Will You Fall In Love With Me Again

Bruce James, drunk and unconscious, collapsed on the kingsized bed. Beside him sat a beautiful woman with a damp towel in her hand.

She carefully wiped his face, not wanting to wake him up. She was busy doing her task when her eyes met Lucy Glen’s.

The woman’s face blushed in embarrassment. “Miss Glen,” she almost whispered.

Lucy looked at her young face and smiled. “Did you know Bruce posted on his Facebook that he wanted to marry yesterday? Are you his prospect bride?” she sarcastically asked.

The woman shook her head in panic. “No! No, Miss. You’re his girlfriend. Of course, he meant marrying you. II don’t deserve a man like him.”

Lucy mentally rolled her eyes. She didn’t know if this woman was pretending or was just plain stupid.

Everyone knew that a year ago, Lucy proposed to Bruce. However, the brute rejected her three times. He kept telling her he didn’t believe in marriages and told her to stop trying.

But Lucy didn’t take his advice. She threatened him by saying she would jump off a building if he refused to say yes.

However, Bruce didn’t care at all. He didn’t even talk to her. Lucy was so embarrassed!

It even became a running joke around the city.

Lucy raised her eyebrows at the woman. “Well, for the first time ever, Bruce James wants to get married. Because of you,” she said.

“I don’t steal someone else’s man, Miss Glen,” the woman muttered.

Lucy hummed but didn’t say anything.

The woman only stared at her.

Her last encounter with Lucy was during a family dinner four months ago. They talked and laughed in front of everybody, pretending to be happy with each other’s company.

Even when in private, they didn’t even acknowledge each other.

Before that, she had known about Lucy because of the jumpingoffthebuilding fiasco she pulled up. Bruce stayed in Lucy’s ward for a couple of minutes, and when he tried to leave, she cried hysterically.

Even with his lack of interest, Bruce tried to coax her before leaving.

Since then, the man has started to keep his distance from Lucy. Well, if jumping off a building wouldn’t turn a man away, what would it be?

Such an act most probably made people think that she was a lunatic.

If it weren’t for her family name and her relative’s power and connections, no one would dare to be involved with them again.

Lucy was grateful that she had arrived with a drunk Bruce tonight. She didn’t have to deal with him and could take her things immediately.

Finished with her business, Lucy found her way to the house’s door. However, she couldn’t remember where she had left her car key.

With the twoyearlong relationship with Bruce, the only thing she could remember was their lovemaking. Nothing else.

She was on her way to the study room when she passed by the bedroom. The door was slightly open, so she saw Bruce waking up. He cradled the woman in his arms and called her, “My beauty.”

The woman, on the other hand, looked away. Her cheeks were flushed.

Lucy didn’t want to disturb the two, but she also didn’t have all the time to look for her key. Sighing, she knocked on the door to catch their attention.

“Where’s my car key?” she asked Bruce.

The man’s eyes instantly fluttered open. His arms, which were wrapped around the woman, loosened. He blinked while looking at Lucy. After a few seconds, he got up and went to the study room.

Lucy trailed behind him. She saw him take out a box of car keys.

‘Rich bastard,’ Lucy thought.

“You okay with driving now?” he asked, catching Lucy offguard.

“Yeah. I’ve got a job in sales recently. I need to go out most of the time, so I need my car.”

“Oh,” Bruce sternly replied.

Lucy found her car key in the box. “Here’s my key. I’ll go now. Thanks.”

Bruce cleared his throat. “When will you get the rest of your stuff, by the way? I need some space in the house since someone’s moving in.”

“Oh.” Lucy understood what he meant. She glanced at the woman behind him, who looked uneasy and nervous.

“She wanted my assurance, and I want to give her that. Letting her stay with me in this house means I’m serious with her,” Bruce explained.

Lucy nodded. “I’ll get them this weekend,” she said.

Bruce's eyebrows furrowed. “Why don’t you get them today? Or tomorrow?” he rudely asked.

The woman immediately held his arm. “Bruce, don’t say that. Ms. Glen says that she’ll get them this weekend. I’m not in a hurry anyway,” she said.

Bruce’s expression started to relax. He nodded at her before turning to Lucy again. “This weekend, okay?”

Lucy watched the two of them for a while. In the end, she made a decision. “I’ve changed my mind. I’ll get them today so I won’t bother you two anymore.”

As soon as she placed the last bag inside her car, Lucy was already out of breath. She got in the driver’s seat and started the engine.

She glanced at the two persons behind. Bruce hugged the woman from behind and said, “Why are you looking at her? Your man’s here. You should only look here.”

Lucy turned away and scoffed. Without wasting any second, she drove away from the house.

The traffic light turned red. Lucy slowed down and took out her phone.

As soon as she opened it, hundreds of messages instantly flooded her inbox. All her friends were bugging her nonstop, asking her about the wedding preparations. Some were even calling her ‘Mrs. James.’

Because of Bruce’s cryptic Facebook post, everyone in their circle thought that he was pertaining to her. After all, they knew Lucy as his girlfriend. In terms of family background and status, they both matched perfectly.

Lucy sighed. She typed in a message and pressed send.

[He wasn’t talking about me.]

However, everyone seemed to ignore her reply and continued making fun of her.

All of a sudden, Bruce added a member to their chat group.

Everyone was surprised, including Lucy. The chat group was supposed to be for their circle of friends only! Why would Bruce add an unknown person, a woman, in fact, to their group?

Lucy’s phone repeatedly buzzed because of the new messages. Everyone was asking Bruce who the woman was.

Bruce: [This is Angelia, my fiancée.]

Only Lucy knew the truth.

The chat group went silent. A few moments later, someone dared to ask a straightforward question to him.

