I'm the Most Jaded Sugar Baby

I'm the least affectionate kept woman in Bellmont's high society. I don't compete for attention, check up on my man, or go out of my way to please him. Brian Hemsworth takes me to see the Northern Lights, and I spend the entire flight asleep on his private jet. He spends eight figures on a vintage Harry Winston diamond, only for me to wear it for ten minutes before deciding it's too heavy and tossing it into my safe. His friends say he'd be better off getting a dog. But Brian seems to love how little I care. One frown, and he spends the whole night wondering what he's done wrong. One smile, and he buys me another house. He thinks I've lost interest in everything but him. Little does he know that there are only twenty days left on our three-year contract. Once the final eight-figure payment hits my account, I'm retiring for good. But just as I'm counting down the days, a bubbly college girl, Fiona Parker, comes into his life. She's impressed by the smallest things. A bouquet brings her to tears, and getting to ride shotgun in his car makes her feel like the luckiest girl alive. Next to her, I look like an ungrateful brat. She turns down all the jewelry Brian carefully picks out for her, tears in her eyes and cheeks flushed as she says, "I don't want anything. I just want you to be happy." Apparently, a few cheap tears are all it takes to fill the emotional void in Brian's life. He gives her the trip he promised me, then complains that I'm too cold and distant. I don't argue. I just cross another day off my countdown. Twenty days later, the money arrives right on schedule. I cancel my phone number and move out of his villa overnight, taking everything that's mine. Word soon gets around that Bellmont's famously aloof, untouchable heir is nursing a broken heart. Now he's turning the whole city upside down, desperately searching for the coldhearted woman who never gave him the time of day. Chapter 1 Kalina's POV "Ms. Lawson, please have the driver turn around at the next exit. Mr. Hemsworth won't be going to Norland today." Brian Hemsworth's executive assistant, Madson Brent, sounded perfectly calm. I slowly opened my eyes, still leaning against the back seat. We were already on the highway to the airport. My passport, luggage, and all eight outfits I'd bought for the Northern Lights trip were packed in the trunk. "Is something wrong with the plane?" "No." Madson hesitated. "The private jet has been rerouted to Montreval. Ms. Parker needs a snowy mountain backdrop for her graduation project, so Mr. Hemsworth has decided to accompany her." I watched the road signs flash past the window. "Oh." The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. He probably expected me to ask when Brian would be back, when we would reschedule our Norland trip, or maybe even throw a fit and demand that the plane turn around. But I'd already seen the answer on social media. Ten minutes earlier, Fiona Parker had posted a photo of herself standing in front of Brian's private jet, holding a cup of hot chocolate and grinning like she'd just won the lottery. The caption read, "My biggest wish before graduation actually came true. I can't believe someone made it happen for me." Someone in the comments asked if she was flying economy. She replied, "He said he didn't want me to have to deal with that." How touching. The trip I'd spent six months looking forward to had apparently become the perfect opportunity to make her graduation dream come true. Madson was still waiting for my response. "Ms. Lawson, Mr. Hemsworth said Norland isn't going anywhere. He'll arrange another trip for you." "Got it." "He's also arranged for a luxury boutique to send you an antique brooch as an apology." "I'd rather have the cash." The other end went silent for two seconds. "I'll let Mr. Hemsworth know." I hung up, pulled my calendar from my bag, and crossed off today's date. I'd had 20 days left on my three-year contract. Now I had 19. The driver asked cautiously, "Ms. Lawson, should I take you back to Clearwater Bay?" "Take me to Willowbrook." Clearwater Bay was Brian's villa. Willowbrook was the home I'd chosen for myself. The apartment wasn't particularly big, but there was a breakfast cafe downstairs, a park across the street, and a south-facing balcony. I'd grown an entire wall of white jasmine there. I'd also adopted a long-haired cat named Muffin. He had a terrible temper, wasn't particularly affectionate, and rarely bothered to respond when anyone called him. We got along perfectly. The elevator doors opened 40 minutes later. Cardboard boxes were piled up in the hallway. Two movers were carrying out my gray sofa, while a brand-new butter-yellow one blocked the doorway. Fiona's canvas tote bag hung from one of its armrests. I stood there for a moment. One of the movers called out, "Excuse me, could you move aside? Ms. Parker has a flight to catch." Quick footsteps came from inside the apartment. Fiona hurried out in a white puffer jacket, holding my spare key. Her smile faltered