Chapter 4
When they heard that, everyone crowded around, trying to talk things down and smooth things over.
"Lily, you're always such a pain, but Jason is Anna's boyfriend. Don't be so shameless, " someone said.
"Money doesn't make you special. Who knows how your dad got all that cash? Acting all high and mighty, careful, karma's gonna bite you, " another person chimed in.
When I heard someone cursing my dad, my expression turned cold.
I strode forward and slapped Anna hard across the face.
"Shut your mouth and quit spewing nonsense, " I spat.
"Who gives a damn about you broke losers and your pathetic love drama? I'd rather keep my distance, don't want your bad luck anywhere near me."
The air suddenly went dead silent, and everyone whipped around in perfect sync to look behind them.
Right where everyone was staring, Jason was standing there.
He'd obviously caught every word I said, and his expression turned downright stormy.
"Lily, you've really crossed the line, " he said, his voice low and dangerous.
"You're always acting all high and mighty, always looking down on the people around me. It's honestly sickening to watch.
"Just a minute ago, I actually thought you might change. I even wondered if maybe I was part of the problem. But seeing you like this, it's clear you haven't learned a damn thing."
I shot him a cold look. "What did I do wrong? Jason, do you even know what we were fighting about? "
"Doesn't matter what it was, you're always the problem. You've been like this forever, acting like some spoiled little princess, " he snapped.
Jason was getting angrier by the second, and he grabbed me, pulling me right up in front of everyone.
"Now, apologize to Anna," he barked.
"Why should I?" I shot back.
"Because you're the one at fault," he snapped.
Smack. I slapped him right across the face.
Gone was the gentle girl I used to be.
"Jason, I must've been blind, out of my mind, and cursed with generations of bad luck to ever fall for someone like you, " I spat.
"Let me make this clear, I'm not apologizing to Anna.
"And don't you dare touch me again, or I'll call the cops."
*****
Jason and I parted ways on bad terms.
He marched off angrily, with Anna in tow.
I grabbed my stuff and hopped into the butler's ride.
Since my flight was in the afternoon, I took my time packing up.
The Grant family's second son, Nathan Grant, who's also going abroad with me, dropped by for a chat and didn't head out until after eight.
After dropping him off, I was about to head inside.
Just then, I heard a noise outside.
I turned around and saw Jason standing there.
God knows how he found this place, but he was holding a bottled grape slush.
When he saw me, he awkwardly turned his head away.
"Some classmates filled me in on what really happened this afternoon. I got it wrong, so I owe you an apology, " Jason said.
He handed me the grape slush, lightly sweet with crushed grape, exactly the flavor I'd once mentioned to him.
But this time, I didn't take it. I looked at him, my expression cool and distant.
"Jason, you know what? I never really liked this drink, " I said.
"I only told you I liked it because it was cheap, something you could actually afford. That way, when I played the cute card and asked you to buy it for me, you wouldn't feel any pressure."
Funny thing is, Jason never figured it out. Even when he was worth tens of millions of dollars, he still kept bringing me the same grape slush.
Sometimes I couldn't tell if he was really clueless or pretending.
Even after he got rich, he still wanted me to keep living like we were still struggling.
I worked so hard to help him climb up, wasn't it all so we could finally enjoy life?
But our values didn't match.
This was the bitter fruit of my own stubbornness, and I had to accept it as my karma.
After I laid it all out, I watched the color drain from Jason's face, little by little.
He gave a bitter, self-mocking laugh. "Just how much did you put yourself through, all for my pride? "
I shrugged. "Oh, there's a lot. Like, I'm sleeping on sheets that cost hundreds of dollars now, but when I was with you, I was always hunting for sales. "
"Or my mattress? It's custom-made and cost over 70,000 dollars. Before we even got married, I already had several boxes of jewelry, all bought by my dad. But after we got married, you never bought me a single piece.
"And if I hadn't met you, I would've been set up with some rich heir, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His lifestyle would've been even more luxurious than mine. With him, all I'd have to do is enjoy life."
Jason let out a laugh that was more bitter than sad. "So, sticking with me really made your life tough, huh? "
"Absolutely. That's why I agree with you, let's cut ties for good in this lifetime, " I said, my tone cool.
"You take your high road, I'll stick to my own path. From now on, we're done. We won't ever see each other again."