Trapped by My Childhood Enemy

Do you even know what kind of bag this is? Can you afford to replace it? The woman in the haute couture dress sneered as scalding broth dripped from her ruined orange leather bag.

I lifted my head.

The man sitting next to her was Hayes, the broke kid I dumped five years ago. Now, he was an untouchable billionaire. Now, he sat at the head of the table, while I wore a cheap waitstaff uniform.

Hayes pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes freezing over. "It's just a bag. I'll buy you another one."

I smiled and handed her my own bag. "Limited edition crocodile skin Birkin. Triple the price of yours." I watched Hayes's pupils sharply constrict. "Will this cover the damages?"

Chapter 1

Word going around was that Hayes had moved back to the States. He brought his fiancee with him. They were getting married.

To avoid running into him, I quietly tossed my college alumni gala invitation straight into the trash. The alumni group chat was blowing up. Apparently, Hayes had thrown around some serious cash and donated an entire library to our alma mater. Everyone was clamoring for a massive reunion after the ceremony.

I silently locked my phone screen and ignored it. I never expected to see Hayes again, let alone like thiscaught off guard.

Inside the VIP private dining room, he sat elevated at the head of the banquet table. His gorgeous fiancee clung to his side, surrounded by a chorus of relentless kissing up.

I froze.

The silver platter in my hands suddenly felt like burning coals. I sucked in a deep breath, ducked my chin as low as it would go, and quickly slid the dish onto the table.

Just as I turned on my heel to escape, an irritated complaint sliced through the room. "Hey, what is wrong with this waitress? You dripped broth all over my bag."

Instantly, the eyes of the entire room pinned onto me.

"I apologize. How much is it? I will compensate you." I kept my head down, keeping my voice low.

"Honey, do you even know what kind of bag this is? How exactly are you going to pay for it?" Hayes's fiancee frowned, her tone dripping with blatant mockery.

My face burned. I braced myself and opened my mouth to speak.

Someone in the crowd suddenly gasped. "Well, well, if it isn't Wren. Skipped the alumni gala because you were busy serving tables?"

The whole table erupted into hushed, vicious whispers. Everyone in this room knew I was Hayes's first love. I was the thorn deeply lodged in his chest. Back then, he was crazy about me.

And I was the one who dumped him because he was broke.

Now, he had made his empire, with a flawless beauty draped on his arm. And I went from the untouchable campus queen to the punchline of a joke.

I swallowed down the humiliation and replied politely. "I know the bag. It's an Hermes. Name your price, and I'll Venmo you the money."

She offered a small, terrifyingly sweet smile. "Oh, so you're Wren. Hayes has actually mentioned you." She paused, shifting her tone. "I heard it's a pity you guys broke up back then because he couldn't afford a twenty-thousand-dollar diamond engagement ring."

She slowly, deliberately wiped her hands with a napkin. Her gaze locked onto mine with a shallow grin. "Since we're all old friends here, and Wren works so hard for her tips, how could I possibly ask you to pay for it?"

She played the gracious saint perfectly. With that gentle smile still plastered on her face, she turned to the man beside her. "Right, Hayes?"

I had seen Hayes in a million different ways, but I had never seen him like thislooking down at me from an absolute pedestal. A tailored designer suit, a limited-edition watch, even the gold-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He was the perfect, untouchable picture of alpha billionaire success. So close, yet entirely out of reach.

His cold eyes pierced through the lenses. When our gazes locked, his fingers rubbed the rim of his wine glass, his knuckles turning pale. For a second, my defenses crumbled, and my heartbeat completely lost its rhythm.

Hayes's Adam's apple bobbed. He kept his eyes dead on me. After a suffocating silence, he let out a detached chuckle. "It's just a bag. I'll buy you another one."

His tone was flat, devoid of emotion, his eyes hiding shadows I could no longer read. Back then, he worked two months of consecutive part-time shifts at a fast-food joint just to buy me a fake LV tote bag. Times had definitely changed. Now, he had the capital to burn thousands without blinking.

The crowd was thriving on the drama. Someone at the table started jeering. "Come on, Wren. That bag costs tens of thousands of dollars. The least you can do is pour Peyton a glass of wine to thank her."

"Yeah, exactly! Exes can still be friends. Since you're here, just pull up a chair. This restaurant is incredibly expensive, you probably can't afford to eat here normally anyway."

