Chapter 8: Ex-Boyfriend

Freya spent the entire morning taking photos of the clothes. With over eighty outfits, she had no way of wearing them all. Keeping just over ten for appearances was enough. She could sell the rest and use the money to buy more practical clothing.

After more than two hours, she had only gotten through half. Glancing at the clock in the living room, she saw it was already ten. Realizing she needed to go grocery shopping, she shut down her laptop, packed up the clothes, threw on a jacket, and headed out.

Since she was already making a trip, she figured she might as well stock up. By the time she left the supermarket, both hands were full, carrying two large shopping bags as she walked back toward the apartment complex.

Just as she crossed the street, she suddenly heard someone calling her name. She turned her head and saw a well-dressed, good-looking man, someone with the polished air of an elite.

After taking a closer look at the man, she realized it was the man from last night's photos.

As soon as he saw her turn around, he ran over. "Freya! What... what happened to you?"

Freya glanced down at her clothes, then at the bags in her hands, confused. "What do you mean? What are you doing here?"

"I heard Louis went bankrupt, so I came to find you." The man looked at her with pity. "Back then, you said you had to marry him because it was an arranged marriage set up by your family, but the truth is, you just wanted his money. Now that he's bankrupt and broke, why are you still with him? Look at yourself, you're shopping at a supermarket, buying groceries. Don't tell me you're actually cooking for yourself? Just leave him and come back to me."

Freya thought she had misheard. "What did you just say?"

The man put on a look of deep affection. "Leave Louis and come back to me. I can give you a better life now. It pains me to see you struggling like this. Your hands weren't meant for cooking. You shouldn't have to suffer like this. Come back to me, and I promise you'll live well."

If it weren't for the memories she had of this man, Freya might have actually been moved by the emotion in his eyes.

Clement Knox, the second-in-line heir of Knox Group and the ex-boyfriend of the original Freya.

Back when he was dating her, he enjoyed her devotion while mocking her for trying to latch onto a rich man. Despite having money, he never spent a dime on her. It was always Freya footing the bill, always at his beck and call. His sense of superiority was overwhelming. It wasn't until Louis came looking for her that Clement suddenly put on a display of affection, trying to make her reject the engagement.

The original Freya had been deeply in love with him. She scrimped and saved just to spend on him, afraid he would look down on her. Meanwhile, he only ever saw her as a plaything. Fortunately, she was conservative enough that he never got his way. At the time, she had actually wanted to refuse Louis, but fate had other plans. She happened to witness Clement kissing her best friend and telling her he had only been toying with her. That was what finally broke her.

That betrayal was what led her to believe that money was the only thing in life she could rely on, shaping her into the materialistic woman she later became. In a way, at least half of her downfall could be traced back to this man.

And now, he had come looking for her. It definitely wasn't out of love. Whatever he was plotting, it wasn't anything good.

Freya could think of at least three reasons for his sudden interest in her.

First, he had always looked up to Louis as someone he could only admire from afar. Now that Louis had fallen, playing with his woman would be a satisfying revenge.

Second, if she could be so easily lured away, it would deal another blow to Louis. Maybe they were even planning something bigger against him.

Third, Clement had never truly had Freya in the past, and that must have left a bitter taste in his mouth. Now, he wanted to claim her, if only to soothe his own ego.