Chapter 1: Breakup Over a White T-shirt

My boyfriend broke up with me, complaining that I always wore a white T-shirt and jeans, claiming it was "not pleasing to the eye."

After breaking up, he flaunted a new girlfriend who wore Chanel in front of me.

Oh, Chanel. The brand's representative had just sent a new collection to my 500-square-meter duplex villa's wardrobe a few days ago.

1

On the 300-day anniversary of dating Andrew Lee, I happily took him home to meet my parents.

Before going home, my parents told me they planned to pretend to be poor to avoid me finding a materialistic boyfriend.

So, the 500-square-meter duplex villa became a small two-room one-hall apartment.

My haute couture dresses, bags, Chanel, and Gucci were temporarily packed away.

Along with those were my precious luxury cars.

I was confident, thinking Andrew Lee surely wouldn't care about such superficial material things.

After all, when I was with him, I was just an "ordinary person" with no background or status.

But I was completely unprepared for how his face changed as soon as he entered the house.

I enthusiastically welcomed him into my home, and he barely acknowledged my parents with a simple "Hello".

Then he placed the gift boxes he brought on the floor in the corner of the living room.

I glanced at those gift boxes, which altogether wouldn't exceed 500 yuan.

There weren't even any decent health products, just some cookies and small cakes.

It seemed like he was dismissing beggars, and I didn't mind it, but it was his first visit, and there should be some sincerity.

I pursed my lips, feeling a bit unhappy.

This was his first time at my house, and from the gifts, I could see his indifference and lack of effort.

But he ignored my gaze, sat by himself on our second-hand sofa, and played with his phone.

Before sitting, he disdainfully dusted the sofa with the wet wipes from his pocket.

My mom glanced at him, said nothing, but her expression didn't look good either.

"Let's eat first."

He responded and then stood up, heading to the dining table.

On the dining table were twenty dishes.

There were wild abalone and lobster flown over specially from abroad by my mom, and other seafood dishes.

I looked at my mom, thinking the cost of this meal could be equivalent to a down payment on this apartment.

Well, my mom truly was the type to fake poverty while not skimping on her palate.

"Andrew, you've been with Emily White for a while now. If your parents also desire, how about our families meet for a meal someday?"

Halfway through the meal, my mom smiled professionally and said something impeccable, looking at Andrew Lee.

He paused his chopsticks with the abalone, then took the largest piece of abalone from the table into his bowl.

With a side glance, he scanned our home.

The standard two-room one-hall small apartment, the living room furnished with not even our own second-hand sofa, was so worn that stuffing was coming out.

I curled my lips, thinking it probably didn't cost over a thousand yuan.

The central air conditioning felt ancient; the style was probably from a decade ago.

The kitchen was ridiculously small. When I went inside to help my mom with the dishes, we barely had room to turn around.

The entire apartment was smaller than the bathroom in my bedroom.

I watched him, and he was clearly scrutinizing our home too.

Then, he briefly glanced at my mom, lowered his head, and continued poking at the abalone in his bowl as he spoke indifferently.

"Auntie, maybe later. My parents are quite busy these days."

Upon hearing this, my parents exchanged looks and said nothing further.

On the way back after the meal, no one spoke in the silent car.

The next day, Andrew Lee left early and merely sent me a bland text on WeChat.

"I need to go on a business trip with my manager today. I'll be back in a few days."

I closed his chat window, clearly not intending to reply.

A while later, my mom sent me a text.

"My daughter, this person is not right for you."

Yes, indeed, he wasn't suitable.

That afternoon, while I was working at my desk on a project budget, my best friend called me.

"Is your boyfriend in Europe?"

"Do you know he's with another woman? They even kissed. I'll send you the picture now!"

I hadn't even spoken before my best friend rattled off a bunch like a machine gun.

When I finally reacted, I had already received the picture on my phone.

It was Andrew Lee intimately holding his manager in front of a hotel, lost in a kiss.

The woman's Chanel outfit caught my attention first.

It seemed to be an older model from a few years ago. While classic, it was clear it had been worn for quite some time.

I suddenly recalled how, when Andrew and I previously dated, he often used to say:

"Emily White, can't you dress up a bit?

Look at you, always in a white T-shirt and jeans, not a trace of femininity."

Speaking of that, I suddenly remembered, a new quarter of Chanel clothes and bags had just arrived and put in my walk-in closet in my multimillion-dollar villa.

2

I pulled my Hermes suitcase as I left Andrew Lee's apartment.

When Andrew Lee first saw this Hermes suitcase, I lied and told him it was a knock-off.

In reality, he didn't know I had pre-ordered it abroad, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to obtain it.

This hundreds of thousands of dollars was equivalent to Andrew's twenty years of salary.

But my mom had always taught me not to flaunt wealth, to be low-key.

So, I could only tell a benevolent lie.

Actually, if he had behaved slightly better at dinner that day, I wouldn't be so disappointed in him.

