PART 10:

I created a fake identity because I was tired of men who only wanted me for my money. I’ve been testing everyone I date for 2 years. You were number 28. Still nothing. Ryan’s face was completely blank. I was going to tell you sooner, Victoria said desperately. I meant to tell you, but then I met Emma and I fell in love with both of you and I didn’t know how to say it without losing everything.

Ryan’s coffee sat untouched in front of him. He hadn’t moved. Hadn’t blinked. Say something, Victoria whispered. You’re a billionaire. Yes. And you’ve been pretending to be poor for 3 months. Yes. While I was worried about whether I could afford to take you to a nice restaurant, while I was calculating how to budget for Christmas presents, while I was apologizing for my shitty apartment and my used truck and my secondhand furniture.

Victoria felt her throat close. Ryan, was any of it real? His voice was quiet. Too quiet. The dates, the conversations, meeting Emma. Was any of it actually real or was I just part of some experiment? It was real. All of it. I fell in love with you. You fell in love with me while lying to my face every single day. I know.

I know how bad this sounds bad. Ryan laughed, but there was no humor in it. Tori or Victoria or whoever the hell you are. You didn’t just lie about one thing. You lied about everything. Your entire identity was fiction. I was trying to protect myself from what? From me? He leaned forward. What exactly did you think I was going to do if I knew you had money? Ask you for a loan? Try to use you? I didn’t even know people like you existed.

I thought you were an office worker struggling with student loans and I liked you anyway. That’s exactly why I liked you. Because you didn’t care about money. I didn’t care because I thought you didn’t have any. Ryan’s voice rose. People at other tables were starting to look. He didn’t seem to notice.

You kept talking about budgeting and saving up and whether you could afford things. And the whole time you probably spend more on coffee in a week than I make in a month. It wasn’t about the money. Then what was it about? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you were playing pretend with my life. With Emma’s life, Victoria felt tears starting. She blinked them back.

I was scared. Every man I’ve dated has either wanted my money or my connections or my status. I just wanted someone to love me for me. So, you lied about who you were. How does that even make sense? I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I just kept failing and failing and I was so tired of being alone.

Ryan pushed his coffee away. Do you know what the worst part is? It’s not even that you lied about being rich. It’s that you involved my daughter. You let Emma get attached to you. You sat in her bedroom and promised you weren’t going to leave. I’m not leaving. Yes, you are. Because I can’t do this.

I can’t be with someone who spent 3 months lying to me about everything. Victoria’s chest felt like it was caving in. Please let me explain. You just did explain. You were testing me. I was test number 28. Congratulations. I guess I passed. He stood up. I need to go. Ryan, wait. I need to figure out how to tell Emma that you’re not who we thought you were.

He walked out. Victoria sat frozen in the booth, watching through the window as he got in his truck and drove away. Doie appeared at her elbow. You okay, honey? Victoria shook her head, couldn’t speak. Men are stupid, Dottie said gently. Give him time to cool off. But Victoria knew this wasn’t about cooling off.

She’d seen Ryan’s face, the betrayal there, the hurt. She’d done exactly what she’d been trying to avoid. She’d made him feel used. She paid the bill with shaking hands, left a tip that was probably too big for Tory Brennan, but she didn’t care anymore. That mask was gone now, shattered. Outside, the day was bright and cold.

Christmas decorations still covered everything. The town looked cheerful. Victoria felt hollow. Her phone rang. Sarah, how’d it go? Her assistant asked. He left. Oh, honey. I ruined everything. Victoria got in her car. Not the Civic, her actual car. A Tesla she’d left in her building’s garage for 3 months. He looked at me like I was a stranger.

Give him some time. He might come around. He won’t. I lied about everything. I involved his daughter. He’s never going to forgive me. Victoria drove home in a daysaze. When she got to her penthouse, she stood at the window looking out over Aspen. Somewhere down there, Ryan was probably telling Emma that Tori wasn’t coming back.

Emma, who’d asked Santa to make her stay. Victoria’s phone buzzed. A text from a number she didn’t recognize. This is Michelle, Ryan’s sister. I don’t know what you did, but he just called me crying. He hasn’t cried since his wife died. Fix this. Another text came through immediately after. Actually, don’t fix it. Stay away from my family.

You’ve done enough damage. Victoria dropped the phone, sat down on her too expensive couch in her too empty apartment, and finally let herself cry. She’d spent 2 years protecting herself from men who might hurt her. And in the process, she’d hurt the one man who never would have. The next 3 days were hell. Victoria tried texting Ryan. He didn’t respond.

👉 [Tap here for the Next Part ] 👈