Finally, I Stopped Loving You

The final amount of sponsorship money secured would determine the new project lead.
I had hustled across half the city, bowing and scraping to countless people, and was on the verge of victory, ten thousand dollars ahead of the runner-up.
But behind my back, my wealthy boyfriend invested half a million dollars in her.
He said, "She's a scholarship student. She needs this more than you do."
Fine.
In that case, he could have the project. I was done with both of them.

1
The moment the project lead was announced, every eye in the room turned to me, filled with a mixture of pity and sympathy.
A few of my friends had even brought a banner, ready to celebrate.
Turns out, we'd popped the champagne too soon.
The scholarship student, Sandra Lin, walked to the front, a look of utter shock on her face, as if she couldn't believe such a prize had fallen into her lap.
But her expression quickly changed. She turned to me, her eyes welling up. "Mia, you're not mad, are you? I just mentioned offhand that I wanted the project, I never thought Aiden would actually take me seriously. How about I give it to you?"
I could see the challenge glittering in her eyes, clear as day.
My best friend, Alice, jumped to my defense. "What a performance," she sneered. "What are you so proud of? Aiden's blind. He felt sorry for you and threw you a bone. It's just one project. We don't want your charity."
Alice knew how much this project meant to me. I had already applied to a top international university. My grades were perfect, my English proficiency score was just shy of a full nine, and this project was the final piece of my applicationmy stepping stone to a full-ride scholarship.
Now, the project was gone. But I couldn't lose my dignity. If I did, my status as Aiden's "official girlfriend" would become a complete joke.
Sandra looked even more wounded. "I wasn't trying to steal it from her," she explained, her voice trembling. "If I really wanted to compete, I would have started fundraising a month ago. I know I'm not as capable as she is, so I never even considered it. It's just fate, I guess. I didn't fight for it, but in the end, it came to me."
Her words were practically begging for a slap.
Almost everyone in the room had tried for this project and failed for one reason or another. Now, out of nowhere, Sandra swoops in. No proposal, no hustlingjust a word to Aiden, and she had what the rest of us had worked so hard for.
Someone couldn't stand it anymore. "Didn't fight for it? Playing the innocent little flower, are we? His actual girlfriend didn't get a dime of his help, but all you had to do was ask, and Aiden threw hundreds of thousands at you. Who knows what you did to get it."
Sandra's eyes widened in mock innocence. "What are you talking about? I didn't do anything."
I had no patience for this pathetic drama. As I turned to leave, Sandra grabbed my arm. "Don't go!" she cried. "You have to clear my name, or they'll think something happened between me and Aiden!"
I was physically and emotionally exhausted. The filter between my brain and my mouth vanished. "Even if you slept with him," I said, my voice flat, "it has nothing to do with me."
A collective gasp went through the room.
Alice stepped forward and pushed Sandra's hand off me. "Don't touch her"
Before the words were even out, Sandra crumpled to the floor.
Alice stared in horror. "Are you serious? Are you trying to frame me?"
Sandra was sobbing now, a picture of tragic beauty, as if we were the evil side characters in her sob story, bullying the helpless heroine.
Just then, a tall figure pushed through the crowd. Seeing Sandra on the ground, he shoved me violently. If Alice hadn't caught me, I would have slammed into the corner of a table.
When Sandra saw Aiden, she threw herself into his arms. "I don't want the project anymore!" she cried. "I was just joking with you! Give the investment to Mia, please! Otherwise, she's going to hate me forever!"
Aiden finally looked up and seemed to notice me for the first time. Realizing he had just shoved me, he pushed Sandra away and rushed to my side, his eyes filled with apology as he looked me over.
"I'm sorry, I was in a hurry, I didn't see it was you. Are you okay?"

