Back when my boyfriend was at his lowest, he owed millions and couldn’t even afford a decent meal. It broke my heart, so I hustled day and night running a street stall to help him pay it off.

On Christmas Eve, a cute young couple stopped by my stall to buy apple pies. They happily wished me and my boyfriend a long and happy life together. I sent them off with a smile, thinking about closing up early to surprise my boyfriend.

But when I looked up by chance, there he was—my boyfriend, who was supposed to be out delivering food—strolling around the mall with an innocent, sweet-looking girl hanging off his arm.

They were close, too close. She even clung to his arm. “Rob,” she said in a soft, playful voice, “when are you gonna stop pretending to be, like, dirt poor?”

——

Before I knew it, they were walking straight toward me.

Up close, I noticed everything. Robin was dressed head-to-toe in designer clothes, and the way he moved radiated this expensive, rich-guy energy. Nothing like the scrappy, struggling guy I’d been helping every single day.

He barely glanced at me. Just pointed at the fanciest apple pie on my stall and said casually, “Make sure it’s wrapped nicely.”

I stared at his face, barely believing it.

‘Why is my boyfriend who should’ve been delivering food now out shopping with another girl?’

‘Why is he wearing branded clothes like that?’

‘Is he lying to me this whole time… or?’

I pushed down my doubts and lifted my head. I looked at him and plastered on a fake smile, casually asking, “Is this for your girlfriend?”

My voice was muffled under my mask and a bit unintelligible, but it was loud enough for both of them to hear.

I clenched my fist tightly, staring at his face, not wanting to miss any change in his expression.

But I was wrong.

Robin Greenberg kept his usual calm expression as if he didn’t notice anything off.

But Caitline Goldsborough, the girl next to him, looked disgusted when she heard my question. She curled her lips and said, “Hell no, I don’t want some cheap apple pie like this!”

Robin froze for a second, then smiled as he patted her head. “Don’t worry, this one’s for Calliope. I’ll have someone send you a box of imported apple pie later, alright?”

She clung tighter to his arm, pulling on it as she asked him again with her overly sweet voice. “I knew you were the best, Rob. But when are you going to tell Calliope the truth?”

“If you hadn’t lost that stupid truth-or-dare game, you wouldn’t have had to chase her in the first place. Now she won’t leave you alone!!

“See? I told you those penny-pincher girls are all the same. They’re just after your money!”

Her words hit me like a thunderclap, leaving my ears ringing.

I lowered my head, and a tear dropped from my eyes.

‘For his money?’

‘But in the past two years, I’ve probably spent at least 80 thousand on Robin, if not a hundred thousand.’

‘If he’s rich, then why the hell would he need to scam me?’

I’d been scrimping, too scared to even buy new clothes in case his creditors came after me again. I’d lived in fear, day in and day out.

Does he think it’s funny, playing with me like this?

I’m like a clown, always checking on him, asking if he’s okay, and he probably thinks it’s funny.

I could feel the fire burning in my chest, the overwhelming urge to demand answers.

But before I could say anything, he spoke again.

“Alright, I haven’t told Calliope who I really am, so don’t go blabbing about it at school, okay?”

“Rob, don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for her?” Caitline teased.

He stiffened for just a second before sneering. “Relax. I’m just messing around with her. How could I ever like a broke girl like her?”

And then, he looked at me, his gaze slightly probing. “Hey, is it ready yet?”

I looked right at him, and all the questions I wanted to ask stuck in my throat.

I held the box out dumbly up in the air.

Caitline breezed past Robin, snatching it from my hands, and she tugged at him impatiently.

“Rob, come on! Let’s go already—I still wanna shop around more!”

As I watched their figures blend into the crowd, my chest tightened.

‘So this is what betrayal feels like?’

He told me he was drowning in debt, that he couldn’t afford anything better than those tattered clothes. My heart ached for him, so I went out of my way to buy him a few decent clothes.

But he never wore them.

When I asked why, he said he was scared of getting them dirty and that he wanted to treasure every single thing I gave him.

God, I felt even worse for him after that. I worked harder and stayed out longer selling stuff just to scrape together some money for him.

And yet, it was all one-sided.

Looking back, I bet Robin laughed at me every time he saw me—this naive, pathetic fool. Apparently, my sincerity was nothing more than entertainment for a spoiled rich boy.

I shut my eyes, and I couldn’t keep running the stall anymore.

The cold bit into me as I bundled myself tighter in my oversized coat, dragging my stall through the freezing streets. My energy was drained, and I just wanted to go home.

But just as I left, Robin came back.

Third Person’s POV

He stood there, puzzled, scanning the now-empty stall. It seemed as if the faintly familiar voice from earlier had been a figment of his imagination.

“Rob, I told you—you’re hearing things. There’s no way that was Calliope. And even if it was, so what? She’d probably just cling to you even harder if she knew.”

Robin hesitated, his gaze sweeping the street one last time, searching for someone who wasn’t there.

With a small sigh, he finally looked away, pushing down the unease tugging at him. He hoped it really was just his imagination.

Calliope’s POV

I lay on my bed staring blankly at the ceiling, my mind tangled in a mess of thoughts.

The sound of a key turning in the lock snapped me out of it.

