I Faked Love, He Spoiled Me Rotten

Chapter 4

Louisa had spent so much time scrolling through her phone lately that her fingers were literally starting to ache.

She was glued to every job app, firing off resumes, refreshing the feed, and just waiting for someone to hit her back.

Her degrees weren't anything to write home about, and in a crowded city like Newville where everyone had a killer resume, hers just got buried.

Every once in a while, her phone would buzz, but whenever she checked, it was just the algorithm pushing random gigs like fast-food cashier, door-to-door sales, or grueling 12-hour shifts at an sss warehouse.

The only gig offering over twenty bucks an hour was at a strip club.

Louisa just stared at the screen, biting her lip.

Two days later, she finally got a bite—a small clinic chain invited her to interview for a receptionist gig. The base pay was 3,500. They threw in free lunch, and there were no night shifts.

She picked out a plain white shirt and black pants, pulled her hair back into a low ponytail to keep her face clear, and took a look in the mirror. Then she wiped off her bright lipstick and swapped it for a subtle lip balm. The whole vibe was super clean and professional—she totally looked the part.

At 2:00 PM, Louisa showed up at the clinic.

The place was pretty small, tucked away on the second floor of a commercial building with a sign outside that read:

Harmony Health Clinics.

She pushed the door open, and the nurse at the front desk looked up.

"Hey, I'm here for the receptionist interview."

The nurse nodded. "Give us a few minutes. The director is tied up right now."

About ten minutes later, a woman in her fifties walked out of the back room wearing a lab coat, her hair slicked back perfectly without a single strand out of place.

"Are you Louisa Hart?"

"Yeah, that's me." Louisa quickly stood up a bit straighter.

The director looked her up and down, took the papers with both hands, checked them over, and then looked back at her. "What was your last job?"

"I actually just moved to Newville this year. Before that, I was a nurse at a small-town hospital."

The director frowned a little. "A community clinic, then."

Seeing that, Louisa's heart sank, and she quickly added, "I pick things up really fast, and I'm not afraid of hard work."

The director didn't answer, just flipping through the paperwork again.

The heavy silence was making Louisa's palms sweaty.

"Alright." The director handed the papers back. "Start next Monday. 8 AM sharp, don't be late."

Louisa blinked, stunned for a second, before it hit her. "Thank you so much!"

Walking out of the clinic, the warm sunlight washed over her, feeling amazing.

Louisa wanted to call Dominic, but she stopped mid-dial. Dominic was probably at his part-time construction job right now, so he wouldn't be able to pick up.

Maybe she could just head over to the site and find him? She remembered Dominic saying he was doing some odd jobs there lately, and she knew exactly where it was.

After a one-hour subway ride and another twenty-minute walk, she finally made it. The site was blocked off by corrugated iron sheets, with the loud roar of heavy machinery coming from inside. Louisa stood by the entrance looking around, but there was no sign of Dominic.

Just as she was debating whether to walk in, a group of workers came out, completely covered in dust.

She searched the crowd but didn't see Dominic anywhere.

After waiting a little longer, a second group walked out. This time she caught him—Dominic was trailing at the very back, holding a white plastic lunchbox.

There was nothing but a few slices of bread in the box. Dominic walked over to an open spot near the site, found a rock to sit on, and popped the lid off. He pulled a tiny packet of pickles from his pocket, ripped it open, dumped it over the bread, and started eating.

Louisa stood further away, completely frozen.

Another worker walked up to Dominic, scooped two pieces of meat from his own lunchbox, and dropped them into Dominic's. "Get some meat in you, man. You need the energy for this kind of work."

Dominic tried to pass on it, but the guy just waved him off and walked away. Dominic stared at his food for a second, then looked down and slowly ate the meat.

Louisa felt a massive lump in her throat.

She remembered when Dominic sent her 250 earlier, he told her he still had plenty of cash left—so how could he not even afford a proper lunch?

