"Zane Lennox, I’m making things clear to you today, and everyone else had better listen up!" She turned, her vision blurred by tears as she faced the crowd, forcefully pointing a finger at Zane Lennox. "Zane Lennox is not my boyfriend. There has never been anything between us. I hope from now on you’ll all stop pointing fingers at me."

The moment Georgia Thorne spoke, the quiet crowd immediately began to whisper.

Not long ago, Zane Lennox had boldly declared in front of everyone that Georgia Thorne was his girlfriend, and now Georgia herself was standing up to deny it. What on earth was going on?

Many of the girls were instantly thrilled. If Georgia Thorne didn’t want Zane Lennox, they did!

Georgia’s words were, without a doubt, another slap in the face to Zane Lennox.

Utterly humiliated, Zane Lennox grabbed Georgia, intending to leave. "You’re coming with me!"

"There’s nothing between us. Why should I go with you?"

Forcefully shaking off his grip, she said, "From now on, we go our separate ways. If we see each other again, we’ll act like strangers. I’m not like you. I can’t afford to play your games!"

With that, Georgia Thorne turned and left.

She left behind a dumbfounded crowd on the basketball court and a grim-faced Zane Lennox.

Georgia Thorne had no idea just how severe the consequences of this public humiliation would be.

That very evening, Georgia was immediately summoned back to the Thorne family residence and was harshly reprimanded by Jared Thorne.

With Hayley Sullivan fanning the flames from the sidelines, Jared Thorne grew even more furious and slapped her right across the face.

This blow was far more severe.

Wordlessly, Georgia Thorne went upstairs, a vivid red handprint on her face.

Amanda Thorne was leaning seductively against the doorframe, brushing a hand through her hair. "You look so pathetic."

Georgia stopped in her tracks. ’I really hadn’t wanted to say a word.’

But she couldn’t stand that acerbic voice. Clenching her fists, she retorted, "If you have time to mock me, you’d be better off figuring out how to hook Elliot Sheridan!"

"If Elliot Sheridan knew about your messy romantic history, do you think he would still want you?"

"You!"

But Georgia Thorne paid her no mind, slamming her bedroom door shut.

Amanda Thorne trembled with rage, her perfectly manicured nails digging fiercely into her own flesh.

Amanda was the type who got around; she’d been with several men.

They were all just sexual partners. In their circle, it was perfectly normal—just people comforting each other when they were lonely.

’I never thought I’d actually land Elliot Sheridan. If I’d known it was a possibility, there’s no way I would have been with those other men.’

In the year she’d been with Elliot Sheridan, Amanda had rarely sought out those other men, and the encounters grew fewer and farther between.

Elliot Sheridan didn’t like women who weren’t "clean," so in his presence, Amanda did her utmost to act like a prim and proper lady.

Georgia’s words had struck a nerve.

’Elliot Sheridan hasn’t touched me once in this past year. Could it be he already knows what I’ve been up to?’

’Maybe I should go to the hospital and have it... restored?’

The next morning, Georgia’s face was still badly swollen. She used her long hair to hide her cheek.

When she came downstairs for breakfast, Hayley Sullivan immediately put down her chopsticks and had the maid clear the table.

As she rose, she muttered, "With your hair hanging down like Samara’s. Just looking at you is bad luck!"

Georgia clenched her fists. ’It was humiliating, but I have to endure it.’

She was in class when she got a call from Jared Thorne.

"Tonight, get yourself to the Stellan Hotel. I’m going to introduce you to a chairman’s son. He’s a good prospect, just a bit older than Zane Lennox."

Georgia frowned. "Dad, I’m still in school. Even if I meet him, I can’t marry him!"

"Why not? If he takes a liking to you, you can drop out of school and just be a stay-at-home wife!"

"..."

’Jared Thorne was just that eager to marry me off.’

Ultimately, Georgia agreed to go. Otherwise, Hayley Sullivan would have come to drag her there personally.

And then, she wouldn’t have been able to escape.

When she met the chairman’s son, Georgia realized he wasn’t just "a bit" older than Zane Lennox—he was a whole lot older.

He was only a few years younger than Jared Thorne himself; old enough to be her father.

’In Jared Thorne’s eyes, "a good prospect" simply meant his company was a good prospect.’

If she married into that family, it would bring a huge profit to her father.

’I’m not even interested in Zane Lennox, so there’s no way I’d be interested in a man old enough to be my father.’

Especially since the man couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Georgia Thorne’s face hardened, and she stormed out on the spot.

Jared Thorne then had the nerve to call, feigning concern as he asked how things were going with the man.

Georgia said nothing, on the verge of tears from the sheer injustice of it all.

That night, she didn’t go home. Instead, she went to Elliot Sheridan’s private apartment.

’The lock hadn’t been changed. He probably just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.’

Without turning on the lights, she sat on the sofa, hugged a pillow, and began to cry.

「The next morning」

The hourly cleaning lady arrived and, seeing Georgia sleeping on the sofa, covered her with a blanket.

’I haven’t seen Miss Thorne in over a week. I thought she and the Mister had a fight!’

’Without Elliot Sheridan as my protector, I have no one to shield me.’

’I’ll have to face all kinds of men, just like last night, and eventually be forced to choose one to marry.’

That was a future she couldn’t bear to face.

Her goal was to be financially independent so that one day she could go abroad.

Her face wasn’t just swollen; her eyes were puffy from crying, too.

The cleaning lady brought her an ice pack to apply to the swelling, which was very noticeable.

’Looks like Miss Thorne and the Mister are having some problems after all.’

By publicly humiliating Zane Lennox, she had at least put an end to the rumors about them.

For the past week, Georgia Thorne’s days fell into a routine: class, followed by waiting at Elliot Sheridan’s private apartment.

She would buy his favorite ingredients and cook a feast of his favorite dishes, only to watch everything grow cold before throwing it all into the trash, one dish at a time.

But Elliot Sheridan never returned.

’But I’m willing to wait. I made Elliot Sheridan want me once, so a second time shouldn’t be so difficult.’

Georgia Thorne was extremely patient. But one night, after another dinner engagement with an old, ugly man arranged by her father, she returned to Elliot Sheridan’s apartment only to find that the lock had been changed.

At first, she thought she was just drunk and imagining things.

It took half an hour of trying before she finally accepted the truth: Elliot Sheridan had had the lock changed.

’Has it really come to this? Is there no turning back?’

The alcohol made her feel hot.

She took off her coat and sat down right there in the doorway.

Hugging her knees, she wondered, ’How long will I have to wait for Elliot Sheridan to show up?’

’An hour? A day? A week? A month?’

’Or what if he’s already sold the apartment and is never coming back at all?’

She was heartsick and exhausted, her mind groggy.

She hugged her knees tighter, burying her face between them. ’I should never have gone to watch Zane Lennox’s basketball game.’

Before she knew it, her tears gave way to sleep...

She woke up, shivering from the cold.

Her blurry gaze fell upon a pair of men’s leather shoes.

Her eyes traveled up from the shoes, past black dress pants and a matching suit jacket, to a familiar face.

The man’s expression was unreadable under the bright hallway light.

Her vision, which had just started to clear, blurred once more as hot tears welled in her eyes.

Her cold fingers clutched his pant leg. She looked up at him pitifully, her eyes red raw. "Elliot Sheridan, do you really not want me anymore?"

Her voice was weak and pleading, making Elliot Sheridan think of a clingy stray cat.

Georgia’s body was frozen stiff, her joints numb and unresponsive.

Elliot Sheridan leaned down and swept her up into his arms.