Favoritism

In our social circle, everyone called me Matthews ultimate lapdog.

He liked drinking, so I trained myself to have a legendary tolerance. He liked street racing, so I went to school to become a professional co-driver. When he lost his temper and caused scenes, I was always there to clean up his mess with a sweet, placid smile.

Everyone thought I couldnt live without him. Even Matthew believed it.

Until his childhood sweetheart graduated and returned to the country. He immediately went public with her, flaunting their love everywhere they went.

I actually laughed out loud when I heard the news.

Finally, I was free.

After my parents died, I was taken in by Matthews family, the Kingsleys. We had an old family arrangement, a childhood betrothal.

The first time Matthew saw me, he looked at me with cold disgust.

"I could never love you," he warned me. "The people who made that stupid arrangement are dead. It means nothing now."

I just smiled and nodded. And then, as expected, I proceeded to follow him around like a devoted shadow.

Matthew was always the center of attention. When his cold, piercing eyes swept over a room, people fell in line. His friends mocked me, insulted me, and played cruel pranks on me. I never got angry. As long as I could stay by his side, I didn't care what anyone said.

Matthew treated me horribly, but he was incredibly generous with his money. I had no family, no backing. Only the rising digits in my bank account gave me a sense of security.

Later, Matthew fell for a proud, penniless girl named Giselle. I helped him strategize, ran his errands, and bought expensive gifts for him to send to her door.

But Giselle didn't care for his wealth. "I could never love you, Matthew," she told him. "Your money and status mean nothing to me."

The more she pushed him away, the more obsessed he became.

I acted as their wingman for three months. Finally, Giselle relented, but on one condition: he had to sponsor her studies in Paris.

Matthew personally saw her off at the airport, sitting alone in the terminal looking utterly devastated. That was when I stepped in.

I knelt in front of him, my voice soft and tender. "Matthew, no matter what anyone else does, I will always love you. I'm willing to give you everything just to see you happy. When you hurt, my heart breaks."

He looked up through a haze of tears, staring at me blankly. That was the first time I saw a crack in his icy armor, a tiny flicker of genuine emotion directed at me.

The years that followed were the best of my life.

Matthew stopped playing cruel pranks to drive me out of the Kingsley estate. He also banned his wealthy friends from bullying me.

I followed him in and out of high-end clubs, and he showered me with luxury goods. I was quiet, obedient, and useful. I possessed a unique talent for managing his public relations, saving the Kingsley family from several massive scandals.

When he got into a bar fight, I called the legal team instantly and smoothed things over with the victims, practically begging them on my knees. When his reckless driving caused an accident on a private track, I visited every media outlet personally, pleading with them to spike the story.

His parents grew to trust me completely, assuming I would eventually become their daughter-in-law. They showered me with family heirlooms, antiques, and massive wire transfers.

In the third year of Giselle's stay in Paris, she suddenly announced a new boyfriend, a handsome young French artist.

Matthew got completely drunk and drove his race car onto the track. He spun out of control, crashing straight into the VIP lounge, bleeding heavily from his head.

I checked the security cameras, found the perfect angle, and smashed the car window with my bare fist. Shattered glass tore into my arm, but I ignored the agonizing pain. I dragged his heavy, unconscious body out of the wreckage myself.

Thirty seconds later, the car exploded.

I collapsed onto the asphalt beside him, completely spent. Amid the roaring flames, I pulled a large shard of glass from my arm, right next to a major vein, letting the blood pool around us.

When the family and paramedics arrived, I whispered weakly: "Save Matthew first. I'm fine."

And just like that, I became a hero. I was hospitalized, needing two blood transfusions, and slept for a full day and night.

The video of my rescue was placed online by a track employee. To show their gratitude, the Kingsleys held a press conference, returning all of my parents' seized assets to me and publicly declaring that I was the only woman worthy of marrying Matthew.

I smiled secretly, my fingers trembling with excitement as I held my parents' deeds. The finish line was finally in sight.

When the family patriarch passed away, the Kingsley empire faced its worst crisis.

His mistress and her three illegitimate sons returned from abroad to contest the will, dragging Matthew's father into a public court battle. In a fit of rage, Matthew's father froze the offshore family trusts, triggering a massive financial bottleneck.

Matthew went completely quiet. He stopped drinking, stopped racing, and spent his nights staring at the river.

When I found him, he was crying.

"Matthew," I whispered. "You must be so hurt. The grandfather you respected turned out to have such a dark secret."

He spun around, eyes wide with shock. Everyone else thought he was mourning the loss of his inheritance, terrified of his father losing the empire. I was the only one who addressed his emotional betrayal.

He looked at me for a long time, then smiled. It was a pure, soft smile, free of his usual arrogance.

"Gemma," he said gently. "Let's be together. Truly. Seeing how easily people betray love for greed makes me realize Giselle isn't irreplaceable."

My hands clenched behind my back, but I forced a sweet smile and nodded.

He pulled me into a tight, warm embrace. "I won't ever betray you, Gemma. I swear."

I never believed in vows. Words are the cheapest currency in the world. He had simply found a temporary refuge in me during a chaotic storm. We were both using each other.

From that day on, we were inseparable. Our friends envied me, whispering that my years of devotion had finally paid off.

"Gemma, please don't leave me," Matthew would whisper, his dark eyes brimming with affection. He was actually trying to charm me.

For a brief second, a dangerous thought crossed my mind. What if he stayed like this even after Giselle returned?

But I immediately cleared my mind of those useless illusions, and crossed another day off my calendar.

During a social gathering, his mother called me.

"Gemma, I am so grateful to you. You stood by Matthew and pulled him out of his depression when our family was falling apart. We will always be indebted to you. What is it that you want?"

What did I want? She was officially turning my relationship with Matthew into a business transaction.

I didn't hesitate. "You're too kind, Mrs. Kingsley. You're my family; it was my duty. But I would like to try running the tech company my father left behind. Would that be alright?"

The silent negotiation was complete.

After a brief pause, she smiled. "Of course. I will have the legal team transfer the ownership to you on Monday."

The days became much simpler.

I played the part of the perfect girlfriend, accompanying him everywhere. He remembered every anniversary, showering me with romantic gestures. I documented every detail on social media.

I knew Giselle was watching.

So, when she booked a flight back to the country the day after her graduation, I wasn't surprised at all.

She showed up right in front of Matthew holding two heavy suitcases, just as we were at a luxury jeweler, picking out engagement rings.

The Kingsley family had refused to accept her, leading to explosive arguments between Matthew and his parents. His mother had pulled me aside several times, her gratitude turning into deep suspicion.

"Gemma, surely you don't actually expect to marry into our family? You know I love you like a daughter, but..."

I hid my disgust behind a gentle smile. "Of course, Mrs. Kingsley. Don't worry. Once Matthew's excitement fades, he'll forget all about this."

Now, Giselle stood before us, her eyes red, looking beautifully fragile. She had grown even more stunning over the last four years.

Matthew's grip on my hand tightened until it trembled. I looked up and saw his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard.

Giselle spoke to me first. "Gemma, it's been so long. How have you been? I missed you so much while I was away."

She stepped forward to hug me.

But at that exact moment, a reckless teenager on an electric bike came speeding toward her.

Without a second thought, Matthew let go of my hand, throwing me aside to pull Giselle into his arms, dragging her to safety.

The force of his shove sent me sprawling onto the hard pavement right into the path of the bike.

A sharp, agonizing pain shot through my hand as the wheel rolled over it.

When I looked up, I saw a flash of guilt in Matthew's eyes.

I smiled slightly through the pain.

It was time.