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The Mess He Got After Choosing a Gold Digger Over an Heiress

NovelShort Completed

Billionaire Revenge HotSecondChanceBetrayal

Chapters (5)

第1章

Claire Whitmore brought her childhood sweetheart and fiancé,Adrian Calloway,to meet Lenara Beaumont,her best friend of ten years. Lenara was a top-tier gold digger who had never believed in love.She firmly believed that every man in the world would eventually cheat. From the moment they met,Lenara and Adrian did not get along.Adrian disliked her love of money,while Lenara did not believe his sweet promises of love. Although they couldn't stand each other,they managed to get along for Claire's sake. That all changed when Claire returned home early after spending six months abroad on assignment.She happened to witness Adrian protecting Lenara in public and claiming that he was her boyfriend. Soon,one painful truth after another came to light.Lenara was pregnant.Adrian had drugged Claire,and behind her back,the two had slept together in the very house where Claire and Adrian were supposed to start their married life. Instead of breaking down or making a scene,Claire remained calm.She withdrew her investment,replaced their wedding photos,and,on the day of the wedding,replaced herself as the bride with Lenara. Then she left for Westmere without looking back. On their wedding day,both Adrian and Lenara shed tears of regret. *** My best friend,a top-tier gold digger,had never believed in love.She always said that all men were the same and that cheating was simply in their nature. So when I first brought my childhood sweetheart,Adrian,to meet her,she curled her lips in disdain and coldly warned him. "You say you only love Claire?Please.I'd sooner believe pigs could fly than trust a man's promises.No man stays faithful forever.It's only a matter of time before he cheats." "Adrian,if you ever betray Claire,I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life." Adrian's mother had been driven to her death by her husband's mistress years ago. Because of that,he hated women like Lenara more than anything.To him,they used their bodies as bargaining chips and treated men like walking ATMs. Adrian's face immediately turned cold. "I swear I'll never betray Claire for as long as I live.As for someone like you,I feel disgusted just looking at you.Claire is too innocent.Stay away from her from now on." What should have been a pleasant first meeting ended with Lenara throwing a bowl of barbecue dipping sauce all over Adrian before storming off. That day,Adrian said the harshest words he had ever said to me. "Claire,you're the eldest daughter of the Whitmore family.Don't you think you're lowering yourself by being friends with someone like her?She's nothing but a gold digger who'll go running after whoever has the most money.You can't buy her loyalty.She's only clinging to you because you're rich." No. That wasn't true. Lenara's mother had taken her own life after falling into heavy stock market debt.Her father had been a gambling addict for years,leaving the family buried in debt. She hadn't become that way because she wanted to. She simply had no choice. I cried so hard that I could barely get the words out as I defended her. "When I was in high school,someone spread a horrible rumor about me.I almost fell into depression,but she stood up for me.She took on several guys all by herself." "She got that rose tattoo on her chest to cover the scar from the knife wound she suffered that day." "Those men were the ones who insisted on giving her money.She was just too beautiful.It was their fault,not hers..." In the end,Adrian's heart softened.He pulled me into his arms and let out a helpless sigh. "Baby,what am I supposed to do with you?" From then on,whenever Lenara ran into trouble,I would step in to help. Adrian always looked annoyed,but he quietly took care of things for me.He stopped mocking her to her face,though he still refused to say more than a few words to her. Lenara wasn't any kinder to him.She always found something to criticize about him,and the two of them couldn't stand being around each other. Still,somehow,they managed to get along without any major trouble for all those years. That lasted until six months ago. Adrian and I had just gotten engaged when I was sent abroad by my company for a six-month assignment. Before I left,I asked Adrian to look after Lenara for me. He was clearly reluctant,but after I begged,pouted,and sweet-talked him for long enough,he finally agreed. Six months wasn't a short time,but it wasn't that long either. By late fall,I had finished my work ahead of schedule.I secretly returned home,hoping to surprise Adrian. Wearing sunglasses and holding a bouquet of sunflowers,I had just reached the entrance of the Calloway Group when I saw Lenara and Adrian walk out of the building side by side. I was about to sneak up behind them and shout to see if I could scare them when,suddenly,an elegantly dressed middle-aged woman rushed forward like a madwoman and slapped Lenara hard across the face. "You slut!How dare you seduce my husband." It all happened so suddenly.The coffee in Lenara's hand spilled all over the ground,leaving her looking completely disheveled. It was lunchtime,and there were plenty of employees coming and going through the entrance.Their scornful looks felt like needles pricking into her. Just as the wealthy woman raised her hand to slap Lenara again,Adrian suddenly yanked Lenara behind him and shielded her completely with his broad back. "Do you realize it's against the law to hit someone in public?And who exactly is your husband?" The woman put her hands on her hips,trying to sound intimidating despite her nervousness. "My husband is Julian Hargrove,the general manager of the Calloway Group.This homewrecker knew he was married and still went after him." Adrian didn't even let her finish.He grabbed Lenara's wrist and pulled her to his side,his voice turning icy. "Then do you know who I am?I'm the president of the Calloway Group.And she's my girlfriend.You claim she seduced your husband?A man like that isn't even worthy of her." "You came to my company and hit my girlfriend in front of me.Go home and wait for Julian to be fired." "As for you assaulting someone in public,I'll have our legal team sue you for everything you've got." The woman went pale when she heard that.Her legs gave out,and she collapsed onto the ground. Adrian swept a cold gaze over the crowd.His voice was icy. "Anyone who dares gossip about what happened today will end up just like Julian Hargrove." Then he turned to Lenara.He raised a hand and gently wiped the thin streak of blood from the corner of her lips. Lenara naturally buried her face against his chest. I stared at them,standing so close and holding each other so naturally.A cold,heavy ache filled my chest,making every breath hurt. My fingers went numb,and the bright yellow sunflowers slipped from my hand and fell to the ground. "Ms.Whitmore." Someone in the crowd spotted me and called out. Adrian and Lenara turned around at the same time.Only then did they finally see me standing frozen in place.

