To punish me for refusing to kneel down to service his first love, my boyfriend set out to destroy my life.

Everyone knew it was the only reason Jacob Garvey pursued me.

They were waiting to see how desperate I would be after he dumped me.

But what they didn't know was, I was waiting for that moment too.

***

The day my resignation was approved, I overheard Jacob talking to Sophie Sinclair.

"That idiot already quit her job. I guarantee she'll be a total mess within a year."

Through the crack in the door, I saw Sophie grinning ear to ear.

"Jacob, if you succeed, I'll marry you.

"Don't make me wait too long. I can't wait to see her give up her dignity for money a year from now."

The private room was full of rich kids, all grinning.

"Finally, something fun in this boring life."

"Honestly, Sophie is a genius. Letting a sales associate get used to luxury just to tear them down. Amazing!"

"Brutal move. With her humble background, she'd never normally get close to our social circle. What do you think she'll do once she's used to a luxurious life and then has it all taken away?"

"I guess, she'll either become some old guy's mistress or end up selling herself."

"Women have it easy anyway. As long as they're willing to spread their legs, making money is easier for them than us men."

Their laughter echoed clearly into my ears.

My breath quickened. I was nervous, yet thrilled.

Up until now, I'd actually felt a little guilty towards Jacob.

After all, I only agreed to date him for the money.

Actually, I never had any beef with Sophie. Before quitting, I worked as a sales associate at a small luxury brand.

Under the guise of trying on shoes, Sophie ordered me to get down on my knees to change them for her.

I went down on one, but she tapped my chin with the tip of her shoe and sneered.

"Both knees. Can't you follow simple instructions?

"I'm only here in this cheap place because I'm in a good mood. You should feel honored to change my shoes on your knees."

I'd swallowed a lot of pride over the years for the sake of money.

But that day, I'd had enough.

I pushed Sophie's foot away and stood up, still smiling.

"Sorry, ma'am, but I don't grand lady like you. Also, the monarchy's long gone. I hope you break free from that outdated mindset soon."

Sophie threw a fit.

I was ready to be fired, but a handsome, rich man appeared instead.

In Los Angeles, almost everyone knew Jacob—the only son of the prominent Garvey family.

His impressive family background and good looks made him quite popular on the Internet.

So when he stood in front of me and asked for my number, I already had my plan in mind.

With my background and education, no amount of hard work would ever get me into high society.

And this opportunity was handed to me directly by Sophie.

Sophie even funded my business ventures.

I really should thank her.

Sophie went to great lengths to get involved in this scheme.

At a party, she pretended not to know Jacob and extended an olive branch to me.

"So you're Mr. Garvey's girlfriend? Let's forget the past. We're in the same circle now—maybe we could even become best friends." Others took the chance to ask about previous issues.

Jacob put on a show and made Sophie drink three glasses of wine to apologize.

Watching the rich kids putting on a show for me, my nose stung.

Man, what did I—Selly Jensen—ever do to be so lucky as to become their "pet"?

After Sophie and I "made peace", the plan was quickly put into action.

Jacob first moved me into his villa—more like he simply settled me in. He didn't let me bring any of my old clothes or belongings, just essentials.

After we put things away, he and Sophie took me on a shopping spree for high-end luxury items.

Those designer bags I once only admired from afar were now right in front of me, ready for the picking.

Excited, I touched them like a kid seeing the world for the first time, then looked at Jacob greedily and asked cautiously, "C-Can I get a few more?"

I turned my head just as Jacob finished rolling his eyes. He cleared his throat, put on a loving expression, and looked at me dotingly.

"Of course, you can take all of them if you like."

I secretly pinched my thigh. With teary eyes, I threw myself into his arms and sobbed.

"Honey, you're so good to me."

He stiffened, looking a bit uncomfortable, but I acted like I didn't notice and gave him a deep kiss.

That was our first intimate moment.

Though I lived in his villa, we didn't share a room, and he never got close to me.

Sophie's reaction was even stronger. She practically yanked me away instantly.

"Selly Jensen, what are you doing?!"

I blinked at her with an innocent smile.

"Oh, I'm making a fool of myself, aren't I? I've never bought bags so expensive before, so I'm a little excited. But Sophie, you look even more excited than me?"