She spun around, rushed over to a food stall near the entrance, bought a bento box loaded with extra meat, and headed back.

Dominic was still sitting on the same rock, head down, just shoveling bread into his mouth.

She walked up and stood right in front of him.

Dominic looked up, saw her, and froze.

Louisa was in her white shirt and black pants, her hair in that low ponytail, with stray hairs around her forehead blown messy by the wind. Her makeup was super light, just a layer of pale lip balm, making her skin look as white as porcelain.

She stood right in the dust kicked up by the site, surrounded by workers in filthy overalls, roaring machines, and swirling dirt. But standing there, she looked like something that had accidentally wandered into the mortal world—completely out of place, yet impossible to look away from.

Dominic's Adam's apple bobbed. He put down his fork and instinctively wiped his hands. "What are you doing here?"

Louisa shoved the lunchbox into his hands. "Bought you some real food."

The surrounding workers all looked over.

"Oh, Dom, is that your girlfriend?"

"She's gorgeous."

"You lucky dog."

Louisa blushed, keeping her head down and staying quiet.

Dominic actually smiled a bit in front of them, a rare peaceful look on his face.

He opened the meal she'd bought—braised pork, scrambled eggs with peppers, and vegetables. He picked up a fork but didn't start eating right away. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Yeah, I already ate. Go ahead."

Dominic picked up a piece of meat and popped it into his mouth.

Louisa sat down next to him, watching him eat. "I got a job."

"Doing what?"

"A receptionist at a clinic. Base pay is 3,500, free lunch, and no night shifts." She smiled. "I can make my own money now, so stop being so cheap with yourself."

Dominic didn't say a word.

Thinking this would cheer him up, Louisa kept going, "Plus, I have enough money, so stop giving me all your money. Keep some for your own meals."

Dominic stared at her for a few seconds, frowning as he asked, "Are you trying to break up with me?"

Louisa was completely baffled. "Huh?"

"Why else would you look for a job?" Dominic's tone was dead calm. "Didn't I say I'd take care of you?"

Louisa opened her mouth, and after a long pause, she managed to squeak out, "I wasn't trying to break up with you."

Dominic went back to eating, looking down as if trying to hide his feelings. "Then is someone else hitting on you?"

Louisa thought back to the texts from a few nights ago and felt a bit guilty, but she forced herself to stay cool. "No, I'm literally just getting a job. Why are you even thinking that?"

You couldn't really blame Dominic for overthinking. Louisa had changed way too much lately. Going out looking for a job, selling off her little trinkets to cover the rent gap, not hanging out randomly anymore, and keeping the place spotless. All of this was enough to make Dominic suspicious.

Unless something happened behind his back, there was no way a person could change this much in such a short time.

"Then why on earth are you suddenly looking for a job?"

Louisa lost her patience. "I was just trying to take some of the pressure off you! You're obviously broke, but you still sent me all that cash..."

She pointed at his lunchbox, which had nothing but pickles in it earlier.

Dominic looked where she was pointing and froze for a second. "My paycheck just hasn't hit yet."

He shut his mouth and went right back to eating.

A moment later, he set the lunchbox aside. "I don't need you to help me."

Louisa bit her lip. "I just want to work, alright? I can't just lounge around the house all day, and I can't live off your money forever. I need to build up my own savings too..."

Dominic glanced up at her. "Is that so?"

He locked eyes with her for a few seconds before getting up. He towered over her by nearly a head, blocking the afternoon sun, his silhouette looking sharp against the light.

He had striking, deep features—a slight frown, a sharp nose, and a clean jawline. Whenever he stayed quiet, he looked as cold and tough as stone.

"Whatever."

He dusted off his pants, turned on his heel, and headed back toward the construction site.

Louisa stayed on the rock, staring at his back. She felt like something was weird, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

Dominic's attitude, which had actually softened because she'd been treating him well lately, instantly turned icy again.