Chapter 4

After hanging up, I thought William would leave me alone for a few days.

But I still underestimated his shamelessness.

As soon as I got off the plane, my phone started buzzing with notification after notification.

My various social media accounts were flooded with messages from strangers.

"Gold digger, took her boyfriend's $250,000 and ran. This really destroys my faith in humanity."

"Looks all innocent, but turns out she's a con artist. So manipulative."

"I heard she made her boyfriend work to earn money while she lived the high life."

"Women like this should be drowned!"

I opened the post to look.

William had written a tearful essay claiming to be a devoted victim whose feelings and finances I'd exploited.

Our mutual friends were all liking and commenting below.

"I always knew something was off about this Alice. Didn't expect her to be this kind of person."

"Feel so bad for William, being deceived for so long."

"You never really know someone, do you?"

In just half a day, I'd been doxxed completely—all my information, including my workplace and home address.

He thought this would corner me with nowhere to go, forcing me to come back and beg him.

I was shaking all over, a knot of anger stuck in my chest.

Over these three years, I'd done my best for William's friends—I paid for gatherings, sent gifts for holidays. I'd never wronged any of them.

But now, not a single one stood up to say a word in my defense.

This was the circle I'd once desperately tried to fit into for William's sake.

My phone rang again—an unknown Singapore number.

"Alice, see that?"

"This is what happens when you piss me off."

"Let me tell you, as long as you don't come back and beg me, I'll make sure you can't survive in Singapore either."

I took a deep breath, forcing down the urge to curse him out.

"William, thank you."

He froze, clearly not expecting this reaction.

"Thank me for what?"

"Thank you for letting me see completely what kind of scum you are."

"And thank you for letting me finally let go completely."

Whatever lingering memories I had of our past good times, whatever thoughts I'd held onto about how he'd once treated me well—

In this moment, he'd crushed them all with his own hands.

"Wait for my lawyer's letter."

I said it and hung up.