Their casual jokes were laced with venom. They were just sitting back, waiting for the show.

Chapter 2

Five years ago, whenever anyone brought up Hayes, they would just scoff. That broke loser.

When we broke up, the whispers behind our backs were endless. About time she dropped him.

Now, he had clawed his way to the absolute top of the food chain. The very people who used to spit on his name had flipped their scripts.

As for Wren? The narrative was that I was just a blind idiot and a shameless gold digger. Right now, everyone in this room was practically begging for a chance to throw gasoline on the fire.

I swallowed the humiliation scratching at my throat and forced a chilling, empty smile. I reached up, pressing the earpiece of my radio. "Dean, bring my bag to the VIP suite."

The room buzzed with sudden curiosity. The hotel manager moved fast. I took the bag from him and dropped it dead center on the table, right in front of Peyton. She flinched, visibly stunned by the move.

I met her eyes, my voice flat. "Limited edition crocodile skin Birkin. The price tag is about three or four times higher than yours. I didn't bring enough cash to my shift today. Will this cover it?"

Peyton froze, her lips parting in silent shock. The entire table instantly choked on their own words. A dead, suffocating silence swallowed the room.

I pulled back my thoughts, lifted my chin, and added another hit. "Dinner is on the house tonight, guys. Enjoy. My fiance owns this hotel. We were short-staffed today, so I stepped in to help out."

Another heavy beat of silence, quickly followed by a fresh wave of frantic, hushed whispers. A moment later, someone tried to smooth over the awkward tension.

"Oh wow, Wren, you are engaged? How come we haven't seen it on your Instagram?"

"It was pretty rushed," I explained smoothly. "We will send out invites for the actual wedding."

Reid and I getting engaged was both rushed and entirely ridiculous. We were so exhausted from our parents nagging us to settle down that we just lied and said we were dating.

As a result, the trust fund managers and lawyers from both our families were so heavily invested, they stayed up all night. The very next day, they had the asset merger agreements and engagement papers drawn up and signed. They were terrified of losing out on the deal.

If it had not been a Sunday, I swear they would have dragged us straight onto a private jet to Vegas and forced us through a drive-thru chapel right then and there.

Out of the crowd, someone threw out a snide comment. "Your fiance owns this hotel? Wait, isn't the owner of this place like in his fifties?"

"So what if he is fifty? The guy is loaded."

"Wren, do not tell me you dumped Hayes just to become some old sugar daddy's trophy wife?"

The frozen atmosphere instantly shattered. The mocking chatter picked back up, and the looks they shot me were suddenly laced with pure, unfiltered contempt.

The truth was, Reid bought this hotel a few years ago. Since he had been out of state, his dad, Preston, had been the one running the daily operations. But these people did not care about facts. Their implication was loud and clear.

I was just a washed-up gold digger who sold her body to a wealthy old man.

Just as the malicious gossip hit its peak, the heavy double doors of the VIP suite swung open. A lazy, teasing voice cut straight through the noise. "What is going on in here? Bullying my girl while I am not around?"

Reid's long legs closed the distance to my side in seconds. He casually loosened his designer tie with one hand, while his other arm wrapped possessively around my shoulders. His dark, predatory gaze swept over the table.

Utter shock paralyzed the room. "Your girl? Reid, you are the one engaged to Wren?"

Hayes, who had been sitting in stone-cold silence, finally cracked. The hand gripping his wine glass trembled, his knuckles turning stark white as his chilling gaze locked onto us.

Reid pulled out a chair and firmly pressed his hand to the small of my back, guiding me to sit. He lazily lifted an eyebrow. "What? Is it a crime for us to get engaged?"

"But I remember you two were always at each other's throats back in school. You could not stand each other."

Reid and I practically grew up in the same exclusive gated community. Our families had essentially formed a trust fund alliance before we could even walk. He was born six months before me. Legend has it that the day I was born, his mother was more thrilled than my own dad.

She had practically shaken a baby Reid and announced that he was looking at his future wife.

But we had fought like vicious, feral cats since we were toddlers. We despised each other. So, naturally, no one in our social circle ever saw this coming.

Chapter 3

"Wren and I grew up in the same exclusive gated community. Our families established a trust fund alliance ages ago. We are destined to be together."

"Besides, couples fight. We always make up in bed." Reid lowered his eyes, a dark, unreadable smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Wren was just young and blind back then. It was a stupid phase. It didn't mean anything."