My words pleased her.

Sophie glanced around, trying to smooth things over.

"N-nothing, I just think it's inappropriate for you to act like that in public."

I blushed, quickly pulling away from Jacob, then pointed at the bags in front of me and said arrogantly, "I don't want this one, this one, and this one.

"I'll take all the others!"

While I was busy stroking my bags, Sophie and Jacob slipped out—one after the other.

They returned shortly after, one following the other.

After a few minutes, Sophie's lipstick was smudged, and her expression softened.

Jacob's eyes, however, burned with desire.

I sighed, secretly vowing to put on an even better show in a moment.

They were both suppressing their desires for me. For that, they deserved a reward.

So I led them to my old workplace.

Facing my former colleagues, I truly put on a show of having forgotten my humble beginnings.

I bossed them around to change my shoes, pair after pair.

Though I didn't make her drop to her knees, everyone could see I was giving her a hard time.

Sophie's lips curled into a sly smile, her fists clenched as if holding back excitement.

Jacob sat on the couch, a teasing grin on his face.

It wasn't until my former colleague was so exhausted she couldn't straighten up that I waved my hand.

"I just tried it all."

After leaving the address, I contentedly left with my pets.

Oh, wait.

I meant my two generous benefactors.

Shortly after, my phone buzzed.

"Selly, next time something this good happens, remember me, mwah."

Right after came a transfer of 15,000 dollars.

I accepted the money and replied, "OK."

Sophie made an account for her "electronic pet" called "The Downfall Road of a Sales Associate."

Simple and clear.

Ironically, she blocked my main account, but my alt found her post.

She posts daily updates, even running a fan group.

In her story, I was a vain sales associate who stole her bag for money and insulted her in public. So, they decided to test me.

Like their bet, the "test" lasts a year—to see if I'd fall.

Since I was the main character, of course, I had to support her.

I joined the fan group, which was full of insiders and curious netizens.

"Is this a new way to gain followers? Interesting."

"Hurry up with the updates. Can't wait!"

"Who cares if it's real or not, I'm just curious how this sales associate's story will end."

"I bet she will fall. It's easy to get used to luxury, but hard to go back to less."

"Agree with the last comment. With this method, no ordinary person can stay true to themselves. The sales associates used to get things without effort. When the time's up and she's knocked back to reality, she'll disdain small earnings and be unable to make big money. She's got two endings, total collapse and ruin, or a long, self-doubting decline."

"This 'dog-training' tactic is cruel. It's a direct psychological attack. But the sales associate brought it on herself. If she hadn't been so greedy and delusional, no one would've treated her like a dog in the first place."

Watching the heated online debate, I smiled and put down my phone.

In the past few months, Jacob never gave me cash, but thanks to him, I had made over half a million.

Of course, I was not dumb enough to sell the bags, jewelry, and clothes he bought me for knockoffs.

Sophie was shrewd. She wrote down everything I got.

I guessed if we broke up, I wouldn't take any of it.

Although I couldn't sell them, I could rent them out.

That way, I made a decent monthly income.

But I couldn't just play along forever. Things would get boring if it was too easy.

When I said I wanted to work, Jacob's face turned serious. He looked at me, confused.

"Work is for poor people. With me, all you have to do is enjoy life."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, playfully coaxing him.

"But playing all day gets boring."

I paused, then suggested, "How about I take a few interest classes? That way I'll have something to do. What do you think?"

Jacob agreed almost instantly.

I smiled and snuggled into his arms, whining softly.

"Honey, you're way too good to me. I love you so much!"

Jacob smiled faintly and instinctively ruffled my hair.

Over the past few months, his attitude toward me had changed.

He still acted indifferent around others.

But when we were alone, he enjoyed my affection, sometimes even kissed me—though it never went further than that.

Sophie complained for a long time after finding out I'd signed up for the class.

She vented in the fan group chat.

"Why would she suddenly join a class? I've got a bad feeling about this."

I quickly grabbed my phone and replied.

"Sis, you're just too sensitive. What kind of trouble can a poor nobody like her cause? She's most likely just trying to show off for pictures. I've seen plenty of these fake socialites like that."

That's right, I became one of Sophie's die-hard fans by trash-talking myself.

In this group, besides their inner circle, only two netizens were truly vocal with their insults, and I was one of them.