when she saw me. "Ms. Lawson, what are you doing back?" "They didn't save me a seat on the plane." Fiona looked a little embarrassed. "Mr. Hemsworth said you'd probably go back to Clearwater Bay to rest. He also said this place was empty anyway, so I could move in for a while." I looked past her into the apartment. The paintings had been taken down. My black floor lamp had been tossed into a corner. The wool rug I'd spent so long choosing was rolled up, with several boxes labeled "Fiona's Clothes" stacked on top of it. "How long are you staying?" "Two months at most." My contract ended in 19 days. Apparently, she'd be staying longer than I would. Fiona quickly explained, "My dorm is being renovated, and Mr. Hemsworth was worried about me staying in a hotel alone. I'm only borrowing the place. I promise I won't ruin anything." She gestured toward the new couch with an eager smile. "It's just that the old couch was a little too dark. It made the room look gloomy, so I thought something brighter would be better. You don't mind, do you?" Before I could answer, the bedroom door opened. Brian stepped out with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, carrying a suitcase Fiona hadn't finished packing. He frowned when he saw me. "Didn't I tell the driver to take you back to Clearwater Bay?" "I came to get my cat." "Just leave him here." Brian handed the suitcase to one of the movers, as casual as ever. "Fiona will be living here alone. A cat will keep her company." As if on cue, Muffin leaped from his cat tree into my arms and hissed at Brian. Fiona flinched and stepped back. "Does he not like me?" "He doesn't like anyone." I stroked Muffin's head. "Nothing unusual there." Fiona started to approach us but suddenly sneezed several times in a row. Her eyes quickly turned red. "I'm sorry. I think I might be allergic to cats. It's fine. I can just take some allergy medicine." Despite her words, she'd already ducked behind Brian. Brian glanced at Muffin. "Take him back to Clearwater Bay." "Okay." I didn't argue. Willowbrook already had a new occupant. Muffin clearly wasn't welcome anymore. I carried him toward the balcony to collect his food bowl and toys. I'd barely opened the glass door when Fiona sneezed again. "Why are there so many flowers out here?" She rubbed her nose, struggling to breathe. "I think I'm allergic to pollen, too." The white jasmine on the balcony was in full bloom. Two years ago, after I'd managed to kill my first potted plant, Brian had 20 jasmine plants shipped in from the south overnight. He'd told me that if I couldn't keep them alive, he'd just keep replacing them until I found one I could grow. Eventually, I'd succeeded. When the jasmine first bloomed, Brian even had someone take a picture and put it on display in his office. Now, he barely gave the flowers a second glance. "Call the property manager and have someone get rid of them." I turned to him. "She's only staying for two months." "Allergies are serious." "Then she can stay somewhere else." Brian's expression hardened. "Kalina, they're just a few plants. Fiona has a flight to catch. Do you really have to make things difficult for her right now?" I met his gaze. "This is my apartment." "The deed hasn't been transferred yet," Brian reminded me flatly. According to our contract, the apartment wouldn't officially be mine until 20 days later. Until then, it was still in his name. So that was how he wanted to play it. I held Muffin a little closer and nodded. "Fine. Do whatever you want." Brian seemed taken aback by how easily I'd given in, but his expression didn't soften. "I'll make it up to you for Norland." "Okay." "Stop acting like you don't care about anything." Fiona quickly tugged at his sleeve. "Mr. Hemsworth, we're going to be late." "Ms. Lawson already said it's fine. Please don't be so hard on her." Brian picked up her suitcase and headed for the door. Before leaving, he looked back at me. "I'll pick you up for the auction. Those antique pearls you wanted will be there, too." "Okay." Satisfied, he left with Fiona. Once the elevator doors closed, one of the movers picked up a pair of pruning shears. The first jasmine vine fell with a sharp snip. I stood by the balcony door and watched for a while without trying to stop him. In 19 days, I wouldn't even want this apartment anymore. They were just a few plants, after all. Hardly worth getting upset over. Chapter 2 Kalina's POV After Fiona returned from Montreval, she went live from Willowbrook. The gray walls had been painted a creamy white. The jasmine on the balcony was gone, replaced by a neon sign that read "Love Life". Fiona sat on the new couch, smiling as she gave her viewers a tour. "This is my first home in Bellmont. It's not very big, but Mr. Hemsworth made sure everything was decorated exactly how I like it." The comments poured in. "Mr. Hemsworth really spoils her!" "He even remembered her favorite curtain color! If that's not true love, I don't know what is!" I glanced at the butter-yellow curtains behind her. She'd