Chapter 1

Word on the street in the city of Hereshire was that Roy Chester had a penchant for eighteen-year-old girls. Yet, Willow Croyton was twenty-one when they started dating, and she stuck by him for nearly three years.

She was a well-known simp to Roy, her only merit being her docility and good behavior. Later, when Willow left, Roy was spotted multiple times near her apartment block, his eyes teary.

Chapter 1

Word on the street in Hereshire was that the young heir of the Chesters had a thing for eighteen-year-olds. However, Willow Croyton was twenty-one when she got with Roy Chester, and they were together for nearly three years.

One evening, Willow received a call from Roy. He told her he would be back in Hereshire that night and was craving short ribs. Willow spent the next two hours cooking up a storm, but Roy was nowhere to be found.

Around eight that night, she called to check on him. The line was noisy, filled with chatter and card shuffling of a poker game.

“I’m at the Red Lounge. I’ll send the driver to pick you up.”

“I thought you were coming back for dinner,” Willow replied.

“Haven’t you had dinner? What do you fancy? Come over, and I’ll get the kitchen to make something for you,” Roy said without a care.

Willow fell silent for a moment.

Right before she took up on his offer, a boisterous voice interrupted the call. “Royal flush!”

Amid the crackling sounds, someone poked fun at Roy. “What does Willow have on you? I can’t believe you haven’t dumped her yet. You’re not actually into her, are you?”

Roy scoffed. “Get your head out of the clouds before you talk to me, will you?”

“You guys just don’t get it. Even a pet will grow on you, and Willow is the ultimate pleaser. Roy can’t just turn his back on a faithful doormat.”

“Oh, quit it!” Roy remarked with a smile.

There was a bunch of noise, then it went quiet. Roy must have realized the call was still connected, so he hung up.

The poker game was still going on when Willow arrived at the club. The guys at the poker table were the ones she had heard on the phone. No one seemed the least bit concerned, though. They were sure Willow would not and could not make a fuss regardless of what she had heard.

Willow was gorgeous, but pretty girls were a dime a dozen. Born into power and privilege, Roy could have any woman he wanted. Willow was just the most sensible and docile one of them all to stick with Roy all these years. Sure enough, Willow simply kept her head down while taking a seat next to Roy.

Roy was tipsy when leaving the club at midnight, his weight pinning Willow down. By the time Willow managed to shove Roy into the car, she had worked up quite a sweat.

The car cruised down a dark, empty mountain road. The absence of streetlights gave the illusion of being in the middle of nowhere.

Roy leaned in for a kiss, and Willow, while sitting upright, let out a startled yelp when Roy suckled her earlobe. He really got into it and anchored her hand, his body pressing down on hers.

“Uh, don’t….” Willow murmured, her eyes darting to the front in a flurry.

Without pausing, Roy tapped on the privacy partition behind him, and the car pulled up at the side of the road.

Roy was a seasoned lover, always looking for thrills. Despite her familiarity with his ways, Willow could not get used to his advances. She blushed when the chauffeur got out of the car and locked the door behind him.

Still, Roy seemed to love that about her. He gave her cheek a little squeeze and clutched her chin to lock tongues while unbuckling his belt with his free hand.

The confines of the small space kicked Roy’s desire into drive. Their bodies were slicked with sweat on the chilly night of late autumn.

Willow plucked her chin up, her eyes zeroing in on the drop of sweat slipping along Roy’s chiseled face, chin, Adam’s apple, chest, and all the way down. She had to admit that even without the prestige of his family name, Roy had the looks and body.

Noticing her staring, Roy chuckled. “Admiring the view?”

Before Willow could say anything, he slipped a diamond-encrusted bracelet onto her wrist. The jewelry piece slid down her arm, the cold sensation of the metal pressing against her skin.

“Your birthday gift.”

Seated, Roy rolled over and pulled on his shirt offhandedly.

Willow’s downcast eyes fell on her phone. The clock just struck twelve, and it was October 19th. It was not her birthday, though.

“Thank you.” Willow leaned closer to wrap her arms around Roy’s arms and pecked him on the cheek.

With the phone ringing, Willow glanced over while Roy beat her to take the call.

“Roy…” Sierra Burton’s whimpers echoed in the cramped car space.

Roy sat up. “What’s the matter? Easy there. Take your time.”

