Chapter 2

I pulled Liam over and, right in front of those two cheaters, signed the sponsorship contract and exchanged contact information with him.

Ignoring Denise’s clenched teeth, I grabbed my bag and turned to leave. But I hadn’t made it far before Vincent blocked my way.

Tears filled his eyes as he looked at me, and he immediately began, "Suzy, is this really how you think of me? It’s okay, I’ll keep loving you as I’ve always been, waiting for the moment you turn back..."

I poked him in the chest with my finger, interrupting his dramatic speech. "Oh, right, I got so busy scolding her that I almost forgot about you."

"Don’t bother with that ‘devoted man’ act. You’re just as cheap as those worthless gifts you sent me with free shipping.

"Ever since I was born, I’ve been used to nothing but the finest things in life. Every now and then, I might entertain something cheap just for the novelty, but let’s not kid ourselves into thinking you’re anything special."

Watching him stumble backward with each word, I couldn’t help but laugh as I gently patted his face. "Goodbye, cheapo. And don’t forget to pay back the four hundred thousand dollars you owe me within the month, or I’ll make sure you get a lawyer’s letter."

With that, I left them standing there in shock and drove off in my sports car, leaving nothing but dust in my wake.

Back home, I found my mom doing yoga.

With tears in my eyes, I hugged her tightly, startling her into thinking something had happened. I didn’t explain much, only that I was ready to take over the affairs of the Young family business.

Having lived through it all once before, I was determined to protect the people I loved this time, giving no one the chance to take advantage again.

As I glanced around the empty house, I casually asked about my father, William Barker. When I found out he was on a business trip, I frowned and started sorting through the fragments of memories from my previous life.

But with so little evidence, I couldn’t piece everything together just yet.

A message notification interrupted my thoughts—it was from Liam.

Liam moved into an apartment under my name, conveniently close to the school. He had been raised by his grandmother and, after starting school, lived with his uncle, always tiptoeing around to avoid trouble.

Not only did he have to earn his own living expenses, but he also took care of his grandmother, making life incredibly hard for him.

So, I decided to go the extra mile and let both him and his grandmother move into one of my vacant properties to ease his burden.

In return, he became even more focused on participating in competitions and regularly updated me on his academic progress.

Eventually, I couldn't hold back and told him he didn’t always need to send updates about school.

That was when this typically cool and aloof guy started sending me daily good morning and good night messages, often accompanied by cute dog emojis.

Sometimes, it felt like I hadn’t sponsored someone; instead, I’d accidentally found myself a boyfriend. The kind who was not only ridiculously handsome but could also cook.

We met up frequently on campus, of course, under the pretense of me going there to study.

Liam was exceptionally bright, and his teaching skills were nothing short of impressive. After watching him solve the problems that had been frustrating me for days, I couldn’t help but start admiring him.

The closer we got, the more rumors swirled around the school.

I didn’t care much, but someone else clearly did—Liam’s ears would turn bright red, and he’d avoid me for days.

Today, I took Liam to the mall to pick out some things for him, but unfortunately, we ran into Vincent and Denise. Denise, abandoning her usual low-key demeanor, dragged a very reluctant Vincent toward us.