picked them out herself. Not that it mattered. She was living there now. She could make up whatever story she wanted. I closed the livestream. Just then, Brian walked in. After returning from Montreval, he'd spent the day helping Fiona get everything ready for her livestream. He hadn't come back to Clearwater Bay until that evening. Muffin was curled up by my feet. When he caught a whiff of the unfamiliar perfume on Brian, he flicked his tail against the rug in annoyance. Brian handed me a jewelry box. "Here's the compensation I promised you." Inside was a sapphire brooch. I glanced at it and closed the box. "How much was it?" "Twelve million dollars." "That'll do." He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" "What do you want me to say?" "Even Fiona knows to say thank you when someone buys her a cup of hot chocolate." Brian paused, as though he'd only just realized what he'd said. I looked up at him. "Then give it to her." "Kalina Lawson." His voice turned cold. "I didn't bring you a gift just to have you give me an attitude." He used to like that I never made a fuss over expensive gifts. He'd said I wasn't like those other women who got excited whenever someone bought them a designer bag. But now he'd found someone who could be moved to tears by a cup of hot chocolate, and suddenly, my indifference made me ungrateful. It made sense, I supposed. People eventually got tired of the same things. "Thank you." I set the jewelry box aside. Brian stared at me for a few seconds but didn't say anything else. The next day, Brian sent his driver to pick up Muffin. He claimed Muffin hadn't been eating since moving to Clearwater Bay. Since Willowbrook was his old home, Brian thought it would be better to take him back. Fiona had messaged me, too. "I've taken some allergy medicine, so I think I'll be able to get used to having him around. I felt so guilty about making Muffin leave last time. I want to look after him myself to make it up to him." I refused to let him go, but the driver insisted he was following Brian's orders. Clearwater Bay was Brian's house, too. I couldn't stop his staff from taking Muffin. Less than two hours later, Fiona called me in tears. "Ms. Lawson, Muffin's missing!" I sat up on the couch. "How did he get out?" "I opened the door to pick up my food delivery, and he just bolted. I tried to chase him, but he was too fast." Brian took the phone from her. "I've already sent the security guards to look for him. Stay home and let us handle it." It was pouring outside. I grabbed my coat. "He's scared of strangers. Your guards won't be able to catch him." "He's just a cat." Brian sounded annoyed. "You really think they can't find one cat with that many people looking?" I hung up without answering. Muffin wasn't in Willowbrook's underground parking garage. A security guard pulled up the surveillance footage, which showed him slipping out through the garage exit and running into an alley behind the complex. I spent more than three hours searching the surrounding streets. It wasn't until one in the morning that I finally heard a faint meow near a dumpster. Muffin was huddled inside a soaked cardboard box. A piece of wire had cut his hind leg, and his fur was covered in mud. When he saw me, he barely had the strength to meow. He just buried his head against my chest. I rushed him to the emergency vet. While the vet was stitching up his wound, Fiona called again. "Did you find Muffin?" "Yes." She let out a sigh of relief before bursting into tears. "Thank goodness! I was so scared. If anything had happened to him, I never would've forgiven myself." I could hear Brian comforting her in the background. "He's been found. Don't cry." As if she were the one who needed comforting. At 2:30 am, I left the animal hospital with Muffin in my arms, his injured leg bandaged. Brian was waiting by his car. He reached out to take Muffin, but I stepped aside. "What did the vet say?" "He needed five stitches." Brian frowned slightly. "I'll have someone take care of his follow-up treatment." "Tell Fiona to move out." His expression darkened. "What does that have to do with where she lives?" "She messed with my things, sent my cat away, and then lost him." "She didn't mean to." There it was again. Fiona hadn't meant to do any harm, so I could just grow more flowers. And now that Muffin was back, I was supposed to let the whole thing go. As long as she cried and apologized, everyone was expected to forgive her. "I don't want her living there anymore." "She's already shaken up enough as it is." Brian sounded impatient. "How do you think she'll feel if I kick her out now?" "What about me?" Even I was surprised I'd asked. Brian looked taken aback, too. It was probably the first time he'd ever heard me ask him to consider my feelings. But a moment later, he said, "You have me." What a joke. He kept giving away things that belonged to me, yet somehow believed that having him was enough to make up for everything. I looked down at Muffin in my arms. "Forget it." There were