Chapter 1: Is That What You Think of Me?
Chapter 1: Is That What You Think of Me?
"Darling, do you want more?"
The man’s low voice caressed her ears.His dark eyes seemed to be a swirling pool of desire, drowning Caroline inside.
Her face grew rosy as her heart skipped a beat, but just as she was about to respond, the man’s phone rang.
Their heated moment was instantly disrupted as Aldrich scrambled to answer it.
"My wife; he said softly to the person on the receiver.
"Alright, I'll come home immediately.Wait for me"
Caroline felt as though a basin of icy water was poured down her spine.
"You're married? You have a wife?" she rigidly asked.
Why—she didn't even know!
"We're getting married tomorrow"He hooked her chin and stared down the kiss marks he had made on her neck.He rubbed them for a while until the light in his eyes turned cold.
"Don't come looking for me in the future" Caroline's heart stopped.
Without much care of her appearance, she scrambled forward and grabbed Aldrich's arm.
"Aldrich, since when?" she asked desperately.
He sneered.
"Could it be that you're a woman who would do anything for money? You have taken two million from me in the past two years, right? But how come other men don't have to spend so much to keep their women?"
There was a resounding slap in a blink of an eye, and Caroline dazedly held her red cheek.She slowly raised her gaze up to the man who had been doting on her just ten minutes ago.She asked with trembling lips, "Aldrich, is that really how you look at me?"
Aldrich wasn't just some man to her.She had always held him dear after falling in love with him at a party four years ago.
However, she was still a proud daughter of the Nigel family back then.
Aldrich was the successor of the Stanley family's business empire, so he naturally had an excellent upbringing that she couldn't help but like him.
It was only unfortunate that Stanley Corporation faced a crisis three years ago.
They had faced bankruptcy and couldn't pay the huge compensation.
When she had heard the news that time, she was quick on her toes to help.
She had went on to beg Stanley Corporation's clients one by one.
She had even been drenched in the rain for three days and three nights before she had finally managed to get a client to sign the contract.
She had also taken money from her parents and sent it to Stanley family, temporarily solving the problem of their crisis.
After that, Stanley Corporation regained its glory and even grew bigger.
Caroline was happy for Aldrich, truly.
However, two years ago, it was the Nigel family's turn to fall under a huge debt because of a contract leak.
Her father could not accept going to prison and eventually jumped down from Nigel Corporation's building.
Following after that was her mother who did the same down the river in I City.
Caroline had lost two relatives overnight.
Right then and there, she had felt what it was like to be in despair.
And yet she couldn't follow after her parents because she had a twin sister who had always been in poor health.
She knew she needed to stay strong to take good care of Charlene, so she tried her hardest to save the largest amount of money she could to pay for the medical expenses.
Two months later, however, they ran out of money.
She couldn't afford to pay for the hospitalization fee anymore, so she swallowed her embarrassment and asked Aldrich for help.
It was a tough decision for her, but it was her last resort.
She had hoped that he would return at least a bit of the help she had give him before.She sent her secretary.
However, for some reason, her secretary reported back and said that Aldrich had asked her to wait for him at the hotel.
She had her own doubts about the arrangement, but her desperation led her to follow.
He did give her money every time they had a meetup, but in turn, she was selling her dignity.
She had completely become a tool for him to solve his physiological needs.
"What do you think?" Aldrich raised his brow, then he laughed.
"This is purely business.No strings attached.You've been with me for at least two years, but it's easy for people to get together and part ways later.Don't make things ugly if you don't want to find another patron." He clicked his tongue and immediately wore his clothes.
Afterwards, he picked up the cheque, signed it, and smashed it on Caroline's face.
"One hundred thousand.That's already twice the usual"
Caroline held the cheque in her hand, but her grip was tight as though her heart had been torn apart.
Although she had her doubts before, she had never thought it through because she did love him.She let him do what he wanted, but she didn't think he would hurt her like this.
‘That's right.Fifty thousand a night, he gave me a hundred thousand today.It's already twice as much‘ She bit her lips and consoled herself.It was fine.At least she had more money this time.Caroline's phone rang.She picked it up, still in a trance, but when she answered, her expression immediately changed.
Hospital.
"Doctor, how is my sister?" Caroline asked anxiously.
"Her alveoli have ruptured.She needs to be admitted to the intensive care unit!" The doctor said.
"Also, you have to use the imported medicine I prescribed, otherwise ..." Caroline stood there unmoving.
‘Just a day in the (CU ward was already ten thousand, but adding an expensive medicine..) She was afraid that even the money from Aldrich was not enough.
Moreover, she had already used the 100,000 dollars she had just received to cover the 60,000 dollars she owed for treatment! Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.
"You have to make a decision as quick as possible if you want her to live” the doctors urged.
"Stop!" Caroline gritted her teeth.
"I'll pay the bill immediately."
"Pay the fee in one go for three days.You can deposit 50,000 dollars first" said the doctor.
Caroline raised her eyes and asked, "Can I pay 40,000 dollars first?"
"Then we have to make up for the rest tomorrow"
That day, Charlene was pushed into the ICU.And the next day, Caroline arrived at Aldrich’s wedding.She had nowhere else to go to.
Although she knew that she would be humiliated, she could only borrow money from him.