I Dumped Three Toxic Lovers and Got Rich

My boyfriend Jaden’s first love, Sasha, had returned from abroad. I was in the middle of showing a client around at the real estate office when Sasha strutted in on her high heels. She stopped dead in front of me and threw a bank card straight at my face. “There’s one hundred and fifty thousand dollars on that card. Leave Jaden! A cheap, working-class girl like you has no future with him!” My face burned with humiliation. I clenched my fists tightly. “Jaden is one in a million to me! He is the light of my life, a gift sent from heaven!” “I will never, ever leave him!” Then Sasha tossed down another seventy-five grand. My breath caught. In an instant, I realized something truly magnificent! I sneaked a peek at my contacts list. Beyond Jaden, saved as "One in a Million," there was Brandon, saved as "Pleasant Surprise," and Sean, saved as "Soulmate." My heart started racing! Sure, each of them had their own perks and totally different personalities, but every single one of them had their own version of an annoying, saintly little "sister" lurking around! “I’m sorry, Jaden. We’re really just not right for each other.” Right in front of Sasha, I dialed Jaden, put him on speaker, and dumped him. The call went dead with a series of beeps. Sasha and I held our breath, waiting for a dramatic reaction that never came. “Wait, what?” “You break up with him over something this huge, and he doesn’t even say a single word?” Sasha’s face twisted into an ugly scowl. “Mia, it looks like you’re far less important to him than I thought. Did I just waste over two hundred grand on you?” *Crap. Busted.* Jaden didn’t actually care about me. What I cared about, though, was his incredible talent for dropping massive stacks of cash! After all, besides Jaden, where else would you find a filthy-rich heir who literally wept until he passed out at an open house just because he found out he and his girlfriend were going long-distance? I was the one who rushed him to the hospital, which was how we met and kicked off our relationship. It was only after Sasha dumped him from overseas that Jaden officially got with me. He moved me into his massive three-story villa and showered me with gold bars and luxury jewelry until my hands were full. So honestly? I never really cared that he couldn’t let go of Sasha. Our birthdays happened to fall on the exact same day. Every year on October twenty-first, Jaden would fly abroad to spend it with his precious first love. Except this year was different. Sasha had moved back to the States, and Jaden had asked me to move out of his villa. Getting this payout from Sasha was basically pure bonus cash. I quickly composed myself and started feeding her the emotional validation she craved: “I spent a thousand days and nights keeping him company while you were gone! Think about it—if it weren’t for me, some other billionaire heiress would’ve scooped him up by now. If that happened, what chance would you have had? That two hundred and twenty-five thousand was an absolute steal just to buy me out!” Sasha’s expression shifted to a look of realization. “So, can you promise you’ll never contact Jaden again?” I nodded frantically. “I swear! I promise! You saw it yourself—I dumped him and he didn’t even flinch. All I have to do is block his number, and we’ll be total strangers forever—” Just as I pulled out my phone to block him, Jaden’s name flashed across the screen. Panicking, my finger slipped, and I accidentally hit accept. Jaden’s slightly breathless voice came through the speaker: “I just pulled up to your leasing office. Tell me where you want to go. Whatever you want, just say the word.” “Sasha just got back and didn't have a place to crash yet. I only asked you to move out because I didn't want the two of you fighting. I already explained this. Don't ever bring up breaking up again.” Hearing Jaden’s cool, authoritative tone, Sasha’s face darkened completely. She hissed through gritted teeth, “This is what you call being total strangers forever?” I was completely dumbfounded. How was I supposed to know?! Sasha was back, completely single. Why was Jaden still fussing over me like this? Remembering that the money was already mine, I set my jaw and dug my heels in. “Forget it, Jaden. I made myself crystal clear. We are over.”“Why?” My brain short-circuited. I looked at Sasha. “Why?” Sasha whispered under her breath, “Make it quick. Tell him you cheated and fell in love with someone else.” I repeated her words verbatim. There was a dead silence on the other end for a few seconds before he ground out, “You cheated on me... with Sasha?” *Huh?