Only a broken stream of tears came through.

Furrowing his brows, Roy buttoned up his shirt. “I’ll get there now.”

After the call, Roy fastened the last button. “Get out.”

Roy gave no explanation or time for Willow to straighten herself up.

Just like that, Willow stood at the side of the road, clad in a windbreaker as Roy’s ride disappeared into the night. The cold night air did little to cool the heat that still clung to her skin.

Then, with her phone vibrating in her pocket, Willow whipped it out for a look.

“See that? I can make him leave you with one phone call.” The message was dripping with smug satisfaction.

Willow tugged at her collar, took a photo of her well-loved neck, and sent it out.

A message soon came in. “You have no shame!”

Willow grinned.

A barrage of messages continued to flood her phone. Without reading the texts, Willow knew the content was insults and hate directed at her.

She plopped the phone back into her phone and pulled her coat tighter around her shivering body, a bitter laugh escaping her lips.

Such was her life, but thankfully, all would be over eleven days later.

Chapter 2

The next morning, Willow went to school and presented her paper to her advisor.

“You have a lot of potential, Willow, but your academic pursuits seem to be taking a backseat. How many times have I told you to revise the paper?” The suited professor adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and stared at Willow with a smile.

“What are the changes I should make, professor? I’ll follow your instructions to a tee.” Willow hung her head low, her demeanor soft and submissive.

“Are you sure?”

The advisor rose to his feet and approached Willow from behind, his hand running down her silky hair.

As Willow remained motionless, his hand landed on her shoulder, his fingers kneading through the thin fabric of her blouse.

Willow closed her eyes and murmured, “What do you like about me, professor?”

The advisor laughed. “There’s just something about you that appeals to men. You’re a fascinating contraction between fragility and stubbornness, purity and promiscuity…”

His hand slid further down as he spoke.

Willow broke free and raised her voice. “What are you doing, professor? Let me go! I’m here to submit my paper. Are you going to harass me because I won’t sleep with you?”

Struck by a thought, the advisor grimaced. “Did you set me up?”

Willow’s sobbing voice was filled with terror. “Please stop, professor! Please…”

The advisor scowled. “Motherf–”

Just then, the door to the office was kicked open with a bang.

Roy barged into the room looking like he was out for blood, taking Willow by surprise. The next thing she knew, her advisor was down on the floor, groaning in pain. Roy came on hard and strong, pulling punches right to the bone.

Willow quickly snapped out of her shock and pulled Roy back. “Stop, Roy!”

The man lay on the ground out cold with a busted nose. Not done with the professor, Roy planted a brutal kick.

Willow grabbed him from the waist to pull him back. “You’re going to kill him.”

Huffing and puffing, Roy cocked his head back at her. The first thing he saw was the possessive marks along her collarbone.

Hiding the emotions behind his eyes, he said with bloodthirst, “Did he do that to you?”

Willow followed his line of vision. “You did it.”

Roy was lost for words. However, he paid no heed to Willow’s dissuasion and turned back around to give the man on the ground another kick. Then, he grabbed Willow by the wrist and stormed out.

Willow snatched her bag from the desk and sighed to herself before discreetly turning off the voice recorder inside.

“How long has this been going on? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Burning in rage, Roy darted ahead, and Willow had to jog to keep up.

How long had it been? Willow reckoned that it had been more than six months.

It started with verbal harassment and escalated to unwanted physical advances. When she explicitly rejected her advisor, he began to make her life miserable.

Why had she not turned to Roy for help?

At first, Willow did think about seeking his help since her life would be back on track at the snap of Roy’s fingers. Heck, Roy could get away with barging into the office and beating the crap out of her advisor. However, why did she not then?

Emotions washed over her, and before she knew it, her lips curled into a smile. What did Roy say the other day again?

He uttered, “Don’t think too highly of yourself, Willow. Do you actually think you’re my girlfriend because I’m nice to you?”

Left out in the pouring rain, Willow spent the night drenched to the bone and contracted a week-long fever. The moment she felt better, she shamelessly went back to Roy and apologized.

Since then, they had gone about life like nothing ever happened. However, Willow knew that things were different for her.

Roy went to make a phone call and dropped a few terse words. The person on the other end of the line promised to get right to the matter.

