He Proposed to My Best Friend on TV

Lucas Hart had fought in underground boxing rings for five years, and he finally stepped onto the World Championship stage.

To support his fights, I washed dishes at a diner during the day and delivered food at night.

Lucas had once held my cracked hands and cried until his eyes turned red, and he swore:

"Nina, when I win the World Championship, I'll make sure you live a good life."

But on the day he walked toward the World Championship stage, I said I wanted to go with him.

Lucas stayed silent for a few seconds, then brushed me off.

"What would you even do there when you don't understand it?"

When he won the title, I was crouching down washing dishes.

On the TV screen, Lucas stood there in high spirits, giving his acceptance speech.

I felt happy for him, and then I heard the reporter ask who he wanted to thank the most.

Lucas's gaze seemed to meet mine through the screen, and his lips moved.

I tightened my grip on the greasy plate in my hand, and a wave of expectation rose inside me.

But in the next second, Lucas's familiar voice came crashing down.

"The person I want to thank the most is my love, Sophie Blake."

Before I could react, my best friend, whose name had just been mentioned, smiled shyly and ran onto the stage, then kissed Lucas deeply.

The applause and blessings of the whole world surged in at that moment.

I stared at the two people hugging tightly on the screen.

Then I lowered my head and looked at my own rough, cracked hands.

Silently, I put down the plate in my hand and called my dad.

"Dad, I agree to go back and inherit the family business."

After I hung up, Sophie's updated Ins post popped up.

A nine-photo grid.

In the picture, a man's slender hand was interlaced with hers, and that glittering gold medal rested against her chest.

Nothing in the world is happier than my husband winning his match while I happen to be by his side.

I casually liked the post and turned off my phone.

The dark screen reflected my sallow face.

The apron on me was covered in water stains and grease.

I was only twenty-five, yet a few strands of white hair had already appeared at my temples.

I took off my apron and went to the back kitchen to resign to my boss.

"You've worked here for so long, and you're always the last one to leave every day, so why are you suddenly leaving?"

The boss was cooking, and when he heard me say I was quitting, he looked a little surprised.

Lucas often got injured from boxing, and sometimes when he came home, his fingers would be terribly swollen.

To buy him a good pair of gloves, I worked part-time jobs like my life depended on it, and sometimes I stayed busy at the diner until after midnight before leaving.

I let out a soft laugh and put the apron on the counter.

"I'm a little tired, and I want to rest properly for a while."

After I left the diner, Lucas sent me a message.

Nina, I'll be back later.

I did not reply, and I followed the address in Sophie's photo.

Outside the plaza downtown, a crowd of onlookers and reporters had gathered.

Hot-air balloons with Sophie's name on them floated in the sky all around.

Lucas knelt on one knee inside a heart made of candles and rose petals.

He held a ring in one hand and offered it to the shy-faced woman in front of him.

"Sophie, will you marry me?"

Amid the lively teasing and blessings from the people around them, Sophie's ears turned bright red, and she reached out with teary eyes.

"Of course I will~"

Lucas carefully slipped the ring onto her pinky.

The crowd instantly erupted, and everyone began clapping.

Reporters pushed forward one after another to interview them.

Lucas held Sophie and looked at her with a gentle, unwavering gaze.

Then he turned his head toward the reporters' cameras.

"I promised Sophie that I would marry her if I won the match, and now, I've finally done it."

I stood outside the crowd, my nails digging deep into my flesh.

I felt as if all the blood in my body had frozen, and I could not stop trembling.

I remembered the night I delivered food until midnight and ran into thugs at the mouth of an alley.

To protect myself, I was beaten by several burly men until my left eye became severely blind.

Lucas knelt beside my hospital bed, held my cracked hand tightly with red eyes, and made me a promise.

"Nina, don't worry, when I win the match, I'll be able to propose to you."

"On that day, I will make you the most beautiful bride in the world!"

And now, I looked at the heart-shaped balloons floating all over the sky.

My heart felt as if it had been struck hard by a blunt object, and my nose stung.

I could no longer hold back my tears.

