I Dumped My Poor Boyfriend, Became Rich—He Said Regrets Chapter 13

I Dumped My Poor Boyfriend, Became Rich—He Said Regrets Chapter 13

When Chloe left the clinic, she looked like a ghost walking to the gallows.

Ethan Hayes was never a forgiving man. He had carried the scars of those college rumors down to his very

bones, and the moment the truth came out, his gaze turned into pure, localized ice. He didn’t yell. He didn’t use vulgarities. But as a certified genius, he knew exactly how to use language to inflict permanent

psychological damage. Chloe would likely spend the rest of her life terrified to ever cross his path again.

“Are you alright?” I asked, looking at the faint cuts on his knuckles that the nurse had just patched up. “Will

this affect your company’s valuation?”

“Don’t worry about it. The firm is solid. But Chad is getting stitches.”

“Good. He deserves a permanent scar,” I muttered.

Ethan suddenly let out a soft, genuine chuckle. “There she is.”

“What?”

“That’s the real Veronica. How long has it been since you spoke with that much reckless attitude? Say a few

more things like that. I’ve missed hearing it.”

“Corporate clients can go straight to hell. They’re all a bunch of predatory parasites.”

“Good. Keep going.”

“Inflation is a joke. Rent is ungodly. How is anyone supposed to survive in this city?”

“Perfect. More.”

“And screw the mandatory overtime at the firm! I just want to stay home, order takeout, and sleep for twelve

hours!”

Ethan paused, a dry smirk playing on his lips. “… Are you complaining about my management style?”

“Of course not, Mr. Hayes. I wouldn’t dare.”

“You’re the only person in this city who dares.”

The winter sun caught the snow, as we bickered all the way back to his car, the sharp edges of the last four

years suddenly blurring into the familiar rhythm of our college days. The emotional dam inside me finally

broke, and the tears came back, hot and heavy.

“Just give me some time, okay? I will pay you back every single cent of that wire transfer.”

Ethan instantly panicked again, his hands hovering over my face. “What are you talking about? Why are you so fixated on paying me back? I know I shouldn’t have cleared the debt without telling you, but you can’t just

cut me out of your life.”

“You explicitly called me an anchor, Ethan! Why would I stay where I’m a burden?”

Ethan’s jaw tightened in pure confusion. “Who told you I called you an anchor?”

“Chloe…”

Wait. Had I been played? But the GroupMe screenshot was real. I pulled out my phone and loaded the image.

Ethan took one look at the screen, his face darkening with sheer rage. “She cropped the entire context!”

He pulled out his own phone, loading the original, unedited archive of the chat. The messages showed that

they were talking about an overdue corporate project account that had been draining his startup’s cash

reserves. Ethan had texted [Paid it off. Finally let out a breath.] referring to the vendor liability.

Chloe had intercepted the chat through her public relations team, editing the crop to make it look like he was

celebrating his freedom from me.

“But how did she even know you were tracking my family’s debts?”

“She had extensive experience dealing with corporate restructuring and non-disclosure agreements through her studio contracts. I asked her legal team for a template on debt assumption protocols.”

Ethan drove us straight back to his penthouse. This was my third time stepping through these doors, but the

suffocating weight in my chest was entirely gone.

“Let’s put everything on the table today,” Ethan said, sliding a cup of fresh black coffee across the counter. “Veronica, I have a mountain of questions for you.”

“Ask.”

“Why did you leave me?”

“My family was a sinking ship. I was becoming an anchor myself. I thought it was better to walk away.”

“It wasn’t because you got bored of me?”

I blinked, the memory slowly clicking into place. [I’m bored of you.] Those were the exact words I had spat at

him on the day of our breakup.

Ethan’s voice dropped into a low, painful register. “I spent four years believing you had treated me like a temporary toy. You played with me for four years, got bored, and the moment your family faced a crisis, you tossed me aside because I was too poor to help you.”

How could he have misread me so completely? I opened my mouth to correct him, but Ethan cut me off, his dark eyes burning with absolute, reckless surrender.

“But even if that’s the truth… I don’t care anymore.” He laid his cards bare, stripping away every ounce of his billionaire pride. “Veronica, I’ve made up my mind. Even if I’m just a toy to you… I want to stay by your side

forever.”