“What brings you here?” Willow asked once he was finished with the call.

Before Roy could reply, Willow got her answer when she approached the school gate.

“Fancy seeing you here too, Willow. You’re at school too.” Sierra popped her head out of the car, looking rather innocent and surprised, a far cry from the defiant tone of her messages last night.

Chapter 3

“Get in.” Roy released Willow’s hand and approached the driver’s seat.

As Willow drew close, Sierra got out of the car in a fluster. “I’m sorry, Willow. I didn’t mean to make him drive me around like a chauffeur. I should get out of the front passenger seat. I’ll switch with you right now–”

“Hold still! You have a sprained ankle!” Roy stopped Sierra.

Before Roy could say another word, Willow opened the door to the back seat and climbed in. As the car drove off, Roy appeared annoyed, so silence hung heavy in the car.

Moments later, Sierra cocked her head back and said bashfully, “Are you upset, Willow? Roy gave me a ride to school to submit my work because I hurt my ankle. That’s all.”

Before, Willow would snap back with a smile, saying, “I thought it’s compulsory for freshmen to live on campus.”

Today, however, she could not be bothered to engage with Sierra.

Roy said, “She’s having a bad day. Don’t blame yourself or worry too much, kiddo.”

Sierra grinned shyly and pouted. “I’m not a kid anymore, Roy. I’m eighteen, and in a few years, I’ll be old.”

Her gaze lingered on Willow as she said that.

Roy appeared amused, tension lifting from his furrowed brows. After that, Sierra chattered away about her school life while Roy listened intently for once.

Willow looked out the window, her mind elsewhere. She wondered if Sierra’s connection with Roy mirrored hers three years ago. She would say the dumbest and most naïve things on purpose, and Roy would take the time to listen to her. He would even cup her chin and kiss her.

His kisses back then were light, cautious, and almost worshipful. Though time went on, Roy could not get enough of her lips. Only, those kisses became more demanding, possessive, and thick with aggression.

She once lost herself in his affections, until one day, Willow overheard a casual remark from Roy’s buddy. “I didn’t think Willow would be so easy. Once you’re tired of her, maybe I can have a turn.”

Willow fled the scene, unable to take another word. It was humiliating enough to have her private life laid bare, but the thought of hearing the truth from Roy’s own lips was too much to bear. After all, she still cared a lot about Roy then.

“Willow, could you?” Sierra’s voice brought Willow back to reality.

“What?” Willow looked up.

“Roy said you make the best short ribs. Could you make the dish for us, Willow?” Sierra asked with a smile.

Willow glanced at Roy through the rear-view mirror, but Roy kept to himself.

“Sure,” she answered.

“That’s great! Thank you, Willow!”

Then came a buzz from Willow’s phone.

Sierra texted, “Thank you for cooking for us.”

Another text message followed seconds later. “Do you want to know why Roy loves this dish?”

Sierra ended the conversation there. She took pleasure in Willow’s distress, eager to see her squirm in anxiety.

Willow simply dropped her gaze, so Sierra sent another text message as the car entered a villa community.

“Someone once made him the food. Do you want to know who it was?”

Willow put away her phone without responding to the texts.

When the car pulled up outside a villa, Sierra opened the door and stepped out. The moment her foot landed on the floor, she let out a cry and nearly took a tumble.

Roy was quick to break her fall.

“I’m fine, Roy. I can walk… Eek!” Sierra exclaimed as Roy swept her into his arms.

Willow emerged from the car and watched as Sierra clung to Roy, her head nestled against his shoulder, her coy glance meeting Willow’s.

That would have upset Willow before, but she would have had to keep her emotions to herself. Now, she calmly looked ahead and closed the car door. She was even so kind as to punch the passcode for Roy at the front entrance.

Roy took one look at Willow, his expression unreadable.

While Willow was blanching the ribs in the kitchen, Sierra’s cheerful laughter boomed from the living room.

When her phone vibrated on the counter, Willow expected another passive-aggressive text from Sierra. However. her heart quickly sank.

The message came from an unsaved contact, but she knew the number too well. The text was brief. “Transfer me a million bucks.”

Willow grabbed her phone and typed back furiously.

As the bubbling water spilled over from the pot, Willow knocked it off the stove in a panic. Immediately, a sharp, burning pain shot through her foot.

