Chapter 1 Day 1712

A rain had just passed, bringing the temperature down to a pleasant coolness. That night, at the Bulgari Hotel.

On the 13th floor, the banquet hall was filled with elegantly dressed guests, the air rich with an intoxicatingly sweet fragrance. Pink and white flowers, along with balloons, decorated the entire space in the dreamlike vision of a young girl's fantasy. In the corner, a violinist played gracefully, while waiters in tailcoats pushed a swan-shaped cake slowly into the room.

Every detail of the evening showcased the grandeur of a birthday celebration belonging to none other than the cherished daughter of The Green family-someone born with a diamond spoon in her mouth, whose greatest challenge in life seemed to be figuring out how to enjoy it to the fullest.

Guests, led by attentive servers, took turns approaching the star of the evening to offer their well wishes.

Surrounded by a group of young socialites, Miss Green, the birthday girl, maintained her graceful demeanor, accepting each guest's greetings with a polite smile. Until, in the midst of all the greetings and well-mannered exchanges, she caught sight of a figure approaching her from the distance-

The sweet smile on Miss Green's face faltered slightly.

The same momentary pause in expression was mirrored by the girls standing beside her.

Together, they regarded the approaching figure, a subtle crease forming between some brows. Their gazes unconsciously traveled from the ground up, carrying the kind of innate arrogance that came with their status, scrutinizing the woman walking toward them-

A knee-length pink dress in a ladylike style, a white shell clutch in hand, a pearl necklace of a design beloved by older generations, long hair half-pinned back with a delicate clip, and white chunky-heeled Mary Jane shoes that prioritized comfort over elegance.

Each piece on its own was undeniably expensive. Yet, when worn together, in a place like this-Miss Green's high-society birthday gala-there was only one phrase that came to mind, a phrase often seen online, slightly cruel in its description: "Exquisitely Tacky."

It was a look that had clearly been carefully put together, with every detail painstakingly considered. And yet, despite all that effort, she still stuck out like a sore thumb. No matter how polished, she simply did not belong.

-

Shirley held her shell clutch as she walked up to Eva.

She pretended not to notice the ambiguous glances thrown her way, accepted a glass of white champagne from a waiter, and, as one of the invited guests of the evening, smiled sweetly and sincerely as she offered her birthday wishes.

Eva only snapped out of her daze when one of her friends nudged her lightly.

Quickly regaining her composure, she reached for Shirley's hand with an affectionate warmth, as if the two of them were the closest of friends. They exchanged pleasantries, promising to meet for shopping soon. Only after Shirley's figure disappeared into the crowd did Eva's fixed smile finally fade.

Her friends, who had remained quiet up until now, took sips from their glasses and finally voiced the question they had been holding in:

"Eva, why did you even invite her?"

Eva withdrew her gaze and let out a small sigh. "Daddy and Mommy made me do it."

"They said that, regardless of everything, she's been Lucas' official girlfriend for years now. Just in case she does somehow become Mrs. William one day, it's better to start building connections early."

"...Oh, come on."

"Are your parents serious?"

"Shirley getting with Lucas was already the luckiest thing to ever happen to her. Does she actually think she has a chance of becoming Mrs. William? I haven't worn a dress that tacky since elementary school."

"That necklace? Even my mom would call it outdated. Does she think dressing like a socialite means she is one? There's no way she's ending up as Mrs. William."

"Yeah, being his public girlfriend doesn't mean a thing. Word is, Lucas has never even introduced her to his family. Obviously, he has no intention of taking her seriously, and The William family would never accept her as a daughter-in-law."

"She just got lucky meeting Lucas as an exchange student. What else does she have?"

The moment the words "Mrs. William" were uttered, the girls immediately began chattering away. The elegant notes of the violin in the background provided the perfect contrast to their whispers, as every pair of eyes once again landed on the only "exquisitely tacky" figure in the room-the one in the pink, ladylike dress that no actual lady of high society would ever wear.

Their minds drifted back to five years ago, when B City's elite social circles were shaken by the news: The heir of The William family, during his time as an exchange student, had actually been "snatched up" by some unknown classmate.

The girls, usually composed and poised, struggled to maintain their expressions at the memory. They could only console themselves with the thought-

A woman from a small, insignificant background will never truly belong. She'll be cast aside eventually.

-

The birthday banquet lasted until nearly nine in the evening.

Eva's close friends left to continue the celebrations at an exclusive after-party, while most other guests began making their polite exits.

The back seat of the Rolls-Royce was spacious.

Shirley, of course, wasn't among the crowd heading off for an all-night party. Finally free from the event, she collapsed into the car's back seat and tossed her clutch aside.

The driver glanced back from the front. "Shall I take you back to First-Class Residence?"

"Mm," Shirley hummed. She pulled out her phone, intending to scroll through social media for a bit of mindless relaxation. But the moment she opened Facebook, she saw a post from Eva, uploaded just ten minutes ago-a nine-grid collage from tonight's luxurious celebration, captioned:

"I don't need a lot of money. I just want a lot of love."

"..."

The slight upward curve of Shirley's lips froze in place.

Her fleeting good mood vanished.

The car drove smoothly along the quiet city roads. Streetlights passed by in even intervals, the full moon hanging high above-a news broadcast had even announced that tonight marked the largest full moon in half a year.

But Shirley didn't look out at the moon.

She hated these socialite gatherings, hated playing along with shallow small talk. The whole evening, she had worn the role of "Lucas' obedient girlfriend," and the effort had drained her. Just as she had hoped to rest, Eva's ridiculous post lingered in her mind like a curse.

"Girls like that just need a couple of acres of farmland to plow."

Her irritation surged. She rolled her eyes so hard she practically sprained something. If she could, she'd grab Eva by her perfectly styled hair and tell her-"If you don't need money, then hand it over. I don't need love, I just need a lot of money."

But instead of causing a scene, she simply scrolled to her Days Matter app, where only one countdown existed:

"Days waiting for Lucas' breakup payout: 1712."

-

Then came the message from Lucas' assistant, Liam.

Lucas' business trip had ended early. His flight would land at 1 a.m. tonight. He was coming home.

The elevator doors opened.

But Shirley didn't step out.

Her fingers tightened around her phone, reading the message again. And again. Until the reality sank in-

Lightning cracked through her brain.

She braced herself against the wall, lifting her head to face the vast, empty silence.

Not only was she still unable to clock out of this job,

She might have to work overtime.