After Breaking Up, My Gigolo Boyfriend Said He Was Very Rich

I got slapped by a rude reader and fainted at a book signing event.

A streamer was broadcasting the ridiculous incident live and I suddenly became famous.

They called me 'Fainted Girl,' mocking me for faking it to extort money.

I was ready to gather evidence and sue, but my boyfriend of five years, Shawn Sterling, stopped me.

I couldn't understand why. He's never been one to let people take advantage of him.

Why was he so forgiving this time?

He told me that defamation cases were challenging to win and that many people spent money on lawyers only to lose the case. He told me to think about our future and avoid making more trouble.

At first, I thought it would be better just to let it go.

But then I found evidence of how he planned the whole incident. He hired someone to hurt me and paid online trolls to attack me.

Part 1

Things got really out of hand. My ongoing comic series and social media were flooded with hate comments.

The editor asked me to come over to discuss possibly canceling the comic.

They tried to soften the blow by saying it would be best if I took some time off to sort out my emotions, implying that the magazine wasn’t necessarily dropping me entirely.

I forced a weak smile and agreed.

It was getting late, but I felt scared to go home.

Without my comic’s publication, my income would drop. How was I supposed to support Shawn now?

I suddenly got a call from Hannah Louse, Shawn's cousin.

She sounded frantic, saying that Shawn had drunk too much and asked me to pick him up.

Shawn had a slight alcohol allergy, so I rushed over in a taxi.

When I got to the bar, the only thing lit up was a big screen.

There, Shawn was lying comfortably with his head in Hannah’s lap.

He watched the video of my public humiliation with great interest.

As the video showed the moment I fainted.

A tiny party poppers went off and expensive champagne splashed up to the ceiling. The crowd’s cheers made the atmosphere ecstatic.

He and his lousy friends sneered, "A disgrace, making a fool of herself like that in public and still thinks she’s fit to meet my friends? Keep dreaming!"

"Shawn is a genius! He can expose the hypocritical woman with just a little trick!" the clamor and mockery were all heard without any concealment.

I dug my nails into my palm and my heart ached so badly I felt like I couldn't breathe.

After five years together, what did my love and companionship mean to him?

I had no energy to argue. A heavy sense of despair felt like a needle stuck in my chest.

I was just about to leave when a delicate hand stopped me.

It was Hannah who called me over. After rolling her eyes at me, she said.

"Yelena Blair, you heard it all, right?"

"You really are pathetic, chasing after Shawn for five years and ending up like this."

Her mean and nasty look was unlike my sweet and innocent cousin.

Hannah saw that I wasn't reacting, so she took out her phone and showed me a video.

He spat, "Yelena, you're still not giving up, huh? See this? If you know what's good for you, get lost!"

The video showed them entangled in a passionate embrace.

The string that was taut in my heart suddenly snapped. "Aren't you two cousins?"

Hannah scoffed, "Only a fool like you would believe that."

She introduced herself as his cousin and Shawn told me she was a sister who had lived abroad for years.

I thought he had finally come around to introduce me to his family.