Chapter 4

The commotion drew Roy over, and the first thing Willow did was put away her phone when she saw him.

Oblivious to her subtle gesture, Roy strode over the mess and scooped her up with one arm. He turned on the tap with the other. The scalded skin on the back of her foot went numb for a moment under the cold water, followed by a wave of excruciating pain.

Willow bit her lips, her face discolored.

Roy gripped her ankle with a grimace. “You’re not a child anymore, Willow. How did you manage to tip over a pot of boiling water?”

In a fit of frustration and pain, Willow bit down on Roy’s shoulder. Roy gritted his teeth but held onto her.

“Did you burn yourself, Willow? I hope it isn’t bad.” Sierra emerged at the kitchen door, looking anxious. “I’ll get you something for the burns.”

Roy took a glance at Willow’s foot and carried her out, passing Sierra. “We’re going to the hospital.”

When the car started, Sierra limped after them and insisted on coming along because she was concerned about Willow too.

As Roy sped along the road, Willow’s phone in the bag buzzed. Feeling the vibration through the fabric of her face, Willow could not feel more annoyed.

Neither of them spoke, and silence settled tensely over the car.

Halfway to the destination, Sierra broke into tears in the back seat. “It’s all my fault, Willow. You wouldn’t have gotten burned if I hadn’t asked for short ribs. You remind me of my sister, and I just want to get close to you.”

Roy’s expression darkened at that comment.

While Willow said nothing, Roy, on the other hand, offered Sierra words of comfort.

Sierra kept the tears coming. “I’m sorry, Willow. I didn’t think things through. I should have realized you might not want to cook for someone else, especially since you made that dish specifically for Roy. I sprained my ankle when someone pushed me. It’s not my intention to trouble Roy. I didn’t mean to get injured.”

Struck by a thought, Roy made a face. He slammed the brakes right outside the hospital, and Willow nearly hit her face on the windscreen.

Roy looked at Willow with all the malice in the world.

“Is this a game to you, Willow? It’s just a dish. If you don’t want to make it, fine. Why go to such lengths? When are you going to stop this childish behavior? Get out!”

Willow stood barefooted on the cold cement floor outside the hospital, her feet chilly and throbbing.

As Roy sped away, she was reminded of that night in the storm. At least Roy dropped her off at the hospital today, and she smiled wryly at the thought.

Meanwhile, her phone in the bag buzzed incessantly, but it was a call this time. Willow took a deep breath, her brows furrowing irritably.

A gruff voice of a middle-aged woman boomed. “No money? Who are you trying to fool?

“You probably don’t know this, but Ian goes to school in Hereshire now. He saw you getting into a fancy car today. The car must be worth millions.

“You didn’t tell us that you got a sugar daddy. I’m only asking for a million dollars. He won’t be missing that much money. I got his license plate, so you better wire the money in a week, or I’ll talk to him myself.”

Willow gnashed her teeth and said curtly, “You get your monthly three grand and not a penny more.”

By the end of the call, Willow found herself shaking while clutching the phone. She felt a mix of anger and fear.

Then, the phone blared once more.

Exasperated, Willow sank her back against the wall and answered, “Can’t you just leave me alone? Beat it!”

‘Don’t yell at me, Willow…” Sierra’s timid voice came on the call. “I was just worried about you…”

Willow turned her attention to the screen, which showed Sierra’s number. Judging by Sierra’s docile behavior, Willow was certain that Sierra had put her on loudspeaker for Roy’s ears.

Sure enough, Roy’s icy voice pierced through the call.

“Apologize, Willow!”

Willow drew a deep breath and terminated the call with trembling hands.

Chapter 5

Since that day, Roy did not contact Willow again, nor did he go home.

Willow knew that Roy was angry. He was punishing her for her defiance. Usually, she would cave in to him within three days. However, this time, Willow glanced at the calendar and decided to give herself a break.

The weather turned dreary on the last day of October. That evening, Willow got a call from Roy. He gave her an address and told her to dress up.

Though the nature of the event was not spoken of, Willow knew that Roy’s best friend, Adrian Cavill was celebrating his birthday. From the day Willow got together with Roy, she had taken note of all the important dates of his friends.

