Just like me, he was there looking for work.
If he truly came from money, why struggle at a job fair? He’d have inherited everything by now. Working’s no easy life, especially not for a trust fund kid.
As I stared him down, he seemed to recognize me too, his face flickering with a hint of panic.
Then he quickly tried to provoke me, practically daring me to stay out of it.
But I couldn’t just walk away. Despite Olivia breaking my heart, I still wanted to protect her.
Yet she didn’t appreciate it in the least. The second I brought up the guy’s lies, she slapped me, her voice ringing out with fierce conviction. “Brian, stop trying to ruin things between us! So what if he’s working? It just means he’s ‘getting experience.’ If he wasn’t rich, would I be wearing clothes like these or have an iPhone?”
That slap was the final blow to whatever was left of my love for her.
I stared at the clothes she wore and the phone she clutched and couldn’t help but say, “An old iPhone and a cheap dress, and you think that makes him rich?”
Did she really have such low standards for “wealth”?
The phone I had for her was worth more than her entire outfit combined.
She sneered at me. “Maybe, but even these things are out of your league, aren’t they? Besides, he only has to buy cheap stuff because his dad won’t give him any more money. Once he goes back and inherits the family fortune, I’ll have everything I want.”
She was already too smitten to see anything beyond him. What else was left for me to say?
If they hadn’t come out of that hotel together, I might’ve kept trying to win her back, even after she slapped me.
But it was too late now. My heart was shattered, and I wanted nothing more than to move on.
Forcing a tight smile, I told her, “Congratulations,” and started to turn away.
But she called after me, making me pause.
I turned back. “Anything else?”
She looked at me, shocked. “You’re just… walking away? Just like that?”
What did she expect? Should I break down in front of her? Did she really think I’d fall apart over this?
Her face twisted in frustration, and she began yelling at me, her voice raw, “Get lost, Brian! I never want to see you again!”
Like I needed her to tell me twice. With that, I turned and walked away without a second glance.
The next day, I returned the brand-new phone I’d bought.
Lucky I hadn’t given it to her; otherwise, it would have been a complete waste.