Chapter 2 Cheating

"Honey, do you like me or Alice Brown?" the woman in the bedroom continued, her voice filled with flirtation.

"Don't mention her, she's a mood killer. I only like you, my dear..."

Miraculously, Alice Brown gradually regained her composure.

She walked in with a basin of cold water and splashed it directly onto the bed.

The two people on the bed instantly separated.

"Ah!!!" the woman screamed.

The man on the bed was stunned when he saw Alice Brown standing in front of the bed.

Alice Brown couldn't stand the sight of her best friend and her boyfriend together, but she forced herself to remain calm.

Clapping her hands, she sarcastically said, "Bravo! Thank you, to my best friend and my boyfriend, for putting on a live show for me. It was truly vivid and outstanding."

"Alice, it's not what you think. I can explain," Suzie pulled the blanket over herself, looking aggrieved and biting her lip, seemingly remorseful for no reason.

"Explain? What could you possibly have to say? You still want to preserve your own image even after becoming the other woman?" She never expected that her reason for breaking up with Hans was because of her best friend.

"Alice Brown, watch your words and don’t say something you might regret!" Hans was displeased to hear the term "other woman."

"Oh really? So I was cheated on and I can't say anything?"

"Alice Brown, I'm just a normal man! We've been together for two years, but you never let me touch you. You never stayed at my place overnight, at most we held hands and kissed. No normal man can take that!"

Wearing a bathrobe, Hans looked at Alice Brow.

Hans tries to convince Alice to forgive him and to continue their relationship, even offering to marry her. However, Alice, disgusted by his behavior, rejects him. Meanwhile, Suzie, a model and the woman with Hans, witnesses the conversation. But Alice stands firm in her decision and emphasizes that she would never sell herself to someone like Hans, no matter how desperate her financial situation may be. Suddenly Alice feels exhausted and emotionally drained, reflecting on her challenging circumstances. She leaves Hans’ condo without a second glance to the guilty parties.

The following day Alice wakes up early and pays a visit to another individual.

“Mr. Gregory, please wait a moment.”

"Is there something wrong?" Benjamin Gregory's handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Seeing the man in front of her emitting an icy aura that repelled others from a mile away, Alice Brown wasn't sure how to start the conversation.

Seeing her silence, Benjamin Gregory loses patience and began to walk away.

"Wait! Please give me five minutes." Alice Brown found the courage from somewhere and walked towards the end of the corridor. This wasn't the right place to talk.

Benjamin Gregory thought it was about the old lady and followed along.

Looking into his sharp eagle-like eyes behind his golden-rimmed glasses, Alice Brown's heartbeat skipped a beat.

"Mr. Gregory, I want to discuss a business deal with you."

A trace of surprise flickered in Benjamin Gregory's eyes.

"Oh? Doctor Brown, what kind of business deal do you want to discuss?"

"I heard your conversation this morning at the door. As far as I know, you do not have a girlfriend or a fiancée. If you are looking for a marriage partner, would you consider me?" Alice Brown stared straight at Benjamin Gregory.

She didn't want to marry that rotten man, Hans, but her mother's medical expenses were laid out in front of her, and this was her last chance.

At least compared to Hans, Benjamin Gregory surpassed him in terms of looks and wealth, and he desperately needed a marriage partner now.

"Is this a self-recommendation, Doctor Brown?" Benjamin Gregory's voice carried a hint of playfulness. "Why should I choose you?"

His deep voice, with a touch of laziness, calmly assessed the girl in front of him who was trying to maintain her composure. This plain face of hers seemed more interesting than those superficially attractive faces.

"Is it enough if I say it's because Grandma Benjamin likes me? If it's not enough, here's another reason I don't love you, I'm different from those women who like you. I won't interfere with anything you do. If you don't like being together after marriage, we can go our separate ways, and I'll do my best to cooperate with anything you need from me."

"Including fulfilling marital duties, if you require."

After saying this last sentence, she didn't dare to look up at him.

Yes, she was selling herself. Her only bargaining chip was that she didn't love him and her young body...

Benjamin Gregory's long silence made her anxious.

"Mr. Gregory, you are a man at the top of the pyramid. In other words, you don't really need a marriage based on social equality. I have a good appearance, no bad habits, and I'm 25 years old, which matches well with your 35. Plus, Grandma Benjamin likes me. When it comes to finding a marriage partner, choosing me wouldn't be a loss for you."

Him being old?

Benjamin Gregory squinted his eyes, young but quite sharp-tongued.

Suddenly, he reached out and gripped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "Such a pity, you! I'm not interested," he said, his voice dropping before he walked away.

Her legs gave out, and she knelt on the ground. Watching Benjamin Gregory's retreating figure, she realized he was truly like the rumored stone in a stinky and hard pit — impossible to please.

After a while, she stood up, dusted herself off, and returned to the office.

She performed three surgeries in the afternoon, and by the time she finished the last one, it was already nine in the evening. Alice Brown dragged her exhausted body back to the dormitory.

Just as she sat down, she received a call from the hospital, informing her that her mother's illness had relapsed. She hurriedly rushed to the inpatient department without even grabbing her coat.

"Mr. Lewis, how is my mom?" she choked, tightly gripping Mr. Lewis' hand.

"Miss Brown, have you found the money? Your mother's condition can no longer wait. She needs surgery tomorrow at the latest," sighed Mr. Lewis, fully aware of her struggles.

"O-Okay, I... I will have the money tomorrow!" She would definitely find the money, no matter what means she had to resort to, in order to save her mother.

"In that case, I'll schedule the surgery for tomorrow afternoon," Mr. Lewis said, patting her shoulder with a sympathetic look. This child had been through a lot.

As Mr. Lewis walked away, Alice Brown, like a soulless puppet, sat weakly on a bench, her face pale, hair disheveled, and a look of confusion and helplessness on her face.

Benjamin Gregory, who had been witnessing it all from not far away, furrowed his brow, his expression softening.

"How much does it cost to marry me?" A cold and deep voice rang above Alice Brown's head.

She looked at the black bespoke shoes in front of her, then lifted her head to see Benjamin quite surprised at this unexpected moment.

Benjamin Gregory remained emotionless, his sparkling black eyes fixed on her.

The meaning of his words was so clear — he had overheard their conversation and was now offering to help. He appeared during her most embarrassing and difficult moment, and just thinking about it made tears stream down her face.

"What? You don't want the money anymore? You're not going to marry me?"

"I... I do... Eight hundred thousand," she said, standing up and throwing herself into Benjamin Gregory's arms, tightly embracing his waist.

"Benjamin Gregory, thank you... thank you!" She sobbed, wiping her runny nose on him.

Benjamin Gregory furrowed his brow, looking at the suddenly rushing person and the snot on his clothes, feeling disgusted. However, hearing his name from her mouth was surprisingly pleasant.

He untangled himself from her and looked at her.

Benjamin handed her the credit card and said, "There's one million in the account, and the password is from one to six."

Alice Brown stared at the credit card shocked, feeling a mix of complex emotions. "I only need eight hundred thousand."

Benjamin Gregory's expression darkened. "Take it if you need it."

Thinking about the follow-up expenses after the surgery, Alice didn't decline further and accepted with a thank you.

Still uncertain, she asked again, "Are you really going to marry me? Didn't you say you're not interested in me?"

"You talk too much," Benjamin Gregory's expression turned displeased.

For him, marrying anyone would be the same, so he might as well choose an old lady he likes and doesn't dislike himself.

"Get the marriage certificate in two months and take care of your family affairs."

"Other than money and status, I won't give you anything else. Don't expect anything else, like... falling in love with me."