Willow agreed to go, and none of them brought up the last fight they had. As she had been wearing slip-ons at home to let her foot heal, her foot protested as she wedged it into stilettos to match her evening gown.

At the party, Willow was surprised to see Roy’s mother. The poised woman took Roy’s arm and brushed past Willow, her gaze fixating on Willow’s face for a moment before shifting away.

Roy’s mother said to Adrian with a smile, “You’ve got your gift. I won’t stay and make things awkward for you young people. Have fun.”

Sierra popped out of nowhere once Roy’s mother was gone. It then dawned on Willow the reason why Roy had brought her to the party.

There had been whispers in the community that Willow could stick by Roy’s side for so long largely because his mother had never openly criticized her. Of course, Roy’s mother could not possibly be fond of Willow. Willow was simply invisible to her.

As it turned out, Willow was just a shield for Sierra, taking the brunt of Roy’s mother’s rage if any, and the thought of it made Willow chuckle silently.

After seeing his mother off, Roy returned to the venue and headed straight to Sierra.

Sierra wore a bluish dress, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders. She looked timid, her eyes darting around curiously.

Roy stared at her, his emotions hiding behind his eyes.

Sierra bumped into a passing server with a tray in hand. As the tray tipped over, Roy snatched her waist and pulled her to safety.

The smashed and shattered wine glasses caught everybody’s attention.

Startled, Sierra clenched to Roy’s collar and recoiled in his arms. “Oh, no, Roy. Did I cause a scene? It’s embarrassing.”

Roy stroked her back to offer solace. “No one will say that you’re embarrassing.”

“I-I’ll clean up the mess right away.” Sierra got down to clear the glass shard, only to withdraw her arm with a shriek.

Roy nervously examined her hands.

On his knees, the terrified server apologized profusely while picking up the broken glass.

“Ha…”

A sneer came from behind Willow.

“This one is worse than the last.” The comment was made right in Willow’s face.

The insult was directed at Sierra and Willow.

In fact, Roy’s friends had never accepted Willow. They looked down on commoners like her. They could be all friendly in front of Roy, but the taunts and disdain would go on behind his back. Besides, no one was worried that Willow would complain, given her history of clinging to Roy and submitting to his wishes.

Willow went outside for a breather since it was freezing for anyone to hang around the pool. However, the warmth from staying indoors was fleeting, and soon, she was shivering.

She eventually regained some temperature from taking two drinks when Sierra showed up. Sierra’s cheeks were flushed as she wobbled her way over, a glass of wine in hand.

“I need a word with you, Willow.”

Willow backed away, keeping a distance between them.

“Don’t try me,” she warned.

Nevertheless, Sierra stuck close to Willow and murmured in her ear, “If we both were to fall into the pool, who do you think Roy would save?”

With a splash, Sierra pulled Willow into the water.

Chapter 6

Ice-cold water filled Willow’s lungs as the weight of her soaked gown pulled her down in the water. She thrashed hard against the water, but her tight dress restricted her movements. She felt trapped, unable to surface out of the water or reach the bottom.

As her heart pounded out of her chest, Willow felt the burn in her lungs. She tried to rip open the dress binding her feet desperately. Amid her struggle, her toes touched the bottom of the pool. With all her might, she pushed off the bottom and surfaced.

People gathered around the pool, their voices a blur.

While Willow gasped for air, Roy pushed through the crowd and leaped into the water without taking off his shoes. He swam toward Sierra. The water splashed on Willow’s face, blurring her vision.

Roy quickly carried Sierra to safety, both looking pale with dread. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Sierra. He held her tight as if he had almost lost her.

Sierra opened her eyes, tears streaming down her face. “I was terrified, Roy…”

Wiping the water off her face, Willow hovered toward the edge of the pool with the help of a float. Then, she reached for the ladder and pulled herself up.

Looking up, Willow was greeted by Roy’s menacing face.

“Apologize.” He towered over her.

Willow met his gaze. “I didn’t do it.”

“Don’t tell me she did this to herself. She’s terrified of water. She can’t swim at all!”

Sierra sobbed softly while the crowd looked over, whispering among themselves.

A blinding spotlight shone down on Willow, making her feel like a criminal on trial.

“Willow, apologize!” Roy was on the verge of blowing up.

“Uh, what is going on?” Adrian, the birthday boy, rushed over to pull Roy away. “Willow has no reason to put herself in danger. I mean, just look at the state she’s in.”