[What the hell?! If she’s your fiancée, then what happened to Lucy?]

Lucy groaned upon reading the message. She had to say something. She immediately typed on the keyboard, but Bruce had already sent a new message.

Bruce: [Why? When did I ask you to call Lucy ‘Mrs. James’?]

Lucy deleted everything she was typing.

Bruce was right. He never asked them to call her like that.

It had always been Lucy. Just Lucy.

Lucy couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. She typed a message again.

[Yeah, we weren’t even in a relationship for a long time. By the way, we haven’t told our parents yet, so don’t spill the beans, please.]

She watched her message appear on the chat box before sending a few random memes to make the atmosphere lighter. And to make them drop the topic, too.

A few messages later, Angelia Charles sent a ‘hello’ to everyone. Even in her message, it was apparent that she was a shy woman.

Of course, no one would dare disrespect Bruce’s girl. Messages of warm greetings started pouring in. Some even sent humorous messages, making Angelia loosen up a bit.

In the end, their friends liked Angelia. She was young and lovely, so they eventually warmed up around her as well.

Lucy noticed they were busy paying attention to their group’s new ‘member,’ so she exited the application and turned her phone off.

After she arrived home, Lucy busied herself unpacking her stuff before taking a shower.

After a while, she went out of the bathroom and cleaned up. She looked up, and her eyes widened when she saw Sherry Colin sitting on her bed.

“What are you doing here? You scared me!” she exclaimed.

“Aunt Zoe asked me to invite you for dinner. With her family,” Sherry said.

“Fine,” Lucy deadpanned before walking to her closet.

Sherry watched her rummage through her clothes. “You’ve been dating Bruce for almost three years now. When are you getting married?” she asked with curiosity.

Lucy’s body went still for a few seconds.

“He won’t marry me,” she quietly said and zipped her skirt.

Sherry thought that Lucy was just pertaining to Bruce’s ‘marriages don’t work belief.

She shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, don’t lose hope. You’ve been through ups and downs together for years! The fact that he’s still with you until now means that he truly loves you. Don’t worry. He’ll propose to you sooner or later.”

‘Or never,’ Lucy wanted to say.

She gave Sherry a small smile but stayed silent. When she opened her bedroom door, she heard familiar voices talking downstairs. She stood on the staircase to peek when her gaze immediately met Brandon’s.

“Hi, Darling,” Bruce greeted her. Beside him was her uncle.

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek. “Hi.”

“Mom told me you’ll join us for dinner, so I came here to pick you up,” he sweetly said. His tone was far different from when he discussed the stock market with Lucy’s uncle.

But only Lucy and he knew the truth. Everything they showed to people, even their families, was just a façade.

Lucy remembered the time Bruce rejected her proposal. The man told his friends that he had slept with her a ton of times and that he had already had enough.

“So, what’s the point of marrying her?” he laughed.

Lucy shook her head.

“Let’s go,” she said without looking at him.

Sherry looked at her with disapproval. “Don’t be rude, Lucy!”

“She’s been moody for the past few weeks, Aunt Sherry. She hadn’t been home for four months and rarely called me during those times. Hmm…” Bruce said with fake suspicion.

Lucy looked at him. She couldn’t decipher if Bruce had already begun his plan. He acted so sweet in front of other people but also made her look like a bad girlfriend. Perhaps he wanted people to think it was Lucy’s fault once they announced their breakup.

Lucy made a face but decided not to argue.

“But we’re fine, Aunt Sherry. Lucy is my future wife, and I don’t want that to change. I will do everything for our relationship to work,” Bruce muttered while looking at Lucy. He took her bag, grabbed her hand, and started walking.

As soon as they stepped out of the house, Lucy removed her hand from his grasp.

Bruce looked at her coldly. “My mother will probably convince us to get married later. Again. If I refused her whim, she’d get mad. We have to figure out some ways.”

And that way was to make Lucy appear like the bad girlfriend.

Lucy knew that. “From now on, every time we visit our families, you’ll pay me before doing something for you. Your real girlfriend won’t mind, right?” she said sternly.

She needed money.

Every time she needed money, she always needed to ask her aunt. Most of the time, she felt awkward about it. So, her solution was to do whatever Bruce wanted as long as he gave her money.

After a moment of silence, Bruce finally spoke. “Fine. I’ll provide a credit card for you,” he nonchalantly said.

Bruce was right. Their entire dinner was filled with nothing but Zoe asking them about their wedding. She even told them about her friend’s grandson!

“So, when are you two getting married?” Zoe asked excitedly.

“As soon as possible,” Bruce answered while Lucy remained silent.

“Really?” Zoe asked with wide eyes. “What happened to your Idon’twanttogetmarried speech?”

Bruce chuckled. “I’ve changed my mind, Mom. Also, I want to have a daughter.”

Zoe grimaced. “I prefer a grandson, though. Girls are a handful. You may have a hard time with a daughter.”

Bruce looked at Lucy affectionately. “Whatever my wife gives birth to, I’ll be happy.”

Then, he pinched Lucy’s face and tucked some hair behind her ear. Aware of the people staring at them, Bruce mockingly leaned to her ear and said, “Want to get married in April? I have a perfect day in mind. Let’s get our wedding certificates first, shall we?”

Zoe shook her head. “So clingy. Stop being PDA in front of us!”

Everyone at the table laughed. Zoe felt happy upon watching the couple.

A year ago, people thought Bruce and Lucy weren’t for each other. However, the couple seemed to prove them wrong.

Lucy and Bruce started dating when they were in college. Zoe witnessed their relationship and growth over the years. She was fond of Lucy because, aside from finding her innocent, Bruce genuinely liked her.

