Chapter 3The Billionaire's Test

Four years ago, when I found out Julian had been pretending to be poor, I felt humiliated.

I insisted on breaking up.

His friends came to persuade me then, too.

"Amy, have some pity! He hasn't eaten in days. If you ignore him, he'll die."

"Amy, we've never seen Julian this serious about a woman. Everyone has defenses. Just pretend your boyfriend won the lottery!"

Julian had money and power, and his friends were his lobbyists.

He permeated every part of my life, turning it upside down.

I ignored him, but everywhere I went, LED billboards played his apologies.

"Amy, it's all my mistake..."

"Amy, please see me again!"

"How much to buy back my girlfriend's forgiveness?"

...

One billboard cost more than my monthly salary.

It seemed sincere, but I kept remembering the three years he watched me struggle.

He said he was poor, with only a mother, and wanted to study. To make ends meet, I often worked two jobs.

At my worst, I was laid off and delivered food after hours.

For his birthday, I delivered food for a month to buy him a new laptop.

There were nights of torrential rain. I was thrown off my scooter, nearly washed into a storm drain.

I limped home, only to hear him discussing with his friends how to reveal the "surprise" to me.

I stood at the door, frozen, and dropped the laptop.