Part 2The Misheard Affection

"..." "I said dating a deaf girl is torture! Lana, what did you hear this time?!" "You f*cking dare look for male models?"

The air was terrifyingly quiet. Caleb glared at me viciously, his gaze sharp as a knife. He had a phosphorus personality—igniting at the slightest friction—and he spoke fast, a garbled mess I could never catch. Amidst his firing squad, I mumbled aggrievedly, "I really didn't hear where... if I go late, they'll all be taken..."

Caleb's lips pressed into a thin line, his face dark and scary. Sophie ran over giggling to mediate: "Sis-in-law, we were really joking, don't overthink it." "I know you're itching, maybe try scratching yourself with a shoe sole?" "...Sis-in-law knows so much, unlike innocent little girls like us who haven't even held a boy's hand." "I know you're broke. Here's fifty bucks, go buy yourself some new underwear." "Yours is washed down to a single string and you still wear it, sticking your butt out at the door like you're yelling 'Welcome!' Aren't you cold? Have some class, girl!"

Sophie froze for three seconds, her face turning liver-red, then covered her mouth and ran out. The drinking party was full of Caleb's childhood friends, seven or eight guys watching the show. Humiliated, he started cursing and shooing me out: "Lana, your ears don't work, so stop spouting nonsense! Go back to campus!" "Who I drink and play games with is none of your business! Don't think being my girlfriend gives you special privileges!"

Walking out of the bar entrance. Caleb found a quiet spot to talk. He smirked with secret delight: "Lana. You were jealous just now, right?" "Not replying to messages, not picking up calls, not waiting downstairs at the dorm... playing hard to get?" "I find a random chick and look how panicked you get, immediately marking your territory. Male models? With a guy as handsome as me, you wouldn't have the heart to look for models."

When it's quiet, my "empty ear" isn't as bad. I lowered my head shyly. As if he had hit the nail on the head. Actually, I really didn't want to deal with Caleb lately. Because I discovered... After dating him for two years, I've saved up $150,000 and invested in a shop. He has no value left.

Running into him tonight was a total accident. I treated my roommates to the bar to celebrate my shop opening, and his clique just happened to be there too. Could I afford to be soft-hearted?

Caleb lit a cigarette and handed me his credit card: "Those dorm girls dragged you here again, didn't they? Stay away from them, dressing like streetwalkers every day. No better than Sophie." "Pay the bill and go back to sleep."

I nodded obediently. Clutching the credit card, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed Caleb. The corners of his mouth shot up so high he couldn't hide it, not even noticing his lighter wasn't lighting the cigarette. Turning around, I immediately took out my phone and messaged my roommates. Open the most expensive bottle. The sugar daddy is here to pay!