“I’ll cling to my Lucy whenever I want to,” Bruce said and looked at Lucy. “Darling, listen. After we get our certificates, I’ll give you my house and car. I won’t look at other women! If you ask me to go east, I’ll never go west. I will listen to all your rants all day,” he cooed.

Lucy slightly turned away when she felt his warm breath hit her face.

“Sorry,” she awkwardly said.

Zoe’s eyebrows furrowed. Bruce glanced at his mother before looking at Lucy again. He sat up straight and squeezed Lucy’s hand.

“I’ll give you some time to think about it. There are a lot of benefits in marrying me, you know.”

Lucy stared at him. She thought that if she wanted to play the villain, she needed to be good at playing her role.

“I’m not ready yet.”

The tension in the room remained palpable. Bruce leaned closer to her. “Alright. If you don’t want to get married right away, then I’ll wait ‘til you’re ready,” he said, enough for Zoe to hear.

Zoe remained to stare at Lucy. However, she realized she must be holding back because of Bruce’s past misdemeanors. So, she decided to let it slide this time.

“On, I’m just checking on you two. You’re both young, and it’s all up to you when you want to get married. Anyway, let’s eat? I cooked all this by myself!”

The dinner continued. The food was delicious, but Lucy had already lost her appetite. She brought down her fork and muttered an excuse to leave.

“I’ll see you off, babe,” Bruce said.

Lucy almost said no, but she instantly realized that his parents were watching them. She nodded at him and smiled.

The two of them waited for the car outside the door. Lucy let out a confused look when she saw a vehicle approaching them. It was different from the one Bruce used earlier.

In fact, Lucy wasn’t really unfamiliar with the car. Although, this car only reminded her of ugly memories.

Lucy and Bruce had lots of sex inside this car. It was safe to say that they spared no corner of this vehicle.

She didn’t expect that he still used this car.

‘Well, he must have forgotten those stupid days,’ she thought.

Still, Lucy felt disgusted by the thought.

Bruce was good at sweeping women off their feet. He was a known ladies’ man. With his looks and aura, no one would dare ignore him.

His alltime favorite line was, “Remember, darling, only I can satisfy you in bed.”

“Do you need me to drive you home?” Bruce suddenly asked.

Lucy knew that line very well. If Bruce really wanted to drive for someone, he wouldn’t ask a such thing and just tell them to get in the car. If he asked this question, it meant a warning to people to think about their answers carefully because he didn’t want to drive.

She shook her head and waved her phone. “No, thanks. I’ll call a cab.”

In a flash, Bruce went inside the car. Lucy could still hear his voice from the outside.

“Where are you? Let’s have fun tonight. My treat! You should meet my new girl,” he said on the phone.

And by a new girl, of course, he meant Angelia.

The disco lights illuminated the jampacked club, and pop music blasted everywhere. Bruce stood in front of his guy friends. His hand his holding the aloof Angelia who was standing next to him.

The men stared at Angelia as they nodded their heads. They thought that their friend must be serious this time. She looked pretty but not as attractive as the women he had dated.

Perhaps Bruce was really fond of her.

“Hi!” Jack and the rest of the group greeted her.

“Hi,” Angelia timidly replied before tightening her hold on Bruce’s hand.

“Don’t you dare scare my girl, or I’ll kick your asses,” Bruce jokingly warned.

Jack let out a smile. “Aww, you found your little baby, man.”

Bruce raised his hand, ready to order his favorite drinks. A few bottles of beer and wine later, he noticed that Angelia’s eyes turned red even though she only had a few sips.

“What’s the matter, babe?” he said near her ear.

Angelia looked at him with hesitation. In the end, she lowered her head and sighed. “I don’t like you drunk, Bruce.”

“Okay,” Bruce replied. Then, he called a waiter to order a soda.

Jack laughed at Bruce. “Where on earth is Bruce? This isn’t him! This one looks like a lovesick puppy!”

The boys broke into laughter while Bruce playfully glared at Jack.

Jack instantly raised his hands in defeat. “Fine, that’s my last joke tonight,” he said.

Jack suddenly remembered a similar scenario from before. Lucy fought Bruce about his drinking habits over and over again. The woman started giving him the cold shoulder, but Bruce didn’t care. He continued his excessive alcohol intake every time he went out for a drink.

‘Who could have thought that this bastard will finally change, huh?’ Jack thought.

The truth was that Jack was attracted to Lucy. The first time Bruce introduced Lucy, Jack couldn’t take his eyes off her. Of course, he didn’t tell Bruce about it.

And since Lucy and Bruce were over now, he thought he might have a chance with her.

Jack took a couple of tequila shots and turned to Bruce. “Bro, you and Lucy are over, right?”

Bruce nodded.

“I want to pursue her.”

Silence filled them for a while.

“Oh,” Bruce finally said while pouring drinks for Angelia. He didn’t even look at Jack.

“It’s okay, right?” Jack asked.

Bruce coldly looked at him. “Why are you asking me? She’s not my business anymore.”

“Angelia—” But before Jack could finish his sentence, Bruce had already grabbed his collar.

“What the fuck, man?! Are you nuts?” he growled.

Jack raised his hands. At least now, he understood that Bruce was not kidding about Lucy.

“I’m not hitting on Angelia, dude. I was about to say that her fork fell off the table,” he uttered.

Bruce let him go and immediately called a waiter.

Angelia, on the other hand, felt relieved and satisfied. She didn’t know that Bruce was this serious about her. Of course, she knew she was just an ordinary person compared to him. She always thought that Bruce was just toying with her.

It was already enough for her to know that he really cared and respected her. She couldn’t believe that he would always go out of his way to make her happy.

Their little party continued. Jack was in a great mood. He grabbed the tequila bottle and poured some into Bruce’s empty cup.