As if afraid someone would see me in such a wrecked state, I pushed through the crowd and ran away like I was fleeing.

I did not know how I got home.

At ten o'clock that night, the door opened.

Lucas changed his shoes in the entryway, and the fluorescent light switched on with a snap.

When he saw me sitting on the couch and staring straight at him, Lucas jumped in fright.

"Nina? Why are you sitting there in the dark this late?"

I did not speak and just stared at him.

There was now a Strawberry Bear bracelet on his wrist.

I had seen Sophie wearing one in her Ins post, and theirs were a couple's set.

Lucas drank a glass of water, walked over, hugged my waist from behind, and rubbed his face against me.

"I'm so tired today, and you have no idea, I almost lost this afternoon."

He leaned closer and tried to pinch my cheek, but I turned aside and avoided him.

The gardenia scent Sophie always used drifted into my nose.

A wave of nausea surged inside me, and the emotion I had buried suddenly exploded.

"Don't touch me!"

Lucas froze, and his raised hand stiffened in midair.

His face darkened instantly.

"What are you throwing a tantrum about? Are you still mad because I didn't let you go watch the match?"

I raised my head and looked at his face, which was still as handsome as before.

Yet at this moment, I found him unbearably fake.

I opened my mouth and asked directly:

"When did you and Sophie get together?"

Lucas froze in place, and when he looked at my trembling body, panic flashed through his eyes.

I looked into his eyes and stubbornly asked aloud.

"You said you wanted to marry me, so was all of that fake?"

I clenched my fists, wishing so badly that Lucas would tell me right now that everything was fake.

That I was dreaming.

But after a long moment, he suddenly let out a scoff.

He leaned lazily back against the couch.

"You know everything?"

He raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears at the corner of my eyes, just like before.

With a soft laugh, he rubbed the top of my head.

"Although I can't marry you, you can still continue being my lover."

"Now that I've won the match, I have everything, and other than a wedding, I'll give you whatever you want."

"It's just a marriage license, and it doesn't mean anything."

I looked at the man's mouth opening and closing.

He still looked the same as before.

Yet at this moment, I found him unbelievably fake.

I remembered the night five years ago when he held my hand and said he wanted to give me a good life.

I was held tightly in his arms, and he said that when he made a name for himself, we would get married.

Back then, the young man's eyes were full of me.

I ignored my dad's warnings, and because I was afraid Lucas would feel inferior because I was a wealthy heiress, I never told him.

I resolutely gave up wealth and luxury, and I stayed with him through hardship while he fought illegal matches.

I thought that when Lucas finally made a name for himself, we really would get married.

But now, I thought of the way he proposed to Sophie.

In the end, he succeeded, and the first person he abandoned was me!

Overwhelming emotions surged up inside me.

I shoved him away and shouted with red eyes.

"Lucas Hart, don't you think you're disgusting?"

Lucas lost his patience, stood up, and looked at me indifferently.

"Nina Sterling, you should be thanking me right now, because you have nowhere to go after cutting ties with your dad for me."

"Now, other than me, where else can you go in this huge Harbor City?"

He patted my face, picked up a bath towel, and walked toward the bathroom.

"Stay by my side like a good girl, and stop making trouble all the time."

I stared at the tightly shut door and collapsed completely to the floor.

I tilted my head back and refused to let the tears fall.

My phone vibrated, and my dad's driver, Mr. Finch, called.

"Miss, the boss has arranged everything, and I'll come pick you up in two days."

"Okay."

After I hung up, I went to the bedroom and started packing.

I did not have much luggage, and one suitcase held everything.

Lucas rarely bought me anything, and I understood that boxing was hard for him.

All the money I earned was saved to buy Lucas protective gear and gloves.

I could not even bear to buy myself a decent piece of clothing.

After I finished packing and dragged the suitcase up, a sharp sinking pain suddenly came from my lower abdomen.

I curled up on the floor and reached toward my thigh.

A blinding red fell into my palm.

I looked at my slightly swollen lower belly, and half a month ago, I had found out I was pregnant.