2
His hand landed on my shoulder. I felt a wave of disgust and shrugged it off.
Aiden's brow furrowed. I had never rejected his touch before. This was a first.
"I'm fine," I said coolly. "You should take care of her. I'm a little tired, I'm heading home."
He offered to take me, but I refused.
Suddenly, Sandra let out a small cry. Aiden immediately turned to her. "What's wrong?"
"I think I twisted my ankle. It really hurts."
Aiden glanced back at me. "I'll call you tonight," he said, then scooped Sandra into his arms and left.
Alice was practically vibrating with rage. She was about to charge after him and land a kick while his back was turned, but I held her back.
After they left, the crowd dispersed.
"Why didn't you tear him a new one?" Alice demanded, fuming.
"What's the use? You hit him, and his family, with all their money and power, can have you thrown in jail. If they're feeling vindictive, they can make sure you never get a job. We're normal people, Alice. We can't win that fight." My voice was hollow, all the fight drained out of me.
Alice deflated. "So what now? Are you going to break up with him?"
"Of course. But I can't be the one to do it."
I knew Aiden too well. He was obsessed with finding a girl who wasn't after his family's money, someone who loved him for him. He had spent the first three years of our four-year relationship testing me.
If I broke up with him now, he'd tell everyone it was because I finally lost patience when I realized I couldn't get his money.
When I found out he'd given that huge investment to Sandra, I was heartbroken. It turned out his tests were only for me. Sandra just had to say a few words, and he handed over a fortune. My genuine affection had earned me nothing but endless suspicion.
A breakup was inevitable. But I wasn't going to let him slander my name in the process.
That night, I didn't get a call from Aiden.
But I did get a wire transfer.
Half a million dollars.
Attached was a note: This transfer is a gift given with the intent of marriage. In the event of a breakup for any reason, the recipient must return the full amount.
Looking at that money, I knew one thing for sure: my education was my only way out.
I called my professor and asked if there was any other way to get a full scholarship. He sent me a file. His research project needed one more assistant. If I worked for free, he would give me a co-author credit.
I accepted on the spot.
For the next month, I was completely buried in work. I was so busy, my phone would often die without me even noticing.
At night, I was always the last one to leave the lab. Mastering the data was difficult, and I had no choice but to work harder, to put in more hours.
The way back to my dorm went through a small alley.
Suddenly, I heard voices.
"I'm telling you, I don't have any money. He got me that sponsorship, but he hasn't given me a single cent."
It was Sandra. It sounded like she was being mugged, but by people she knew.
"You think we're stupid?" a man's voice shot back. "He's a rich kid. We saw him take you jewelry shopping last week. He bought you that ruby necklace, the one that cost over eighty grand. If you don't have cash, hand over the necklace. We can pawn it."
Sandra was furious. "He bought that for me to wear to his birthday party," she hissed. "If you take it, what am I supposed to do?"
"You idiot," another man's voice said. "Just buy a fake one to wear. He'll never know the difference."
Sandra hesitated.
The two men pressed on. "That rich kid has a girlfriend, right? She'll definitely be at the party. You can pretend the necklace went missing and blame it on her. You'll drive a wedge between them and get rid of the fake necklace at the same time. Two birds, one stone."

3
After a moment's thought, Sandra pulled a box from her bag. As she opened it, a ruby necklace glittered under the dim alley light, its fire captivating.
"Make sure you get a good price for it," she instructed.
The two men snatched the necklace and walked away without another word. I ducked into the shadows as they passed. A few moments later, Sandra left, muttering curses under her breath.
Long after she was gone, my mind was stuck on that necklace.
It was a piece I had dreamed of, a rare and expensive design from a niche artisan. I could never afford it. I remembered looking at it in the shop window with Aiden by my side. He had been silent, his expression unreadable, his gaze fixed on me.
At the time, I didn't understand what he was thinking. My mind was consumed by the necklace, by my future. I would study abroad, get a high-paying job, and on my twenty-fifth birthday, I would buy that necklace for myself. It would be a tribute to all my hard work.
After we saw the necklace, Aiden didn't contact me for a long time.
Finally, I went to find him. He was with a few of his friends. When my name came up, one of them sneered, "That girl's a total bookworm, nothing else. You're still with her? You're not actually thinking of marrying her, are you? Don't be so boring."
Aiden said nothing.
Another one joked, "Dude, you spent two years trying to prove she's a gold digger. Now that she's not digging, you look miserable. What's up with that?"
A flash of anger crossed Aiden's face. "I thought she was different," he grumbled. "She hid it for two years, but she finally slipped. A couple of weeks ago, she took me to see this ruby necklace. It's a luxury item, way out of her price range. She obviously wanted me to buy it for her. I didn't fall for it."
His friends hooted with laughter. "See? We told you. She's just after your money. Good thing you didn't get played."
Just then, a girl who had been quiet spoke up. "The necklace you're talking about, is it by a designer named K? She's been in love with that piece for years, since junior high, I think. Her birthday wish every year was to buy it for herself with her own money on her twenty-fifth birthday."
The group fell silent.
Someone tried to challenge her. "How would you know? You know her?"
The girl nodded. "She was famous in our high school. Top of her class. I lived in the rich neighborhood, she lived in the old, run-down apartments. But every year, parents from my neighborhood would hire her to tutor their kids. She was never shy about her ambition. She's an amazing person."
After she finished, no one spoke for a long time. They eventually changed the subject to break the awkward silence. Before leaving, the girl looked at Aiden. "That smug, all-knowing act you just pulled? It was disgusting. She can't afford that necklace now, but on her twenty-fifth birthday, she will. And she won't need you to do it."
Aiden couldn't even look at her.
I had planned to break up with him that day, but his face was just too handsome, and his apology afterwards was so sincere that I let it go.
The memory faded, and tears filled my eyes. It was true. Some people could get things without any effort, things that others had to fight for their entire lives.
The next day, Aiden came to find me. He was holding a bouquet of flowers.
"I texted you, but you didn't reply," he said with a smile. "Are you busy looking for a job? If you can't find anything, I can have my dad set you up with a position. Or, you could just marry me and be a full-time wife."
He beamed, clearly expecting me to be overjoyed.
Instead, he was met with my cold, empty expression.

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