“Come on, man, just this once,” he said, trying to persuade him.

Bruce looked at Angelia, asking for her permission. Angelia didn’t want to leave a wrong impression on his friends, so she nodded her head and smiled.

Jack hooted as they all emptied their cups. A few more shots later, the men were already wasted and drunk.

Angelia took a glance at Bruce, who had already passed out in their seat. She didn’t know how to drive, so she needed to contact a substitute driver for them.

Jack, whose mind was already clouded with alcohol, picked up his phone and dialed Lucy’s number. He drunkenly asked her to pick him up.

Lucy agreed to Jack’s request. Aside from being free, she felt it was okay to do it since they were in the same social circle.

As soon as she opened the VIP room, her eyes instantly landed on Bruce lying in Angelia’s arms. She stopped in her tracks, slightly taken aback. When she recovered, she gave Angelia a small smile and headed to where Jack was.

Jack was too drunk that he didn’t wake up from Lucy’s constant calls and taps on his arm. Lucy even tried to yell his name twice, but the brute didn’t even move.

Instead, it was Bruce who woke up from Lucy’s yells. When he saw Lucy, he immediately pushed Angelia to the side and hugged his ex!

He removed her grip from Jack and locked her with his arms. Then, he crouched and rested his head on her neck.

Lucy froze in her spot. Her wide eyes looked at Bruce, surprised and slightly alarmed. Bruce looked up at her, showing his drunk and unsteady gaze.

“Don’t hold hands with Jack!” he muttered like a spoiled child.

“You’re drunk, Bruce. Let go of me,” Lucy calmly said.

“No! I’m not drunk!”

Angelia stood up from her seat and looked at Lucy apologetically. She pulled Bruce’s arm, but he only tightened his hold on Lucy.

“Babe,” Bruce told Lucy.

“Babe!” Bruce muttered louder when Lucy didn’t reply.

“If you don’t answer me, I’ll get mad at you,” he mumbled.

Lucy looked at Angelia. “He’s looking for you,” she said.

Angelia glanced at Bruce, worried and nervous. She bit her lower lip. “Bruce, I’m here. Come on, let’s go home.”

Bruce stayed silent. The two other friends, who were not as drunk as the two, stood up and pulled Bruce away from Lucy. Angelia grunted as she hugged Bruce’s waist, feeling his weight since he was already sleeping.

Lucy went to Jack. However, she noticed Angelia’s stare directed at her. She sighed.

“Don’t overthink, Ms. Charles. He’s just drunk. He always hugs every person he sees when he’s drunk. And everyone in this room was addressed by Bruce as ‘babe’ once or twice.”

“Oh,” Angelia muttered. She kissed Bruce’s cheek, relief washing over her. “I guess we’ll get going first.”

Lucy stared at them as they went out of the room.

When they were out of her sight, she scoffed. She knew that Angelia’s little display of affection just now was her way of marking her territory.

Even the men who witnessed the scene earlier knew what Angelia’s move meant.

There was an evident tension in the air that would send shivers to anyone who felt it.

In addition, all of Bruce’s friends knew that Lucy liked Bruce a lot. After all, they also had been friends with her for years. So, to ease the tension a little and comfort her, they offered some suggestions.

“Hey, Lucy. How about we help you carry Jack to your car?” one of them said.

Lucy turned to them. “Sure,” she replied. “You may continue your little party here. It seems like you’re having a blast.”

“We’ll make sure to invite you next time,” another one replied jokingly. “And you look so pretty! Damn!”

Lucy laughed. “Bye!” she said and trailed behind the men who carried Jack.

Angelia pursed her lips. It was apparent that Lucy was already familiar with Bruce’s friends. Well, who could even forget a face as beautiful as Lucy’s?

The difference between Lucy and Angelia was that Bruce’s friends seemed to have grown fond and comfortable around Lucy. There was a familiarity with the way they acted around her. And this made Angelia feel uneasy.

Not to mention, Bruce deliberately called Lucy a “babe.” He might be drunk, but Angelia still couldn’t help but feel hurt.

Angelia paused for a moment.

‘Still… A pretty face doesn’t guarantee you everything. In the end, Bruce chose me over her.’

Right after Lucy drove Jack home, she received a call from Sherry. The woman informed her about a party at some rich women’s club tomorrow, and she wanted her to come with Bruce.

The scandal about Bruce rejecting Lucy’s proposal still haunted Sherry now. She hoped that someday, she would be able to hold her head high and face the people again after all the embarrassment they got from the scandal.

Seeing Bruce act sweet and caring around Lucy gave Sherry a new perspective. She thought that perhaps Bruce had already matured this time.

At the same time, Lucy also seemed happy and comfortable with her boyfriend’s behavior, so it seemed that there was no problem on her part.

On the other hand, Lucy was unsure if Bruce would be willing to come to such an event.

So, the next morning, she decided to call Bruce.

Bruce didn’t answer her calls until after a few rings. When he finally picked up, a soft feminine voice entered Lucy’s ears.

“Uhm, Bruce is still in the shower.”

Lucy paused for a moment. Then, she finally decided to tell Angelia the reason why she called.

“Sorry, Miss Glen. Bruce and I are supposed to go skiing today,” Angelia said after a while.

Lucy raised her eyebrow. The agreement that she and Bruce had was clear. They need to do some things to please their families.

“I think you should ask Bruce first,” she calmly said.

“Bruce has already said I can also decide on his behalf,” Angelia retorted. Her tone was gentle, but Lucy still sensed her dismay.

Lucy didn’t push the matter anymore. In the end, she showed up at the party alone.

Sherry saw her niece at the entrance. Her face looked pale, and she didn’t see any trace of Bruce.

