His Four Years of Torment Was Just Her Cruel Game

Theater: NovelMaster  |  Language: English

Synopsis

On our fourth anniversary, my girlfriend told me she had to work late at the office.
Instead, I accidentally ran into her downtown—shopping with another guy.
She wrapped her arms around him, ordered a million-dollar private fireworks display over the skyline just to make him smile, handed him a limited-edition Rolex, and even gave him the keys to a brand-new Maybach just as a daily runaround car.
Her eyes were filled with nothing but tenderness as she whispered to him,
"Hunter, from now on, whatever you want, it's yours. Okay?"
"Just say the word, and I'll find a way to pluck the stars from the sky for you."
I looked down at the ten-dollar clearance belt she had handed me before leaving this morning.
Then I looked at the ridiculous plastic watch on my wrist, something bought from the dollar store. A bitter sting washed over my throat.
Over the past four years, I gave her everything I had.
When she cried and told me she had drowned herself in massive debt, I didn't hesitate for a single second. I emptied my entire savings account to cover her losses.
I even took the entire loan under my own name.
To pay off that crushing mountain of debt, I turned myself into an emotionless, tireless machine.
Only now did I realize that she had been playing me for a fool from the very beginning.
She didn't blink an eye when throwing millions at another man.
Yet when it came to me, she pinched every single penny.
Since she fell out of love with me long ago, it was time for me to disappear from her world completely.
Battered and exhausted, I returned to our rundown studio apartment.
Seeing the sweet, handmade decorations around the room made my eyes burn even more.
This was supposed to be our home—a cozy little sanctuary built by me and Chloe Sterling.
Even though every piece of furniture here was cheap, I used to cherish it all.
Because I loved her. I wanted to build a stable life for us in this city, to finally give her a place of our own.
I sacrificed my health and sanity for that dream.
When Chloe broke down in tears, confessing she was buried under overwhelming debt, I immediately emptied every cent of my savings and signed off on the loan papers myself.
To clear that debt, I took on four jobs a day, grinding myself down into dust.
For four whole years, I never took a single day off.
Every morning before dawn, I carried heavy crates of milk, dragging my worn-out body through gloomy stairwells on my delivery route.
After dropping off the last bottle, I barely had time to swallow two bites of bread before rushing to my professor's laboratory. I spent hours running data, cleaning equipment, and finishing project reports.
During my lunch break, I ran straight to a noisy, dusty construction site.
I hauled heavy bags of concrete up rickety scaffolding, trip after trip. My shoulders bled raw, sweat and blood soaking through my shirt, but I never dared to stop.
At night, with my body aching down to the bone, I worked in the cramped kitchen of a late-night diner, flipping burgers, washing greasy dishes, and wiping tables.
The smoke stung my eyes. My hands were covered in painful grease burns.
Still, I gritted my teeth and pushed through. I had only one thought: every extra dollar brought me closer to clearing that debt.
Once the debt was gone, Chloe and I could finally buy our own place, living safely and peacefully together.
Only today did I learn that she was never broke to begin with.
I picked up a cheap little plush doll sitting by the pillow. A wave of sick irony washed over me.
She could blow millions on skyline fireworks for the boy in her arms. She could casually toss him the keys to an exotic Maybach without batting an eye.
I couldn't sleep. I just sat on the edge of the mattress in the dark, waiting for Chloe to come back.
Three hours later, the sound of a key turning in the lock broke the silence.
"Logan? Why are you still awake? Don't you have early morning deliveries tomorrow? You'll collapse if you keep doing this!"
Chloe's voice sounded soft and caring as she stepped inside. Under the dim hall light, she looked like an innocent angel in the night.
Seeing her back in that cheap, faded puffer jacket, my vision blurred.
It felt surreal—as if the glamorous woman wrapped in a designer white coat, holding another man earlier tonight, was just a nightmare.Seeing that I didn't answer, Chloe jogged over with a brown paper bag. She touched my forehead, letting out a relieved sigh when she felt no fever.
"Thank goodness. I thought you caught a cold. You're fine."
Yet under the dim lamp, I clearly saw faint hickeys scattered along the curve of her neck.