only 13 days left until my contract ended. Fiona wasn't the one who needed to leave. I was. Chapter 3 Kalina's POV After Muffin went missing, Fiona was too scared to live alone. She claimed that every time she heard a door open, she pictured Muffin running away right in front of her. She couldn't sleep at night. So Brian let her move into Clearwater Bay. She already had Willowbrook to herself. Now she had a room at Clearwater Bay, too. She was like an invasive vine, spreading wherever she went until she'd claimed every place as her own. With seven days left on my contract, Fiona decided to throw a dinner party at the house to make amends. When I came downstairs, the living room was packed. String lights were wrapped around the staircase railing, music blared from the speakers, and several young people were gathered around Fiona, taking pictures. She hurried over as soon as she saw me. "Ms. Lawson, you're finally here!" "What's all this?" "I've felt terrible ever since I lost Muffin." She offered me a glass of champagne. "Mr. Hemsworth said you're not really into parties, but spending time with friends is the best way to cheer yourself up. "So I invited some classmates over. I thought it might make you feel better." I looked at Brian. He sat on the couch, showing no sign of wanting to stop any of this. "Fiona spent all afternoon getting everything ready. Don't ruin it for her." I didn't take the champagne. "I'm going back upstairs." Fiona caught my hand. "At least come see the present I made for you." She led me over to the dining table. A dark green table runner lay across the center of the long table, embroidered with large magnolia blossoms. The fabric looked old, but its edges had been neatly cut. I stood there, unable to move. It wasn't a table runner. It was the dress my mother had left me. She'd spent months embroidering the magnolias by hand, finishing them the year before she died. She never got the chance to wear it. I'd kept it locked in a cedar chest all these years. Fiona didn't notice my expression. She was too busy showing off her handiwork. "Isn't this fabric gorgeous? The dress was just so outdated. "It seemed like such a waste to leave it sitting in a chest, so I had someone turn it into a table runner. There was even enough fabric left over to make a few coasters." Under every wineglass on the table was a small square of dark green embroidered fabric. The magnolias my mother had spent six months stitching had been cut into pieces. I reached out and touched the table runner. Her stitches were still there. But the dress could never be put back together. "Who gave you permission to open that chest?" Fiona's smile slowly faded. "I was looking for something to decorate the table with. The housekeeper said the chest belonged to you and didn't want to touch it, so I asked Mr. Hemsworth." I turned to Brian. He finally got to his feet. "I thought it was just an old dress." "You've seen it before." On the day of my mother's funeral, I'd sat at the cemetery until dark, clutching that dress. Brian had stayed with me all night. He'd promised to help me take care of everything I couldn't bear to part with. Apparently, he'd forgotten. "It's already been cut up. I'll have someone make you another one." Brian came over to me. "Or I'll get you that set of antique pearls at the auction to make up for it." "Make up for what? The dress? Or my mother?" His expression changed. Fiona's eyes filled with tears as she tried to explain. "Ms. Lawson, I didn't know it was something your mother left you. I just wanted you to be able to enjoy it again. You keep everything locked away where you can't even see it. It's almost like you're letting those things go to waste." I stared at her. She genuinely believed she'd done nothing wrong. She loved smiling, throwing parties, and taking it upon herself to make other people happy. Everyone was expected to embrace her cheerful outlook on life. Anyone who didn't was miserable and ungrateful. "Tell her to leave." I looked at Brian as I spoke. Tears immediately spilled down Fiona's cheeks. "I'll leave right now." She turned as if to go, but didn't actually take a step. Brian caught her arm and gave me a cold look. "That's enough. She was only trying to help. I'll make this up to you, but there's no need to make such a big deal out of it." I began carefully gathering the pieces of fabric from the table. "I just want her gone." "Clearwater Bay is my house," Brian said firmly. "I don't need your permission to decide who stays here." The living room fell silent. Everyone was staring at me. They were waiting for me to cry, to scream, to throw a tantrum like some spoiled mistress who'd finally lost her place in a rich man's affections. But all I felt was exhaustion. I wasn't even sad anymore. Arguing with him just seemed pointless. "Understood." I gathered the remains of my mother's dress in my arms and went upstairs. Brian called after me. "We're leaving for the auction at seven on Friday. You've had your eye on those pearls for a while. I'll