“Lucy,” Sherry met her halfway.

Lucy smiled at her. She was wearing a designer dress and a limitededition necklace. She looked very sophisticated and elegant.

She handed the gift to Sherry and said, “Bruce is busy at the company with Uncle. It’s an important project, so he couldn’t leave there. He says he’s sorry.”

Sherry’s shoulders relaxed as she let out a sigh of relief.

Sherry was satisfied with Bruce’s excuse. It showed that he was taking the project with the Glen family seriously. Most importantly, his gift cost millions of dollars, showing how much he valued Lucy’s family.

The other women couldn’t stand Sherry’s blatant joy with Bruce’s gift. However, they still complimented Lucy, saying she was lucky to have such a generous and thoughtful boyfriend.

Sherry let out a sad smile. “Lucy’s parents passed away when she was still a child. Bruce came into her life to make up for all the mishaps she had suffered. I saw how Bruce changed because of Lucy, and he was willing to do anything for her. This girl is one lucky woman. I want to know she catches men like that.”

The women listening mentally scoffed upon hearing Sherry’s speech.

Lucy touched her aunt’s arm. “I’m starving. Shall we eat out dinner?”

Unlike her aunt, Lucy was a humble woman with good character. She was respectful and polite to others. Not to mention gorgeous. That was why these rich women liked her very much.

Despite her remarkable personality, most of them didn’t think of Lucy as a potential wife for their sons. Lucy had no parents, and the Glen family was facing a major crisis. The worse thing was that Lucy was not directly part of the family. So, she basically had nothing to do with their company.

Of course, the scandal between Bruce and Lucy wouldn’t be forgotten. No one would want their sons to become Lucy’s fallback after being dumped by Bruce.

Lucy was aware of all of these. After the scandal, she rarely dated other guys. She became wary of guys that might take advantage of her.

Halfway through the meal, Lucy volunteered to pay the bill. She took care of everything and made sure that everyone was having fun. The party ended very well thanks to her.

Satisfied and happy, Sherry asked Lucy to go shopping with her. Inside the car, Sherry wouldn’t shut up about Bruce and their relationship.

“You should handle your boyfriend well, Lucy. He’s so clingy and too smitten. You can control him a little bit, you know? Your position in the Glen family would definitely improve. Imagine the jealousy on people’s faces once that happens,” she said.

Lucy gave her a fake smile. She kept thinking about how long she needed to pretend in front of everyone, especially her aunt. Bruce was such a good actor, so her aunt was pretty convinced that they were getting on very well.

In the end, she stayed quiet and let her aunt say whatever she wanted.

Lucy thought that things would end well today, but she was wrong.

As soon as they entered a shoe store, the first people they ran into were Bruce and Angelia.

Unaware of their presence, Bruce kneeled in front of Angelia and gently held her slender snowwhite ankle. There was a small bruise on her feet, probably caused by her skiing shoes.

Bruce leaned near her ear and muttered something. Angelia instantly blushed and gently slapped his arm. Then, she bent down and kissed his cheek.

Lucy froze on her spot, not knowing what to do. However, Sherry had already seen everything. Livid, she walked past her niece and slapped Angelia.

Everything happened so fast that no one stopped her.

Bruce quickly hid Angelia behind him. He coldly looked at Sherry, very different from the way he had behaved toward her before. Then, he turned to Angelia and checked her face.

“Are you okay? Does it sting?”

Angelia’s eyes blurred with tears. “I’m okay,” she said.

“Let’s go to the hospital,” Bruce worriedly said as he scanned her flushed face.

“No, I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt,” she said before smiling reluctantly.

Sherry was extremely furious. Her shoulders constantly moved as she breathed.

“You, bastard!” she yelled. “How dare you cheat on my niece?!”

Bruce thought he and Lucy could continue their pretend relationship for a long time. But now that Sherry had already seen them, he decided to reveal the truth.

“Why? Should I feel sorry for her?” he mocked.

Sherry’s eyes glistened with anger. “You’ve wasted my niece’s time! Everybody knows that you have fucked her several times, thanks to you! Now, who would ever want Lucy? No one!”

Her aunt’s use of such vulgar words almost made Lucy faint. It was her first time hearing that word from Sherry’s mouth.

But what her aunt said was true. People must have a much worse opinion of her.

She opened her mouth, wanting to stop her aunt from her outburst. However, her throat suddenly felt dry, and her lips could barely make a sound.

A memory suddenly flashed in her mind. In the past, she and Bruce took photos while doing ‘it’ in the car. They were leaked, and almost everyone saw them. Bruce’s friends even called her names like slut or whore. But Lucy didn’t even know that.

She never really cared about people’s opinions about her. But now, it was as if every insult was dumped on her that she couldn’t breathe.

“Mark my words! I won’t let this pathetic woman have her happy ending with you!” Sherry’s voice thundered inside the store.

Her words were enough to fuel Bruce’s rage. He looked at Sherry with pure anger and stepped forward.

Lucy immediately stepped forward as well. She held her aunt’s arm and looked at Bruce.

“I’ll handle her,” she muttered.

When she noticed that Bruce didn’t seem to back down, she clenched her teeth and sternly said, “Bruce, if you hurt any of my family members, I will fight back. I know I’m powerless compared to you, but I know what can destroy you. We’ve been together for two years. You should’ve known by now what I did to your flings.”

Bruce narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you threatening me?” he uttered in a dangerous voice.

Lucy raised her brow. “No, I’m just reminding you what I’m capable of.”

Angelia’s gaze scanned the store and realized that they were starting to attract people’s attention. She pulled Bruce’s arm.

“Bruce, Let’s just go,” she pleaded.

Bruce didn’t move on his spot at first, but he realized Angelia was already uncomfortable and anxious.

