Chapter 7
909 Words
Oliver stepped out of the taxi and stared at the familiar house in front of him.
Bella’s house.
The one place where the weight of being a Johnson disappeared.
Here, he wasn’t the heir to an empire.
He wasn’t the man everyone expected to be perfect.
He was just Oliver.
He walked up to the door and knocked.
A few seconds later, it opened.
But instead of Bella’s warm smile, he was greeted by a pair of cold, angry eyes.
Stacy.
Bella’s blunt and outspoken friend.
“Well, look who finally decided to show up.”
Her lips curled into a mocking smile.
“The scumbag and promise-breaker.”
Oliver’s expression darkened.
Of course.
She already knew.
The news had spread fast.
The Johnson family’s announcement.
His marriage to Lilian Chen.
Two weeks.
That was all the world needed to turn his life upside down.
Stacy crossed her arms.
She had always noticed the way Lilian looked at Oliver.
The way she protected him.
The way she acted like he was something precious.
But Stacy had never wanted to believe there was anything deeper behind it.
To her, Lilian was just another rich girl who kept everyone at a distance.
Someone who looked down on people like them.
Someone who never wanted to be associated with ordinary people.
In Stacy’s mind, Oliver and Bella had always been inevitable.
Everything had been going perfectly.
Until now.
Until the announcement.
Oliver Johnson was getting married.
To Lilian Chen.
Her anger burned.
Was this all some kind of joke to him?
Did he even understand what they had gone through?
How hard they had fought just to survive?
How difficult it had been to escape poverty?
And now, with one decision, he was dragging everything back into chaos.
“Can I see Bella?” Oliver asked.
His voice was calm, but his patience was already wearing thin.
He wasn’t in the mood for Stacy’s judgment.
Not today.
Not when his entire life felt like it was falling apart.
Stacy stepped aside reluctantly.
But before Oliver could walk in, she gave him one last glare.
“You better have a good explanation.”
Oliver ignored the comment.
The truth was, he didn’t even know what explanation he could give.
He didn’t understand it himself.
He liked Bella.
That was the problem.
He liked her because she was different.
She never tried to impress him.
Never acted like his money made him special.
Unlike many people around him, Bella didn’t pretend to be perfect.
She wasn’t some saint who constantly reminded everyone how good she was.
She wasn’t someone like Lilian either.
Lilian was elegant.
Powerful.
Always composed.
The kind of person who seemed untouchable.
Bella was different.
She was honest.
Messy.
Real.
She knew when to fight back, but she was gentle with those who treated her well.
And most importantly…
She didn’t care about his wealth.
That was what caught his attention.
The realization hadn’t come immediately.
But now, looking back, he understood.
It started with a slap.
A memory that still surprised him.
The pineapple juice incident.
He had been rushing that day.
The drink had spilled onto her clothes by accident.
Instead of apologizing properly, he had done what he always did.
He reached for his wallet.
Money solved everything.
At least, that was what he believed.
“Buy yourself a new shirt.”
He had thrown the cash toward her.
And then—
Smack.
The sound of the slap had echoed.
“Not everyone needs your stinking money, asshole.”
Nobody had ever spoken to him like that.
Nobody.
Not even his parents.
He had stood there frozen, his hand touching his cheek, completely stunned.
He tried calling after her.
Tried apologizing.
But she was already gone.
After that, he kept seeing her everywhere.
At restaurants.
Stores.
Different workplaces.
She was always working.
Always tired.
Always moving.
He couldn’t understand how someone could handle so many jobs at once.
One day, he walked into a fast-food restaurant.
Burger Feast.
He wasn’t expecting to see her.
But when Bella looked up and recognized him, her entire expression changed.
Her face went pale.
“Welcome to Burger Feast. How can I help you?”
Her voice was professional.
Until she looked closer.
Her eyes narrowed.
“You…”
She pointed at him.
“You’re that asshole!”
Several customers turned to look.
Oliver raised an eyebrow.
Bella immediately lowered her voice.
“Lower your voice.”
Her glare sharpened.
“What do you want, Mr. Johnson?”
She folded her arms.
“Here to spill another pineapple juice on me? I’m busy, so if you don’t mind…”
Oliver couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
“Oh?”
He leaned slightly closer.
“So now you know who I am.”
A teasing glint appeared in his eyes.
“That means you also know what I could do because of that slap.”
Bella’s expression changed slightly.
“But you’re lucky.”
He smirked.
“I’m in a good mood today.”
He knew he was annoying her.
And strangely…
He enjoyed it.
Not because he wanted to hurt her.
But because Bella was one of the few people who treated him like a normal person.
She didn’t fear him.
Didn’t worship him.
Didn’t care about his name.
For once…
He wasn’t Oliver Johnson, heir to the Johnson Empire.
He was just Oliver.
And maybe that was why he kept coming back.
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