Chapter 134

Robert Johnson's POV

I stared at the message on my phone screen, my brow furrowing. Sarah had just sent a new text to the Howard Thompson account on my phone.This account was specifically created at Howard's request for the purpose of communicating with Sarah.

I read her message: "Philip visits yourcompany looking for Annie every day. This must be quite annoying for you, right?"

The moment I saw this message, a painful realization struck me-after our breakup. Sarah had immediately begun pursuing various wealthy,powerful men. When my family's company declared bankruptcy, she left without a second thought. She only formally ended our relationship after confirming Philip genuinely wanted her.

I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. I had taken Sarah's feelings so seriously.: During our years together, I gave her everything she wanted unconditionally-mansions,luxury cars,jewelry,vacations-anything she pointed to, I immediately purchased.

But what was the result? When I loved her wholeheartedly, she was coldly calculating her benefits-as long as she could extract enough money from me,she would remain by my side. She never truly had a heart.

Just five minutes earlier, Sarah had told me in our private chat-the regular conversation between her and the real Robert Johnson-that she was tired and going to bed. Logically, she should be sound asleep right now, not energetically messaging "Howard." This stark contrast further confirmed Sarah's true nature.

1 didn't immediately reply to her message, instead quietly staring at the screen, my emotions churning. After a while, I saw Sarah had sent another message:

"I think Annie has no self-respect. Even though she already has an excellent man like you, she's still secretly in contact with her ex-husband."

Followed quickly by: "Unlike me... even though I have a boyfriend,I still maintain my dignity."

Reading these words, I couldn't help but laugh out loud: Sarah clearly believed she was communicating with the real Howard,completely unaware that it was actually me representing him. Howard had assigned me to manage this account precisely because he wanted to understand Sarah's genuine thoughts without directly engaging with her. The difference in Sarah's attitude toward different identities was so extreme it was almost absurd.

I had always thought Sarah maintained contact with me after our breakup because somewhere deep down she still loved me and couldn't completely let go. Perhaps, I consoled myself, I meant more to her than just money and status.

But now it seemed this was merely wishful thinking. Sarah was simply maintaining minimal investment to keep her mnost devoted admirer-me-on standby. If I ever managed to rebuild my family business and restore my wealth, she would likely return to my arms without hesitation. Howard understood this perfectly, which was one reason he assigned me to communicate with Sarah.

This realization brought a suffocating pain. I took a deep breath to calm myself, then began to reply: "Aren't you also in contact with me?"

Sarah immediately explained: "I contact you only because we're in similar situations."

"I don't think so," I responded with slight irritation.

I said this partly to provoke her, but mostly because I felt grateful toward Annie. It was a memory I preferred notato revisit-Philip had once delivered a drugged Annie to my studio, attempting to create a scandal.But even in that state, Annie maintained her clear judgment, saving not only herself but also me, preventing me from unknowingly making an irreparable mistake. That experience gave me profound insight into what an intelligent and strong woman Annie was. Afterward, I clearly saw that Annie had completely given up on Philip.

A new message from Sarah appeared on screen: "Perhaps Annie and Philip still have feelings for each other. They secretly contact each other without your knowledge... otherwise, why would someone as busy as Philip have time to visit your company to see Annie every day?"

I felt an ünprecedented revulsion. Sarah had already taken Philip from Annie-wasn't that enough? Now she wanted to steal Annie's current boyfriend, Howard. And then what? If Annie found another partner afterward, would Sarah continue to pursue like a predator?

With so many excellent men in the world, why did Sarah specifically target Annie's partners? What psychological mechanism lay behind such behavior? Was it pure malice,or some pathological competitive psychology?

I stared at the screen, feeling a wave of disgust, then decided to end the conversation: "Speaking like this in front of me only makes you appear despicable."

With that, I exited the chat application without waiting for Sarah's

response. I could imagine she might be surprised by "Howard's" defense of Annie, but I couldn't and didn't want to guess her specific thoughts.

I picked up my water glass from the table and walked to the window.Through the glass, I could see Manhattan's lights twinkling in the night.This city had witnessed my rise and fall-from heir to a family enterprise to now a bankrupt man.

I set down my phone and leaned back on the sofa, feeling a strange calmness. These disingenuous exchanges with Sarah left me exhausted, but they also gave me a clearer understanding of our long-finished relationship.

I picked up the documents from the table-an investment proposal Howard had sent. Even though my family business had gone bankrupt,Howard still valued my expertise and experience in the technology sector.This investment would help me start anew, creating my own small startup.Though its seale couldn't compare to what I had before, it represented a fresh beginning, independent of my family's reputation.

I glanced at my phone as Howard messaged asking about Sarah's reactions today. I briefly summarized our conversation, then added:"I'll continue this work, but hopefully not for too long."

Howard's reply came quickly: "Thank you, Robert. You're doing Annie and me a great favor. Tomorrow we can discuss investment details."

This simple affirmation brought a touch of warmth. I had lost everything once, but perhaps I was finding what truly mattered-honesty, dignity,and genuine professional respect. Even if Sarah only saw my wealth,people like Howard saw my abilities and value.