His gaze stopped dead on Hayes. "Right, golden boy?"

Hayes's fingers gripped his wine glass so hard his knuckles turned stark white. His Adam's apple jumped. He dragged his glacial gaze over me before dropping a vicious response. "Wren knows exactly how real it was."

The second our eyes locked, a strange, suffocating weight pressed against my ribs. It was hilarious and pathetic all at once.

Someone quickly jumped in to break the heavy tension. "Reid, man, it's been forever! We heard you weren't going to the gala, everyone was super bummed. But hey, you're here now! Come on, we have to pop a few bottles of Ace of Spades to celebrate!"

The table instantly echoed the sentiment. Out of our entire graduating class, Hayes and Reid were the absolute apex predators now. The room was crawling with parasites trying to latch onto their wealth. We weren't naive teenagers anymore.

The adult world only worshipped money and power.

Reid wrapped a possessive arm tightly around my waist, pulling me flush against his hard chest. His other hand pushed the glass away. His voice dropped low. "Sorry, we're trying for a baby. My girl can't be around a single drop of alcohol."

He casually poured a glass of juice and knocked it back in one smooth motion. "We've been apart for a bit, so we have a lot of catching up to do in private. Enjoy your night." His dark eyes swept over the banquet table, adding a final blow. "Besides, Wren is probably sick of this cheap banquet food by now."

Reid pulled me up by my hand. His peripheral vision caught Hayes and Peyton sitting next to him. A mocking smirk tugged at his lips. "Oh, didn't realize you brought your girlfriend tonight. Got to say, you two are a perfect match."

His tone was completely flat. "We've got a specialty cocktail here. Pure sugar, completely artificial. I'll have the bartender send one over. Consider it a welcome gift."

His eyes shifted, landing squarely on the watch around Hayes's wrist. "You've really moved up in the world. That's an expensive piece. Nice watch."

Hayes's face turned to stone, a dangerous storm brewing in his dark eyes. Reid lazily twisted the knife. "But buying your girl a basic, entry-level Hermes? A little cheap, don't you think?"

His tone was pure, unfiltered mockery. Without giving a single damn about the staring crowd, he grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room.

Inside Reid's car, he fired up the engine in silence. His face was a dark cloud. He shot me a sideways glare, visibly annoyed. "You really just tossed the bag I bought you onto the table like that?"

I gripped the seatbelt tight, suddenly feeling incredibly guilty. "Then should I go back and grab it?" I second-guessed myself a second later. "Going back for it would look pretty bad, right?"

He let out a harsh breath through his nose and rolled his eyes. "Do not embarrass me, Wren."

I quickly flashed him a fake, pleading smile. "You totally saved my life today."

A smug, arrogant grin tugged at the corner of Reid's mouth. "When do I ever miss?"

I shot the absolute narcissist a deadpan look. He jerked his chin toward the road. "Heading home?"

I bit down hard on my lower lip. "No. Take me to get a drink."

It was a total ambush of an encounter. Even after all these years apart, seeing him again felt like a heavy block of cement crushing my chest. I couldn't breathe.

Inside a high-end late-night club, the heavy bass vibrated right through my ribs. A few shots of tequila down, the buzz finally hit my brain. The second Reid left for the restroom, I slammed my credit card down and ordered four incredibly ripped male dancers to my table. They were tall, long-legged, with perfect jawlines. Every time they leaned in and purred my name, a massive rush of dopamine flooded my system.

Chapter 4

When Reid returned, he walked into the sight of four ridiculously ripped male dancers flanking me on the leather sofa, pouring drinks and whispering filthy, teasing lines against my ear.

"Wren. Having fun?" Reid towered over me. A dangerous storm brewed in his dark eyes, his jaw clenched tight enough to snap bone.

My brain was swimming in tequila. I waved a dismissive hand. "We are adults. What is wrong with dropping a little cash for some premium entertainment?"

I paused, blinking up at him to issue a reminder. "Oh, my phone is dead. Cover the tab for me, will you?"

A muscle feathered dangerously along his jawline. He shot the four guys a lethal, freezing glare. "Get out."

Reid's suffocating alpha presence sucked the oxygen out of the room. The dancers panicked, shooting me pathetic, puppy-dog looks.