Adrian was one of the few good ones among Roy’s friends who did not speak ill of Willow.

Roy sneered, his piercing gaze cutting through Willow. “Oh, she’s an expert at making herself out to be the victim.”

Before Adrian could intervene again, Willow broke into a smile.

“I’ll apologize. I’m sorry, Sierra.” Willow beamed as she apologized.

Roy was taken aback. Even Adrian did not see it coming. After all, no one in their right mind would smile in such a situation.

Willow tugged lightly on Roy’s pants and mumbled, “Don’t be mad, okay?”

That was the Willow they knew. She would do anything to please Roy. An apology was no big deal. It did not matter who was at fault.

Relieved, Adrian had Willow pulled out of the pool.

Roy made a face, his anger peaking at Willow’s light chuckles, yet his fury melted away when she apologized softly. Still, unrest stirred within him like something was slipping out of his control.

When Willow picked up her dress and walked past him, Roy grabbed her wrist.

“My belly hurts, Roy…” Sierra’s timid voice came through as she clutched her stomach in distress.

After a brief pause, Roy released his grip on Willow and rushed to Sierra’s side. “Come on. I’m taking you to the hospital to run all the tests.”

Willow was left there in a crumpled gown, facing the scrutiny all on her own. The looks she received were judgmental, taunting, and thrilled.

“I bet Mr. Chester will dump Willow this time. He just walked away with his new girlfriend. If I were her, I wouldn’t show my face ever again.”

“That’s you. We’re talking about Willow here. She has a big heart. She’ll be begging for his attention by tomorrow.”

Adrian embarrassedly handed Willow a towel. “Let’s get you to a dressing room.”

“Thank you.” Willow clad her thinly veiled dress with the towel and trailed behind a server.

The burn on her foot had scraped against the pool’s tile during the struggle, leaving a bloody gash. However, she paid no heed to her injury and sauntered along with composure.

It was around eleven at night by the time she got back to the villa. She headed upstairs, changed out of her dress, and took a suitcase she had packed earlier from the closet.

As Willow made her way to the living room, the housekeeper emerged and asked with concern, “It’s late, Ms. Croyton. Where are you going?”

Willow grinned. “Thank you for everything for the past three years, Hailey. Goodbye.”

The clock on the wall let out a hum when it struck twelve. It was over; everything was over.

Willow dragged her suitcase out the door as relief washed over her. At that moment, her phone rang. Roy’s name lit up on her mobile screen.

Chapter 7

Outside the hospital, Roy stared at his phone in disbelief. He could not believe that Willow hung up on him.

Willow never terminated his call. She would always make sure to pick up right away. As such, Roy dialed her number again.

The call connected moments later, but it was quiet on the other end of the line. Roy, not one to cave in, said nothing. A tense silence lingered in the air, broken only by their breathing.

Roy felt bad as it just occurred to him that Willow’s foot was bleeding when he left. He was going to get her patched up. However, Willow was stubborn, as always. Despite her kind heart, she was headstrong. No one knew her better than Roy.

At the time, her uncompromising stance had rubbed him the wrong way. Hence, he said nothing and took Sierra away.

“Your foot–”

“It’s over between us, Roy.”

They talked over each other.

Roy paused for a minute before sneering. “What did you say, Willow?”

Willow remained indifferent. “If there’s anything between us, to begin with, that is. Else, you can say that you left me.”

Roy smirked. “Have it your way, Willow.”

After that, Willow ended the call, and Sierra came out of the assessment room to find Roy laughing away while staring at his phone.

She drew close with a smile. “Roy, what’s so funny–”

Roy hurled his phone, smashing it to the ground with a loud bang. Sierra clammed up in fright.

Roy’s chauffeur burst in. “Mr. Chester, I got a call from Hailey, saying that something isn’t right with Ms. Croyton. She left with a suitcase in the middle of the night…”

He trailed off when he saw the shattered phone on the floor.

With a grin, Roy uttered, “She better not come back.”

In less than a week, the city buzzed with the news that Roy had moved on to a younger model and finally ditched Willow after three years for a nineteen-year-old Sierra.