A brutal reminder that none of it was a dream.
"Why are you so late?" My voice came out raspy.
"What's wrong, Logan? I had to work overtime at the office until just now! We're almost done with our loans—just a tiny bit left!"
"Soon, we can finally save up for real, buy our own cozy home, and live the life we deserve."
Save up? Every penny I could earn in a lifetime wouldn't match what she spent on that boy in a single night.
Chloe didn't catch the bitter look on my face. Still smiling, she lifted the bag in her hands.
"Never mind that! Look what I brought you! A coworker had leftover snacks from the weekend street fair. There's that artisan nougat you love so much."
She dumped the bag right into my lap.
Looking at the random assortment of leftover treats and dollar-store trinkets, my eyes stung with tears.
In the past, I would have been thrilled. No matter how cheap, I believed every little thing proved she cared about me.
Now I knew the truth. These were just random scraps she scooped off a festival table on a whim.
I really was that cheap to her. A handful of junk food was all it took to keep me loyal and quiet.
Noticing my lingering silence, Chloe grew concerned.
"Logan, what's going on? Why are your eyes so red?"
"Are you really sick? Don't worry about the money. I still have some cash on me. Let's go to the ER right now, your health comes first!"
She set the bag down and grabbed my arm, trying to pull me out the door.
She was always like this—gentle, attentive, playing the perfect, loving partner.
So why did the girlfriend who supposedly loved me this much deceive me for four entire years?
Was watching me suffer just entertainment to her?
Looking at her worried expression, I forced a faint, hollow smile.
"I'm fine. I just had a dream."
"I dreamed you were wrapped up in another guy's arms."
"In my dream, you were filthy rich. You blew millions lighting up the whole city's skyline with fireworks for him. You handed him a Rolex, tossed him a Maybach, without blinking."
A flash of panic flickered across Chloe's eyes. She scrambled to laugh it off.
"You're just exhausted, that's why you had such a crazy nightmare. Dreams are always the opposite of reality anyway! Maybe one day you'll be the one sweeping me off my feet and spoiling me rotten."
To change the subject, she hurriedly pulled an exquisite gift box from her pocket. Inside was a genuine Hermès leather belt."Come on, stop dwelling on silly dreams. Today is our fourth anniversary! Look what I got you! I took on extra freelance gigs for three whole months just to afford this. Do you like it?"
I looked closely at the belt.
Engraved on the buckle was a neat little letter: "H".
For Hunter.
I stared at Chloe, feeling completely drained of emotion.
The boy rejected this gift, didn't he?
So she turned around and dumped it on me as our four-year anniversary present.
God, I was pathetic.
Seeing me freeze again, Chloe stammered,
"Logan, don't you know me by now? You're the only one I love. How could I ever be with someone else?"
"Or... do you not like the gift?"
Listening to her smooth excuses, my chest felt like it was being ripped open by a rusty blade.
Every breath she took declared her devotion to me. Yet every dime she owned went straight to another man.
What a sick joke.
Watching her try so hard to cover her tracks, I simply shook my head.
"No, I don't hate it. It's just too expensive. We should save the money. Didn't we promise to pay off the debt together and buy our own place?"
A relieved, radiant smile instantly broke across her face.
She thought I was just worried about the price tag.
"It's fine! I can't let my man look bad out there."
"Besides, after four years of hard work, the loan is practically paid off. We deserve a little taste of the good life!"
Right. Four years of non-stop agony, all so we could live the dream she painted for me.
How ridiculous.
Chloe glanced at the clock on the wall and smiled softly. "I'm going to take a quick shower. Wait for me in bed, okay?"
While she was in the bathroom, her phone buzzed against the nightstand.
I picked it up. A new message flashed on the screen from Hunter Ross:
"Chloe, thank you so much for giving me that villa before you left tonight. Love you the most, Chloe."
Attached was a photo. The lighting was dim, but it couldn't hide the boy's smug, innocent grin.
Beside me lay the expensive belt he had cast aside.
I let out a quiet, self-mocking chuckle.
My lab director had told me dozens of times that I was a rising star in experimental science. Even top defense agencies had reached out to recruit me. I had a brilliant future ahead of me.
Yet, just to stay by Chloe's side and protect our tiny life, I turned down those classified government offers time and time again.