I glared up at Reid. "What is your problem?" I swayed, holding up two wobbly fingers. "Fine. I will share two with you. That is more than generous."

Reid's face was pure thunder. He pulled a thick stack of cash from his wallet, slammed it on the table, and forced out another chilling command. "Get out."

The tight-muscled young guys recoiled at his suffocating, predatory glare, frantically snatching the cash off the table and bolting.

Reid's icy gaze pinned me to the leather booth. "Wren. Is this what you meant by getting a drink?"

I huffed, crossing my arms defensively. "So what? I hired some hot guys to drink with me. Is that a crime?"

"I couldn't drink with you?" His voice was a dangerously low gravel.

I let out a mocking snort. "Are you going to whisper my name and beg for tips?"

He froze. His dark brows crashed together. "I don't charge."

I rolled my eyes at the club ceiling. "Free is never as good as premium paid service."

"How exactly am I worse?"

"They let me touch their abs."

The heavy club bass was the only sound for three agonizing seconds. He ground his teeth together. "If you want to touch my abs, just touch them. Stop acting like a polite stranger."

I choked on my spit. "Reid, you are an absolute psycho! Who wants to touch you?"

My tequila-soaked brain was moving too slow to win this banter. "I am in a bad mood. What is wrong with finding some entertainment?"

"Free entertainment is fine. Paid is off the table." He shot me a sideways glare, letting out a harsh scoff. "It is just running into an ex. Look at how pathetic you are."

His face was pure, unfiltered mockery.

He hit the bullseye. I snapped my head away, completely ignoring him, and grabbed my glass. I threw the liquor back too fast. The harsh burn clawed down my throat. I coughed violently, my chest heaving as a sudden, burning moisture blurred my vision.

Reid's large palm landed on my back, patting roughly. He couldn't resist twisting the knife. "Still hung up on him?"

"I am not hung up on him!" I snapped, my voice cracking.

Late-night alcohol is a dangerous truth serum. I knocked back two more silent shots before Reid's heavy hand clamped over my wrist, shutting me off.

For some stupid reason, the dam completely broke. Six years together. We went from being fiercely inseparable to completely hollow strangers. From promising forever to finding new beds to sleep in.

No matter how perfectly I faked my indifference today, a toxic, suffocating acid still burned a hole straight through my chest.

"Back then, he was so broke. He worked two consecutive months flipping burgers at a fast-food joint just to buy me a fake tote bag. He promised me he said when he finally made it, he would buy me a real Hermes"

My throat violently seized. Harsh, jagged sobs racked my shoulders. "I just it physically hurts. Love is such a sick joke. You bleed yourself dry building a foundation for a man, and some other woman gets to live in the mansion"

It wasn't that I wanted him back. It was just human nature. Seeing him triggered a pathetic, visceral reflex that forced this useless, salty water out of my eyes.

Reid leaned back, ruthlessly pouring salt on the open wound. "Five years ago, someone cried like an absolute idiot over a breakup. Five years later, zero character development."

My face was a mess of tears and ruined makeup. I grabbed his expensive designer tie and aggressively blew my nose into it. "I am already dying inside, and you are still stabbing me in the chest"

A look of utter disgust crossed his face. He ripped the ruined tie off his neck and threw it straight at my chest. He unbuttoned the top three buttons of his crisp dress shirt, exposing his collarbone, and rolled the cuffs up to his forearms.

Letting out a heavy, defeated sigh, he turned around, forcefully hoisted me onto his broad back, and carried me out into the cold night air.

Chapter 5

The cool night breeze hit my face. The alcohol was rushing to my head, making my brain spin. After a full-blown, hysterical crying session, all that was left were the uncontrollable, pathetic hiccups escaping my lips, echoing loudly in the dead-quiet midnight air.

Reid couldn't hold back a low laugh. "Alright, I think that's enough."

My head was foggy. Driven by pure irritation, I clamped my teeth down hard on his shoulder. "Reid, you absolute bastard. You're always making fun of me."

He let out a low chuckle. "I'm not laughing at you, Wren. I'm laughing at myself."

"You are laughing at me, you jerk! You've always loved watching me make a fool of myself. When we were kids, you always said that when we stood next to each other in our diapers, we looked like unsprouted potatoes."

I was wasted, my mouth running without a filter. "It is all your fault! I have a small chest because you cursed me, you jinx! Ugh, I am so flat"

I buried my face into his broad back. The more I thought about it, the angrier and more wronged I felt.

