The hospital room was quiet except for the faint beeping of the monitor. Jun Meiyu sat by her father's bedside, her hand clutching his. His face was pale, his breaths steady but fragile, like the thinnest thread could snap it.
She tried to hold herself together, but the images from earlier refused to fade.
This morning she had gone to Gu Corporation, doubt eating at her chest. She had hidden in a corner of the grand lobby, hoping her fear was nothing but foolish paranoia.
And then—he appeared.
Gu Jianhong. Sharp suit. Confident stride. Men in black trailing behind him. The entire lobby seemed to shift as someone called out:
"Young Master Gu!"
Her ears buzzed. Her knees almost gave out.
Young Master Gu?
Her Jianhong, the one who'd claimed he was poor, who lived so simply, who always laughed about not having enough money to treat her to fancy meals—he was Gu family's heir.
She remembered how her hands shook as she dialed his number. She prayed.
Please, let me be wrong. Please, let it not be him.
But then…
He reached into his pocket, fished out his phone. And she saw it. The stupid little star sticker she had pasted on the corner, teasing him that his phone looked too dull. He had smiled that day and said he'd never remove it.
Now, he didn't even hesitate before cutting her call. Seconds later, her screen lit up.
'Busy right now. Talk later.'
Her chest tightened so hard she thought she couldn't breathe.
Before she could even gather herself, a woman came rushing out of the lobby. She flung herself into his arms.
He caught her instantly. Smiling. Hugging her back as if it was natural. As if he had done it a hundred times.
The smile that once belonged to her—now shining for someone else.
Jun Meiyu had stumbled back, unable to bear another second. She fled, tears burning her vision.
Now, in the sterile hospital room, her composure crumbled. She bent over her father's hand, shoulders shaking, her sobs muffled against his limp fingers.
"Dad…" Her voice cracked. "I was so stupid. Such a fool. He lied to me. From the very beginning, he lied to me…"
Her nails dug into her palm until the skin split. The sharp sting grounded nothing. She bit her lip until she tasted blood, but the ache in her chest wouldn't fade.
This wasn't heartbreak. It was betrayal—ripping open scars she thought had healed.
Memories clawed at her.
She had grown up in a small town with nothing, clawing her way into a high-end school filled with children of money. She thought she would finally be respected. Instead, they treated her like trash.
She still heard the whispers: She only got in because of a scholarship. Pretty face, no background.
Her beauty and her grades hadn't earned admiration. Only hatred. They mocked her secondhand bag, her scuffed shoes. Girls tripped her in hallways. They stuffed her locker with garbage.
And the boys were worse.
One boy confessed with flowers. When she refused, her textbooks were torn apart the next day. Another cornered her in an empty corridor, sneering that she should feel grateful he liked her. Even the ones who acted kind had something ugly hidden in their eyes, like they were waiting for her to crawl at their feet in exchange for their money.
She had endured it all. Studied harder. Worked harder. Refused to bend.
She told herself one thing: Never fall for someone rich. Never.
But then Gu Jianhong appeared, masked as an ordinary man. He walked with her under broken streetlights, ate cheap meals by her side, shared little dreams with her like they meant the world.
Every moment—every smile—had been a lie.
Jun Meiyu gripped her father's hand so hard her knuckles turned white. Her voice broke into a whisper.
"Why, Dad? Why did he do this? Was it all a game? Am I just entertainment?"
Her throat closed. "I hate him. I hate myself more for believing him."
She lowered her head, tears streaming unchecked. The weight of humiliation pressed down, crushing her until she could barely breathe.
The phone on the table buzzed suddenly, the screen lighting up in the sterile dark.
Jun Meiyu flinched, her body stiff. Slowly, almost fearfully, she lifted her head.
Her gaze landed on the glowing screen.
Her heart froze.
The name burned back at her.
Gu Jianhong.