Chapter 3

Chloe's POV

The argument outside slowly died down. After comforting Lily, I hesitated for a moment, then couldn't resist walking to the floor-to-ceiling window and looking down.

The black Maybach sat in the snow for a long time, not moving.

The streetlights cast its shadow long, much like that field in my memory that felt impossible to cross.

And on the haystack beside the field, the boy with a blade of grass dangling from his lips.

That was sixteen-year-old Alexander.

Back then, he wasn't called Alexander; everyone in the village called him a bastard.

He was the Alexander family's illegitimate son, hidden away and left to fend for himself in the countryside.

I lived next door. Two unsupervised kids, growing up intertwined like wild weeds.

That summer was stiflingly hot.

After school, we'd run to the small river behind the mountain to cool off.

Alexander caught two fish, grilled them golden brown, and gave me the biggest one.

As he meticulously removed the bones, he confidently said,

"Chloe, when I'm rich someday, I'll buy this entire mountain, build you a huge house, and treat you to meat every day."

I laughed, calling him a braggart. "You can't even scrape together your tuition."

He just smiled, his eyes bright like stars in the sky.

"Now is now, and the future is the future! Chloe, believe me, I'll definitely make something of myself."

I smiled back. "Of course I believe you! When you make it big, don't forget me!"

Wealth arrived more suddenly than we could have imagined.

The head of the Alexander family lost two sons and four grandchildren in quick succession, and finally remembered there was still a bloodline in the sticks.

The day that black Rolls-Royce drove into the village, the dust it kicked up almost blinded everyone.

The butler, in a black suit, stood in our dilapidated yard, his eyes filled with disdain, yet he had to respectfully invite Alexander into the car.

When Alexander left, he clutched the car door, refusing to get in.

His eyes red, he turned back to me, then grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go.

"I'm not going! I'm taking Chloe with me!"

The butler, his face cold, pried his hand away.

"Mr. Alexander, you're going back to inherit the family business. What would taking a country girl like her look like?"

"Once you're educated and your career is stable, what kind of woman couldn't you find?"

Alexander was forcibly pushed into the car.

The window rolled down, and he leaned half his body out, yelling at me, his voice hoarse:

"Chloe! Wait for me! You absolutely have to wait for me! I'll come back for you!"

I laughed confidently. "Don't worry, I'll definitely come find you!"

Two years later, I got into a top university far from our village.

To save money, I bought the cheapest long-distance train ticket.

The twenty-plus-hour journey was filled with the smell of stale feet and crying babies.

I stood squashed in the aisle for an entire night.

When I got off the train, my legs were swollen and aching like crazy.

The destination was a grand city, bustling with people. I dragged my frayed, dusty old canvas bag, feeling lost and unsure where to go amidst the dazzling crowd.

"Chloe! Over here!"

A familiar voice cut through the noisy crowd.

I smiled and turned.

There was Alexander, standing in the most conspicuous spot at the exit.

In two years, he had changed.

He was taller, his skin fairer. He wore a neat shirt and casual pants, his hair meticulously styled. He glowed.

He was no longer the wild country boy but the heir to the Alexander family.

I instinctively wanted to hide that canvas bag behind me, feeling utterly ashamed of my appearance.

But Alexander didn't hesitate at all.

He rushed over, pushing aside anyone in his way, and pulled me, smelling of sweat and travel, tightly into his arms.

"Silly girl, if you needed money, you should have asked me. Didn't you get tired sitting on that train for so long?"

His voice trembled with concern.

He snatched my dirty canvas bag, slung it over his shoulder, and held my hand tightly with the other, as if afraid I'd get lost.

He ignored the strange looks people gave us.

He escorted me all the way to school. At the campus gate, someone heckled, "Well, well, Alexander, is this your childhood friend? She looks so cheap-looking!"

Alexander's face darkened, and he shot them a cold glare. "Shut up. This is my girlfriend. Anyone else want to say something?"

He took me to a restaurant near the school gate. The prices on the menu made my jaw drop.

Alexander puffed out his chest, his eyes shining with youthful arrogance and ambition.

"Chloe, even though I'm not in charge yet, I'm working hard. My grandpa really likes me these days."

"Don't worry, with me around, you'll never have to suffer like this again."

"I'll have you fly on planes, ride in private cars, live in mansions. I'll even take you to study abroad and see the most beautiful sights in the world."

That pizza tasted so good that day, the melted cheese stretched, as if melting my heart.

Through the hazy steam, I looked at the smiling boy across from me, my heart brimming with happiness.