Reid's deep laughter vibrated through the crisp night air. "How is that possibly my fault?"

I aggressively pinched the back of his neck with an angry huff. "You are laughing at me again!" My voice came out muffled against his shirt. "Am I really that small?"

"Wren, do you want a polite white lie or"

"Shut up! Reid, you are so annoying!"

"It's fine. I don't mind"

After my momentary drunken meltdown, I quickly ran out of gas and went limp against Reid's back. He walked with slow, steady steps. The amber streetlights stretched his shadow long and lean against the pavement. The night breeze carried a sharp chill, and I couldn't help but sniffle.

After a long, stretching silence, Reid's voice suddenly cut through the dark. "Wren, is Hayes really that great?"

Was Hayes really that great? A lot of people had asked me that question.

Back then, Hayes was just the broke kid nobody gave a second glance, while I was the untouchable campus queen. Yet, I rejected every single guy who chased after me, choosing instead to relentlessly pursue the cold, untouchable lone wolf.

He was the scholarship kid with zero money to his nameinsecure, tight-lipped, burying his head in his textbooks every single day. Pale skin, a tall and dangerously lean frame. He was a complete loner, entirely detached from the social hierarchy.

At the time, Reid was my desk-mate. Every day, his sole mission in life was stealing my snacks or yanking my hair. I wanted to strangle him. He had been an absolute menace since we were in diapers, a total agent of chaos.

We fought like feral cats growing up. Whenever he lost an argument, he would just threaten me. "Wren, just wait until I marry you and drag you home. I'll spank you eight times a day."

I would glare at him and swear right back. "Even if every other man on earth died, I would never marry you."

In high school, Reid was the textbook alpha bad boy. He hated studying, skipped class religiously, and got into fights just for the adrenaline. The teachers only made him class president because every single student in the room was terrified of him.

I never understood why so many girls worshipped a bastard like Reid. Maybe the toxic bad-boy trope was just too trendy back then. But I preferred my romance paperbacks. I liked the brooding, silent, misunderstood lone wolves, and I absolutely despised the loud, obnoxious jocks.

I loved watching the sunset over the school. The sky would bleed into crimson clouds, scattering a golden, dusty light that painted the entire football field in a romantic haze. It was just an ordinary late afternoon after the final bell. I was walking along the track, with Reid running his mouth non-stop beside me like an absolute idiot.

Just as I was screaming at Reid at the top of my lungs, I accidentally turned my head. I saw Hayes walking toward us. He was stepping out from the blinding backlight.

The golden hour shadows traced the sharp lines of his face, radiating this overwhelming, beautifully shattered aura. For some inexplicable reason, I just wanted to wrap my arms around him.

That single, fleeting glance completely hijacked my entire youth.

Reid shot me a look of pure disgust. "You are into that pretty-boy trash?"

"Mind your own business," I snapped back, refusing to admit it.

Back then, I secretly devoured cheesy romance novels, always hiding to cry over the emotional scenes. Reid ruthlessly mocked me for it. I even went through this embarrassing phase of writing my own stories in a notebook.

Reid found it one day and laughed so hard he literally couldn't breathe. My blood boiled. How could a creature as irritating as Reid exist on this planet?

Later, I complained to the teacher that Reid's constant talking was ruining my grades, intentionally using it as an excuse to switch seats and become Hayes's desk-mate.

Chapter 6

I threw myself at Hayes, and the whole school knew it. But he kept his walls up, shutting me down with a cold shoulder every single time.

He always sat alone in the cafeteria, picking at the cheapest meal on the menu. I would slide into the seat next to him and push my premium lunch over to his tray, but he would just shove it back. I spent hours picking out gifts for him, and he refused to take them. I purposely tried to strike up conversations, and he wouldn't even lift his head.

A lot of people whispered that Hayes didn't know his place. Of course, they also mocked my terrible taste. Out of all the guys in school, I had to fixate on the broke scholarship kid.

After a few brutal, humiliating rejections, my pride took a hit. I stopped trying to get his attention.

I started skipping classes, sneaking off-campus with Reid to a dingy local gaming lounge. He would aggressively mash his keyboard playing first-person shooters, while I sat in the oversized chair next to him, binge-watching the latest teen dramas.

