Three Years as His Pet, I Found My True Love

Everyone in our elite circle knew I was Sebastian Sterling's favorite kept woman. I was beautiful, obedient, and sensible. As long as the money was right, I could stomach all of Sebastian's capricious demands. I endured it even when he tossed me aside like trash for his first love, leaving me to be the laughingstock of the upper crust. Everyone assumed I would cling to Sebastian for the rest of my life, that I wouldn't leave even if he got married. But I did get married. I married a completely ordinary guy. ***** When this month's $300,000 allowance hit my bank account, I was busy organizing the paperwork I needed for my move back home. "Are you absolutely sure you're heading back home to get married after graduation?" Harper Lynn, my friend, asked with hesitation. "Aren't you worried Sebastian will storm across the ocean to drag you back?" My hands paused for a fraction of a second, but my tone remained perfectly even. "He won't." Sebastian was exceptionally generous when breaking things off with his flings. He was far too proud to ever recycle his exes. By the time I moved back, he would undoubtedly forget me in a heartbeat and find himself a new plaything who was as obedient as I was. "Alright," Harper sighed softly. "When are you leaving?" I forced a tight smile. "In a month." In a month, my current contract with Sebastian would expire, and I wasn't going to renew it. After that, I would start a brand-new life. I would change my name, move to a new city, and erase Sebastian from my memory entirely. I would leave everything in this country behind and finally just be myself. The weather in Floule was perpetually gloomy. As I walked out of the Obsidian Spire, a fine rain began to fall from the overcast sky. I walked back to my apartment under an umbrella, but my footsteps faltered the second I noticed an umbrella resting by the door. Sebastian was here. At that very instant, it was as if the rain had swept in, dissolving the cold armor around my heart. Gripping my documents tightly, I slowly pushed the door open. Amber light spilled into the hallway. Sebastian's broad back was visible in the kitchen, the dim lighting tracing his tall, imposing silhouette. Standing by the door, I could just make out the sharp, masculine lines of his profile. I watched him for a few seconds before stepping inside. Plastering on my brightest smile, I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind. "You haven't been back in nineteen days. You usually come back after fifteen," I complained. A kept woman's occasional, needy complaints provided a sense of emotional validation for a wealthy patron. Usually, Sebastian would look at me with a half-smile and ask if I was running low on cash again. But this time, he simply plated the steak from the pan and ordered coldly, "Eat your dinner. Then go take a shower." I froze. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a deep, vivid bite mark on his wrist, right below his slightly rolled-up sleeve. The wound had already formed a thick scab, making it painfully obvious how vicious the bite had been. I didn't utter another word. Releasing him, I ate my steak in silence and obediently went to the bathroom. Under the showerhead, the fresh, woody scent of the shampoo filled my senses. It was the exact same scent from the first time I ever met Sebastian. Outside, the heavy rain battered against the windowpanes. The rhythmic sound carried my thoughts all the way back to the very first moment I laid eyes on Sebastian. It was during the absolute lowest point of my life. Four years ago, I was taking my SATs. My mother, Caroline Love, who had never cared about my grades for a single day in her life, secretly stuffed a note into my stationery case. Because of that, I was caught for cheating, and my scores were entirely voided. When I confronted her, she broke down in tears, claiming she did it for my own good because the note was a "good luck charm." So, I had no right to blame her. Looking at her, I laughed so hard that tears actually came to my eyes. Caroline had always played favorites. Growing up, I only ever got the hand-me-downs my younger brother didn't want. The sheer irony that she saved her "good luck" for my exams instead of his was laughable. With my grades, I could have easily gotten into the country's most prestigious universities. Instead, I was branded a cheater and became the laughingstock of our town. I wanted to retake the exams, but Caroline literally dropped to her knees in front of our entire neighborhood, sobbing hysterically. "Your brother got into some fancy art school, and we're flat broke! I'm begging you here. Have a little heart and step aside for him! I already worked it out with your aunt, you can go pick up shifts at her packing plant. I'm doing this for your own good, honey! I'm handing you a way to get by!" My promising future was suddenly replaced by the suffocating darkness of an assembly line. This was my way to survive? I refused to accept that fate. So, I took every dime I had secretly saved from odd jobs over the years and fled to Floule to study. When Caroline found out, it was the first time she didn't try to emotionally blackmail me. Instead, she cursed me out over the phone and swore she would cut me off forever. To keep myself alive, I spent every waking second working part-time jobs. I starved half the time, barely scraping by just to finish my four-year degree. Then, walking home late one night, I was mugged. I fought desperately to keep my meager earnings, but I was brutally beaten for my efforts. The money I had left wouldn't even cover next month's rent. Driven to despair, I finally called Caroline, begging for just enough to get through the month. She just cried and said, "How is this my fault? You chose this path yourself." I was completely utterly hopeless. I hadn't cried when I worked myself to the bone on three hours of sleep. I hadn't cried when I was beaten in an alleyway. But that phone call shattered me. For international students with no safety net, there was an unspoken rule. If you couldn't get a scholarship, the only way to survive was to find a wealthy sugar daddy. When the rent was overdue, I took the very last of my cash, did my hair, put on my most breathtaking makeup, and called Harper. Together, we crashed the biggest midnight party in the circle. The moment I walked in, I spotted Sebastian instantly. He was sitting dead center in the room, surrounded by people practically kissing the ground he walked on.