The Kept Woman's Diary Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Right before the end of the year, I lost my job. I was scrolling through an online forum looking for work when I stumbled upon a thread:

[What's the fastest way for a girl to make money?]

There was a highly upvoted comment near the top.

[Find a sugar daddy, obviously! Mine gives me ten grand a month. He remembers exactly what I like to eat and knows exactly when my period is. His sex drive is just insanely high, he always begs for it and keeps me up all night... but he's super handsome~]

Someone replied:

[Where do you even find a sugar daddy like that? Is he single?]

She replied: [He has a girlfriend, but he hasn't touched her in a long time. He told me she just lays there like a dead fish in bed, totally boring.]

[As for how we met, he accidentally rear-ended my car while he was on a business trip in Miami this year.]

My breath caught in my throat. This March, Arthur Sterling had rear-ended a girl's car while on a business trip in Miami.

My fingertips went ice cold. I kept scrolling down.

[Today I just mentioned I wasn't feeling well, and he ditched his girlfriend to take me purse shopping!]

Attached was a photo of two hands with intertwined fingers. On the man’s index finger, there was a fresh, superficial cut.

It was in the exact same spot where Arthur had cut his finger while slicing fruit for me this morning.

* * *

I slammed my phone face-down on my lap, my heart pounding violently against my ribs.

I squeezed my eyes shut, telling myself it couldn't be him.

Not the Arthur Sterling who would tuck my freezing feet into his shirt on cold winter nights.

Not the Arthur Sterling who remembered every single thing I liked, whose eyes practically glowed whenever he talked about me.

We had been together for seven years. Our lives had completely melted into one another.

Besides, our engagement party was the day after tomorrow.

He had personally designed the invitations.

It had to be a coincidence.

I took a few deep breaths and opened the top comment again.

The replies underneath were a chaotic mix of jealousy and vicious insults.

But her responses only grew more and more arrogant.

[Why are you all so bitter? His girlfriend takes up the space but doesn't know how to serve him. She deserves to be tossed aside. Men want passion, not a wooden statue.]

[My sugar daddy even used his connections to get his girlfriend fired, just so he could give me her position at the company.]

[His girlfriend is unemployed now, so he only gives her five grand a month, but he gives me ten grand~]

Every single word felt like a physical stab to the chest.

A week ago, I was fired from my job without cause.

HR just gave me some vague excuse about "upper management decisions."

I went home and cried in Arthur’s arms, feeling incredibly wronged.

He kissed the top of my head and said:

"It's just a job, babe. If it's gone, it's gone. From now on, I'll give you five thousand dollars a month."

"You can just stay home, arrange flowers, and binge-watch Netflix. If you get bored, go shopping or get afternoon tea."

When I told him I didn't want to be a useless pet he kept around, he just laughed and replied:

"I love keeping you. I only want to keep you."

Only want to keep you.

The words were still ringing in my ears, but now they made my entire body shiver with cold.

My hands trembled as I clicked on "Miss Peach's" profile.

Her latest post.

[Day 244 of being spoiled by my man. I casually said this looked pretty, and the next second he was taking it home for me~]

The photo showed a man from behind, paying at a luxury checkout counter.

When Arthur left the house this morning, he wasn't wearing that suit.

But that silhouette... I could trace it perfectly with my eyes closed.

My stomach violently churned. I kept scrolling down.

[Day 215 of being spoiled by my man. They're getting engaged, but I'M the one who designed the invitations! Because I love honeysuckle flowers~ Ta-da, aren't they gorgeous?]

The invitation she posted was completely identical to the one sitting in my desk drawer.

When Arthur handed it to me, his eyes were brimming with deep affection.

"Honeysuckle. It blooms even through the harshest winter. It symbolizes unwavering loyalty and an unbreakable bond."

Loyalty. Unbreakable bond.

How incredibly ironic.

[Day 198 of being spoiled by my man. Today is his seven-year anniversary with his girlfriend, but he ditched her to come to the movies with me!]

I remembered that day.

I took the day off work, cooked all his favorite dishes, ordered a custom cake, bought a gift, and lit expensive aromatherapy candles.

All I got was an apologetic phone call.

"A crisis came up at the company, babe. I have to handle it. I'll be home late."

I hadn't suspected a thing. I even told him to make sure he didn't work too hard.

My fingertips were freezing. I could barely hold onto the phone.

I kept scrolling, all the way down to her very first post.

[Met my absolute dream guy today! He accidentally scratched my car, but he was so polite and insisted on taking me to the hospital to get checked out... but I think he has a girlfriend. Whatever! Letting a top-tier man like this slip away would be a crime! Operation: Steal the Boyfriend has commenced!]

Edited on March 4th, 2025.

The exact day Arthur rear-ended that girl's car.

"Urgh—"

I sprinted to the bathroom and vomited until the world spun.

Tears and snot covered my face.

The woman in the mirror had bloodshot eyes. She looked like a complete lunatic.

So this was the truth.

244 days. Seven months and twenty-two days.

Every single night he was "working late," "entertaining clients," or had "an emergency."

Every time my heart ached for how hard he was working... he was in another woman's bed.

Even the job I cherished so much—he personally destroyed it, just for her.

And he knew exactly how much that job meant to me!

After a long time, I pushed myself up from the floor and took screenshots of every single post.

When Arthur finally came home.

He was still wearing the suit he left in this morning. He didn't smell like anything suspicious.

He was carrying takeout from the Sichuan seafood place across town.

The exact place I had casually mentioned wanting to eat last night.

Seeing my red eyes, he quickly walked over and cupped my face.

"What's wrong? Were you watching one of those sad movies again?"

Before I could answer, the doorbell rang.

He frowned slightly. "Might be the building manager. Let me go check."

When he opened the door, a sweet, playful female voice drifted in.

"Hi there, delivery delivery!"

The voice sounded exactly like Miss Peach from the videos on her profile.

Arthur’s body went completely rigid for a split second. He quickly muttered a "thank you," shut the door, and walked over holding two cups of bubble tea.

"I saw a huge line at that boba place while I was driving past, and I figured you might want some, so I DoorDashed it. I didn't want the fish to get cold while I waited in line."

His explanation was absolutely flawless.

I looked up, staring deeply into his eyes.

"Arthur, is there something you're hiding from me?"