Chapter 1I Paid My Debt: How I Escaped the Billionaire Who Broke Me

After caring for the paralyzed billionaire CEO for two years, he finally recovered. The very first thing he did was propose to his childhood sweetheart—the same woman who abandoned him the moment he was injured.

The media called it a fairy tale: "True love stays, until they finally become one."

I tilted my head back, watching the live broadcast of the proposal on the giant Times Square billboard in silence. Then, I tossed the ring in my pocket into the nearest trash can.

The debt I owed him was finally paid in full.

* * *

The busy pedestrians in Times Square all stopped in their tracks, looking up at the live broadcast of the proposal flashing across the giant digital billboards. It wasn't just here; every major screen in New York City had been switched to the same live feed.

The footage was crystal clear in 4K. You could even see the faint, shimmering tears in the heroine’s eyes.

One look at the extravagant setup and I knew it was Arthur Sterling’s work. During the final months of his recovery, he had sketched the designs himself. He even personally designed the fireworks display.

Back then, he used to hook a cold finger around the back of my neck and ask me what kind of flowers I liked. I told him hyacinths.

But the entire proposal venue on the screen was engulfed in a passionate sea of red roses. And the heroine standing there wasn't me. It was Arthur’s ex-girlfriend, the celebrity fashion designer, Chloe Vance.

I tilted my head back calmly. The proposal had reached its climax. Arthur was down on one knee, holding a black velvet box. The diamond inside sparkled like a fallen star. Compared to that, the band in my pocket couldn't even be called a ring.

The girls standing next to me squealed in excitement: "Arthur Sterling, the CEO of Sterling Enterprises! He looks so handsome with his hair slicked back! No wonder they used to call him the ultimate playboy of Manhattan. Looks like the playboy is finally settling down."

"I heard that during the two years Arthur was paralyzed, Chloe turned down all her fashion gigs just to stay and take care of him! What a fairy-tale romance! They're finally getting married!"

I silently massaged my wrist, my fingers grazing the faded, grayish-brown scar left from those two grueling years of caring for him.

The Chloe Vance of two years ago didn't stay. The moment Arthur and I broke up, she flew straight to Milan to advance her fashion career.

The crowd around me collectively held their breath as the proposal reached its final moment.

Chloe looked down at the young man kneeling before her, her voice choking with emotion as she said, "I will."

The ring was slipped onto her ring finger. Arthur stood up and pulled her into a passionate kiss. At that exact moment, fireworks exploded across the New York skyline.

With a spectacle this massive, not just New York, but probably the whole country knew by now. But thinking about it, it was perfectly in character for him. Arthur Sterling never did anything quietly.

When he loved someone, he wanted the whole world to know.

The crowd erupted in cheers. The girl standing next to me, vibrating with excitement, grabbed my wrist, barely containing her thrill. "They're so perfect for each other, don't you think?"

I endured the sharp pain in my wrist and smiled faintly. "They are."

She noticed my pale face and, belatedly realizing she was gripping me too hard, let go and started to apologize. But before she could, I had already turned and walked away into the bustling crowd.

Behind me, the protagonists on the giant screen were lost in a deep kiss. The crowd screamed and cheered for their epic romance, and the fireworks painted the sky in brilliant, chaotic colors.

Suddenly, I stopped next to a trash can.

I crouched down, took a deep breath to compose myself, and then stood back up. I pulled the dull, tarnished ring from my pocket. It was ugly, and the band was far too wide for my finger.

But thankfully, there was no longer any need for me to keep it.

I tossed the ring into the trash. My heart had never felt this calm.

I didn't shed a single tear.

From this moment on.

Whatever I owed the Sterling family, whatever I owed Arthur Sterling... I had paid it back in full.