Chapter 194

Robert's POV

I sat in my new office at Howard Technologies, staring at my phone screen.

The notification of Sarah's substantial bank transfer still displayed prominently. This should have elated me, bat instead. I felt strangely calm.The modern office with its floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the space with Manhattan sunlight seemed at odds with my troubled thoughts.

Half of Sarah's assets now rested in my account. The amount was significant-enough to make a real difference for my new business venture.Yet something felt off. The Sarah I knew had never been generous without reason. During the darkest days of my family company's collapse,she had refused to help financially, instead choosing to leave. Now she was suddenly willing to transfer such a large sum?

A soft chime interrupted my thoughts. It was Howard's personal phone-the one he had entrusted to me for our arrangement. I picked it up and saw a message from Sarah: "Are you familiar with the project Robert is working on?"

A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. How interesting. Sarah had just transferred a substantial amount of money to me, and she was already reaching out to Howard to verify the project's viability. This behavior aligned perfectly with her character, but it still stirred a sense of disappointment within me. Perhaps in her eyes, I would never be worthy of trust.

I held Howard's phone, considering how to respond as him. After a moment of thought, I typed: "Do you think a trust fund kid who grew up sheltered, with no work experience, suddenly taking on a new project will

have a high success rate?"

My heart rate quickened slightly. This was a test for Sarah, probing her true opinion of me. If she genuinely cared, how would she respond?

The phone lit up quickly. Sarah's reply appeared: "No. the success rate wouldIn't be high. So why are you willing to dnvest in him?"

I stared at the screen, a complex wave of emotions washing over me. She had agreed with the negative assessment without hesitation. I had expected her to defend me, at least nominally, but she hadn't. This confirmed once again that Sarah had never truly believed in my abilities.

"Although the Johnson family company went bankrupt, their network connections still hold value," I replied, mimicking Howard's pragmatic thinking.

She responded immediately: "You want to use Robert's connections?"

I set Howard's phone down without replying further. Honestly,her answer left a bitter taste in my mouth. My family's connections? Where were those so-called "connections" when our company was on the brink of bankruptcy? If they had been as valuable as she implied, I wouldn't have fallen to this position in the first place.

Shortly afterward, my personal phone received a message from Sarah: "Why don't you return the money to me?"

A soft laugh escaped me. Just one statement from "Howard" had sent her into a panic. This woman, whom I once considered the most important person in my life, was so easily manipulated. I felt both dlisappointed and relieved,realizing how flimsy my position in her heart truly was.

Without hesitation,I asked for her banking information and immediately transferred all the money back to her. The funds had remained in my account for less than three hours. Once. I had dreamed of rebuilding a relationship with Sarah, believing there was still a possibility between us.But now. I only felt a sense of lightness,as if a long-carried burden had been lifted from my shoulders.

Upon returning home that evening. I sent Sarah a message: "Check if you've received the money."

Her reply was brief: "Received."

I stared at this single word, feeling its coldness. Once, Sarah's every message had been full of life; now, only utilitarian brevity remained. I decided to try once more, to see if she still harbored any genuine concern for me.

"If you need any help in the future, just let me know. If I can help, I certainly will," I wrote, hoping to see some warmth in her response.

"Okay. I have a lot of work to handle now. I need to get back to work,"she replied almost immediately, ending the conversation with a businesslike tone.

I set down my phone as a wave of emptiness washed over me. Howard had warned me about Sarah's true nature, bout I had been unwilling to believe it. Now, the truth stood clearly before me. Sarah had never truly loved me;she only loved herself.

Just as I was preparing to put this relationship behind me,my phone lit up again. Sarah had sent another message:"I'm curious why you were willing to return the money to me. Aren't you short on cash? Wouldn't it be better to keep my money to develop your business?" I gazed at this message, suddenly understanding her intention. She wasn't genuinely concerned about me; she had begun to doubt what "Howard"had told her. She had detected a contradiction and started to suspect that my project might actually have value.

A thought flashed through my mind. Perhaps this was the last chance to test whether Sarah truly cared about me, rather than just her own interests.

I decided to give her a perfect excuse, to see how she would respond.

"Of course that would be better. But Sarah, we already have one child together. And now you have another one in your belly. While thinking about myself. I also need to consider you and our children. If this project succeeds, that's great. But what if I fail? I can continue to live a hard life.But what about you and the children? Would you struggle alongside me?"

After sending this message. I felt an inner calm. Not because I expected any particular response, but because I had finally allowed myself to face reality. Regardless of Sarah's answer, I already knew the truth.

"Thank you," her reply came, simple and swift.

Just that? No emotion, no genuine expression of feeling? I stared at these two words, finally letting go completely. Sarah had never truly cared about me, and even now, her response came only because her interests had been satisfied.

"It's what I should do," I replied calmly.