Three Years as His Pet, I Found My True Love

Chapter 4 Discarded Memories

All the color drained from my face instantly.

It took me a long time to choke out a single word. "Understood."

I lowered my head and walked out exactly as I had come in. The moment I stepped over the threshold, a gust of wind slammed the door shut behind me with a violent bang.

The warm, amber glow of the apartment seeped through the windows, but the freezing rain lashed violently against my face.

Between the interior and the world outside, the contrast was so stark it was as if a line had been drawn between two different universes.

Standing on the porch, I felt just as pathetic and destitute as I had three years ago when my landlord kicked me to the curb.

It turned out I was still just a girl who could be thrown out on the street.

I looked up and stared blankly at the endless, torrential rain, shivering so hard that my fingertips trembled.

I truly believed I had kept my head straight this whole time, but subconsciously, I had started calling this place "home."

It was my second "home."

I didn't let myself wallow in self-pity for long. Opening my umbrella, I stepped out into the storm. Just then, my phone buzzed. It was Harper.

"Your contract with Sebastian ends on August 16th. Should I book your flight back for a couple of days after that? Since August 17th is, well, Sebastian's birthday."

I used to dream about celebrating one last birthday with him.

Taking a deep breath, I spoke with unwavering certainty, "No. Book the flight for the 16th."

It was time to let whatever was between Sebastian and me come to an end on the exact day it was supposed to end.

I checked into a hotel nearby. Sebastian didn't send a single message that entire night.

After showering, I opened my phone and was immediately greeted by the headline of the Floule Evening Post: Renowned Pianist Vivian Fox to Hold Debut Concert in Floule!

The photo accompanying the article was the exact same woman who was sitting in the apartment earlier today.

My finger hovered over the screen for a long time. Finally, I typed her name into the search bar. After scrolling through several pages, I found the gossip articles detailing her history with the Sterling family.

Vivian was the daughter of the Sterling family's gardener.

She had grown up alongside Sebastian and his older brother, Arthur Sterling. Everyone in the Nechyae elite circles knew how deeply both Sebastian and Arthur were infatuated with her.

Because Vivian loved playing the piano, Arthur spent millions to have a custom crystal grand piano built for her.

Because Vivian loved bellflowers, Sebastian personally planted an entire estate full of them for her.

Four years ago, Vivian accepted Arthur's proposal, publicly declaring that her relationship with Sebastian was "strictly platonic."

As I read the words "strictly platonic," my mind flashed back to the fiery, desperate kiss in the video. A bitter smile crept onto my lips.

*****

I fully expected Sebastian to ignore me until Vivian's concert was over.

So I was genuinely surprised when I received a text from him the very next morning.

Sebastian: Come back.

I immediately hailed a cab back to the apartment. But as soon as I arrived, I saw a crew of movers hauling bags of belongings out the front door.

My steps slowed as I overheard one of the workers muttering under his breath, "Throwing all this expensive s**t away just because some woman said she didn't like the vibe. These rich assholes..."

My feet felt like they were glued to the pavement. Looking up, I saw Sebastian standing by the doorway. His expression was emotionless.

Just then, another worker walked out holding a handmade cartoon plush toy. Seeing the custom-made, hand-stitched clothes on it, he assumed it held sentimental value, so he carefully asked Sebastian, "Do you want to keep this one, sir?"

I opened my mouth to shout that I wanted it. But before the words could leave my throat, Sebastian's icy voice echoed in the air. "No. Trash it."

My heart plummeted into my stomach.

That plush toy was a gift from Sebastian.

Early on in our arrangement, I had casually mentioned how my mother used to buy my brother stuffed animals, but never me. I always swore I would buy the exact same one when I grew up, but by the time I had the money, the toy had been discontinued.

Sebastian hadn't offered any comforting words at the time, and he flew back to Nechyae the next day. I assumed he hadn't cared.

But when I came home the following day, that exact, discontinued plush toy was sitting on my bed, along with a handwritten note.

As long as you want it, anything can be replaced.

I found out later that Sebastian had canceled three days of high-stakes meetings and flown back home specifically to hunt down that toy for me.

No one had ever cared enough to remember the little things I said.

That was the very first time I forgot my place as a kept woman. I had thrown my arms around his neck, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest.

He probably would never understand just how much that toy meant to me.

Which was exactly why he could throw it away so easily.

The plush toy that had kept me company for three years, the one that held all my complicated, messy feelings for him, was tossed in the garbage simply because Vivian didn't like it.

I stared blankly at the toy, instinctively taking a step forward to fish it out. But just as I moved, the worker stumbled, and the plush toy tumbled into the deepest part of the dumpster truck.

I stood paralyzed, watching as my toy was buried under piles of trash. And with it, the memory of the Sebastian who promised me that anything could be replaced was buried, too.

Suddenly, his voice snapped me out of my daze. "What are you doing?"

I turned to meet his freezing gaze and instantly snapped back to reality.

I wanted to give him my usual sweet smile, but my throat had gone tight and dry, and my face just wouldn't cooperate.

Desperate to hide my expression, I quickly reached out, intertwining my fingers with his, and bowed my head. "I got your text and rushed over from the hotel in ten minutes! Wasn't I fast?"

Sebastian glanced down at me, his face unreadable. "When you stay here from now on, don't leave any of your personal belongings lying around."

My hand went rigid in his grip. I slowly turned my head back toward the garbage truck, where every single thing I owned had just been tossed.

After a long, agonizing silence, I nodded gently. "Okay."

When I finally left for good, I wouldn't leave a single trace of myself behind.