After Joel disappeared, I searched for him like a madwoman. I went to his school, but no one knew who Joel was.

It wasn't until I saw the news of Joel's engagement that it slowly dawned on me.... He was never just a poor student.

I should have had no further ties with him, but I needed money to save my grandmother. If I hadn't emptied all my savings to save Joel back then, I would've had at least some money to save my grandmother.

Thus, I began digging for answers, determined to uncover the truth. Eventually, I boldly entered a luxurious restaurant where Joel was rumored to be meeting friends.

When our eyes locked, an unsettling sense of unfamiliarity swept through me.

Joel was no longer the gentle and easygoing guy with tousled hair; instead, he slicked it back, his eyes devoid of warmth, replaced by sharpness and a hint of disdain.

Yet, facing this familiar face, I couldn't help but feel a surge of resentment. The boyfriend who once vowed to love and protect me... could he still feel a shred of compassion for me now?

Clearly not. Joel looked at me as if I were a stranger and asked sharply, "What are you doing here?"

His cold voice snapped me back to reality. He was someone else's fiancé now. Holding back tears, I spoke slowly and deliberately, "I'm begging Mr. Griffins to help my grandmother."

Jasmine pulled him away, signaling to bystanders. "She's here for money."

Several imposing bodyguards swiftly moved in to usher me away. With my grandmother's critical condition weighing heavily on my mind, I reluctantly set aside my pride and appealed to Joel. Kneeling before him, I felt like a desperate soul seeking mercy, reminiscent of the time Joel, in a drunken plea, had begged me not to leave him, calling me Jazz.

"Mr. Griffins, considering our past relationship, please help save my grandmother," I pleaded.

Joel glanced at me and asked coolly, "And what if I don't?"

I was taken aback by Joel's response. After all, my grandmother had poured her heart out to him.

"When you were sick, I used all my savings to pay your hospital bills, a total of twenty two thousand five hundred dollars. Please, Mr. Griffins, at least return those money to me!" I demanded.

Joel hesitated, clearly stunned. "What did you just say?"

Jasmine interrupted him, kissing Joel on the lips—a gesture that stabbed at my heart.

She spoke gently, "Joel, just give it to her. After all, you two used to..."

Joel hastily explained, "Jasmine, you know, I was just messing around with her."

Messing around? I'd never been in a relationship before Joel. And, for three years, I poured my heart into him, only to hear him say he was just messing around, just like when he left without a word.

Jasmine looked down on me, lifting my chin and sneering, "That woman looks so much like me. Joel, did you think of her as a substitute?"

Joel didn't hesitate to nod.

A substitute? No wonder he claimed he couldn't live without me from the first moment we met. Who was he really referring to back then?

I wanted to put an end to this ludicrous situation swiftly. I reached out, feeling like a beggar. "Mr. Griffins, please repay the money. If I hadn't used it to pay your hospital bills, I wouldn't be broke now."

Joel looked baffled. He grasped my hand, unconcerned about appearances. "You paid for my hospital bills? What's going on, Jazz?"

I jerked my hand away abruptly. "Mr. Griffins, please call me Jaslyn." I refused to be anyone's stand-in anymore. Back then, I mistook his calling 'Jazz' as a call to my name, but I don't want to hear that name now.

Jasmine wedged herself between us and produced a check, sliding it across the table to me. "Here, for you. Thank you for being with Joel for so long. Now that I'm back, it's time for you to leave. I hope you won't ever come back to disturb him."

I took the card and left, but Joel once again caught my hand. "Can you please tell me what's going on?"

Jasmine pulled Joel away. "Let bygones be bygones. I'm back now, aren't I?"

I didn't look back at him again as I walked out of the restaurant.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. The beautiful love I had believed in, the mutual understanding I thought we shared—all of it was just a game played by the Prince of Blumens' Elite Circle with a poor girl like me.

I took the money to pay for my grandmother's hospital bills, only to find out that the check couldn't be used.

I dialed Joel's number, but it remained frustratingly out of reach.

Driven by desperation, I rushed to Griffins Enterprise, only to be informed that Joel and Jasmine had jetted off for their honeymoon abroad.

In a panic, I scrambled to gather funds, scouring through my grandmother's medical files and contemplating loans, only to face rejection from banks citing my student status.

I tossed and turned all night, consumed by worry, unable to sleep. Yet, I had to mask my anguish from my grandmother who was laying weakly on bed, until the unexpected day she finally regained health.

I eagerly called for the doctor. However, after his examination, he sadly shook his head and warned me to prepare for the worst.

Through blurred vision from tears, I gazed at my frail grandmother. She smiled gently and urged me not to cry. "Be good, study hard," she whispered.