I originally planned to tell him that night about my family's multiple businesses.

For example, the company he worked for is actually one of my family's investments.

The building he resides in is one of my dad's real estate developments.

And, if his parents agreed, our family could provide the wedding cars and house.

Our family doesn't lack money.

I even picked out a new, high-configured Mercedes G-Class for him during my recent car shopping trip.

I imagined he'd surely like such a car, as one configuration alone would cost at least tens of millions.

But I hadn't expected his cold attitude upon seeing us living in an apartment.

Thinking of this, I found myself speechless.

Last night, while lying in bed, I turned away from Andrew Lee and asked, "Do you find my family too poor?"

Honestly, at that moment, I really wanted to reveal the truth about my family's situation, because we've been together for almost a year, and I do have feelings for him.

Moreover, I didn't want to deceive him.

But Andrew Lee just blandly said it was late and we should sleep.

He said nothing more.

The coldness and distance in his tone were undisguised.

My words were stuck in my throat, unable to come out.

....

My mom also told me that they were quite displeased with Andrew Lee.

Not to mention the lack of table manners, he couldn't even look people in the eye when answering elders.

Furthermore, upon entering, he openly displayed his disdain for my family's poverty.

Someone like him is clearly a materialistic man.

Initially, I didn't want to give up so easily.

But when the photo of Andrew Lee kissing another woman was displayed before me, I felt as if my cheek had been slapped hard.

It hurt!

Andrew Lee stayed in Europe for two days and returned on the third night.

When he came back to the apartment, it was past midnight. He still carried the scent of another woman's perfume.

As he went to the bedroom to freshen up, his phone on the bedside table suddenly received a notification from WeChat.

Looking at the lit screen, deep down, I sensed that this message couldn't be work-related.

After all, in the dead of night, who would be talking about work?

I switched on the bedside lamp, got up from bed, and entered the password to unlock his phone.

The next second, I saw that a woman's avatar had been pinned on his WeChat, and he had noted her as "baby."

The woman he called baby had texted him, asking if he was home.

The tone of this message clearly indicated their relationship wasn't ordinary.

I suppressed the tumultuous anger in my heart and began scrolling through their conversation history.

The chat log was extensive, as they spent hours daily indulging in idle talk.

But more than that, it's Andrew Lee's one-sided fiery enthusiasm.

He said: "In the future, if you want to go anywhere, just tell me. As long as I'm free, I'll take you to all the places you want to go as soon as possible."

Yet Andrew Lee has never used such gentle tones with me. To me, he always has this self-assured arrogance.

He also said: "I have to work hard to give you a good life in the future. I can't let you suffer with me."

So sometimes when he takes me out to eat, does he just order a simple bowl of beef noodles?

And secretly save money to support a mistress outside?

Was I foolishly looking at him, thinking that he's working hard to save money for us?

In the end, he said: "After these two days, I've suddenly realized that I really like you. Every time I see you and spend time with you, I feel like my heart beats just for you."

Turns out, behind all this, he's such a pathetic sycophant?

Seeing the chat up to this point, I can roughly guess that the woman is his supervisor, his boss.

She can also help him progress in his career. So, is he catering to her in this way?

Then what am I, lying in the same bed with him every night?

A bedmate just to keep warm?

When Andrew Lee came out after his shower, he clearly didn't expect that I was still awake.

Moreover, when his eyes landed on me holding his phone in my hand, he rushed over in great agitation and snatched the phone away.

Then he pushed me hard; luckily, there was a pillow behind me, but my wrist inevitably hit the corner of the headboard.

My elbow hit it, sending sharp pain that pierced my nerves, and I gasped in surprise.

Before I could speak, Andrew Lee was the first to accuse me.

"Emily White! You actually snooped on my phone?!"

Rubbing my aching arm, I softly spoke: "Andrew Lee, what do you mean by this? Two-timing and treating me as a backup plan?"

"Being with me while also clinging to your boss's coattails."

"Andrew Lee."

I looked at him, my tone slightly satirical: "How come I never realized you could be such an repulsive person."

My words clearly provoked his anger.

"Repulsive? Repulsive about what? We've been together for a year, and it's mostly just holding hands. Even when we sleep on the same bed, you won't let me touch you."

Andrew Lee pointed at himself, looking quite menacing with his eyes slightly bulged in agitation.

"Also, look at yourself, you look so shabby from head to toe.

There's not even a decent piece of clothing in your wardrobe."

Andrew Lee walked to the wardrobe and swung open the door.

The clothes inside gently swayed from the force.

I saw the somewhat faded jeans and the dull and boring T-shirts.

But in fact, Andrew Lee didn't know that those clothes weren't the cheap brands he thought.

On the contrary, even one T-shirt alone might cost as much as his entire month's living expenses.

"Look at you, you're either wearing a white T-shirt and jeans or a simple shirt and dress pants every day, even when we're out dating, shopping, or eating."

