She's Not A Rose

Charles Dickson will transfer five million dollars to me every time he cheats. After three years of being together, I've saved enough money to last a lifetime.

This time, he transfers ten million dollars to me. I immediately pack my things and make a run for it when I see the money in my account.

By the time he tracks me down, I've started a career as a teacher. He looks disdainful. "Enough of this nonsense. What can you teach them?"

I run my mouth. "I'm using my experience to teach young women how to find a rich, generous husband who's always away from home, of course!"

That strikes a nerve. His eyes turn red with rage as he snaps, "Am I nothing but a teaching tool to you, Chloe?"

"Of course not!" I say. Before he can feel pleased, I continue, "At most, you're a failed specimen because you always come home…"

I had been with Charles Dickson for three years and managed to save up quite a bit during that time. I went from a broke college student to someone with a decent amount of money.

It wasn't because he loved me so much. Every time he cheated on me, he compensated me with five million.

Of course, I wouldn't give up that much money just for the sake of pride.

So I stayed by his side, diligently playing the role of a devoted girlfriend who was head over heels in love.

A lot of people in our circle laughed at me. They assumed that even if I caught Charles in bed with another woman one day, I'd just turn a blind eye and pretend nothing happened so I could stay with him.

Honestly, I agreed with them. If they knew I'd be given a few hundred million because of Charles' cheating, they'd probably say I was lucky. Compared to that kind of money, getting cheated on didn't seem like such a big deal.

But this time felt different. I received ten million at once. I felt a bit uneasy.

Unlike most men who cheated, Charles still came to me often. His needs were high. Even though we always used protection and I got regular check-ups, it still made me feel worried.

Deep down, I despised him. The thought of a man being shared by so many women was just too disgusting to even think about.

As I stared at the new bank transfer notification, I couldn't help but struggle with my thoughts.

On one hand, there was this high-paying "job" that came with the risk of catching some disease. On the other hand, there was freedom with no more money.

My eyelids twitched as I pictured myself covered in sores and pus from some nasty disease. I couldn't risk my life for money, right? Besides, I already had enough to call myself a millionaire.

I could be just like Charles and keep a few handsome young guys around if I wanted. I could flip the script and start living life on my own terms.

As for work, I'd find something else. After all, staying healthy mattered more than anything. So, I made a decision. I was going to leave him.

I was ready to leave him, but I couldn't just cut him off right away. First, I still hadn't gotten my diploma. Second, I wanted to sell all the jewelry and handbags Charles had given me.

Every gift was part of my emotional compensation. If I didn't take them with me, I knew I wouldn't be able to rest easily.

The gifts filled an entire display case. I didn't know where to begin. While I stood there zoning out, Regina Maybelline sent me a video.

She had been secretly in love with Charles for years, but I ended up becoming his girlfriend. She'd disliked me ever since.

The dark video appeared to have been shot in a private lounge. Charles was seated in the center of a crowd, and next to him was a woman in a white dress.

She looked a bit like me, but her expression was softer. Her eyes were slightly downturned, giving her a more delicate, pitiful look. My eyes naturally tilted up, which made me look sharper and harder to approach.

They were playing a game, and the bottle on the table pointed to the woman sitting next to Charles. Her challenge was to kiss a man at the table. Everyone jeered and egged her on.

Giggling, she snuggled into Charles' arms. "Charlotte is shy. Don't be too hard on her."

His words clearly showed he was protecting her.

"Come on, Charles, don't wimp out." In the next second, Charles cupped the woman's face and kissed her softly. That was where the video ended.

Regina sent another message. "Chloe, Charlotte is Charles' true love. You can't beat her, so you'd better leave him sooner rather than later."

A bit later, she added in a prickly tone, "I'm not warning you because I'm nice. I just dislike Charlotte more than I dislike you."

I couldn't help asking, "Who exactly is Charlotte?"