第2章

Lenara pulled away from Adrian's arms as if she'd been burned. "Claire...just now,Adrian only said that because he was afraid that woman would come after me.He was just making it up.Nothing happened between us,"she explained in a panic. Adrian stood there as straight as ever,but his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Baby,weren't you supposed to be back in two weeks?Why did you come home early?" One was my best friend of ten years,and the other was my fiancé,who had protected me ever since we were children. I wanted to believe that Adrian had only protected Lenara because she was my best friend.I wanted to believe they were still the same pair of people who couldn't stand each other. I forced down the bitter ache rising in my chest and told myself I was just being too sensitive. "My work finished early,so I thought I'd surprise you." I forced a smile. Adrian strode over and pulled me tightly into his arms. The familiar warmth of his chest instantly eased my unease.My nose stung,and before I knew it,tears had slipped onto his suit. "You missed me so much that you're crying now?"Adrian gently ran his fingers through my hair."Come on,I'm right here.You're going to be my wife soon.How can you still be such a crybaby?" But the moment he lowered his head,I caught the scent of perfume on him. It was Lenara's usual perfume. I was allergic to perfume,and the faint scent was already making me uncomfortable. I used to wiping my tears as an excuse to pull away from him and pouted. "Hmph.I'm going to make you pay today!I want the best hairy crabs from Lake Varont.The six-ounce ones." "Okay,okay.Whatever you want."The indulgent smile I knew so well returned to Adrian's face. Lenara came over and handed me a tissue,gently helping me wipe away the tears at the corners of my eyes. For a moment,I almost convinced myself that what I'd seen earlier had only been my imagination. Half an hour later,we settled into a private lakeside restaurant.Sunlight danced across the water outside the window. Still annoyed,I ordered every expensive crab on the menu just to vent my frustration.But when the dishes finally filled the entire table,I couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed. "Claire,dig in!You love crab.Let's eat until he can't afford to keep us around!"Lenara said. Laughing,I picked out the biggest crab and placed it in her bowl. Before Lenara could even pick up her fork,Adrian suddenly reached over and took the crab from her plate. "She can't eat that." I frowned and looked at him in surprise."Why not?She's from Northvale.Crab is her favorite." "She doesn't deserve it.I ordered all of this for you today.What makes her think she can eat it?" Without even looking up,Adrian pushed the crab roe he'd already picked out onto my plate.His tone was sharp and insulting. Lenara immediately scoffed."I'm not eating it because I want to leave it for Claire!You think I'm scared of a jerk like you?" Adrian finally looked up,a mocking smile in his eyes. "Have you looked at yourself lately?You've gotten as big as a pig.And you still want to eat?" "Adrian!Are you ever going to stop?" Lenara had always had a fiery temper.She loved throwing things at people when she was angry,so she grabbed the silver crab cracker from the table and hurled it straight at Adrian. Seeing them at each other's throats just like they always had been,the last bit of doubt in my mind finally disappeared.I quickly stepped in. "That's enough.Adrian,stop picking on Lenara." Adrian pressed his lips together,clearly annoyed,but eventually called over a waiter and ordered Lenara a bowl of chicken and wild mushroom soup. But the moment the soup arrived,Lenara took one sip before suddenly covering her mouth and gagging violently. Adrian immediately handed her a glass of water.She took several sips before she could finally settle her stomach. I scooped up a spoonful of crab roe and tasted it.The rich,sweet flavor melted across my tongue. Then,almost without thinking,I asked,"Lenara,you're not pregnant,are you?"

