When I Kissed Him The Comment Called Me Cheap Chapter 05

When I Kissed Him The Comment Called Me Cheap Chapter 05

I looked up.

It was Rory Thorpe, Chayce’s son from his first marriage, two years older than me.

I froze, unsure how to react. I’d always been a little scared of Rory. He’d been the high school bully, and everyone feared him.

When I turned eighteen—the same year his mom died—he’d found out about my background.

He’d driven back from college just to corner me against a wall, saying he’d never acknowledge me as his sister, and he’d nearly strangled me.

Back then, the hatred in his eyes had burned like fire.

But now, his gaze was surprisingly calm.

I gathered my courage and spoke tentatively, “…Rory.”

Rory looked a little surprised. He glanced around the room, then nodded at me politely before heading straight upstairs.

Perhaps it was Rory’s politeness that gave me the courage. I called out to him again.

“…Rory, can you get me a job at the company?”

Chayce’s health had been poor, and he’d handed control of Thorpe Group to Rory two years ago.

At my words, everyone in the room froze. Even Chayce put down the book he was holding.

Rory smirked, amused, “What, here to fight me for the family fortune?”

“No, no,” I said, suddenly nervous. “I just… want to learn from you.”

For years, I’d refused to accept my background and lived alone. But aside from being young and pretty, I had no real skills.

The only jobs I could find were the kind where I stood at a front desk as eye candy, drifting through each day in a daze.

But now, I wanted to change.

I didn’t want to be called “cheap” anymore.

I didn’t want to be sized up with those shallow, leering looks anymore.

The creator of this world had made me a mistress’s daughter—a sin I’d been born into.

But it was also a chance. Instead of clinging to pride and cutting myself off from my family, I’d use what they had to build something real for myself.

Rory tapped the armrest, thinking for a moment.

“Report to the CEO’s office tomorrow.”

Comments popped up again, revealing new details I’d never known.

[Wow, second ML’s makes his entrance]

[Oh? So this is him? Two years from now, when the FL comes back from Berklee, the second ML throws a fortune at her to sign her. When she refuses, he turns nasty—has her kidnapped!]

[I remember that blew up, and their company got investigated. The Thorpe empire collapsed, and the ML bought it cheaply.]

[I’m totally shipping the FL with the second ML. That creepy, obsessive vibe is just chef’s kiss.]

[Wait, no—didn’t the second ML show up when the side chick made a fool of herself on a global scale? I remember he absolutely despised his cheap, reckless half-sister and personally had her committed to a mental hospital. So why is the story different again?]

I read through the comments silently, vowing never to let any of that happen.

I packed up all the gifts Henson had given me, left them by the door, and sent them to his office via courier.

He called me over a hundred times and sent endless messages, but I ignored all of them.

Abia’s texts said he’d even gone looking for me at my old apartment.

The commenters were frantic.

[What’s going on? Isn’t the ML supposed to ignore the side chick, making her chase him and cause drama?]

[Where’s the big humiliation scene for the side chick?]

[Why do people get so happy watching her suffer? I think her choice is great.]

[Right! Why does the side chick have to revolve around them? Can’t she have her own life?]

I didn’t see what the fuss was about.

This was perfect. My leaving gave the main couple space.

I threw myself into work.

With no real professional skills, Rory was so frustrated that he almost made me a receptionist again.

After I begged him relentlessly, he enrolled me in a two-year business management program. I studied day and night, pushing Henson and Abia far from my mind.

Once I stayed away from them, the comments stopped appearing.

Two years passed. I finished the program and became Rory’s assistant.

I stumbled through it at first, but Rory didn’t expect much, and I gradually got the hang of it.

Soon, social media exploded with one headline: [Prodigy Abia Moore Returns from Berklee, Shaking Up the Entertainment Industry.]

Everyone wondered which agency she’d sign with.

Top companies lined up, and even a pop diva greeted her at the airport, putting on a show of “friendship” for the cameras.

But Abia said nothing to the press, leaving everyone guessing.

Rory saw me staring at the news and tapped my forehead out of nowhere.

“Ouch! That hurt!”

He grinned. “Isn’t that your college roommate? How about I sign her to our company for you?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Weren’t you close? Jealous she’s a star now? Want me to give you a makeover too? With a face like yours, getting into showbiz wouldn’t be hard.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I shot him a glare, panicking inside.

Was Rory going to set his sights on Abia after all?

For the next few days, I kept a close eye on his schedule, stepping in immediately if he might cross paths with Abia.

Strangely, he never brought her up again.