But because I had crouched for long hours washing dishes, the baby was in danger.

The doctor had warned me that if I did not go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible, both the mother and the baby could be in life-threatening danger.

But when I saw the expensive follow-up fee, I still did not tell Lucas.

The sinking pain in my lower abdomen grew stronger and stronger, and blood gushed out from between my legs.

Footsteps sounded outside the bedroom, and Lucas had finished his shower.

Hope sparked inside me, and I gripped the floor and crawled toward the door, wanting to ask him for help.

"Lucas save me"

All the strength in my body seemed to have been drained away, and I used every last bit of effort to squeeze out my voice.

I kept slapping the door.

"Nina, are you in there?"

Lucas heard the faint slapping at the door, frowned, and was just about to walk toward the bedroom.

Just then, a knock suddenly came from outside the front door.

"Lucas, when I got home, I found my place had been completely ransacked, and I'm so scared"

Sophie's soft, delicate voice rang out outside the door.

Lucas could no longer care about the movement in the room, and he quickly walked to the entryway and opened the door.

"How could a thief get in, and it's so cold, but you didn't even put on a jacket."

"Come on, I'll go back with you and take a look."

The conversation outside the door drifted over, and the sound of fabric rubbing followed.

Then the front door was shut.

The whole house fell silent again.

I lay on the floor with a pale face and felt blood keep flowing out of my body.

My throat seemed to be gripped tightly, and the pain made it so I could no longer make a sound.

My phone vibrated, and Lucas's message came in:

Something came up, so I'm heading out for a while, and don't wait up for me, sleep early.

Tears streamed from the corners of my eyes, and the hope that had lit up in my heart completely fell through.

I used the last of my strength to call 91

"What kind of family leaves a pregnant woman home alone?"

"If she had been brought in any later, you would've lost your life!"

When I opened my eyes, the doctor was flipping through my medical records and looking at me with complaint and regret.

I stared blankly at the ceiling, touched my lower abdomen, and felt as if a piece of my stomach was empty.

I asked the doctor in a hoarse voice.

"The baby"

The doctor stared at my lips, which were so pale they were cracked, and sighed.

"If you had been brought in earlier, the baby might have been saved, but don't be too sad, there will be another chance"

I touched my belly, and my tears finally burst out uncontrollably.

I took out my phone and sent my dad a message.

Dad, I don't want to wait anymore, come pick me up today.

I completed the discharge procedures, called a cab, and went back to get my luggage.

As soon as I reached the door of my home, I saw Lucas getting out of a car.

When he saw me, his brows knitted tightly, and he strode over and grabbed my wrist.

"Where did you go? I've been looking for you all morning."

"Do you know that this makes people worry?"

The Strawberry Bear bracelet on Lucas's wrist jingled with his movements.

I looked at the worry for me written all over his face, and I thought of the Lucas who had abandoned me to care about Sophie.

Suddenly, I could not tell which one was the real Lucas.

"I'm fine."

I pulled my hand free from his and walked into the house with no expression.

Lucas froze, and his face darkened.

"Nina Sterling, it's been a whole night, and you're still throwing a tantrum?"

He seemed to have run out of patience, walked over, and grabbed my shoulders.

"I already said that other than the title of wife, I can give you anything you want."

"You don't need to fight Sophie over this, because it's just a marriage license."

"Having two wives isn't impossible."

I looked at his certain face.

He had decided that all my unhappiness was because he did not marry me.

He thought I was just being jealous.

He believed that after so many years of feelings between us, I would never bear to leave him.

My phone rang once, and it was Dad.

I lowered my head and looked.

Nina, Mr. Finch will pick you up in an hour.

I looked at his face and laughed softly in calm.

"Okay."

I was leaving anyway.

I did not care about any of this anymore, and I did not want to waste words arguing with him.

When Lucas saw my smile, he let out a breath of relief.

He thought I had finally figured it out.

He kissed my forehead gently.

"That's my good girl, and the coach from the boxing match has arranged a celebration party for me tonight, so stay home like a good girl."