But for some unexplainable reason, Hayes actually showed up at the lounge that day. He just stood quietly behind my chair. His face flushed a deep red as he forced out the words. "Wren, can't you just focus on your classes?"

I shot him a sharp glare. "Who are you to me? Mind your own business."

In the seat next to me, Reid deliberately slammed his fingers against his mechanical keyboard, aggressively cursing out his teammates through his headset.

Hayes didn't flinch. He stayed planted behind me, his tone absolute. "Wren, come back to school with me." I didn't move, so he didn't move. He barely spoke a word, but his temper was as stubborn as a brick wall.

I finally caved and followed him out. That day, his face was burning red. His hands were curled into tight fists at his sides.

He hesitated for a long time before his voice finally broke the silence. "Wren, I am not like the rest of you Getting a full ride to college is my only way out."

I looked straight at him. "Hayes, do you like me?"

His face flushed deeper, and he clamped his mouth shut.

"If you're not going to say it out loud, then just nod or shake your head," I pushed. "Hayes, do you hate me?"

He shook his head.

"Then do you like me?"

He stayed silent, the red creeping all the way up to his ears. A smug, triumphant grin spread across my face. "I'll take that silence as a yes."

A small, helpless smile finally broke through his defenses.

It took me a long time to realize that people carrying that shamelessly dirty kind of heavy insecurity are terrified of falling in love.

After that, his relentless drive rubbed off on me, and I started actually paying attention in class. Having the smartest kid in school as a desk-mate genuinely skyrocketed my GPA.

The summer after graduation, a bunch of us threw a massive house party. We ended up playing truth or dare, and I lost a round. The dare was brutal: kiss someone in the room. I froze, my face burning.

The crowd immediately started jeering. Reid leaned back, completely unbothered, and tapped his cheek. "I guess I will sacrifice this gorgeous face and let you have a bite."

Ignoring the loud cheers, I walked straight past him, heading for the darkest corner of the room where Hayes was sitting, and gently pressed my lips against his cheek.

Later that night, with my cheeks still burning, I asked him. "Hayes, which college are you committing to?"

The heat still lingered on his face as he replied softly. "New York."

A huge smile broke across my face. "Okay. Then I am moving to New York too."

We walked side-by-side down the quiet suburban street behind the school. The warm June breeze brushed against us, and the night sky was completely flooded with stars under a bright moon.

I kept my voice soft. "Hayes, you know you can actually hold my hand now."

He hesitated, his voice tight. "Are are you sure?"

I let out a soft laugh. "Yeah. We officially graduated. It's not against the rules anymore."

He carefully reached out, completely wrapping his large hand around mine. His palm was covered in a thin layer of nervous sweat, and his fingers were trembling slightly.

That summer, we both got our acceptance letters to universities in the city, while Reid ended up at the local state college. I was finally free of that absolute menace.

Hayes's campus was only two blocks away from mine. We saw each other every single day. College life meant we could finally walk openly across every corner of the city, our fingers tightly laced together.

Chapter 7

He was always so painfully cautious. We had been dating for a while when he finally grabbed my hand, stuttering, "Wren, can can I kiss you?"

I couldn't hold back a laugh. "Yes, you can."

He gently pressed his lips against my forehead, the tips of his ears burning red. It was incredibly innocent, and kind of adorable.

I couldn't exactly pinpoint what made me fall for Hayes. He was just entirely different from any guy I had ever met. He wasn't loud, aggressive, and obnoxiously sarcastic like Reid. Hayes was warm and meticulously attentive, always reminding me of every little detail I forgot.

Back then, he spent all his free time working as a private tutor. His parents were blue-collar farm workers. His grandmother had gotten sick a few years back, draining most of their savings on medical bills, and he refused to be another financial burden on his family. My family wasn't filthy rich, but we were very comfortable. I had been heavily spoiled since the day I was born.

When two people are together, friction is inevitable. I wanted us to be glued at the hip, but his entire life revolved around studying and clocking in for shifts.

Even when we grabbed dinner, his massive ego wouldn't let me pay the bill. If I bought him a gift, he would calculate the exact price and buy me something of equal value in return. Back then, I always had to tiptoe around his fragile pride.

I knew there was a massive gap between us. Almost everyone bet against our relationship. But I was stubbornly determined to prove them all wrong.

I wanted to prove we would make it to the end. You can't choose where you come from, but you can change where you're going. Hayes wasn't going to be a broke college kid forever.