Sophie's doubts faded pretty quickly.

But to keep her at ease, I practically spammed my social media—so much so that she started posting screenshots in the group to complain.

"Showing off LV socks now? No one wants to see her nasty feet."

The truth was, I had always had a clear understanding of myself.

I wasn't lucky. I was born into a family that favored sons over daughters.

At 16, I was forced to drop out of high school and start working to pay for my younger brother's tuition.

Fortunately, I was never great at studying.

There was always that one kid in class who worked super hard but still couldn't get good grades.

That was me.

When I first entered the workforce, I had no education or skills, so I could only take low-paying, entry-level jobs.

Most of the money I made ended up in my family's hands.

When I was 18, my brother said he wanted a laptop. So my mom personally sent me to an underground clinic to sell my eggs.

The moment I broke free from that operating table, I made up my mind. I was done with that so-called family for good.

After that, I used my savings to continue my education.

Since entering the workforce, I had cried and begged because of poverty.

Poverty scared me—so I loved money.

I was vain, no doubt about it. But I was also willing to work hard for what I wanted.

Right now, Jacob was a perfect stepping stone for me.

Opportunities like this didn't come often.

This time, I had to win. Losing wasn't an option. With just two weeks left on my one-year deadline, Sophie and Jacob had a huge fight.

Just because he took a drink for me.

I hid in the bathroom, listening as Sophie snapped through gritted teeth, "What's that supposed to mean? Do you love her? Why did you take that drink for her? Say something!"

Jacob rubbed his temples, his tone far from gentle. "Weren't you the one who told me to be her boyfriend? What was I supposed to do? Just stand there and let her get forced to drink?"

"You think I'm angry over one drink? How many times have you been openly affectionate with her in front of me recently—holding hands, kissing? Are you seriously acting like her boyfriend now? How far have you gone?!"

"Jacob, we haven't been so close in so long. Don't tell me you've actually fallen for that bitch?"

Jacob frowned, tugging at his collar in frustration.

"I promised I wouldn't sleep with her, and I haven't. The rest is just because she's so clingy. If I don't play along, she'll make a fuss when I get back—that's all."

Sophie fell silent for a moment, then softened her tone and leaned into his arms. "Okay, let's stop fighting. The one-year deadline's almost up. Let's marry in two weeks, okay?"

She rose on her tiptoes to kiss him.

But to her surprise, Jacob dodged, subtly creating distance.

"I'm going back. It's almost over. Don't give anything away at this point."

Sophie opened her mouth, embarrassed.

When I got back, Jacob was drinking alone. Sophie had already left, probably still sulking.

By the time the show ended, he was completely drunk, slumped against my shoulder, mumbling, "Selly... Sweet Selly..."

When we got back to the villa, I tossed him onto the bed and turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist.

My head was spinning, and I was pinned under him. His warm breath brushed against my face.

His hand slid around my waist, slowly moving lower.

"Selly, I want you."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, whispering in his ear, "Okay."

That night, hidden currents stirred into warm waves.

***

The next day, I looked at his face and felt pretty good.

To be honest, I had been starving for a long time.

Jacob might be a jerk, but he had the looks, the body, and the skills.

No matter how you look at it, it was pure pleasure for me.

After our intimate encounter, Jacob instinctively claimed me as his own.

Now, he defended me openly in front of Sophie and stopped others from messing with me.

His blatant possessiveness only made Sophie more upset.

At a party, they both left one after the other.

Soon after, Sophie walked back into the private room, her eyes red and face flushed. She grabbed her bag and left.

As she left, Sophie glared at me fiercely.

Someone noticed something was off and tried to follow her, but Jacob snapped loudly, "Come back! Leave her alone."

Sophie didn't show up for days after that.

Then, on the deadline day, she barged into the villa with a crowd without permission.

A line of wealthy kids sat before me with mocking expressions.

I licked my lips, feeling a rush of excitement.

The day had finally come.

Jacob's face suddenly darkened. He clearly didn't expect them to show up uninvited.

He opened his mouth—but said nothing.

Seizing the moment, Sophie started a livestream, pointing the camera at me with an excited look.

"Selly, the game's over!" In just a few minutes, the stream hit 100,000 viewers.