"You have no feminine charm at all. Sometimes, I honestly don't want to go out with you."

After he finished, Andrew Lee glanced at those plain clothes with considerable contempt.

But at this moment, he didn't know that these clothes were just another kind of protective color for me.

"What did you say?"

Turns out, in his eyes, I'm just a country bumpkin unable to be shown off.

"Because any grown woman on the street dresses with more class and taste than you."

Andrew Lee no longer concealed his feelings, blurting everything out in one go.

"And look at your family's financial situation; even the sofa and air conditioning are second-hand."

"You still think about having dinner with my parents? Let me be honest with you, Emily, I won't marry you! At least not with a woman poorer than me."

His tone was so certain that it left me stunned for a long time.

"So, your ideal marriage partner is your boss supervisor? Just because she has money, power, and status?"

Andrew Lee glanced at me from the corner of his eye without speaking, but that look said it all.

I bowed my head and chuckled coldly, then simply stopped engaging with him, walked aside, and opened my suitcase to start packing and preparing to leave.

Andrew Lee watched me with folded arms, opening his mouth to taunt.

"Emily, if you move out this time, you'd better never come back!"

I treated him as air, packing my things into the suitcase in one go.

Turned away and left.

With his fifty-square-foot shabby apartment, he made it seem so precious.

The door behind me slammed shut, drowning out Andrew Lee's incessant insults.

"I want to see where a shabby person like you can go after leaving me! Emily, don't let me see you begging on your knees for me to take you back."

I snorted coldly, afraid that if anyone is to beg, it would be you.

I took out my phone and called my family driver, who soon arrived in a Bentley right before me.

"To my villa in the suburbs."

I originally planned to go to my family's hotel, but then I thought the villa would be much more comfortable to stay in.

After all, it's a tens-of-millions-worth villa. It's wasted when left vacant. Such extravagance.

More importantly, this villa is something Andrew Lee couldn't even dream of.

He certainly wouldn't know that my real status is like night and day compared to his.

3

The next day as I went to work, Andrew Lee sent me a file when I reached the office.

Opening it, I almost laughed out loud.

How could someone be so thick-skinned and shameless in this world?

He had the nerve to compile all our dating expenses over the past three hundred days into a file and sent it to me, asking for money.

"Emily, if you want to break up, fine. Just pay back all the money I've spent on you during this time."

I suddenly grew interested in checking out what sorts of items Andrew Lee listed in the spreadsheet he sent me.

1. March 5th, went out for Western food, Meituan price: 200 yuan.

2. April 10th, went to an amusement park, group purchase price: 150 yuan per person, total: 300 yuan.

3. April 10th, lunch at the amusement park with beef noodles, 50 yuan per person, total: 100 yuan. Dinner at a Chinese restaurant, total: 230 yuan.

4. April 20th, my birthday, he gave me a 52.0 red envelope, plus a 120 yuan cake, and a 9.9 rose.

5. Went to the movies five times, total: 135.8 yuan.

6…

He even included the cost of drinks, transportation, mailing packages, and some miscellaneous fees.

Adding up all those bits and pieces, it totaled 3548.56 yuan.

Looking at the number at the bottom, my lips curled as this amount couldn't even cover the ends of a handbag for me.

Yet to my surprise, he remembered it quite clearly.

Also, marked every expenditure with dates.

So why doesn't he think about what I bought for him during our relationship and the money I spent on him?

On the 100th-day anniversary, I bought him a pair of shoes worth 7,500 yuan.

I had to use many connections to get it shipped from abroad.

On his birthday, I gifted him a Cartier Ballon Bleu watch, nearly worth fifty thousand.

And every time we went out to eat, I secretly paid off large bills, with him just covering some trivial costs.

And now he's shamelessly displaying this money before me to show off.

Truly, they say a shameless person is unbeatable!

I felt that continuing to converse with such a fool like Andrew Lee would only lower my IQ.

So I simply ignored him, block-listed his WeChat in one go.

Along with his phone number.

I thought that this way, he wouldn't bother me again.

But I never expected that someone shameless could redefine your worldview.

Including the foolish ex-boyfriend you once fancied when your brain was soaked.

Ignoring Andrew Lee for one day, he somehow found a way to post on our company's intranet, labeling me as a "vain" woman who spends others' money while dating.

Attached was a file.

What a guy! He actually deleted all those expenses for me from the file.

Instead, he highlighted my faults.

Moreover, in the afternoon, he stormed into our company looking for me.

I was already in a bad mood because of the morning's event, so seeing him seeking me out only fueled my anger.

Apparently, this guy came knocking, looking for a beating. So there's no need for me to be merciful.

Hence, I relaxed, waiting to see what kind of antics he was planning to deliver.

Andrew Lee started shouting as soon as he saw me.

"Emily, you're here just right; come on, everybody look at what kind of face this woman shows when dating."