We fought, we threatened to break up, but maybe we were both too addicted to the soft moments. Neither of us ever actually let go.

Right before graduation, Hayes secured a full-ride for his Master's degree, while I got rejected. I turned down the executive position at my family's company that my parents had lined up for me. For Hayes, I packed up and moved into a cheap, crappy apartment in the city that only had a mattress and a microwave.

Later, it was time to meet the parents. I had actually met Hayes's parents once during our junior year. They came to our city to pick up seasonal work on a construction site.

When I saw them, they were drenched in sweat, framing houses under the blazing sun. I panicked, totally out of my element, and stupidly tried to help them carry a stack of heavy bricks.

His parents immediately stopped me. "Oh no, sweetheart, drop that. This is not work for a girl like you."

Hayes laughed and rubbed the top of my head. "Are you an idiot?"

His parents were incredibly genuine, hardworking farm folks. When they found out I loved strawberries, they planted extra crops every year. Every time Hayes visited home, he brought back massive boxes of them for me.

When Hayes came to my house, my parents were perfectly polite. Conrad, my dad, admitted he was a good kid. But before Hayes left, my dad pulled him aside.

"Hayes, Wren's mother and I don't object to you dating our daughter. But we have two strict conditions. First, if you plan on marrying her, you must be able to independently put down a hundred-thousand-dollar down payment on a house. Second, before you tie the knot, you need to prove you have a top-tier medical insurance plan that can cover a family."

At the time, I didn't understand why Conrad was making such harsh demands. Honestly, our family didn't need that hundred grand. But for Hayes, those conditions were an insurmountable mountain.

My dad told me that love without a financial foundation is just a sandcastle; one strong gust of wind, and the whole thing collapses. I stubbornly refused to believe him. Until that gust of wind finally hit us, and everything fell apart.

Early the next morning, a sharp cramp in my lower stomach woke me up. My head pounded from the tequila hangover, worsened by the brutal debuff of my period. I felt like a vampire had drained every ounce of life out of my veins.

Sporting dark, bruised under-eye circles and a nest of tangled hair, I clutched my stomach and stumbled out of my bedroom.

The second I stepped into the living room, I completely froze. Reid was standing in my kitchen, casually prepping breakfast. The worst part? The man was only wearing a pair of low-slung sweatpants, completely shirtless.

Chapter 8

The early morning sunlight spilled across his torso, casting a golden glow over his tan skin and sharply tracing the hard lines of his eight-pack and the deep V-cut trailing below his waistline.

Ugh, what an absolute show-off.

I propped up my heavy, sleep-fogged head, blinking stupidly for a second. When my brain finally caught up, a rush of heat exploded across my face.

"Reid, have you completely lost your mind? Are you a flasher? Why why are you not wearing a shirt?"

He turned his head at the sound of my voice, his dark brows pulling together. "You used my tie to blow your nose, and then you threw up all over my dress shirt the second we got back. What exactly the hell do you expect me to wear? Should I be thanking you right now for letting me keep my pants?"

I choked on my words. "Ha you're welcome"

Knowing I was completely in the wrong, I clutched my cramping stomach and retreated to the bathroom. I changed my pad, washed my face, and dragged my pale, exhausted self back to the dining table.

Reid had heated up some soup, fried a couple of eggs, and cut up two perfectly toasted sandwiches.

"You actually know how to cook?" I asked, genuinely curious.

He set a steaming bowl of hot cream of mushroom soup right in front of me. "When I was studying abroad, it was nothing but fish and chips every single day."

Oh, right. After we graduated from college, Reidthe ultimate academic slackerhad a sudden stroke of madness and went overseas to get his Master's degree. Rumor had it he actually pulled decent grades.

He slid a fried egg onto my plate and lazily added, "If I didn't learn to cook for myself, I would have starved and ended up as flat as a board like you."

"Who who are you calling a flat board?" My blood instantly boiled. I indignantly planted my hands on my hips and puffed out my chest.

He lazily rubbed his temples. "Oh, right. I just remembered some crazy woman howling at the moon last night, screaming about how completely flat her chest was."

I froze. Fragments of my tequila-fueled meltdown from last night started flooding back into my brain.

Damn it. I never should have gone drinking with this bastard. Now he had fresh ammunition to mock me for the rest of my life.