第3章

The moment I said it,the private room fell completely silent. Lenara's face went so pale. "Claire,what are you talking about?My stomach's been acting up these past few days,and I've been feeling nauseous.Don't jump to conclusions." Lenara had dated plenty of wealthy men over the years,but she had always been extremely careful when it came to sex. Realizing I might have said the wrong thing,I felt my cheeks grow warm and quickly tried to smooth things over. "I was just worried about you.Your stomach has always been sensitive.If this soup is too heavy,I'll ask the waiter to bring you some apple and oatmeal instead." Adrian pushed the crab roe he'd picked out onto my plate,one dish after another. "Claire,while you were away these past six months,I had someone look into a few new wedding venues.There's a beautiful classic estate I think you'll love.I'll take you there this weekend." Since I'd been away for six months,Adrian and I had kept putting off our wedding. Both our families had been urging us to set a date,so now that I was finally home,it was time to start planning the wedding again. I nodded,a sweet feeling spreading through my chest. "Okay." Adrian continued,"Remember the wedding ring we looked at last time?I decided the center stone was a little too small.I want to take you back and pick out a bigger one." I gave him a playful glare. "Why do you need such a huge diamond?It won't even be comfortable to wear.You just love wasting money." "How is that a waste?Isn't making money all about giving my wife the best?" He looked at me with such tender affection that my heart almost melted. My face turned red.I nudged his leg under the table. "Okay,that's enough.Lenara's still here.It's embarrassing to flirt in front of her." Only then did Adrian tone it down. Aside from the little argument at the beginning,the rest of the meal was surprisingly warm and pleasant. We'd ordered far too much,so there was plenty of crab left over.I had the waiter pack it up for us to take home. But the very next day,everything changed. Lenara's gambling-addicted father died after falling from a third-floor window while trying to escape debt collectors. When I rushed to the rundown apartments in the old part of town after hearing the news,the narrow alley was already packed with onlookers. Before I could even push my way through the crowd,I heard angry shouting from inside,followed by the dull thuds of metal rods striking flesh. "Pay your father's debt!Your father is dead,so you,his daughter,have to pay us back today!" My heart tightened.I shoved through the crowd and rushed inside. But the sight before me made me freeze. Several debt collectors armed with metal pipes were surrounding two people,kicking and beating them. And Adrian,usually so calm and dignified,was on his knees. He had Lenara wrapped tightly in his arms,shielding her with his entire body as three or four heavy blows from the metal pipes landed squarely on his back. The pipe came crashing down with a dull thud.The impact looked so brutal that I thought his bones might have shattered. Yet Adrian didn't make a sound. The veins in his arms stood out as he tightened his hold around Lenara,shielding her completely and making sure the men couldn't lay a finger on her. Blood seeped through his white shirt and ran down his back,bright red against the fabric. In that moment,I saw a side of him I'd never seen in all the twenty-plus years I'd known him.There was something fierce in his eyes,along with a desperate need to protect her. The police arrived soon after and brought the situation under control. When Adrian was helped to his feet,his face was deathly pale and his back was a bloody mess.Yet the first thing he did was look down and check whether Lenara was hurt. "Lenara,are you okay?" The moment Lenara saw me,all the color drained from her face. Adrian followed her gaze and suddenly met my red-rimmed eyes. "Claire!" A flicker of panic crossed his face,and he immediately let go of Lenara's arm.