* I whipped my head around to look at Sasha in sheer panic. She glared daggers at me. It was only then I realized Jaden had already walked through the glass doors and spotted us. The air in the room instantly turned suffocatingly awkward. None of us knew what to do. Even Jaden seemed lost on how to handle having his current girlfriend and his ex-first-love in the same room. It took him a long moment to finally force out, “Stop making a scene, both of you! I already told you, Sasha is just my past. Treating her well is just out of friendship. It won’t affect our relationship.” Wait, this wasn't how the script was supposed to go! Wasn’t he supposed to passionately defend his precious white moonlight and publicly humiliate the poor current girlfriend? I had already primed my eyes to shed tears of bitter humiliation! What was I supposed to do now? That money sitting in my pocket suddenly felt blazing hot! Knowing Jaden’s cold demeanor and that he despised dramatic clinginess more than anything, I hardened my heart. I lunged forward, grabbed him by the collar, and unleashed hell: “You lying, unfaithful bastard! You scumbag! You clearly never got over Sasha, but you kept me around just to use my body and toy with my feelings! You owe me an answer right now! Who do you pick—me, or her?!” My shouting turned the heads of every coworker and client in the room. Jaden went pale. He stepped closer, tugging gently on my sleeve. “What are you talking about? Mia, when have I ever lied to you?” Over to the side, Sasha’s eyes welled with tears. “Jaden, I know I shouldn’t have come back and ruined things between you and Mia, but I’d rather you hate me than watch you get played by the wrong person.” “Mia doesn’t love you at all! She’s just using you as an ATM! She literally just told me that if I gave her two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, she’d leave you for good! The card is right there on her!” Before I could even formulate a defense, Jaden spoke up first. “I know. Mia’s only with me for the money. Every single time I flew abroad to spend your birthday with you, I told her beforehand. She took my gold bars and was thrilled.” He turned back to look at me. “Mia, our arrangement was working perfectly. Why the sudden breakup?” “Give the card back to Sasha. Stay by my side. You’ll make a lot more in the long run.” Then, right before my utterly flabbergasted eyes, Jaden reached out, plucked the card from my pocket, handed it right back to Sasha, and prepared to lead me away like it was no big deal at all. I was completely floored! Did he actually care about me, or did he not care at all?! Sasha looked as if she’d been struck by lightning. Overcome with pure rage and shock, her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the floor, clutching her chest and gasping for breath. Only then did Jaden let go of me to rush over and scoop Sasha up, carrying her frantically toward his car. As he brushed past me, he tossed out in a hurried whisper, “This is an emergency, I can’t stay with you. I’m still spending Sasha’s birthday with her the day after tomorrow as planned, but don’t worry—your gift won’t be missing.” I stood there, staring blankly at their retreating figures. Was my gold-digging really that painfully obvious? And what was even more bizarre: if he knew the whole time, why on earth did he publicly choose me over Sasha just now? My phone buzzed with a text from Sasha. Her tone was noticeably humbler this time: *Is the deal still on?* I typed back immediately: *Totally on! Deal is a deal!* The moment she wired the money directly into my checking account, I decisively blocked Jaden on everything. This time, I was cutting ties completely and permanently! Truth be told, even without Sasha’s buyout fee, I hadn’t planned on staying with Jaden anyway. Brandon, my "Pleasant Surprise," had been getting way too clingy lately. The pressure was mounting, and I couldn't juggle them all much longer.Taking the bouquet of flowers Brandon handed me, I let him lean down, lift the hem of my shirt, and stick a heated pad onto my lower abdomen. “Sweetheart, I cleaned up your place. Besides making this spread of your favorite dishes, I also stocked your fridge with three days’ worth of groceries...” The warmth spreading across my skin paired with the aroma of the food instantly melted away my exhaustion. Brandon wasn’t just vastly more domestic than Jaden; his sculpted, Greek-god physique was enough to make any girl drool on the spot. Wait. Hold on! I swallowed hard and blinked. “Aren’t you spending my birthday with me this year?” Ever since Lily, the college girl Brandon had been financially supporting, graduated, his schedule had completely cleared up. He practically begged to see me every single day. Juggling three boyfriends was a thrilling high, but honestly, it was exhausting as hell. I had already decided to keep just one. Jaden, tangled up with his first love, had been painfully crossed off my list first. Brandon, the sweet, domestic dreamboat, had been my top contender. Yet now, guilt flitted across his face as his eyes shifted away. “Lily ran into some trouble with her job. She didn’t pass her probationary period. I need to pull some strings and use my connections to help land her something stable. I probably won’t have any free time over the next few days. And... we’ll