buy them for you. And that'll be the end of this." I paused for two seconds. "Okay." Back in my room, I closed the door. Before long, the music started up again downstairs. Brian had probably managed to cheer Fiona up. I carefully folded each piece of fabric and placed them back in the cedar chest. Then I called my lawyer. "Is everything ready for me to leave the country?" "Yes, everything's been taken care of. But Ms. Lawson, weren't you planning to wait until next month?" I glanced at the calendar. In seven days, my contract would officially end. "I'm not waiting. As soon as the final payment comes through, I'm leaving." Chapter 4 Kalina's POV On the day my contract expired, the final eight-figure payment hit my account right on time. I sat on the edge of my bed and counted the zeros three times. Every last cent was there. After three years of feeling trapped, I finally had something to be happy about. At ten, my lawyer sent over the confirmation. Our three-year contract was officially over. From now on, I wouldn't have to accompany Brian to parties, deal with his moods, or pretend I couldn't live without him. I took off my watch and set it beside the black credit card and car keys. I left all the jewelry, evening gowns, and handbags in the walk-in closet. It wasn't because I was above keeping expensive gifts. Jewelry needed maintenance, gowns took up space, and selling everything would mean dealing with paperwork. Too much hassle. I only took my books, paintings, Muffin, and what was left of my mother's dress. That afternoon, the movers carried out the last box. Fiona stood by the staircase, looking a little pale. "Ms. Lawson, are you really leaving?" "Yes." "Does Mr. Hemsworth know?" "He signed the contract." She followed me to the door. "But what about the auction tonight? Mr. Hemsworth asked me to pick out shoes for you. He said he'd be back at seven to pick you up." I glanced at the silver shoebox in her hands. "Keep them." "I wasn't trying to take your things." Fiona bit her lip. "Are you doing this to scare Mr. Hemsworth into coming after you? He hates being threatened. If he doesn't come after you, you'll only end up embarrassing yourself." I stopped. "Do you like it here?" She hesitated. "Yes." "Then it's all yours." "What?" "Clearwater Bay, Willowbrook, and Brian." I picked up Muffin and walked down the steps. "You can have all of it." The housekeeper, Harlan Grant, walked me to the car, her eyes red. "Ms. Lawson, are you sure you don't want to wait for Mr. Hemsworth?" "No." "He promised he'd come back to pick you up himself." I checked the time. It was 1:40 pm. My flight was at 3:40 pm. "He can take his time. He's never been on time anyway," I said. The car door closed. I took one last look at Clearwater Bay. I'd lived there for three years, but I wasn't going to miss it. It had always felt more like an expensive hotel than a home. Now I was just checking out. At three that afternoon, I canceled my phone number and boarded the plane. Muffin lay in his carrier, unusually quiet. As the plane taxied toward the runway, I looked out the window. For the first time, the sky in the distance didn't seem quite so gray. … Third-person POV At 6:50 pm, Brian finished his meeting early and headed straight to the auction house. The set of 19th-century antique pearls was already on display. The manager greeted him with a smile. "Mr. Hemsworth, will Ms. Lawson be joining us tonight?" "Yes." Brian checked the time. "She's waiting for me at home." "Several collectors have their hearts set on those pearls. The bidding could get pretty high." "That's fine." Brian didn't seem concerned. "She's been upset with me lately. I'll buy her the pearls, cheer her up, and everything will be fine." At 7:15 pm, his car pulled up outside Clearwater Bay. The entire villa was dark. Brian walked inside carrying a box containing the evening gown, frowning. "Kalina." No answer. He turned on the lights. Half the furniture in the spacious living room was gone. The paintings, books, and furniture Kalina had bought had all been taken away. The cat tree was gone, too, and the faint woody scent of her perfume no longer lingered in the air. On the dining table, the jewelry he'd given her was neatly arranged beside the black credit card and car keys. A copy of their contract lay on top. The termination date was today. Brian stared at the date, his expression growing colder by the second. "Where is she?" Fiona came out of her room and answered quietly. "Ms. Lawson said she was leaving." Brian gave a cold laugh and tossed the dress box onto the table. "Where's she run off to sulk now?" "I don't know." "Call her." He took off his watch, sounding increasingly impatient. "Tell her the auction starts at 7:30 pm. Hasn't she been waiting for me to come home and pick her up?" No one moved. Brian looked up. "Did you not hear me?" Harlan was silent for a long moment before finally speaking, her voice hoarse. "Mr. Hemsworth, Ms. Lawson left the country at three this afternoon. She canceled her phone number, too…"