In the end, the two of them left the store, but the scowl on Bruce’s face remained.

A few minutes later, Lucy apologized to the store manager and dragged Sherry out of the mall. Her aunt was silent until they got inside the car.

“Are you aware of all of this, Lucy?” Sherry coldly asked.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Since when are you two aren’t together anymore?”

“We never got back together after the scandal,” Lucy murmured.

Sherry turned to her. Disappointment and confusion were evident in her eyes. She wanted to say something, but nothing seemed to come out of her mouth.

“Right after I was discharged from the hospital, I asked him to meet me. But I didn’t receive any response from him ever,” Lucy confessed.

“I figured out what he meant at some point, so I also stopped trying.”

Sherry started to get riled up again. “How dare that bastard to ruin you?! You were pregnant at that time! Of course, he should marry you. He’s the father of the child, so it’s his responsibility!”

The two of them fell quiet for a long time.

“Well, he doesn’t like children,” Lucy shrugged her shoulders before turning to Sherry.

“Aunt Sherry, let’s just let him go. Past is past. The most important thing is that I’m fine now.”

Sherry perked up in her seat when an idea popped into her mind. “Then, who bought the gift for the party the other day?”

“Me,” Lucy answered.

Sherry pursed her lips and stared outside the window. A sudden wave of worry invaded her mind. Now that her niece and Bruce had broken up, the James family would probably no longer support them. She suddenly wondered if their family would even be able to survive.

She loved Lucy, yes. But she felt more worried about the future of their family. She looked at her niece and held her hand.

“You’re far more beautiful than that witch earlier. How can you simply give up your position in Bruce’s life?”

Lucy could feel the slight anger in her aunt’s tone. “Angelia is young, pretty, and kind, Aunt Sherry. She’s a thousand times more charming than me. How can I compete with that kind of woman?”

Sherry stared at Lucy, still pondering.

Two days later, Sherry decided to reveal the truth to Bruce’s parents.

Unaware of what her aunt did, Lucy received a call from Zoe, who told her to go to their house immediately.

Lucy stepped inside the house, and her eyes immediately widened by what she saw.

In front of her was Bruce, kneeling on the floor while his white shirt was stained with drops of blood. Bruce’s father was holding a long piece of wood near her. It looked like he was beating his son using it.

Bruce’s mother stood by their side. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, probably for her son.

“How can you do such a thing to Lucy, huh?” Bruce’s father growled.

In fact, the patriarch of the James family was a former soldier. He was strict and violent, even to his son.

“Did you forget everything I taught you when you were still a kid? How can you hurt a woman who loved you? You’re a fucking playboy, huh? Well, here’s to being that kind of man!” he shouted before hitting him again.

Bruce groaned in pain. “Lucy and I broke up long ago,” he revealed.

“Guess what? No woman would stick with a cheater, Bruce! You treated her like garbage!”

“There’s no more love between us, Dad! So, we decided to end things. Times have changed. Stop judging me using your old school rules,” Bruce nonchalantly said.

“Beat me all you fucking want, but I will choose Angelia. Only her.”

Rage rushed through Bruce’s father. He raised the wood and mercilessly slapped it on Bruce’s face.

Blood immediately appeared on Bruce’s face, making Lucy and Zoe gasp in terror and worry. Zoe hurriedly went to her husband’s side.

“You’re father’s right, Bruce. You’ve been with Lucy for years, and everybody knew that you two were meant for each other. You shouldn’t smear Lucy’s reputation, son,” she said and moved closer to Bruce. “Listen to me. Break up with that woman. Lucy is the right woman for you. Only her.”

Bruce stubbornly shook his head. “Angelia’s a great woman, Mom. If only you give her a chance, you’ll get along pretty well.”

“Why aren’t you listening to me?” Zoe asked in frustration. “I don’t want that woman for you! I won’t accept her!”

Bruce lowered his head as he let out a dry chuckle. “Why do you all like Lucy?”

The entire house fell quiet.

“Is it because you pity her? Her parents died, her younger sister disappeared, and her uncle didn’t want her. But why? Is it because of our family?”

“Shut your mouth! Don’t you ever say that again!” His father yelled.

Bruce slightly turned his head. His facial expression immediately changed when he saw someone standing by the door.

“Hi, Aunt Zoe. Hi, Uncle,” she calmly greeted as if she had just arrived and didn’t hear their conversation.

Bruce’s parents stared at Lucy with shock and wariness, unable to say anything to comfort the girl.

Lucy transferred her gaze to the man on the ground. His back remained facing her. He didn’t even turn around to look at her. The way he clenched his fists was an indication that he was angry or guilty.

“I just want to clarify everything. Bruce and I broke up a long time ago. It was a mutual decision. I was the one who broke up with him, and he respected my choice,” she softly spoke.

She smiled at Bruce’s mother. “You should meet her, Mrs. James. She’s very kind and lovely.”

Sadness and disappointment flashed through Zoe’s eyes. “Lucy… Did Bruce force you to say those words? Be honest. We just had a wonderful dinner a few days ago! I don’t understand!”

Lucy shook her head, slightly feeling guilty. “I’m sorry, Aunt Zoe. I shouldn’t have kept this a secret from you.”

Zoe hugged Lucy. “You’re so kind, Lucy. Unfortunately, Angelia took advantage of your kindness and stole Bruce from you,” she whispered.

Bruce’s father sighed and glared at Bruce.

Sensing that his father was already done punishing him, Bruce stood up and went straight to his bedroom upstairs.

Bruce’s father sneered and threw the wood on the ground. He faced Lucy with a much gentler expression and said, “I’m sorry for what my son did to you, Lucy. Don’t worry. We’ll deal with Angelia. Only you deserve my son.”