第4章

"Baby,I just happened to be passing by when I saw what was happening.There were so many men ganging up on Lenara.I couldn't just stand there and do nothing." I stared at the blood covering Adrian's body.I dug my nails into my palms,forcing myself to swallow the question burning on the tip of my tongue. 'You were on the south side of town,and Lenara was on the north side,nearly fifty miles apart.How did you just happen to be passing by?' In the end,I drove Adrian and Lenara to the hospital. Adrian was badly hurt.His entire back was covered in blood.After his wounds were treated,he looked at me and spoke softly. "Claire,those debt collectors are dangerous people.It's not safe for Lenara to stay home alone.Could she stay at our place for a few days?" A woman's intuition was like a rusty needle,scraping back and forth across the deepest,most hidden part of my heart.The pain made me tremble. But one was my best friend of ten years,and the other was my fiancéwho had protected me since we were children. I didn't dare let myself think too much about it. In the end,I looked at Adrian's pale face,moved my lips,and forced out a single word. "Okay." From then on,Adrian took care of everything after Lenara's father died. Lenara was devastated and barely spoke all day,so I stayed by her side the entire time. By the time everything was finally taken care of,it was almost midnight when we got home.After Lenara had gone to sleep in the guest room,Adrian did what he always did and warmed a glass of milk for me in the kitchen before bed. "Baby,are you overthinking things because you saw me protecting Lenara today?" The moment he said that,my eyes turned red.I looked away,refusing to meet his gaze. Adrian gently held the back of my neck and pulled me toward him.His lips suddenly pressed against mine,and he kissed me deeply and passionately. When he finally pulled away,his eyes were filled with emotions he'd kept buried for a long time. "Baby,trust me.You're the only woman I love.I can't wait for you to become my wife.So don't let your mind run wild anymore.There has never been anything between Lenara and me." Looking into his loving eyes,I finally broke down and cried.The tension that had weighed on me all day finally began to fade. After drinking the milk,I soon fell asleep. In the middle of the night,I woke up thirsty. I reached over to the space beside me and found the sheets cold. Adrian was gone. As I went to get some water,I passed the guest room.A muffled argument came through the slightly open door. "Let go of me!What if Claire hears us?"It was Lenara's voice,trembling as she tried to hold back her tears. "I'm not letting go!"Adrian's voice was low and commanding,with a possessiveness I'd never heard from him before."I put sleeping pills in her milk.She won't wake up." "Adrian,we can't keep doing this."Lenara's voice shook badly."Claire has been so good to me.We've been best friends for ten years.Tomorrow,I'm going to the hospital and get rid of the baby." The moment I heard the word"baby,"my feet froze to the floor. My breath caught in my throat. "Don't you dare!"Adrian snapped,his voice filled with anger and panic."You think ending the pregnancy will make up for what we've done to her?Lenara,this baby is yours and mine.Who gave you the right to decide whether it lives or dies?" "Then what am I supposed to do?"Lenara finally broke down,her sobs barely contained."You used to hate women like me.You called me a gold digger and said I disgusted you.Do you really think you'll love my baby just because I give birth to it?Just like you said,the baby would be a bastard too!" "Stop!" Through the narrow opening in the door,I saw Adrian pull Lenara into his arms and hold her tightly. The man who once thought she wasn't even worth looking at was now holding her close,his chin resting on top of her head. "I was a jerk back then,Lenara.Don't say that." "Don't blame yourself for everything.If I hadn't been drugged that night,we never would have slept together." "The baby was an accident,but I have feelings for you.I want you to have the baby." The room went quiet for a moment.The only sound was Lenara's quiet sobs. "But what about Claire?You're getting married soon,"she asked through her tears.