Unlike with Willow, Roy gave Sierra the world. Someone commented that Sierra’s long hair looked like Willow’s from behind, and Roy responded by kicking him into the pool. Since then, no one spoke of Willow in front of Roy anymore.

Still, everybody noticed that anything could set Roy off lately. Due to his unwarranted outbursts, his friends stopped the jokes.

One night, Roy lounged in the club after a business meeting, his eyes heavy with drink. It did not take Sierra long to join him, and Roy caught a whiff of her perfume. Then, at the faint sound of a click, his eyes snapped open.

With her back facing him, Sierra was busy texting away. From where he was sitting, Roy picked up that it was a photo of him lying down.

“Did you take a picture of me?” he murmured.

Sierra shuddered and dropped her phone on the sofa.

Roy’s eyes fell upon the phone screen, where a photo captured him reclining, his hand resting on the sofa, while Sierra leaned in, their poses suggesting an intimate embrace. Willow’s profile picture on the dialog box caught his eye right away.

Sierra swiftly grabbed her phone and put it behind her back.

“Roy, I-I…” Caught in the act, Sierra stammered for words.

Roy fell silent for a moment. “Come here.”

Before Sierra knew it, Roy pulled her into his arms and planted a kiss on her cheek. While that was happening, he held Sierra’s phone to take a picture of them and tapped to send the photo.

Chapter 8

Willow stared at the photo on her phone.

With his eyes closed and shirt collar undone, Roy’s relaxed posture belied the underlying intensity and revealed the sensuality of a man accustomed to the finer things in life. In the same photo, Sierra was snuggling up to his chest, smiling smugly at the camera.

A new photo, though slightly blurred, jumped out, showing the man leaning in to kiss the woman. The fluster and joy in the woman’s eyes were so real.

Six months ago, Willow would be hurt and upset to tears by the photo. Now, her gaze lingered on Roy’s aroused face before she deleted the photos with a tap.

Over the past few days, Sierra had been sending photos and text messages to get a rise out of her. Willow had yet to block Sierra to keep tabs on Roy. She had unfinished business to deal with, and the last thing she needed was for Roy to ruin things for her.

Men had fragile egos, and when she walked out on him, Roy’s response left a lingering doubt that things were far from over.

The next day, Willow went to her advisor’s office.

“When can I expect the recommendation letter for my PhD studies abroad, professor? Next week is the deadline.”

The advisor remained silent. The swelling on his face had subsided.

Willow gritted her teeth and flipped over her bang, dropping all its contents out to prove she did not have him on tape.

“I can understand that you’ve changed your mind about writing me a recommendation letter, but why did you have to stop Professor Anderson from writing me one too?”

The advisor pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose and replied, “We’ve received an anonymous complaint, calling your personal conduct in question. You have a history of promiscuous behavior.”

“Is there a rule against dating while enrolled in the school?”

“Ha… Are you saying that you were dating the young heir of the Chesters? What a fancy way of putting it.” The middle-aged man mocked, “He should have no problem sorting your recommendation letter out if he was your boyfriend. You won’t have to grovel at my feet.”

“That’s my business. I’m earning my way to study abroad. If it weren’t for your abuse of power and your vendetta against me, I wouldn’t be wasting my time here.”

With a scowl, the advisor jolted to his feet and lunged closer. “Do you think I don’t know Mr. Chester got sick of you and dumped you? You better drop your attitude now that you don’t have a sugar daddy to back you up.”

He was utterly humiliated when Roy beat him up. Now, consumed by rage, the advisor grabbed Willow by the hair.

“Why don’t you get down on your knees and beg?” He leaned close, his breath hot against her ear. “Show me how you got all over the Chesters’ heir. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll write you that recommendation letter.”

Forced to look up, Willow could feel the outline of his junk against her skin. With a blank face, she snapped up a pot of boiling tea near her and threw it at him.

The man let out an excruciating scream. Then, with a smack, Willow took a hit to the face and fell to the ground.

She grabbed her things on the floor and scurried out of the office without another word.

“Willow…”

Sierra caught up to Willow in the corridor.

Taking a good look at Willow’s face, she said with a smile, “What happened to your face?”

Willow looked at her. “You were the one who went and told the school, didn’t you?”

Since Willow kept her academic life separate from Roy’s world, her advisor would not have found out unless someone leaked the information.

