Chapter 376
It was the final year of college, and seniors were busy racing from one recruitment fair to another, juggling interviews and internships. She’d already made arrangements with her future employer: as soon as she obtained her professional license, she could start her internship at the company, and after graduation, she’d become a full-time employee. Her major was finance, with a minor in accounting. By her junior year, she’d already passed most of the CPA exams. Now, she was preparing for the securities license exam. Once that was over, she’d have to dive back into CPA prep, determined to collect all the necessary certifications as quickly as possible. Time was tight—really tight. That was why she barely had any energy left for romance, and it was also the main reason she preferred to live on campus. Only there, surrounded by the quiet routines of student life, could she shut out the noise and distractions, focusing solely on her studies. All she wanted was to be a proper student—read, learn, eat, sleep, and repeat.
In his study, Jamison sent off his messages and waited patiently. But nearly half an hour passed without a reply. He grew restless. He wondered if Ivy was still in the shower, or maybe she’d finished and gone straight to bed, ignoring her phone entirely. A worrying thought struck him: maybe she, like him, had shut off WhatsApp for the night. He forced himself to wait another two minutes. Still nothing. Unable to sit still any longer, Jamison stood up, ready to check her room—when suddenly, his computer chimed. Startled, he looked down. Ivy had finally replied. His heart skipped a beat. He sat back down, fixing his gaze on the screen.
Mrs. Smith: The exam’s coming up soon. I’ll be there as scheduled.
Mrs. Smith: Haven’t heard from you in ages. Thought you’d deleted me.
Jamison pressed his lips together, mind racing for an appropriate response.
After a brief pause—
Dr. Handsome: I’ve been busy lately. Just got back from a business trip.
Mrs. Smith: What a coincidence. I was out of town too.
Jamison’s expression darkened. He instantly regretted mentioning it—what if she pieced things together? He wanted to change the subject, but then a sly idea struck him, and he decided to follow her lead.
Dr. Handsome: Was it your honeymoon? Sounds like things are going well between you and your husband.
Ivy read the message and couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. This guy was a piece of work. Was he fishing for compliments? Not a chance.
Mrs. Smith: It’s just so-so. We got married on a whim.
Just so-so? Jamison froze, lips pressed into a thin line.
Dr. Handsome: So you two didn’t marry for love?
Mrs. Smith: Oh, come on. Who cares about love these days?
Dr. Handsome: Then why get married without love? How do you stand the test of time?
Mrs. Smith: He was insistent, so why not? He’s got great perks. I figured I had nothing to lose—money can make up for a lot, you know.
Jamison stared at her message, utterly stunned. So this was how Ivy saw their marriage? She’d gone along with it just because he was persistent—and well-off. He’d thought that, after all they’d been through, Ivy had grown to care for him, even if just a little. Back in Westshire, she’d said more than once that she liked him a little more each day. Were those all just lies? Just for his benefit—an act, nothing more?
Seeing that the other end had gone silent, Ivy smirked again. She could imagine Jamison’s face right now. No doubt cold and frosty, jaw clenched, convinced she was ungrateful, maybe even that she was a gold-digger who’d only married him for his money and the five hundred million he’d so generously lent out. He was probably fuming.