Steam poured out as Chloe stepped out of the bathroom.
The moment she noticed her phone sitting on the bed, her face tightened. She snatched it up instantly.
"Logan... did you look at my phone?"
Realizing how defensive she sounded, she quickly tried to cover it up.
"There are confidential company files on here. My boss said if anyone outside sees them, I could get slapped with a massive fine."
I didn't call out her pathetic lie. I simply forced a tired smile and pulled the blanket over myself.
"I'm pretty exhausted, Chloe. I'm going to sleep."Seeing no suspicion on my face, she let out a quiet sigh of relief, flicked off the light, and whispered goodnight.
The next morning, when I woke up, Chloe was already up and had cooked a pot of oatmeal for breakfast.
"Logan, you seemed down yesterday, so I made breakfast."
"Why don't you take today off? You haven't rested a single day in four years. The weather is so nice today. Let's go out for a walk in the park together, okay?"
For years, because of my brutal schedule, we never had the chance to be a normal couple—strolling through parks, grabbing coffee, browsing shops.
I couldn't understand her. If she didn't love me, why bother putting on this loving act?
Looking into her expectant eyes, I eventually gave in and nodded.
"Sure. Let me finish my morning delivery route first."
Her eyes crinkled with warmth, and she pulled me down to eat breakfast.
Halfway through the meal, her phone rang.
After hanging up, she gave me a guilty, hesitant look.
"Logan... an urgent order just came in at work. They need me back at the office immediately to handle it..."
I stared deeply into her eyes. Sensing her growing nervousness, I quietly nodded.
After breakfast, she hurried downstairs.
Even though I already knew the truth, something compelled me to follow her down.
Sure enough, parked right outside our run-down apartment complex was that gleaming Maybach.
Hunter Ross, wearing a bright smile, jumped straight into her arms the second she walked out.
Chloe wore that same indulgent smile, though she quickly lowered her voice to scold him,
"Who told you to come here? Didn't I forbid you from showing up near this place?"
"What if Logan saw you?"
Hunter pouted, his voice dripping with playful whining,
"Don't be mad at me, Chloe! I just missed you so much! You didn't even reply to my text last night."
"And didn't we promise to go on a picnic today? We haven't spent real time together in forever."
They had literally spent the previous night tangled in each other's arms.
Chloe hesitated, her brows knitting together.
Seeing her waver, Hunter's eyes welled with fake tears, his voice cracking.
"I get it. Does your Logan want you to spend the day with him instead?"
"It's fine. I'll just sit alone in that giant, empty villa. If waiting another day means keeping you happy, I can take it..."
Hearing that, Chloe instantly pulled him into a tight embrace, soothing him frantically,
"Don't cry, Hunter. How could I ever leave you all alone? We're leaving right now, okay?"
She truly was hopelessly in love with him.
As their car sped away, a message popped up on my phone from Chloe:
"Logan, I'm so sorry. The client is rushing this batch of work. I won't be able to hang out today after all. Let's do it another time, okay?"
I gave a broken, silent laugh and replied with a single word:
"Okay."
Then, I pulled up the contact number for the classified federal defense research facility and hit dial.
"Hello. Is the position still open?"
The recruiter on the other end gasped with immediate excitement. "Mr. Vance? Absolutely! When are you available? We can send an escort to pick you up immediately."
Listening to the agent's eager tone, I wiped away a stray tear from the corner of my eye.
"Tomorrow. Let me pack my things."
I hung up the phone and looked out at the empty street where the Maybach had vanished.
Chloe Sterling, I hope you truly find your happiness.After finishing my morning delivery shift and heading back to the studio, a friend request popped up on my SnapChat from Hunter Ross.
The moment I accepted, my feed was flooded with pictures of him and Chloe.
Photos of them watching the northern lights in Alaska, riding camels through the Sahara Desert...
Only then did the pieces fall into place. Every single "business trip" she took over the past four years had been an exotic vacation with him.
Moments later, Hunter sent a direct message:
"Hey, Logan. Sorry it took me this long to add you! Also, sorry for stealing Chloe away today. She insisted on taking me on a picnic."
"Can't help it though—she just spoils me too much."