Sierra beamed. “I was only telling the truth. Did it upset you, Willow?”

Chapter 9

Roy had one too many drinks that night. Usually, he would have a good measure of his intake and stay tipsy, or sometimes, he would pretend to be wasted just to tease Willow.

However, he got hammered pretty quickly that night. Either the booze was kicking in or his friends kept filling his glass, but he felt like crap halfway through.

Roy hurled his phone to Adrian. “Call Willow to pick me up.”

Silence weighed heavily in the air.

Roy looked up to Adrian spacing out, his phone in hand.

“I’ll do it.” Another friend snatched the phone from Adrian and said with a smile, “Willow will be here in no time, but you’re giving her an excuse to come back, Roy. She’ll hold on tight to you and refuse to let go.”

The remark cleared Roy’s head. It hit him that Willow had broken up with him, and it had been two weeks since they got in touch.

“Remember how Willow first forced herself into Roy’s life by staging an encounter at the café?” One of his friends teased. “It was so cheesy, but hey, it worked.”

“Then there was the time she waited outside the hot springs in the bitter cold. Apparently, she brought a coat for Roy, and we all saw right through her. She was probably looking to join Roy for a soak.”

“And they say gold diggers don’t put in the work, but look at Willow. She sure pulled out all the stops.”

Amid the roaring laughter, Roy recalled that he invited Willow over on a whim, only to forget about her while chatting with a friend.

As it was a private estate, the security guards turned her away, and because Roy did not have his phone with him, it took four hours for her call to reach him after his soak.

The place was in a remote suburb, with no taxis or other public places around. Willow stood by the road in the dead of winter, clinging to his coat as she waited patiently. Her nose was flushed against her fair skin, and snow lightly dusted her white fur hat, making her look like a winter fairy.

He thought she would throw a fit, yet she simply handed him the coat in front of everybody, expressing kindly that was the reason why she was there.

Roy found her somewhat endearingly naïve. Something about her there and then sent a rush to his loins. He pulled Willow into his arms and led her inside.

The next two hours were spent in the hot springs. When they got out, Willow could barely feel her legs. Roy had to carry her back to the room.

Willow’s eyes were red-rimmed, her lips lusciously flushed, and her gaze held a sultry allure for Roy. She certainly had a hold on him.

Roy tugged at his collar, overcome by irritation. He staggered to his feet and snatched his phone from someone’s hand.

“I’m done. I’m out of here.”

Back at his villa, the housekeeper met Roy at the door.

“Where’s Willow?” Roy asked.

Dumbstruck, Hailey replied, “Ms. Croyton left two weeks ago. I asked her where she was going, but she wouldn’t say.”

Roy frowned. He never thought Willow would walk away from him. His anger stemmed from her threat of a breakup. That was why he left her high and dry, not contacting her or coming home, but to his surprise, Willow moved out.

He smirked in rage and thought, ‘Fine! Be that way!’

Upstairs, he took a quick shower and headed to the wardrobe to grab his pajamas. There, he saw Willow’s usual sleepwear hung neatly next to his, just like always.

Roy paused for a minute before striding to the walk-in closet. The gowns, bags, and jewelry he had gifted her were untouched, some boxes left ajar. The state of the closet suggested Willow slapped some clothes on and stepped out for a moment.

Roy sneered, “We’ll see how long you’d keep up this act.”

A weight lifted from his chest.

Still, it was a rough night for Roy. His sleep was plagued by dreams of that night with Willow at the hot springs.

Willow was not at all the sweet little girl she had put herself out to be. During their first time, she was timid, trembling, and whimpering in pain. However, by the next day, the roles were reserved as she straddled him and cuffed him to the headboard. Roy let her have her way, enjoying the contrast of shyness and uninhibition in her.

The following day, he woke up feeling agitated, with Willow’s scent lingering in the air. He sniffed the pillow, surprised that the shampoo’s fragrance could last so long.

“Women need a little bit of TLC. Even the sweetest girl has a breaking point. You should try and meet her halfway.” Adrian’s words when he saw Roy off came to mind.

Roy scoffed and dismissed the idea at the time. Now, Roy realized that Adrian may have a point.

He sat up and called Willow. If Willow was still upset, Roy did not mind sweetening her up a bit.

Seconds later, Roy grimaced. Willow had blocked his number.