第5章

Adrian's words cut into my heart like a dull knife. "The Whitmore family has invested heavily in my startup company over the past few years.I'm tied to her family in too many ways.I have to marry her.But Lenara,I'll take care of you and the baby." "If you feel guilty staying here with Claire,I'll buy you a house in Eastvale.You can live there with the baby,and I'll visit you both often." "Adrian,you're so selfish!" Even as Lenara said that,she didn't push him away.Instead,she buried her face against his chest. Adrian held her even tighter. I stood outside the door,my stomach twisting violently. I clamped a hand over my mouth,refusing to make a sound,and stumbled back to the master bedroom. The moment I closed the door,my legs gave out.I slid down against the cold door and collapsed onto the floor. Despair slowly took over me until I felt like I couldn't breathe. Suddenly,everything made sense. Adrian had publicly called Lenara his girlfriend the day I returned home.At the restaurant,he had said she couldn't eat the crab because she was pregnant. When Lenara's father died,Adrian had shielded her with his own body. And then there was the sleeping pill he'd put in my milk... I finally understood.A man could keep telling you that he loved you and wanted to marry you while secretly letting another woman carry his child. And the two people who had betrayed me were the man who had protected me since childhood and the best friend I'd known for ten years. A wave of nausea suddenly rose in my stomach,and I threw up everything I'd eaten. I didn't sleep at all that night. As dawn approached,I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. Even if the two of them had become thorns buried deep in my heart,I had to pull them out one by one.I knew it would hurt.I knew I would bleed.But I would endure the pain and remove every last one. I picked up my phone and sent a message to my father. [Dad,Mom,you don't need to rush home for my wedding anymore.Adrian cheated on me.] [Please withdraw our family's investment from Adrian's company.] At eight that morning,I walked out of the room and found Adrian in the kitchen,making soup. When he saw me,he gave me a warm smile. "The sun's already up,and you're still sleeping.I made you some chicken and rice soup." A sudden ache filled my chest. Lenara was the one who loved chicken and rice soup.Not me. Even though Adrian loved me,he had never once gone into the kitchen to make me a bowl of soup. So today's soup was for her. "I have something to do.I'm not eating." I left quickly without looking back. The cold wind hit my face,and I could no longer hold back my tears. The private investigator was very efficient.In just one morning,he had finished the investigation and sent me all the evidence and videos. I finally learned the truth. In the second month after I went abroad,Adrian had been drugged and slept with Lenara. From then on,Adrian became addicted to being with Lenara.They spent night after night together,in hotel rooms,cars,bathtubs,hot springs,and even... There were even a few times when I was on a video call with Adrian,while Lenara was lying in the bed we were supposed to share after our wedding. As I watched the videos and hotel records on my phone,a cold pain spread from my heart through my entire body.My fingertips went numb from the shock. Over the next few days,Adrian stayed busy planning our wedding. Sometimes,when I watched him working so seriously,I almost felt like he had never been with Lenara at all. Adrian personally arranged every detail of the wedding.He chose the finest classic-style estate,a 6.5-carat pink diamond,and a custom-made classic wedding dress. Almost everyone envied our childhood-sweetheart love story. On the day I tried on my wedding dress,Lenara looked at me in the mirror.Her eyes were red. "Claire,I want you to be happy more than anyone." She was three months pregnant,and her belly was already starting to show.She wore loose clothes to hide it. I stared at her beautiful face and slowly spoke,"Are you in love with Adrian?"