Chapter 1

My boyfriend, Aaron Blake, rarely spent money on me.

When he got his scholarship, I asked him to buy me a cup of coffee.

But he refused.

Feeling helpless, I posted it online. [He actually didn't buy a cup of coffee for me.]

I didn't expect Aaron's buddy to send me messages right away.

[Aaron's so stingy. He's a rich man, driving a luxury car.]

[I'll buy you some. You can have as many as you want.]

[But seriously, I don't mean anything else by this, so don't think too much about it.]

But soon, he confessed his feelings to me.

I agreed.

Aaron lost it when he knew it and asked angrily, "Seriously? Just because of a cup of coffee?"

I nodded and replied, "That's right. Just because of a cup of coffee."

*****

Aaron's scholarship had already been deposited.

The new semester had started.

I happily asked him when we would go to the amusement park together.

We'd already promised each other.

After I got my scholarship, I treated him to dinner.

Now that he had his scholarship, it was his turn to take me out for some fun.

But Aaron looked awkward this time.

He hesitated and said, "Belle, I'm sorry. Iris got sick again. To help her recover faster, I gave her all the money."

I loosened my grip on him.

Because Iris Cole again.

But I quickly calmed myself down.

I suggested, "Since you can't take me out, why don't you give me a cup of hot coffee?

"It's just a little cold, drink something hot to warm up."

But Aaron still shook his head.

He said, "Too much coffee's not good for you. How about I pour you some hot water instead?"

Sensing the loss of my feelings, he wanted to hug me and comfort me.

But I dodged.

For a moment, the things got tense.

In fact, I wasn't suddenly angry.

It wasn't even about a cup of coffee.

It was more than ever since we started dating. Iris kept interfering in our lives.

I was the one who made the first move on Aaron.

Although he was different major from mine, he was handsome and gentle, and he didn't embarrass me every time he refused me.

I just kept going after him.

Finally, he accepted me and agreed to be my boyfriend.

And his birthday was coming up soon.

I bought him a large box of gifts.

There were many small presents in the box, all wrapped up neatly in colorful paper.

His roommate, Sam Flynn, even recorded a video of Aaron unboxing everything for me.

In the video, Aaron treated every single gift with so much care.

He even put the wrapping paper aside gently.

When he finished, his eyes were misty as he thanked me, saying that it was the best gift he had ever received.

Honestly, my heart was just as touched as his.

I couldn't believe I'd managed to win over such a gentle, appreciative guy. He was honestly the best.

But just as our relationship was really taking off, Iris's calls started coming in during our dates.

Aaron said they were just childhood sweethearts.

Iris wasn't in good health and often had to take leave to go home and recover.

So, she always envied us for being able to enjoy normal outings together.

I didn't take it seriously at first.

I'd even enthusiastically told her where we went, what we ate, and what we drank.

Iris suddenly spoke up, sounding worried, "These must be expensive, right?

"Aaron gave all the money to help with my treatment. Does he still have money to invite you out to play?"

I knew Aaron never seemed to have much spending money. Maybe he was from an ordinary family.

He was careful with his money, always keeping things simple, and every time we went out, we'd split the bill.

After that day, worrying he might not have enough to cover his expenses, I took the initiative to pay for the bill and buy him gifts.

But then Iris suddenly showed a shiny new necklace around her neck.

She said that Aaron bought it for her.

Then she showed off the platinum bracelet on her wrist and said that Aaron also bought it.

She went on to say that her whole outfit, her phone, and many little trinkets were all gifts from Aaron, just to make her happy.

I touched the cheap bracelet that Aaron gave me, and suddenly I felt an indescribable sense of disappointment.

After that, we had a huge fight.

Aaron came over right away, trying to coax me.

He said, "That was all spent on her before. I really just regard her as my little sister.

"Don't worry, honey. When we're married in the future, everything I have, my money, my family's money, it's all yours, okay?"

I playfully shoved him, acting annoyed. "Who says I want to marry you?" I asked.

Aaron hugged me happily, saying, "Of course it's you, honey! I only want to marry you. Don't ditch me."

So I decided to let it all go and put the past behind us.

But Aaron was getting stingier gradually.

Every time we had a meal, I paid the bill.

When we went shopping for daily necessities, he'd insist I buy a couple's stuff.

Now I couldn't even ask him to buy a cup of coffee for me.

I had no choice but to post it online.