have to put the house hunting on hold for a bit longer...” His tone was firm. His mind was already made up. My enthusiasm plummeted instantly. I realized Brandon might actually be worse than Jaden. He had already proposed to me, promising he’d put down a deposit on a house so we could renovate it and move in together once we tied the knot. Except right after he saved up the down payment the first time, he handed it all over to Lily so she could study abroad. He claimed he saw Lily as a little sister and that paying for her education was his moral duty. At first, I thought he was just remarkably responsible. Plus, once Lily graduated, he really hadn’t fussed over her as much, which earned him massive bonus points in my book. Now, after busting his butt to scrape together a down payment again, he was throwing it right back into Lily’s career. If I actually married this guy, would I end up having to use the cash I squeezed out of Jaden to subsidize his charity case? *Knock, knock—* A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. When I opened it, there stood Lily holding a gift, beaming sweetly at me. “Sorry for dropping by unannounced, Mia.” “Brandon’s been stressing himself out trying to sort out my job, pulling all his savings together to work his connections. I knew he wouldn’t have enough cash left to get you a proper gift, so I brought you this fifty-dollar skincare set. You don’t mind, do you?” The heavy, smug provocation in her voice made my face turn cold. Sasha dropped over two hundred grand for her man, and you think fifty bucks is enough to brush me off? I stepped aside, let her in, and immediately looped my arm intimately through Brandon’s right in front of her. “Why would I mind? I’m thrilled you brought me a gift.” “Brandon and I are getting married soon anyway, and once we do, everything he makes is marital property. You better work super hard at your new job, little sis. If you’re foolish enough to fail probation and get fired again, your brother won't have any money left to bail you out.” Lily’s knuckles turned bone-white. “Brandon, just stop helping me. You two aren’t even married yet, and she’s already throwing a fit over you spending money on me! If you actually marry her, who knows what kind of screaming matches she’ll put you through!” Brandon’s smile froze. He didn't take anyone's side, awkwardly heaping food onto both our plates while desperately changing the subject. After dinner, while Brandon was washing dishes, I flashed the massive diamond on my finger, turning it under the light. “Gosh, look at this thing! Wearing a rock this huge every single day is going to exhaust my poor hand.” “Little sis, you better clear your schedule for our wedding day. I’m counting on you to be my maid of honor—” Unable to stomach it any longer, Lily cut me off through clenched teeth. “Brandon won't even buy you a house because every dime he has goes to me! Don't you get who matters most to him yet?” I rubbed my fingers together in the universal gesture for cash. “Oh, I get it completely. Problem is, after being with Brandon for this long, walking away empty-handed just feels... so unfair...” Lily caught on instantly. Gritting her teeth, she wired over the forty thousand dollars she’d set aside for her job search just to get rid of me. Sigh. I suddenly found myself missing Sasha. Still, a few tens of thousands were better than nothing. That night, scanning through my contacts, the only boyfriend left standing was Sean, my "Soulmate." He was also the youngest and hottest of the three!“Wait, seriously? You don’t have time to spend my birthday with me either?” A terrible feeling crept up my spine! Out of three boyfriends, not a single one was panning out. Sean was young, flashy, and intensely romantic. Being around him always brought out that intoxicating, butterfly-filled thrill. He didn’t have any tragic first love hanging over his head, but he was constantly surrounded by girls, perpetually wrapped up in vague, flirty entanglements. After hanging up, we agreed to meet up at a strip mall near his campus. I had barely sat down inside the coffee shop when a young girl marched over to my table, looking furious. “Are you Mia?” “The middle-aged real estate hag who won’t stop clinging to Sean?” My blood instantly boiled! Still, noticing her designer clothes and luxury bag, I tapped into my professional customer-service patience. “I am Mia. And who might you be, sweetheart?” “Bella! Sean’s closest classmate.” She crossed her arms and dropped into the seat across from me. “I’m warning you to leave Sean alone. Everyone on campus laughs at him, saying he’s being kept by an older woman. You’re totally ruining his reputation!” I threw my hands up in pure shock. “I’m not keeping him!” Hand on my heart, my feelings for Sean were the purest of all. There was zero financial entanglement between us—I was purely in it for his god-tier face! Besides, me? Spend money on a man? Never going to happen. Then I vaguely recalled