Zoe mentally agreed with what her husband said. But she could deal with that issue later. For now, the only thing she could think of was her son and his wounds. So, she silently asked Lucy to check on Bruce.

“Sure, Aunt Zoe,” she replied with a smile.

Zoe’s heart warmed upon hearing her reply. “How can you and Bruce easily end your relationship like that? I always thought that you two would last forever. I remember the first time he introduced you to me. I thought that you were too pretty and kind for my son! But I really liked you, and I thought my son would treat you well. I don’t know why his attitude toward you suddenly changed.”

Lucy stayed silent. Zoe rubbed her arm in a motherly manner. “I really like you for my son, Lucy. I won’t give up on you two easily.”

“You can’t do anything anymore, Aunt. Bruce really likes that girl. I don’t want you to ruin your relationship with your son because of me. He’ll despise you if you hurt Angelia. If you’re really concerned about me, perhaps you can just introduce me to a nice bachelor?” Lucy said, trying to comfort her.

Zoe frowned at her last statement. She couldn’t do that, and her husband was the one who made the decisions in the family. He already knew that Lucy would be his daughterinlaw.

Zoe guided Lucy to their common bathroom and pulled out the first aid kit. “Bruce seems badly hurt. That boy is so stubborn! All because of that filthy woman!”

Lucy didn’t make further comments. She took the kit and went upstairs.

She had been in Bruce’s room several times already. This was where they had sex for the first time. At that time, Lucy’s uncle threw her out of their house, and Bruce immediately took her to their home.

Lucy was in the shower when Bruce suddenly appeared behind her. Then, things led to one thing and another. She didn’t refuse, but Lucy found herself crying when they got out of the bathroom.

Bruce lovingly covered her with a blanket and held her in his arms. He wiped her tears and hugged her tightly.

“Shh. It’s okay, babe. It’s not your fault that your uncle is an asshole. I’ll take care of you. I’ll be your only family. I promise,” he whispered with so much sincerity and affection.

When Lucy opened the door of Bruce's room, he was on the phone with Angelia.

"Is your face still hurt? You know what, surely, my mother will like you. I'll bring you back to see her another day," he said, coaxing Angelia patiently.

After a few moments, he put down his mobile phone; the whole person became coldly silent. Especially when he accidentally saw Lucy standing, patiently waiting for him. The indifference was to the extreme, which was a little ironic. It was a little ironic how extreme the indifference was.

"Your mother asked me to help you handle your wound," she said.

Bruce glanced at her. "You are so good, Lucy, huh!"

Of course, Lucy didn't think it was praise, but she ignored it. Instead, she put the medicine box on his side and wanted to see the wound on his back, but it was blocked by his hand. Bruce said coldly, "Could you tell me how you persuaded my parents? I'll let Angelia learn from you."

"Aunt asked me to help you with your wound," she repeated dryly.

"You tell your Aunt Sherry that she needs to be careful from now on. She will lose more the more she wants to get."

Lucy frowned. "Are you going to retaliate against the Glen family?"

But Bruce couldn't do that now. As long as his father was in power, Bruce couldn't pose any threats to the Glen family. However, sooner or later, he would take over.

Honestly, he didn't like the Glen family, and all the politeness he showed was just for his mother.

Bruce was not interested in talking to her at all, so he just said coldly without even looking at her, "I can handle it by myself. Just get out of here."

"Then, fuck yourself," she said. But when she turned her back and was about to leave, she heard Bruce speak. "You'd better ask your Aunt Sherry to apologize to Angelia."

Lucy stopped her feet from continuing to step and looked back at him, who was lying on the bed. Her eyes now clearly spotted the wound on his back, a startling shade of red.

Lucy suddenly realized that Bruce's father had underestimated him, but unfortunately, Bruce wouldn't give up this time.

Since Sherry couldn't apologize, Lucy thought about what Bruce had told her for a moment and said, "She shouldn't do that at all. She thought you caused all the fuss because you cheated and betrayed me. I know, and I am sure she is not the only one to blame."

Bruce was getting antsy as he heard Lucy's response. "Half of the blame is on us for keeping quiet, but that has nothing to do with Angelia!"

Lucy made her lips zipper and did not argue with him again.

But Bruce was not in the mood to stop. "Do you really think Sherry is sincere to you? She just wants to take advantage of you. Even if you have changed your first name to Glen, you are still incapable of sharing the fortune of the Glen family."

Lucy clenched her fists but said calmly, "I never thought so."

"Really?" He gave a cold smile. "In the past, if a woman came up to talk to me, you would tell her to leave by bringing up your Glen background. Being part of the Glen family gives you many benefits, right? Don't you enjoy it?"

Lucy looked at him, feeling extremely disappointed.

Only when insecurity sets in will women use their uncertain advantages to maintain their status.

At that time, the women around him were not as pretty as Lucy, but she couldn't compete with them because they had a common interest in him and could talk about the topic. She had to satisfy his sexual needs and brag about her past in front of other women to make him happy. But he didn't know that she was acting that way to please him. Instead, he thought she was just a slut.

And the fact that she introduced herself as "Miss Glen" made him think that she was a shallow and hypocritical girl.

In reality, she had low selfesteem and felt she had no advantages. She was just indeed afraid to see any woman getting close to him.

Lucy had been through a lot of pain since she was a child, but she chose to ignore it. Unfortunately, not at this time; Lucy felt upset. Yet, she tried her best to adjust her mood.

"I'm leaving," she said with the same look and voice.

Meanwhile, Bruce's father was still swearing downstairs. Seeing her coming down, he immediately understood what she was doing upstairs. He snorted coldly, "He is a fucking bastard. Why do you still care about his wound? He deserved the pain."

