Chapter 90: How Hard

Claire was stunned, as if struck by lightning, staring at Antony without blinking. She thought, “He likes me?”

“Claire, I like you. I really like you.”

Antony saw Claire, stunned, and lowered his voice. He took a step closer to the bed. Afraid of scaring her, he spoke softly, as if protecting a newborn baby.

“No, Antony, you said that just because I helped you in high school by giving you a check for a million dollars to help your family through a difficult time. It’s gratitude, thanksgiving, not affection.”

Claire was really stunned. She found a seemingly plausible reason.

“No, I like you. Claire, I know whether I like someone or not. You said I like you because of the one-million-dollar check, didn’t you? Actually, it has nothing to do with that check at all. From the first moment I saw you when I started high school, I already liked you.”

Antony answered with absolute certainty. In the end, recalling the time when they first met, he smiled. He seemed to be covered with a layer of gentle veil.

“Maybe it’s because I was born in the lower class. I’ve never seen you so dazzling. As soon as you appeared, it was as if my heart was immediately ignited by something. The darkness of my world was completely dispelled. But I only had a glance at you at the beginning. After a year of school, I realized how noble your identity was. I knew that you were the princess of the Prescott family, whom everyone loved. Do you know how frustrated and ashamed I was at that time? I knew that someone like me would never have any intersection with you in my life. Then, something happened to my family, and I nearly dropped out of school. Do you know how happy I was when you handed me that check for a million dollars? My happiness was because my family’s difficulties could be solved, and I could avoid dropping out of school. It was more so because, with the check, there was a layer of connection between us two from then on. It doesn’t matter if you’re my debtor or not. I’ll do anything as long as there’s a connection to you. That day was pretty much the happiest day of my life. I hugged that check and lay in bed. I stayed up all night, laughing foolishly…”

Antony had kept it for so many years and couldn’t bear it any longer, so he told Claire everything. If Claire were still the princess of the Prescott family and still lived a life of luxury, Antony would never tell Claire all this in his life. He would only return the one-million-dollar check to Claire. And their relationship would be entirely over. But now…

While he felt sorry for Claire, he was glad that he had not given up until now. After Antony finished speaking, Claire was utterly shocked. She hadn’t expected Antony to like her so much. Claire clearly remembered what Antony said about high school. It turned out that the toys, exercise books, flowers, paper cranes, and the things she needed that had appeared on her desk for no reason were all related to Antony. In the past, she had always thought that because of her identity as the princess of the Prescott family, those people came to curry favor with her. She hadn’t found it strange whatever gifts they gave her. But she had never imagined that all this goodness came from one person, Antony. Whenever she felt hungry, someone would bring her bread immediately. Whenever she felt thirsty, her favorite drink would be on her desk. Now, Claire finally knew what was going on.

Many years after she went to college, Claire missed that bread. But she couldn’t find it, no matter where she went. It turned out that the bread was not for sale but was made by Antony after he tasted it time and time again. Claire hadn’t expected that during her youth, when she had always followed Frederick, Antony had been following around her. She knew well how hard this kind of love was. After all, she had loved Frederick for so many years.

“Claire, I don’t know what happened. But seeing you like this makes me uncomfortable. If it were in the past, you would still be that dazzling princess: I would probably never express my love for you in my life. But now, please give me a chance to like you? At least let me try.”