Chapter 8
I was amazed to find the dress Mom had made me in the bag.
It looked exactly like when Mom first gave it to me–the torn hem perfectly repaired.
The joy of getting back something precious covered my earlier fear.
Touching the restored sequins, I sincerely thanked him with tears in my voice. “Thank you!”
Ethan messed up my bangs. “Little crybaby, don’t tell me you’re gonna cry again?”
I laughed through my tears.
He personally walked me to my dorm, earnestly asking my roommates to take care of me.
My roommates giggled over the milk tea he’d brought, patting their chests and promising to look after me.
My chest felt warm.
So there really were guys who were thoughtful and attentive, who noticed and responded to everything.
Since I was injured, my roommates, classmates, and teachers all took extra care of me.
One day after class, Ethan was helping me to lunch as usual.
We were chatting about the economic theory our professor had covered when someone suddenly appeared.
“Who the fuck are you? Get your hands off MY Joy!”
Marcus punched Ethan, who quickly pushed me aside at the last second but fell to the ground himself.
Ethan touched his jaw and spit out blood, staring coldly at Marcus.
“Joy, wait over there. Don’t come over here.”
Marcus saw red as he looked at me, then swung at Ethan again.
“You don’t get to call her Joy!”
The two guys started wrestling on the ground, but Ethan had been doing taekwondo since childhood.
Marcus was quickly pinned down and beaten up, ending up with a black eye and bloody nose when security finally pulled them apart.
I quickly went to help Ethan up. “Are you okay?”
“JOY! What are you doing! I’M your boyfriend!” Marcus screamed at me with bloodshot eyes.
I looked at him calmly. “We broke up.”
Marcus’s eyes went wide, his voice cracking. “NO! We made up! We never broke up!”
He suddenly glared viciously at Ethan and struggled toward me.
“I know you still love me! You’re obviously just trying to make me jealous with some random guy!”
“Joy, you don’t need to do this! I’ve always loved you!”
His belated confession made me sick to my stomach.
Ethan suddenly put his hand on my shoulder, making Marcus struggle even more violently.
I stared at Marcus and spoke again.
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Golden Boy Blew Our 13 Years? Joke’s On Him 1 Bagged A Tycoon!
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Chapter 8
“Marcus.”
He stopped struggling and stared at me intently, dread filling his chest.
“I’ll say this ONE MORE TIME. We have nothing between us anymore. Please don’t bother me ever again!”
“You’re lying!”
“Joy Sinclair, you’re LYING! Your dad already agreed to let you marry me!”
“You’re my fiancée! We’re still together!”
I sighed. “Marcus, it’s impossible between us. Your parents…”
I didn’t know how to tell him they’d lied to him again. His parents had been lying to Marcus about studying since we were kids
Right then, Ethan leaned against me pitifully. “Joy, I’m hurt… can you take me to the nurse’s office?”
I’d never seen him complain about pain before and immediately shifted my attention.
“Where does it hurt? Why didn’t you say something earlier?” I said while helping him walk away.
Behind us came Marcus’s agonized roar:
“JOY SINCLAIR, COME BACK! You can’t leave!”
I didn’t turn around.
Chapter 9
The autumn nurse’s office was stifling. I carefully applied medicine to Ethan’s wounds.
Up close, his face was devastatingly handsome.
His deep eyes stared at me unblinkingly.
The sound of my heartbeat-“thump thump“-echoed in my ears. I looked down awkwardly. “Keep staring and I’m outta here.”
His long fingers suddenly circled my wrist, gentle but firm.
“Don’t go.”
I wasn’t stupid.
His constant care over this time made it obvious:
He liked me.
My classmates had mentioned in private how the cold, indifferent business school heartthrob had treated the whole class to milk tea and meals just to help me fit in better.
And the whole Chelsea situation–he’d handled everything behind the scenes.
He’d quietly done all this without wanting me to feel any burden or trouble.
Whenever I reached out to him, he was always there to respond, unlike Marcus who kept me constantly waiting.
Whatever I wanted to do, he’d encourage and help me, unlike Marcus who just left me to figure things out alone.
He knew I was scared to get into another relationship, so neither of us had broken through that barrier.
My heart was racing faster and faster, scared he might confess right now.
The awkward silence stretched between us until I heard a barely audible sigh.
Then a warm hand gently ruffled my hair, full of affection.
“I’m not gonna eat you. Don’t be scared.”
Something impulsive surged through me, and I leaned forward.
The autumn breeze swept away the room’s tension, leaving only a stunned Ethan.
After a long moment, he covered his eyes and murmured:
“I’m completely screwed.”
His lips curved in an unstoppable smile, his ears burning red.
That night when I got back to the dorm, Marcus was waiting for me.
I knew if I didn’t make things crystal clear, this would never end.
We went to the bubble tea shop next door.
He automatically ordered me a boba tea, eagerly setting it in front of me.
This time he was much calmer.
“Joy, just because I helped Chelsea with orientation, you wanna break up?”
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Golden Boy Blew Our 13 Years? Joke’s On Him. I Bagged A Tycoon!
