Love and Deception: A Twisted Romance

1

My boyfriend wanted to sleep with me, but after I refused, he turned around and married his so-called true love.

He happily posted a picture on social media, hugging his new girlfriend. "I'm getting married. Can't wait to start this new chapter!"

The picture under the text only showed their hands intertwined and a large bouquet of roses.

Our mutual friends' group chat was instantly filled with astonishment. And all those who got the first-hand gossip began to send congratulatory messages in the group.

"Congratulations! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!"

"Hey, when's the wedding banquet? Tell us the date!"

My boyfriend laughed and explained to everyone that they had the wrong person. The bride wasn't me.

Then, he added his new girlfriend, Hannah Martin, to the group.

As soon as she joined, she sent a cute emoji and shyly sent a voice message, "Hello everyone, I'm Walter's girlfriend. I hope you can come to our wedding, which is set for the third day after Christmas."

Everyone who had been lively suddenly fell silent.

Listening to Hannah's sweet voice made me feel nauseated.

Hannah started greeting everyone in the group, urging them to transfer money to welcome her.

Most people sent her five hundred, but she mocked them.

She laughed and said, "I heard from my boyfriend that you're all rich kids. Usually, you spend money in five figures at a time. Why is it only three figures now? Are you looking down on me?"

Her words left everyone speechless.

I was a bit shocked. Did she think money grows on trees for rich kids?

What made her think she could demand money when we first joined the group?

Walter quickly realized things were going south and tried to smooth things over, "Hannah is just joking, don't take it to heart."

The group fell silent.

I felt like I had bad luck.

I could not believe that after breaking up with me, this jerk was so desperate that he would marry any gold digger who was only after his money. Ugh!

I immediately blocked him on all platforms. Goodbye!

That evening, feeling down, I went to a bar with my best friends to drink.

While drinking, I listened to them chatter about one-night stands, and it made me feel a bit curious.

Because my family was very conservative... My mom said that if that happened, men would despise me for life.

So then, at twenty-five, I had never slept with a man.

I stumbled to the restroom, and on the way, two men tried to hit on me. I refused.

Who knew these drunkards wouldn't take no for an answer and tried to drag me to drink with them? I wanted to run, but they held me tight.

Suddenly, all those news stories about deaths flashed through my mind.

I was so impatient that I wanted to pick up a wine bottle to hit them with it, but I found that I couldn't beat them.

Just then, I looked up and saw a familiar guy walking towards me.

Josh Smith?

Wasn't he Walter's cousin?

2

I didn't expect to see Josh here.

He was wearing a well-tailored casual suit, drinking with friends. His elegant fingers held a wine glass, and he was smiling as he spoke to someone across from him.

Looking at his chiseled, handsome face, my heart couldn't help but race.

No one knew that Josh was my secret crush during college.

Just then, someone yanked my arm, pulling me back to reality.

"Hey, can you help me?" I called out to Josh, trying to hide my embarrassment.

Josh paused, looked around, but seemed not to notice anything, and continued drinking.

Oh no, I was behind him, and there was a table of drinkers blocking his view. It was hard for him to spot me.

The two drunkards realized I had seen someone familiar and tightened their grip on my arm.

I struggled hard, raising my voice in desperation, "Hey, can you help me?"

This time, many people heard and looked my way, and Josh finally saw me.

He seemed surprised for a moment, then put down his glass, stood up, and walked towards me with his long strides.

In no time, he stood before me, looking at the two drunkards holding me with a cold expression. "She's my friend. Let her go."

The two men glanced at his elegant demeanor, exchanged a look, and sheepishly let go, slipping away without a word.

"Alright, go home quickly." After helping me, Josh glanced at me casually and turned to leave.

Seeing my crush about to leave, I didn't know if it was the alcohol, but I boldly grabbed his arm.

"Hey, can you take me home?" I clung to him shamelessly, my voice soft.

He frowned slightly. "You should call Walter to pick you up."

"We broke up. He has a new girlfriend and won't come for me."

For a moment, his eyes seemed to darken slightly. In my daze, I couldn't see clearly, but I thought I might be drunk.

I really didn't want him to leave, so I stumbled into his arms, refusing to let go.

His embrace had a pleasant scent, mixed with a faint smell of red wine, which I found irresistible.

I suddenly remembered that some time before, when I was unwell and went to the hospital for a physical examination, it was him who had examined me. I didn't know if he wasn't used to being around girls, but his ears were very red at that time, which was adorable.

So, I boldly whispered in his ear, "I'm not feeling well again. Can you take me home for a check-up?"

Instantly, his ears turned red again.

A moment later, he spoke in a low, hoarse voice, "Leah, be clear-headed. Do you know what you're saying?"

I mumbled, holding him tightly, "I'm an adult. I mean what I say."

His breath hitched slightly, and he led me by the hand towards the door.

I followed him home, and before entering, he solemnly asked if I really wanted to go in.

Blushing, I glanced at him, said nothing, and pushed the door open, answering him with my actions.

3

Josh helped me to the sofa and poured me a glass of water before sitting across from me.

I took a sip from the cup. It was sweet with honey. Instantly, my heart felt like it was coated in honey too, secretly delighted at his thoughtfulness.

