Chapter 4 I Have a Condition
1098 Words
Ruth thought Raymond was being way too overbearing. Did she not even have the freedom to end her own relationship?
Besides, there was no reason to drag this relationship out any longer. She didn't believe for a second that Raymond was unaware of Justin's flings with those women!
"You're all in this together, aren't you? You're just trying to cover for Justin, worried that if things blow up, it'll hurt his reputation, right? What a great brother you are!"
Ruth couldn't hold back the anger bubbling up inside her. She had thought Raymond was different, but once again, she had been wrong. The realization made her lash out at him.
"You're a jerk too! You're just like Justin, another guy who only knows how to push women around!"
"I must break up with Justin! I won't let myself get hurt anymore!"
She turned her head away, refusing to let Raymond see her vulnerability. There was no point in being sad, she told herself, and all this would pass. It was Justin who betrayed her, and her only mistake was holding onto false hope. But now, she was finally awake.
Raymond waited until Ruth's breathing had calmed a little before speaking. "I'm not trying to stop you from breaking up with Justin. You just can't do it right now."
"Is that an order or a request? Do you think I'm easy to manipulate?"
Ruth's voice rose as she stared at Raymond, struggling to keep her emotions in check. Looking at his face, identical to Justin's, made it all too easy for her to lose control.
"I should've broken up with him a long time ago. The first time I caught him texting another woman, I should've confronted him. The first time I got pictures of him getting cozy with someone else, I should've smashed my phone in his face. And then there was..."
Ruth's voice trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to recount any more of Justin's betrayals. She blinked hard, trying to push back the tears welling up in her eyes.
She then made another promise to Raymond. "After we break up, I won't go to the media and spill everything. Is that good enough for you? Now, can you please leave?"
Raymond didn't move, his gaze lingering on Ruth's fragile figure. He wasn't the comforting type, but maybe today was a good day to try.
"Getting emotional won't solve anything," he said after a long silence.
Ruth glared at him, wishing she could just kick him out of the room.
Raymond kept silent for a moment and then handed her his phone. "Take a look at the entertainment headlines. Then you'll understand why."
Although the reporters hadn't managed to capture any incriminating photos, they were experts at spinning stories.
The headlines were full of "insider reports" claiming Justin had been caught cheating by his girlfriend. The pictures attached showed Justin at various wild parties, making out with different women.
Ruth scrolled through the photos, recognizing Justin in each one, dressed in various outfits from different events. He was grinning so smugly and recklessly—how could a man like that ever settle down?
The comments below were already filled with people cursing him out, though there were plenty of fans jumping to his defense.
"He's brought this all on himself. No one's falsely accusing him!" Ruth put the phone down, her face twisted with a bitter smile. She knew Raymond was a shrewd businessman and definitely didn't want any scandal that could threaten Justin's image.
"I promise to you even if the reporters reach out to me, I'll tell them we broke up because of incompatible personalities. I don't want anything more to do with him," Ruth said firmly.
Raymond realized Ruth had misunderstood, so he explained, "You know about that high-end jewelry endorsement he has, right?"
"You mean RARE?" Ruth asked with a frown.
It was Justin's first luxury brand deal. If she remembered correctly, the contract was about to expire.
"And what does that have to do with me?"
"The brand's focus is on diamonds—their tagline is about love being as steadfast as a diamond. The brand chose him as the spokesperson because he publicly stood by you, despite all the pressure. The initial promotional shots were of you and him together."
Ruth remembered that time well. It was during their honeymoon phase, and her career was starting to take off. She had a small role in a film that ended up getting her a Best Supporting Actress nomination. She was still in school back then, without even a proper agent.
Justin had his agent handle some things for her and told her he had secured a collaboration opportunity for them. Ruth was thrilled, and she signed whatever paperwork they gave her without much thought because she trusted him.
She recalled how Justin's promotion had significantly boosted the brand's sales, quickly making him their youngest global spokesperson.
Now, Ruth's heart began to race. She felt there was something more she hadn't been told.
"Actually, the brand initially wanted both of you, but you didn't pass their evaluation period."
Ruth felt too numb to even react to the sudden news. She wanted to ask if Justin had known, but the question seemed ridiculous and pointless now.
"What exactly are you getting at?" Ruth asked.
"Even though you didn't make the cut, the brand had conditions—Justin can't break up with you during his endorsement period, and no damaging news about your relationship can leak out. Last year, the brand added a supplementary agreement, making those terms even stricter and increasing the penalty for breaking them."
"He can afford it," Ruth said without hesitation.
"The owner of RARE has been gradually acquiring several other luxury brands over the years. This isn't just about paying a penalty."
Ruth gave a cold laugh. She didn't expect that even in breaking up with Justin, she somehow still had power over him. No wonder Raymond was so eager to help her. It all boiled down to protecting Justin.
"How much longer until the endorsement ends?" Ruth asked.
"Three months."
"Well." Ruth's eyes lit up with mischief as she caught on, staring at Raymond. "So you need my cooperation, huh?"
Raymond didn't flinch as Ruth moved closer. His gray eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to control his breathing, which was suddenly a bit erratic.
"Well, I'm open to it, but I've got a condition!" Ruth poked Raymond's broad chest with her finger.
Raymond's pulse quickened at her touch, but he kept his expression neutral and said, "Name it."
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