Chapter 1The Day I Was Diagnosed

To indulge myself one last time, I essentially "sugar-mommy'd" a poor, mute guy.

He had a cold, aloof look but loved adventure.

To make him happy, I pushed my body to the limit.

Bungee jumping, racing, diving, skydiving...

I did everything I had never done before, just to accompany him.

My savings were quickly drained.

While on the verge of death, I secretly went to the hospital to sign a donor form, planning to donate my heart to his sick mother after I died.

But then, I saw a photo of him on the hospital director’s desk.

He was wearing a luxury watch.

The director smiled and said:

"That's my son. Ivy League grad."

"But he's too playful. Recently, he's into some 'live-action role-play' game, pretending to be poor and mute."

"He even said the girl he's playing with is old and tacky, and he's planning to switch to a new target."

I laughed until I cried.

Then, I tore up the donation form.

"I'm willing to join the clinical trial for the new cancer drug, but I have one condition."

"I want the Sterling family to adopt me as a daughter."

* * *

The moment I saw Luke Sterling's photo, I felt like a bolt of lightning had struck the top of my head.

He was wearing a Patek Philippe, leaning lazily against the railing of a yacht, surrounded by flowers.

A beautiful girl snuggled in his arms, wearing a matching watch.

It was clearly the same face, but completely different from the Luke I knew.

I remembered Luke from this morning, rubbing his sleep-filled eyes and signing "good morning kiss" to me.

My temples throbbed as if a drill were boring into them, the pain blinding me for a second.

Ding.

My phone buzzed.

It was a message from Luke.

"Snow, I handed out flyers for half the day and made thirty bucks. I bought you a bracelet."

I opened the picture, and my breath hitched.

I recognized this bracelet.

Last night, I accidentally found a velvet gift box in his backpack.

Inside was an exquisite, beautiful Van Cleef & Arpels clover bracelet.

But the one on the screen was a cheap knockoff, paint chipping, gems crooked.

It looked like the lowest quality street vendor trash.

So, Luke bought the authentic one worth $5,000 first, then bought a thirty-dollar piece of junk.

The junk was for me.

Where did the $5,000 one go?

To the girl on the yacht?

I suddenly remembered looking at that bracelet in a shop window a month ago.

Luke had immediately signed:

"When I have money, I'll buy it for you."

Now he "bought" it.

I thought about the gifts treasured in my rental apartment closet.

Fading earrings, unraveling cashmere scarves, bags stamped with "LY"...

He seemed particularly keen on buying me low-quality knockoffs of big brands.

In the past, I just thought he didn't know brands.

Now I realize, he did it on purpose.

Or perhaps, for every authentic item he bought for other girls, he bought a $9.99 Temu version for me, the "old and tacky" sugar mommy.

What a fun way to prank someone.

Ding, the phone buzzed again.

"Why aren't you replying? Don't you like it?"

I slowly typed: "I like it. Thank you."

Luke quickly sent another promotional image for a ski resort:

"Let's go skiing this weekend. They're having a sale."

"By the way, I have a few friends who want to come too. You don't mind, right, sis?"

I glanced at the so-called sale price: $199 per person, gear rental not included.

That was what I earned from delivering Uber Eats all night.

I stared at the screen and suddenly laughed out loud.

As I laughed, my eyes grew hot.

It turns out when things are extremely absurd, you really do want to laugh.

The Director opposite me looked at me strangely. "Miss, are you okay?"

I put away my phone.

"Nothing, just saw a joke. It was very funny."

"Let's continue discussing the clinical trial."