Thinking about it, I couldn't help but recall Walter, that jerk who never did anything nice for me.

Perhaps it was because of the influence of the alcohol, or maybe it was because I had been suppressing my feelings for too long. However, I began to pour out to Josh all of Walter's bad behavior.

Honestly, I didn't even like Walter that much. Being with him wasn't something I truly wanted.

But some things, I just had to keep to myself, unable to share with others.

The more I talked, the more aggrieved I felt. Gradually, as the alcohol took over, I stopped talking about Walter and turned my chatter towards Josh.

He was the star student everyone admired, excelling in every aspect-academics, sports, arts, and more. A handsome guy with both talent and looks, the eternal genius of the medical school, a true prodigy.

Back then, most girls at our school had a crush on Josh, and I was just one of the many girls who had a crush on him.

I even confessed how I had a crush on him during college, mentioning how I often went to watch him play basketball. That wasn't enough. I even had the audacity to complain, accusing him of not talking to me back then.

He looked at me with a helpless expression, lips slightly parted as if he wanted to say something, but my incessant chatter stopped him.

I rambled on about my past infatuation with him.

Once, during one of his basketball games, I was so eager to see him play that I skipped breakfast. Halfway through the game, I got so excited that I fainted from low blood sugar.

When I woke up, I found myself in the infirmary. Embarrassed beyond belief, I ran straight back to my dorm and stayed there for days, too ashamed to watch Josh play basketball again.

Josh was about to graduate then, always busy, but I never expected to see him again at a family gathering at Walter's house.

It was then I learned that Josh was Walter's cousin.

Seeing him again, I was unusually delighted, but Josh was particularly cold towards me, sometimes even deliberately ignoring my presence.

I didn't know what I had done to upset him, but I had a vague feeling he didn't like me, which left me secretly sad for a long time.

As I recounted this, I noticed Josh listening intently, and suddenly felt overwhelmingly wronged, tears spilling from my eyes.

Josh panicked, awkwardly sitting beside me, gently patting my back to comfort me.

But I felt even more aggrieved, and without thinking, I threw my arms around his waist, burying myself in his embrace.

His body stiffened for a moment, then he held me tightly, as if trying to merge me into his body, his chin gently brushing the top of my head.

He suddenly called my name softly. "Leah."

"Hmm." I responded with a nasal tone.

"Have you really broken up with Walter?" He asked, his deep, captivating voice seemingly suppressing some inexplicable emotion.

"Of course, it's true. He even introduced his new girlfriend in the group chat today. I have nothing to do with him anymore."

As soon as I finished speaking, he suddenly lowered his head, gently kissing away the tears at the corner of my eye.

My face flushed with heat, and a warm sensation seemed to rise in my abdomen.

Josh continued to kiss me as he carried me into the bedroom, laying me on the bed. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck, and he gently leaned in...

The night was a blur of entanglement, and in the haze, I felt as if I was floating between heaven and earth, unwilling to stop...

When I woke up the next day, I was alone in bed. Feeling the soreness in my body, memories of the previous night flooded back, jolting me awake.

The clothes scattered on the floor were gone, replaced by a clean, simple white dress neatly placed by the bed. I hurriedly dressed, ready to flee.

However, as I passed through the living room, I suddenly heard the sound of a spatula from the kitchen. Curiosity got the better of me, and I quietly went to check, finding Josh clumsily preparing breakfast, wearing an apron.

Was he making it for me?

My heart clenched for a moment, and I dared not look any longer, fleeing in a panic.

Just as I left Josh's house and was walking down the street feeling at a loss, Walter called and asked me to go home with him for dinner.

I replied flatly. "We've broken up."

Walter's voice was heavy with pressure. "Leah! Do you have to be so unreasonable?"

I froze, gripped the phone tightly and remained silent.

Yes, how could I be unreasonable?

Walter had helped me when I was most helpless. I owed him not only a favor but also a large sum of money.

When my parents had a car accident, my mother died on the spot, and my father was severely injured and held fully responsible. Walter had helped pay the huge medical bills and compensated the victims' families.

Although my father eventually passed away, what I owed Walter seemed impossible to repay in this lifetime.

Later, he pursued me, and even though I was unwilling, I felt obligated to become his girlfriend.

After we got together, I remained chaste, and Walter didn't push it at first, as he always had women around him. But later, perhaps because I refused too many times, he got angry and would throw unreasonable tantrums.

4

Yet, no matter how much Walter was cheating and throwing tantrums, I had no right to break up with him because I owed him!

In the end, I went back with Walter for dinner.

It wasn't until evening that I returned to my place.

During the day, Josh called me twice, but I ignored them. After that, he didn't call again.

I felt a sense of relief, yet also an inexplicable sense of loss.

Maybe, to someone like him, I was just a fleeting interest. Spending a night with him was entirely my choice, and the fact that he called me twice already showed he thought highly of me.

Climbing the stairs to my sixth-floor apartment, I found the hallway light was out. As I fumbled for my keys in the dark, I suddenly noticed a shadow by the door.

Just before I could cry out in surprise, the shadow stood up.

"It's me." A deep, captivating voice said, followed by a familiar scent.

I froze-it was Josh!

He had come to find me himself!?