"Oh, and she bought me a luxury yacht today. Said we're spending ten days cruising the Mediterranean next week."
"Logan? Why aren't you saying anything? Are you mad?"
I didn't bother typing a reply. Instead, I quietly began packing my belongings around the apartment.
Mugs, shirts, keychains, phone cases...
Every single item was something she had picked out—matching couple sets.
And every single item was cheap, flimsy junk.
Right. I was always the cheap placeholder. How could I ever match the radiant, wealthy Chloe Sterling?
Still, I didn't want to leave like a thief in the night. Four years together deserved a proper full stop.
I put in my two-week notices at every job, turned in my shifts, and waited for Chloe to come back.
I sat at the small wooden table, watching the phone until night fell, but Chloe never showed up.
My screen lit up with another taunting message from Hunter:
"Logan, you're not still sitting there waiting for Chloe to come home, are you? She told me she's sleeping over at my place tonight."
"I mentioned the house felt too stuffy, so she promised to buy me an even bigger mansion tomorrow. Oh, sorry Logan, I forgot you're stuck in that cramped, roach-infested rental."
He even deliberately dropped the live location of his luxury villa.
I ignored him, continuing to sit quietly on the small wooden chair, waiting for Chloe.
Late into the night, my phone finally rang.
It was Chloe.
"Logan, something came up at the office. I might not make it back tonight. Go ahead and sleep without me, okay?"
I kept my eyes down, my voice flat.
"Chloe, there's something I need to tell you. I'm leaving—"
Before I could finish, Hunter's voice cut through the background:
"Chloe, my ankle hurts so bad... I think I sprained it!"
Panic instantly took over Chloe's voice on the other end. "Hunter! Are you okay?!"
Then, remembering I was still listening, she rushed to cover it up:
"A coworker just twisted their ankle! I have to go help them right now, let's talk later!"
The line went dead.
The last trace of hope in my heart withered away.I sat in that chair all night. Chloe never returned, nor did she send a single follow-up message.
By morning, a black government SUV was already waiting outside the complex.
I placed a bank card on the table.
It held every penny I had scraped together from working around the clock—just enough to settle the final balance on the loan.
I packed all the cheap couple items Chloe had given me into a large moving box.
Her things, our shared items, everything.
Using the address Hunter had sent me the night before, I scheduled a courier to ship it to his villa. Consider it returned to its rightful owner.
Before walking out, I left a handwritten goodbye letter on the table.
Maybe she would come back eventually. It contained everything I had intended to say to her face. But since she couldn't tear herself away from her boy for even an hour, this letter was all she would get.
It was a clean break. A final closing chapter to my foolish youth.
I doubted she would care anyway. If anything, she would probably be relieved that I had the decency to step aside quietly.
With a self-deprecating smirk, I climbed into the government vehicle and drove off.
The package arrived at the villa shortly after.
After signing for it, the maid carried the box into the foyer.
Hunter, heading down the stairs, noticed the package and flipped through it with an amused sneer.
"Chloe, did you buy more cheap junk for Logan?"
"Look at this plastic toy watch. It's ridiculous! But hey, I'm sure someone like Logan would love this kind of trash."
Chloe, wrapped lazily in a silk bathrobe, walked over with a frown.
She didn't remember ordering anything.
As she unpacked the box, the color drained from her face, replaced by sheer panic.
Matching bargain mugs. Matching clearance slippers...
Everything that belonged in our cozy, rundown apartment was sitting right here.
A suffocating weight crushed Chloe's chest. She could barely draw breath.
Frantically pulling out her phone, she dialed my number.
Usually, I answered within two rings.
This time, the call went straight to voicemail.
Dread gripped her heart. Throwing on a coat, she bolted toward the door, desperate to reach the apartment.
"Chloe! Where are you going—"
Before Hunter could finish, her car was already tearing down the driveway.
She sped across the city, running red lights until she reached the complex. Jamming the key into the lock, her hands shook violently.
"Logan? Are you home?!"
Silence.
The apartment was completely empty.

Chapters (6)

Chapter 1   Chapter 2   Chapter 3   Chapter 4   Chapter 5   Chapter 6

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Watch & Promotions

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