I furiously dropped my head and started eating, completely ignoring him. The cream of mushroom soup was rich and savory. The hot liquid warmed my stomach, significantly dulling the sharp period cramps radiating through my lower abdomen.

"Is it good?"

"No. It's terrible."

"Then don't eat it."

"I will eat it. It's my food in my apartment."

I kept my head stubbornly down, chewing my food hard. My peripheral vision betrayed me, casually sweeping over Reid's naked torso. Naturally, my eyes collided directly with his dark gaze.

A teasing, infuriatingly smug smirk pulled at his lips. His entire expression practically begged to be punched.

"If you want to stare, just stare. Why are you sneaking peeks like a thief?" He casually leaned back against the dining chair, stretching his long, muscular legs out under the table. "Wren, those alpha billionaires you always write about in your romance novels did you base all of them entirely on my stats? The broad shoulders, narrow waist, crazy height, long legs, the massive success"

I shot him a look of pure disgust. "Name one alpha billionaire who never shuts his mouth." I took a vicious bite out of my sandwich. "I am just curious how exactly you plan on walking out of this apartment looking like a stripper."

The arrogant smirk instantly wiped off his face. "My assistant is dropping off a fresh suit in a few minutes," he snapped back, clearly annoyed.

Reid's assistant was terrifyingly efficient. Right on cue, the doorbell rang, and the guy dropped off several high-end garment bags.

Reid quickly changed into a crisp, pitch-black dress shirt and knotted a fresh silk tie around his neck. When he wasn't running his mouth, he genuinely looked like a lethal, untouchable alpha billionaire.

Then, he pulled a plastic bottle out of a pharmacy bag. Surprisingly, it was liquid Ibuprofen capsules and a pack of heating pads for my period cramps.

He popped a couple of capsules out, poured a glass of warm water, and shoved them right in front of me. "Take these. Now."

I awkwardly took the pills from his hand. "How did you know I was"

"Look at your face," he cut me off harshly. "You are as pale as a dead ghost."

The tiny shred of gratitude I just felt was instantly annihilated by his toxic mouth. I shot him a deadly glare. "Reid, you are the most annoying man on the planet!"

"Tiny chest, massive temper," he casually twisted the knife.

I was completely speechless.

Chapter 9

"Reid, you absolute bastard! Just wait until I am back from the dead, I am going to kill you!"

I lost it, kicking and throwing punches at him. Reid easily pinned me down with one hand, a cocky, victorious smirk playing on his lips.

"Going to kill me? Then I guess I'll just give this to someone else." He dangled an orange shopping bag from his fingertips.

My eyes instantly lit up. I could practically smell the money radiating off of it.

"Haha I think I was a little too loud just now." I immediately slapped on the most shamelessly flattering smile I could muster. "Boss Reid, the ultimate alpha billionaire. So generous, so wealthy, the most handsome man on earth."

Reid let out a heavy scoff and tossed the bag into my lap. I ripped it open. It was a limited edition, and it was my favorite purple. I was insanely satisfied.

That last bag he gave me? That happened because I accidentally mentioned Hayes working his ass off back in the day to buy me a fake LV. Reid ruthlessly mocked me for an entire hour, and the very next day, he ordered an Hermes straight to my door.

Even though Reid constantly pissed me off to the point of screaming, he definitely kept his promise to share the wealth. Got to admit, sometimes the things he did actually made him seem like a decent human being.

Even though I was making some decent cash writing novels now, I still couldn't bring myself to drop that kind of money on an Hermes. Unlike him, the ruthless capitalist with cash to burn.

Holding my new bag, my cramps magically disappeared.

Reid shot me a look of pure disgust. "Wren, I really should take a picture of the pathetic look on your face right now."

"Blah, blah, blah. Can't hear you over the sound of my new bag," I shot back.

He checked his expensive watch, then reached out and ruffled my hair like he was petting a golden retriever. "I'm heading out. Go back to sleep if you're tired."

He paused at the door, dropping a final command. "No cold water. If I don't make it back for lunch, I will have the restaurant kitchen send something over."

I fixed my messy hair. "Got it, got it. You are so annoying."

"Tsk. Wren, biting the hand that feeds you the second you're full."

At noon, the hotel kitchen delivered a few of my favorite dishes. After eating, I knocked out a few chapters on my laptop. The weather was gorgeous, so I decided to head out for a walk