"We still have the sauerkraut I made at home, Jaslyn's favorite," she recalled with a nostalgic smile.

With a heavy heart, I called her grandmother affectionately, assuring her that everything would be alright. Then, unexpectedly, she peacefully slipped away.

Alone, I organized her funeral arrangements. Kneeling beside her grave, I poured out my sorrow, recounting my longing for her over and over again.

Today's gossip columns are buzzing with sightings of Joel and Jasmine in Sandsira.

I gripped the useless check tightly in my hand. Joel, Jasmine, you won't get away with this.

I delved into Jasmine's background. It turned out she came from a humble upbringing like mine. How did she suddenly have enough money to travel abroad on her own expenses?

That day Joel tightly held my hand and asked what was going on.

I was determined to uncover the truth, no matter what.

On weekends, my main agenda was visiting my grandmother's grave. This time, though, I encountered Jasmine there.

She was dressed in luxury, with an assistant holding an umbrella for her. Kneeling before my grandmother's grave, I fixed her with a cold, unwavering gaze. "Don't come here to dirty my grandmother's resting place."

Jasmine eyed me up and down, her tone cutting. "Quite bold for a replacement like yourself. You're taking yourself so seriously, yet Joel was merely toying with you, you know?"

Refusing to acknowledge her provocation, I stayed kneeling and responded calmly, "Ms. Stevens, if you are content with Mr. Griffins, there's no reason for you to provoke me, correct?"

Jasmine crossed her arms and frowned. "What do you mean?"

I rose to my feet with a confident smile, meeting her gaze squarely. "What I mean is, Mr. Griffins didn't lack the money for that plane ticket. You've been abroad for three years and he hasn't visited you once. I suppose that's how much you mean to him."

"You're so insecure, always running to me for reassurance and trying to bring me down," Jasmine accused, her hand poised to strike.

I grabbed her wrist before the slap could land. "Shut up! No matter what, I was Joel's first love. Who are you to label me as his replacement?"

I slapped her back in retaliation. "You were once a poor student yourself. How did you suddenly afford to study abroad? Surely Ms. Stevens knows more about this than I do."

"And as for my matters, I'll uncover every lie you told Joel," I vowed.

Turning around, I found Joel standing right behind me.

Jasmine covered her face and stood next to Joel in a gesture of vulnerability. "Joel, she hit me."

Joel shielded her behind him. "Jazz, you've gone too far."

I looked at him, no longer with the affection I once had, only disappointment. Summoning all my strength, I slapped him hard. "I've gone too far? I not only hit her, but I also hit you."

His bodyguards moved forward to intervene, but a single look from Joel made them step back.

"Joel, my grandmother's death is on you. I spent every penny of my savings to keep you alive when you were in the hospital. And now, you make me wonder, why would someone from the wealthy Griffin family had to deceive me over such trivial matters? It's unthinkable."

Joel looked at Jasmine in confusion. "Didn't you say she left me? What's this about the medical bills, then?"

"You did give her a check. Why did her grandmother still end up dying then?"

At that, I gritted my teeth and said, "Money? Handing over a worthless check counts as money?"

Jasmine tugged on Joel's sleeve, putting on a pitiful expression as she sweetly said, "Joel, when I went through all that trouble to find you, you were alone. I thought she had abandoned you."

Joel's expression softened a bit. He patted Jasmine's head and said, "It's okay, you couldn't have known. It's just a misunderstanding."

He turned to me again, "Jazz, I'm really sorry about your grandmother. I think this is just a misunderstanding. Jasmine didn't mean any harm."

I felt nothing but bitterness. My grandmother had given him everything, even worrying about him after he disappeared and now he stood before her grave, making excuses for the person who indirectly caused her death.

I looked at him coldly, my anger rising. "Don't call me Jazz, Joel. Haven't you had enough of playing the poor man's game? Please leave. I refuse to be anyone's substitute."

Joel instinctively reached out to hug me but pulled back, his face contorting with guilt. He fumbled in his pocket and took out a bank card. "I'm sorry I deceived you, but I did love you. Here’s seven hundred fifty thousand dollars as compensation."

"The password is your birthday."

I took the card. Jasmine's face showed displeasure, but she didn't dare say anything.

“Fine, compensation it is then. Mr. Griffins, please leave. With this, our problems are settled. I wish you and Ms. Stevens a lifetime of happiness together. I just hope I never see you again.”

Joel lowered his head and apologized multiple times. Seeing that I was ignoring him, he finally left.

With this seven hundred fifty thousand, did Jasmine think I wouldn't be able to uncover her past?