Eight Years Wasted,The Billionaire's Secret GirlfriendChapter 1
I chased Alfred Henson for eight years.
Everyone said I was his little shadow, trailing behind him wherever he went.
But on his twenty-seventh birthday, I stopped following. If anything, I found myself instinctively avoiding him.
He noticed.
That day, he stepped in front of me with a cold expression, blocking my path. Then, for the first time in all the years I'd known him, he actually offered an explanation.
"I didn't stand you up on purpose. Maud was sick. She's all alone in this city with no one to turn to. I had to take care of her."
"Things were hectic, and I forgot to let you know. That was my fault."
So it was because of Maud Matthews. Again.
I shook my head lightly. "It's fine."
After all, I was marrying someone else next week. After that, we'd be strangers.
——
Seeing how reasonable I was being, no tantrum, no scene like the ones I used to make, Alfred raised an eyebrow. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, though underneath it, I caught the faintest trace of relief.
"Maria, I knew you wouldn't take it to heart."
"To make it up to you, tonight I'll take you to a movie—"
I shook my head before he could finish.
"No need. Go take care of whatever you need to."
"Your time is valuable. You shouldn't waste it on me."
Alfred stared at me in silence for a long time, his brow furrowing again.
"Maria Sullivan, what's gotten into you?"
He probably thought I was being too agreeable. Unreasonably so.
Maybe it even unsettled him.
That was fair.
Because for the past eight years, everyone around us knew the same thing: Maria Sullivan was the shadow Alfred Henson couldn't shake, following him with tireless, unwavering devotion.
It started when I was nineteen. I'd been working a part-time job when a group of drunks nearly dragged me into a dead-end alley. Alfred appeared out of nowhere, like some kind of hero dropping from the sky, and saved me.
After that, every time I looked at him, my eyes lit up like stars.
When he started his internship at a company, I pretended to pick up a part-time gig nearby and trailed him at a careful distance. When he met clients at five-star hotels, I stood outside handing out flyers, craning my neck every few seconds to catch a glimpse of him through the doors. When he got into a fight, I was the first one to throw myself in front of him.