"I'll take Sophie with me, and I'll come back once the socializing is over."

Lucas nodded with satisfaction.

He got into the car, and the exhaust sprayed all over my face.

A call came into my phone from Attorney Carter.

"Hello, Miss Sterling, I have a lead regarding the matter about your mother that you asked me to investigate last time."

"I'm at the coffee shop, and I'll send you the address."

"Really? I'll head over right now."

My dad was a giant in the business world, and countless rivals watched him closely.

They could not do anything to my dad, so they turned their aim toward my mom.

They bought smear stories claiming that my mom was the mistress who seduced my dad, and they even released evidence.

Public opinion online turned completely against my mom.

She was born into a scholarly family, and after being cyberbullied until her mind fell apart, she could not take it anymore and finally took her own life.

Even now, the real person behind it all had never been found.

This had always been the thorn in my heart, and five years ago, I contacted Attorney Carter.

Now, there was finally a lead.

I walked toward the coffee shop full of hope.

But as soon as I walked into the coffee shop, I saw Lucas and Sophie on the couch in the corner.

His group of friends was there too.

"We drank too much, so we came out for some air."

"Hey, Sophie, I heard Lucas say that Nina's mom used to be a mistress?"

"Isn't her family super poor? If she lives off Lucas, how could her dad have money to keep a mistress?"

One of Lucas's friends asked.

Sophie let out a soft scoff, as if she was too embarrassed to say it.

"I'm not sure, but that's what Lucas told me too, and I heard she ended up jumping off a building"

Laughter broke out all around them.

"Then doesn't that mean Nina inherited her mom's legacy, hahaha!"

"Hey, Lucas, isn't that right?"

A wave of teasing surged over.

I looked at Lucas, expecting to hear his explanation.

But Lucas had his arm around Sophie's shoulders, and when he heard that, he only gave a soft laugh.

He did not deny it.

That heart-rending rage surged into my chest.

I still remembered when I cried and told Lucas about all of this, and he held me with heartache and swore.

"Nina, from now on, I'll protect you in your mother's place."

"I believe your mom was definitely not that kind of person, and we'll investigate together and find the truth for your mom."

The vows from the past were still vivid in my mind.

But now, he had actually taken the deepest thorn in my heart and told it to others as a joke.

Sophie was even laughing at my mom without restraint with everyone else over there.

A sky-high rage surged up inside me.

I picked up a cup of coffee and rushed straight over.

Then I splashed it hard in her face.

"Ah!"

Sophie screamed and threw herself into Lucas's arms.

Before I could raise my hand to hit Lucas, he suddenly stood up and shoved me hard.

My waist hit the corner of the table behind me, and the wound that had not yet healed began bleeding again.

"Nina Sterling, what the hell is wrong with you?"

He looked at me angrily.

I lay on the floor and felt as if my whole body had been torn apart.

With red eyes, I gritted my teeth and asked him.

"Why did you slander my mom with them?"

When he noticed my pale face, he froze for a moment, and guilt flashed through his eyes.

"I"

Just as he was about to say something, Sophie cried out from his arms.

"Lucas, my eyes hurt, and I think coffee got in them, so am I going to go blind"

Lucas could no longer care about me, and he picked her up in his arms and went to the hospital.

His friends looked at me with sneers.

"A mistress still wants to hit the real girlfriend, how shameless!"

When I came out of the coffee shop, it was pouring rain outside.

The Sterling family car had stopped at the entrance according to the location I sent.

A bodyguard got out and opened the car door.

"Miss, please get in."

After Lucas accompanied Sophie through the examination and confirmed that nothing was wrong with her eyes, he thought of my pale face at the coffee shop and could not help feeling a little worried.

"What happened this afternoon was too impulsive of you, and since you only hurt Sophie because you were jealous, I won't hold it against you."

"Are you feeling unwell? I'll go with you for a checkup when I get home."

He hung up the phone and was just about to go home.

Then several of his friends called.

"Lucas, we saw Nina get picked up by a luxury car."

Lucas froze and spoke in shock.

"What?"