Robin walked in, carrying a familiar, fancy packaging box. With excitement, he said, “Callie, look! I got you something nice!”

But I didn’t say a word.

Robin was, as always, effortlessly handsome—sharp features, flirtatious almond eyes, and that damn small mole under his eye that made him look unfairly alluring. And when he looked at me, his gaze was full of affection.

At over six feet tall, broad-shouldered and long-legged, even in cheap street clothes, he looked like he stepped out of a fashion magazine.

I’d asked him once why he didn’t just model to make money. He’d just dodged the question.

Now, I understand. He was terrified his real identity—a privileged rich kid—might slip out. And I’d latch onto him for good.

He walked over and pulled me into a hug, resting his head against my neck. His soft lips brushed my skin as he whispered, “Why aren’t you talking to me?”

I pulled away from his embrace, and with exhaustion, I replied, “I’m just… a bit tired.”

I didn’t have the energy to keep up with whatever game we were playing. I wanted answers, but before I could ask him, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He glanced at the message, his expression flickering slightly, looking a bit off.

When he noticed I was staring at him, he quickly shoved the phone back into his pocket and explained, “It’s my boss. He’s asking me to work overtime—short on staff again.”

I didn’t know whether to believe it or not, but Robin just went ahead and pulled out a scarf from the bag and carefully wrapped it around my neck.

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his voice low and intimate as he said, “Callie, I hope I stay with you every holiday.”

I looked up at him, at the mole beneath his eye catching the light.

I used to love his eyes the most, the way they made me feel like I was his number one, the only one who mattered to him.

But now, I couldn’t figure him out anymore.

“Robin, you…”

Robin cut me off. He leaned down and patted my head. His voice carried that tone of helplessness. “But I can only stay with you for a little while today. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, Callie.”

Just like that, he rushed out the door without waiting for my response. The door clicked shut behind him, and I just stood there staring in a daze.

I shouldn’t have glanced at his phone earlier, but I did. The message was from Caitline, and it burned in my mind.

[Robin, the fireworks by the lake are breathtaking. It’s such a shame you’re not here with me.]

I let out a bitter laugh. What the hell was I still hoping for?

Deep down, I’d probably known for a while. The way he acted, the way things didn’t add up—I’d just been playing dumb.

But today, the truth had been revealed. It slapped me right in the face, raw and brutal. My chest tightened, and waves of bitter pain made it hard to breathe.

That night, somehow, I drifted into a sleep. But it was restless, haunted by memories of Robin and me.

When I woke up, I found my pillow soaked. Without a word, I stripped the pillowcase off and dumped it straight into the trash.

We’d bought that pillowcase together—matching ones, for God’s sake. But none of that mattered anymore.

Thinking about the past few months with him, I realized how much I had sacrificed. I’d skimped and saved on everything, just so I could help him pay off his so-called debts.

And what did I get for it? Lies.

My gaze shifted to the coat I’d tossed near the door last night after coming back from my stall. It hadn’t moved since.

The damn thing barely kept me warm—cheap fabric that let the cold in from all angles.

I folded it up and threw it away before hailing a cab to the biggest mall in town.

But as soon as I walked in, I saw Robin with Caitline. They were laughing, caught up in some conversation.

I tried to walk past them and pretend I hadn’t seen a thing, but Robin’s sharp eyes caught me.

“Calliope, what are you doing here?”

It took a second to catch his meaning, and Caitline clung to his arm and gave me a once-over.

“Is this even a place you can afford?” she sneered.

I opened my mouth but didn’t say anything. The air around us seemed to freeze.

Their words were full of holes—how had I never noticed before?

It’s funny how stepping back from a relationship lets you see all the red flags you ignored.

I took a deep breath, not wanting to argue with them anymore. Turning on my heel, I made to leave, but Robin stepped in front of me, blocking my way.

“Well, since you’re here, why don’t you help me pick out a Christmas gift?”

“For who? Caitline?” I shot back. “Sorry, but that’s not my problem.”

My expression hardened as I forced a smile while my nails dug into my palms so hard that I couldn’t feel them anymore.

The old me would’ve never said no to him, but this time, the shock on his face was almost satisfying. He clearly hadn’t expected me to refuse.

“Calliope, don’t make a scene,” he said with a sigh. “Caitline is just my little sister.”

I stared at him for a moment. The mole under his eye used to look so faint in the light, but now it seemed to vanish completely into the shadows.

“A little sister?” I sneered. “You mean a very special little sister?”

Without waiting for his response, I brushed past him and headed straight for the exit.

Behind me, I could feel him staring at me with a frown. I even heard him trying to smooth things over.

“Caitline, don’t take it to heart, okay? She’s just upset right now.”

Back at school, I had just one political science class that day, so I decided to show up 10 minutes early. The professor looked surprised to see me.

I used to stay out late working at the stall, sometimes until 2 a.m., trying to make money to help Robin pay his debts. I’d barely made it to class on time, and sometimes I’d even show up late.

My prof had always had a poor impression of me because of that. But today, when he saw me, I noticed a hint of approval on his face.

Just as he was about to say something, Caitline walked in, arms full of books.

She walked straight to the seat next to mine and sat down, casually making sure I noticed the gold bracelet on her wrist peek out.