Chapter 4

"What are you guys up to?" The driver's furious words interrupted my thoughts, and I frowned at Julian. "We're not leaving." Waving dismissively, Julian gave the driver two hundred dollars and sent him off. I let out a long sigh. "What are you doing? Mr. Blake, the game is over." "Serena, I…" With reddened eyes, Julian hesitated for some time before finally saying, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fooled you. I just… thought it was fun. I was wrong. Please forgive me." I studied his expression to find out if he meant those words. Thinking I was still mad at him, Julian swore, "I mean it. Please don't go. I'll take you to the mall tomorrow and buy you a gift to make it up to you. You liked that one bag when we went there last time, right?" During our last visit to the mall, I fancied a bag that cost one thousand dollars. However, I wanted to save the money for Julian, so I gave up on buying it and only admired it. I never told him how much I liked the bag. Julian knew what I liked all this while. Yet all he did was enjoy the things he received from me instead of reciprocating. At that moment, I felt that Julian was truly regretting his actions. "Do you really want my forgiveness?" I looked at him. Julian immediately smiled, thinking I had changed my mind. "Of course. We were so happy together. It's not worth breaking up over such a small matter." I scoffed in my heart. To him, fooling me for so many years was just a small matter. Crossing my arms, I stared at him dead in the eyes. "Sure, we can still be together. But I can't accept the fact that you like another person. As long as you break up with Elena, we can go back to what we were." "No!" Julian refused without even thinking about it. I let out a scoff, causing him to snap out of it. A look of discomfort flashed past his eyes, but he insisted, "Nothing is going on between me and Elena. Don't get the wrong idea." I cast him an icy glare. "The wrong idea? I witnessed everything in person!" I could not be bothered to waste my words on Julian anymore. I snatched my luggage from him and hailed another cab. When Julian wanted to act out the same scene again, I held the car door firmly and warned, "Julian, it's over." Seeing I was really going to leave, Julian threatened, "Serena Ashford! Now that you know my identity, you'd better think things through. I won't give you another chance after today. If you come back now, I promise you'll never need to worry about your needs, nor do you have to work so many part-time jobs. "You'll even get to enjoy living life as a rich person. You won't lose out on this deal." His prideful and confident tone made me laugh sarcastically. "I don't want it. Let go or I'll call the police and sue you for harassment." He looked at me in astonishment as I continued, "If you don't want to appear in tomorrow's headlines for harassing a young woman, you'd better move out of the way." I meant what I said. Perhaps the seriousness in my gaze took him by surprise, and he let go of the car door without realizing it. I got into the cab confidently and said, "Let's go, mister." The cab slowly picked up the pace and drove farther away. I watched Julian take a few steps forward before stopping in his tracks and staring at me. Sighing internally, I glanced out the window and watched the night view with mixed emotions. I would be lying if I said I was not sad. After all, I had put my whole heart and soul into my relationship with Julian, only to find out I was fooled. Even so, I knew I needed to put an end to things or they would only get messier. Our difference in status and family background was not the biggest problem—it was the gap between our differences in thinking. Despite understanding that, I still felt an inexplicable sadness in my heart. The cab had crossed half the city, yet I did not find it unfamiliar. For the past few years, I had taken up jobs all over Grandview just to support Julian. Thus, I was familiar with most of the major streets. By the time a lighthouse came into my sight, I could no longer suppress my feelings. "Mister, please stop the car." There was a river that ran through the middle of Grandview, and both sides of the river were the city's most prosperous areas. In the past, I always passed the area as a busy employee. But now, I wanted to enjoy the view. Although the wind was strong, I did not feel the least bit cold. Just like that, I strolled along the riverbank. In the middle of the river was the lighthouse that Julian had once stared at while promising to marry me. He even told me once he made some money, he would book the lighthouse and light it up for the proposal. Julian wanted to propose there as a promise to become the lighthouse in my life. When I recalled those memories, I could not help but tear up. Every memory from the past started surfacing, making me feel more depressed. My silent sobs gradually turned into anguished cries. I had done so much for Julian and yet, he only treated me like a joke. Just then, my phone rang with notifications. I took it out and found that Julian had sent me texts. "Serena, I bought you the bag you wanted and other gifts to make it up to you. I was wrong. Please forgive me." When I read his texts, all I felt was emptiness. Then, my phone rang. The sight of Julian's name on the caller ID triggered a sense of annoyance. I turned the phone off, and everything around me fell silent again. I continued walking along the river, but all I did was wander around the lighthouse. My mind was in such a mess that I didn't notice the clouds gathering in the sky. By the time I came to my senses, it was already pouring. As the rain poured on me, I felt my anger dissipating. The cool sensation was extremely comfortable. Lifting my head, I stared helplessly at the dark sky as tears trickled uncontrollably down my cheeks.