I Stopped Loving My Boyfriend Who Faked His Illness

Henry thought Tessa was just feeling sad about him having to be hospitalized. He got up and hugged her around the waist, burying his head in her neck. "It's my greatest fortune to have met you, Tessa."

Tessa didn't wear perfume. She smelled like the fresh scent of her shampoo. Henry loved the smell of her, and his breathing got increasingly heavier. His hand tightened around her waist.

Tessa's wound from the surgery in the morning was still fresh. Her face turned pale, and she took a sharp breath when his hand suddenly tightened around her waist.

Henry quickly released her, looking at her anxiously.

"What's wrong? Why do you look so pale?"

Tessa forced a smile. "It's nothing. It's just that time of the month. My tummy doesn't feel that well."

He placed his warm palm on her lower abdomen while pulling her into his arms with his other hand.

"I'll help you warm up."

She did not push him away. She closed her eyes. That slight warmth could no longer warm up her heart, which had been chilled to its max.

Meeting Henry was her greatest misfortune.

…

Tessa woke up early the next day.

The rustling noises she made woke Henry up from his sleep. He opened his eyes in a daze and saw Tessa packing all her clothes in the wardrobe into a suitcase. He jerked awake instantly. There was panic deep in his eyes.

"Why are you packing your clothes? Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm going back to the orphanage to see the director. I'm donating my old clothes to them." Tessa continued packing without looking up.

Henry would probably leave behind all her cheap clothing after she left in half a month. After all, he was a rich heir whose one pair of shoes was probably more expensive than everything put together in their rented house. It was better to donate her things to the orphanage than throw them out.

Henry quietly sighed with relief. He knew that Tessa had always been grateful to the orphanage and would bring stuff over every month.

"I'll accompany you there."

Ever since they got together, Henry would often visit the orphanage with Tessa.

However, she wasn't planning on going there with him today. This was the last time she would see the director and the children before she left the country. She wanted to have a proper goodbye with them.

Before she could reject him, Henry's phone suddenly rang. He looked at the name that popped up on the screen and quickly clenched it in his hand. He was a little nervous when he spoke. "My boss wants to talk to me. I'll pick up the call first."

He quickly got out of bed and went into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him.

This house was only about 110 square feet. It did not have a great soundproofing system. Tessa could hear the sickly-sweet voice of a woman from the other end of the call. "Come shopping with me, Henry. I feel down today. You have to accompany me."

Henry agreed without hesitation. He had the familiar apologetic look on his face when he walked out of the bathroom. "I'm so sorry, Tessa. I was away from work too long when I got hospitalized, and my boss wants me to start working today. I can't go to the orphanage with you."

Tessa did not expose his lie and nodded calmly. "Alright. You should go do your thing."

Henry quickly changed his clothes and left the house.

She watched him leave and was reminded of how he would always leave hurriedly in the past two years, especially late at night or when they were finally on a date. He would always use his boss needing him to work as an excuse.

She had once worried over him for working too hard and even tried to talk him into changing jobs.

He would always respond by hugging her from behind and leaning his chin on the top of her head. His tone would be filled with helplessness. "I'm not afraid of hard work. I'm just worried I won't have enough money to marry you. I don't want you to live a poor life with me."

Henry's loving words had touched her so much. After that, she took up chores at the university, in addition to her three part-time jobs, just to earn as much as possible—even if the amount was not that much.

Henry was working hard for their future, so she could not let him down.

Now that Tessa thought about it, she realized how stupid she was.

The last time she visited the orphanage, she promised to bring the children snacks. After packing up all her clothes, she headed to the supermarket.

She did not have much left in her account, but it was enough to bring smiles to the children's faces.

Tessa bought two huge bags of snacks. She carried them with great difficulty toward the subway.

When she walked past a cosmetics store, she heard a familiar voice. "Just buy everything. It's so much trouble to try them one by one."

Tessa looked in the direction of the voice. Henry was smiling fondly as his eyes focused on the woman in front of him.

Despite saying it was a lot of trouble, he obediently reached his arm out for the woman to try swatch lipstick colors on it.

Even though Tessa's memory from two years ago was a blur, it was not difficult to guess that this woman, who looked exquisite from head to toe, was Serene. It seemed like every time he used his boss as an excuse, he was really accompanying Serene.

Serene pouted while saying unhappily, "You're always with that working-class woman. Are you so reluctant to come shopping with me instead?"

Henry rubbed her head. There was adoration in his eyes. "Why would you think that? Aren't I doing this to get back at her for you? I'll get all of these for you. I'll continue shopping for clothes with you. I promise I'll be with you the entire day."

He waved his hand for the staff to pack up a full set of lipsticks.

The staff clearly knew them. She packed up their items expertly and took Henry's black card for payment. "That will be a hundred thousand dollars, Mr. Jennings. Thank you, and please come again."

A hundred thousand dollars.

Tessa nearly fell when she heard the amount.

In their past two years together, Tessa only had gotten some cheap gifts from Henry. The most expensive one was a silver bracelet that was about 15 dollars.

Tessa could not bear to wear it when she got the bracelet. She even kept it carefully inside a box.

However, she was now watching Henry cheer Serene up with a hundred thousand dollars, and it seemed to be something he did regularly.

This was the real Henry. He was someone who paid for things without looking at the price.

Tessa could no longer watch the rich couple being lovey-dovey, and she turned to leave. That was when her bags broke and all of her snacks fell everywhere on the ground.

The loud crash caught Henry's attention. When they met each other's eyes, Tessa could see Henry's eyes widen. There was panic in his eyes. He was at a loss for what to do.