Chapter 3

I slowly walked to the center of the field. Everyone was staring at me.

The surrounding flowers and balloons were beautifully arranged. Students and teachers were all there too.

Except for the male lead.

Nathan caught up, forcing out a smile.

"Um... Bella, Dylan has urgent business. He'll be back in a bit. Don't overthink it."

His other buddies also crowded around, trying to smooth things over.

"Right, right! Dylan always has everything under control. Today's your confession day—he'll be here soon!"

"Bro guarantees it—being with Dylan, you'll definitely be the happiest woman in this city!"

"Men are all like this, you know."

The guys went back and forth, making his scumbag behavior sound completely reasonable.

I looked at my phone. It was now 11:50 AM.

I smiled at everyone. "Of course I'll wait for him to come back."

If he didn't come back, how could he witness me leaving with someone else, and the fall of the Thompson family?

There was still some time before the scheduled confession.

I stood in the center, my eyes scanning across the entire field.

The roses in the flower beds were ones Dylan had personally imported from abroad not long ago.

The floating balloons were all pig-shaped ones I liked.

The heart formation on the side was also designed by a top designer Dylan had personally hired.

The scene was extremely romantic.

This man liked to do everything to the extreme.

In college, when pursuing me, he followed me to the lab for three months without complaint.

Even for data and reports he didn't understand, he put aside his pride to ask others for help, learning everything from scratch bit by bit.

A high-and-mighty, unruly rich kid reforming himself for a woman.

Even though he never formally confessed, I was willing to take the initiative to confess and go to him.

But this man that every woman would dream of turned out to be a scumbag.

No comfort, no explanation.

He only left me with one option: obedience.

My best friend Emma found me, angrily defending me.

"He used to treat you so well, buying gifts more diligently than anyone. I thought he was a good man!"

"I never imagined he'd betray you like this. And to think I told my arranged marriage partner to learn from him!"

She opened her phone, showing me new social media content.

[Little vixen is too clingy. She insists on one more round to cure her illness. Won't let me leave unless I cure her. No choice but to satisfy her.]

Below were comments from all his buddies.

[Congrats, Dylan! Two women now!]

[When Bella finds out, she's going to make a scene. Dylan, have you figured out how to coax her?]

Dylan quickly replied.

[Like I said, body for Sophia, title for her.]

He said it so matter-of-factly, not treating me like a person at all.

I clicked into Sophia Turner's social media—sure enough, she had new content too.

In the photo, a man and woman were embracing, exposed skin covered in bruises and marks.

On the bed behind them were scattered intimate clothing, and on the sheets, faint traces of their passionate aftermath could be seen.

Caption: Stop it! I told you to be gentler with your treatment!

I remained expressionless and took a screenshot.

"Bella, don't wait for him anymore!"

"That pair of cheating dogs is disgusting."

Emma grabbed my shoulders, shaking me:

"Bella, don't be foolish! Toads with three legs are hard to find, but men with three legs are everywhere. Why hang yourself on one tree? Hurry up and cancel today's confession and cut ties with Dylan!"

"You could have been admitted without exams in senior year, but you chose to repeat the year to tutor that spoiled brat. You taught a complete idiot until he finally got into college just last month, wasting your precious youth!"

"In college, you both started managing family businesses. The Thompson family went from loss to loss under his management. You stayed up late every night creating various proposals for him—that's the only reason the Thompson family maintained its position today."

"Even when he was out partying and all kinds of scandals spread about him, you were the one who handled everything! Silly girl, wake up! You gave him everything, and what did he give you in return?!"

Emma became more agitated as she spoke, her eyes moistening: "I don't care anymore. If you confess to him, tomorrow I'm hanging myself at your bedside."

I gently comforted her, saying seriously:

"Thank you, Emma."

"Don't worry, I won't be confessing to Dylan."

After comforting my best friend, I opened my dad's chat.

"Dad, I admit defeat."

Dylan really wasn't worth it.