You were so close to passing my test. But at the last second, you showed your true colors.”

“I really did love you all those years. This slap is just payback for what you did to Briar. Let’s end this cleanly, you and I were never meant to walk the same path.”

The woman, still holding back, sneered as she spoke.

“Drew, you’re way too soft. That’s how this gold-digging woman fooled you so easily. Look at her, no regret at all. If she ever learned who you really are, I bet she’d come crawling back, begging.”

Drew looked down on me with a pitiful gaze, as if mourning the misfortune of my life.

But in the two years we were together, he had never once given me a gift. I, on the other hand, poured everything I had into meeting his endless demands.

Maybe that was part of his so-called “test,” but in the end, I owed him nothing.

I met his eyes with a cold, steady voice.

“Is playing with someone’s true feelings really that entertaining for you? I never wronged you in this relationship. Maybe I wasn’t enough for a wealthy heir like you, but that doesn’t give you the right to insult me.”