Sean acting like a sweet puppy, trying to cheer me up by gossiping about his college friends. One of them was Bella, who came from a super modest background and was drowning in student loans. That meant the designer labels she was dripping in were almost certainly cheap knockoffs. My interest evaporated instantly. “Hey, I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?” “Sean is only with an old woman like you for the novelty! You’re totally beneath him. Tomorrow he’s coming with me to Comic-Con. You probably don’t even know what Comic-Con is, do you? You’re ancient—you and Sean have absolutely nothing in common—” Before she could finish her sentence, I picked up my iced coffee and threw it right into her face. Sasha and Lily at least put on a show after dropping serious cash. You didn’t give me a single dime, so where do you get the nerve to run your mouth? I wasn't putting up with this crap! “You... you old hag, how dare you—!” Seeing me reach for a piping-hot cup of coffee on the next table, Bella shut her mouth in sheer terror. The guy at the neighboring table happened to be a ridiculously cute young guy. He stared at me with wide eyes. “Damn... that was so badass!” “I overheard everything. You’re not old at all. In fact, you’re way prettier than her.” *Well, well.* Do college boys just naturally have silver tongues these days? Just as I was about to buy him a fresh cup to replace his, Sean sprinted inside and planted himself right between me and the cute stranger, looking hurt and betrayed. “Mia, why are you buying him coffee? I’m your boyfriend!”I had intended to chew him out for flaking on my birthday, but the moment I saw that manga-protagonist face, my irritation melted away. “What kind do you want? My treat, both of you!” Completely ignored, Bella squeezed out a flood of angry tears. “Sean! What’s so great about this crazy bitch anyway?! I just wanted to introduce myself, and she threw coffee at me! I saved my allowance for three whole months just to buy this outfit!” I stared at her in genuine shock. “You saved for three months and bought that piece of trash? Sweetheart, if you’re broke, focus on your grades instead of blowing your money trying to flex!” Bella shrieked hysterically, “Sean, look at her!” Only then did Sean pull Bella to her feet, his eyes crinkling into a soft, soothing smile. “All right, all right, don’t be mad at Mia. She’s only taking it out on you because she’s upset I can’t spend her birthday with her.” “How about I buy you that cosplay outfit you’ve been dying for tomorrow?” The girl immediately blushed and broke into a shy, happy smile, nodding meekly. Sean turned his gaze back to me. “Mia, it’s normal for people our age to have plans. It’s just one birthday. Can’t I make it up to you in a couple of days? I promise I’ll make it unforgettable!” Hearing that instantly reminded me of my last birthday. Claiming he wanted to make it lively and celebrate properly, Sean booked a private karaoke room and invited a dozen of his college buddies. God, they drank like fish! Even with Jaden financing my lifestyle, paying that bar tab made my soul bleed. Then, completely plastered, Sean started playing flirty party games with his female classmates, biting strawberries off another girl’s lips right in front of me. When I pulled him aside to stop him, he whined that I was being a buzzkill. If he hadn’t been so sweet on normal days, would I have ever put up with that garbage? And now, the girl glued to his side was Bella—and she definitely wouldn’t be the last. I had zero energy left to argue. I told them to have fun, turned around, and blocked his number too. I wasn’t even that heartbroken. Going from three boyfriends to zero overnight was just a little disorienting. Yet beneath it all, there was an overwhelming sense of relief. No more keeping my guard up twenty-four-seven, burning through brain cells frantically calculating schedules to make sure none of their dates overlapped. The next day, I was chilling at home on my birthday, happily scrolling for a movie to watch, when a loud banging rattled my front door. I opened it. It was Jaden. He immediately launched into a furious tirade: “Why did you block me and stop answering my calls?! Mia, I made myself crystal clear! Sasha is just a friend! Spending her birthday with her was just honoring a promise I made back then!” “Name your price! How much money will it take for you to pull me off your block list?” I was completely stunned to see Jaden standing on my doorstep on my actual birthday. He grabbed my phone straight out of my hand, pulled up my blocked contacts, and a faint smirk broke through his furious expression. “‘One in a Million Jaden’? Hah, glad to see you still have a conscience—” The next second, his smile froze dead. “Wait. Who the hell is ‘Pleasant Surprise Brandon’ and ‘Soulmate Sean’?!” “That would be me!” Two angry voices roared in unison from down the hallway. My jaw hit the floor. Why were they all here at the exact same time?!