He Betrayed Me, I Left With Dignity

While working my part-time shift at the bar, I saw my boyfriend—the one who told me he had to work overtime tonight—kissing a hostess with absolute abandon. He was wearing a slim-fit, sexy silk shirt, adorned with expensive accessories from head to toe, his makeup flawlessly done. If not for the silver maple leaf necklace I gave him hanging around his neck, I wouldn't have believed the man passionately kissing another woman right in front of me was my boyfriend. Standing outside the private booth, I stared through the glass. My blood ran cold. Rage, grievance, and a piercing sorrow rushed to my chest all at once, making my heart throb in agonizing pain. Finally, they ended the kiss. Lucas Hayes leaned back into the hostess's arms, his breath ragged. A few wealthy-looking heirs sitting nearby teased him, "Hey Lucas, is a paid playmate much sweeter? Her kissing skills must be way better than the one you have at home, right?" Lucas curled his lips into a smirk, his eyes dripping with sheer disdain. "Well, you get what you pay for. It's definitely sweeter than the free ride at home." I couldn't believe such vulgar, suggestive words came from my supposedly innocent, gentle, and sweet boyfriend. "Speaking of which, out of all your exes, none of them were street sweepers, right?" another rich heir joked, "Well? Is she worse than the ones you used to have?" Staring intently at Lucas, I watched him fall silent for a few seconds before casually raising his glass with a chuckle. "She's just a street sweeper at the bottom of the ladder. If I hadn't lost that bet to you guys, how could I ever have ended up with someone like her? "You have no idea how exhausting it was to act like a sweet, obedient, and devoted boyfriend in front of her. Every time she came home from work, she was covered in dust and sweat, and the smell made me sick to my stomach. I never even wanted to get close to her." As Lucas spoke about me, his eyes were filled with disgust and contempt, as if I were some filthy piece of trash! "Man, you really suffered. But the six-month bet is up anyway, and since you're about to get engaged to the Smiths' heiress, this is the perfect time to get rid of her for good!" Lucas clinked his glass with theirs, his tone light and mocking. "That's why I called you guys out to celebrate tonight. I finally don't have to pretend to love that low-life loser anymore!" My fingers tightened around the fruit platter until my knuckles turned white. I desperately wanted to burst in and confront Lucas, demanding to know what I did wrong to deserve having my love trampled on and my dignity humiliated like this! He had been engaged all along, yet he deliberately pretended to be a heartbroken boy driven to suicide by a toxic ex just to gain my sympathy and play with my feelings from start to finish! But as the tender, beautiful moments of our past flashed through my mind, I ultimately held back my impulses. I asked the shift supervisor for leave and walked out. From that moment on, I would never step foot in this bar for a part-time shift again. On my way back, I felt utterly hollowed out, unable to wrap my head around how that fragile, innocent boy with eyes so full of sincerity could turn into a total stranger. I first met Lucas Hayes late at night, on my way home after finishing my street-sweeping patrol. In the dead of night, I saw a young man sitting on the bridge railing, his body dangling over the edge, poised to plunge into the river at any second. I slammed on the brakes, leaped out of my vehicle, and rushed over. Catching him off guard while he was distracted and off-balance, I grabbed his arm, pulled him backward with all my might, and dragged him off the railing onto the safe ground, holding him steady. Looking at his tear-stained, pale face, my heart softened instantly. I patiently coaxed him, "No matter what happened, don't throw your life away. Once you're dead, there's nothing left." His eyes were bloodshot and his voice trembled as he sobbed, "My girlfriend dumped me. I traveled thousands of miles from my hometown to this unfamiliar city just to be with her, but now she's in love with someone else and is kicking me out." He looked utterly devastated and broken. "I gave up my job and left my family for her, risking everything. Now I have nothing. There's no point in living. It's better to just end it all!" "If you die, that toxic girl who hurt you will still go on living her best life. Are you really okay with that?" I reasoned with him. "You are so pure and kind; you deserve someone better. The best revenge is to live a happier life than her and make her regret letting you go." Lucas looked up at me, tears clinging to his long eyelashes. He appeared incredibly pitiful, delicate, and fragile. I couldn't help but sigh in my heart. What kind of heartless person could bring themselves to hurt such a pure, devoted boy? The next second, Lucas looked up at me and asked softly, "What about you? Can you be my girlfriend?"