He looked at Bruce's mother and said in displeasure, "It's all your fault who spoiled him, which made him so irresponsible!"

Bruce's mother didn't say anything. She usually dared to argue with him, but this time she didn't dare to say anything more, even a word. She knew that her husband was right; she spoiled Bruce too much.

Seeing this, Lucy tried her best to ease the atmosphere with a smile and started to talk about her work.

Since Lucy thought her body had not recovered, she chose the job in sales for a while. She could easily seek assistance from her friends with her work. But she did well in the interview with college counselors, so she chose the second option.

Bruce's father had always been concerned about her, so he said, "If you need some help, just let me know. I will try my best to help you as long as possible."

Lucy simply smiled and nodded. "I will. Thank you."

"Tell me everything you know about Angelia, Lucy. I will set up a time for Bruce's mother to meet her."

What he said was quite direct. His words meant that he would caution Angelia to get away from Bruce.

These men from wealthy families occasionally found their true love outside. Some of them were fascinated by the flirtatious antics of women and desired to get married to them. However, there were countless ways to separate them as long as their parents didn't accept them.

Lucy was about to open her mouth and say something, but a voice came down from upstairs that stopped her. "If you want to know something about her, you should ask me directly."

Lucy barely looked up and saw Bruce standing at the top of the stairs. Her face showed anger with a little bit of mockery.

After a few seconds of looking at her, he turned to his father and said calmly, "Why do you have to mess with Angelia? I am telling you again that I'll only marry Angelia. If you disagree, I'll never get married, and you'll never have grandchildren."

"How dare you!" With his mood eased down the difficulty, Bruce's father became extremely furious again, but his mother hurried to pad him on his back and stared sharply at Bruce. "Stop talking, Bruce!"

"Whatever," Bruce said and stepped down from stairs to walk out.

When his mother saw his direction, she frowned and said, "It's already late. Where are you going?"

"To accompany my wife, of course."

His father's expression became even more horrified because of his words. "If you dare to step out of this house today, we won't allow you to come back forever!"

Bruce didn't reply and acted as if he didn't hear anything. He just glanced at Lucy and then continued his steps walking out of the house.

In his glance, it was clear he was holding Lucy responsible for whatever happened. So he was being very clear with Lucy about how disgusted and uninterested he was in her.

This kind of silent unjust treatment hurt more than a direct curse, making Lucy a little confused.

His mother kept shouting at Bruce to stop him while his father was also staring at the door waiting for Bruce's decision to change, but Bruce didn't come back nor look back at any of them.

Lucy didn't want to communicate with Bruce's mother anymore; she just returned to the Glen family and went directly to her room. All she knew at that moment was to have a rest, so she lay in her bed in silence.

But the peaceful sleep she wanted didn't happen because of a horrible dream.

In her dream, she saw a woman jumping off a building, but when she saw the face clearly, it was Angelia. She jumped down and lay her body in a pool of blood. Lucy stood upstairs and looked down at her. Her first reaction was not to call an ambulance for Angelia but to wonder if she also looked like this frightening picture when she jumped last time.

Looking at it, suddenly, someone grabbed her neck from behind. She slowly looked back as the grip was getting tighter, then her eyes met with Bruce's sharpred eyes. "You killed her!"

Lucy struggled to explain or even spat a word, so she just let her tears fall from her eyes.

"You should die rather than Angelia!" An obvious hatred appeared on his face. He loosened his hands and didn't hesitate to push Lucy.

Lucy felt a strong force coming from Bruce that made her rustle down. This feeling was familiar. She knew what would happen after a few seconds because she had experienced it before. Fear crept over her body, so she reached out to the man upstairs, but all she saw was a shadow.

She didn't want to die.

In the dream, Bruce was the almighty savior who revived Angelia in the pool of blood, but that savior did not try to save Lucy. Instead, he looked at her coldly and said, "You deserve it."

The next day, Lucy was badly ill.

She was weak, as always. If she wore a few clothes, she would surely be ill and have to lie in bed for a few days.

Even though her fever was not that high, she still couldn't get back on her feet quickly. Her whole face blushed because of the heat inside her body, and her weight dropped a few kilograms continuously.

Sherry was very upset. Not only did Lucy's illness annoy her, but the company's recent affairs also put her in a bad mood. According to her husband, Bruce was against the Glen business everywhere, and several transactions had been disturbed by him.

At first, she didn't think Bruce's business was strong enough to be a threat. It was totally unexpected that he could make things so bad.

But she knew the reason why Bruce treated the Glen family like that. It was all for Angelia. For now, he only cared about the bitch.

Sherry did everything she could to look after Lucy. Not until the third day did her fever go away completely.

After Lucy was almost better, Bruce's mother went to see her. This time, she didn't talk about Angelia at all when she was talking to Lucy. She only talked to Sherry about Bruce's current situation.

However, Sherry was a person who never hid secrets from Lucy. So, after Bruce's mother left, Sherry told everything she knew to Lucy. "Lucy, Bruce's mother, said that his father had cut off all the sources of money for Bruce."

Lucy didn't make any comments about it. She didn't lift her eyelids but said, "Love can't equal the daily necessities. When there's no money, he will surrender."

"I have no idea what to do. He has obviously been having a hard time lately. Why does he keep giving the Glen family trouble?" Sherry said.

As everyone knew, it would never be too late for a gentleman to take revenge. What Bruce should do now was to run the company well after his father cut off his capital chain. There was no good for him in fighting with the Glen family. This was definitely not the appropriate time to vent his anger on the Glen Family just for Angelia.

Lucy's expression changed slightly when he heard the 'the Glen family,' so she said, "Bruce wants to force you to apologize to Angelia!"