I dated a school bad boy to make easy money, but the unexpected happened. Hello, my name is Maya and I need to tell you a story that still leaves me in disbelief about what happened. You know when you think you know the people around you and suddenly discover there’s a whole secret world functioning right under your nose? That’s exactly what happened to me in my second year of university.

I had always been the good girl of the group. While my roommates went out to parties and came back with crazy stories, I stayed studying to maintain my scholarship. Not that I was antisocial, but I simply didn’t have money to keep up with their lifestyle. Working part-time at the university library barely covered my basic expenses.

Everything changed on a Thursday afternoon when I arrived early from work and found Madison. Harper and Luna gathered in the living room, whispering as if they were planning a bank heist. They stopped talking the second they saw me. “Maya, I didn’t know you had already arrived,” said Madison, quickly hiding some papers behind her back.

Madison had always been the most dramatic of the three, with her perfectly wavy blonde hair and a collection of purses that cost more than my rent. “What are you guys plotting?” I asked, dropping my backpack on the floor. I had known these girls for over a year and knew when they were hiding something. Harper, who was normally the most direct of the group, exchanged a look with Luna before sighing.

“Okay, Maya, sit down. I think it’s time you knew.” What they told me in the next 30 minutes turned my world upside down. Apparently, the three had discovered a scheme they called the system. Everything revolved around Ethan, the richest bad boy at our university. He’s the son of a tech magnate, explained Luna, playing with her dark hair.

And he has this weird thing with relationships. He pays girls to date him for a few weeks and then receives a generous amount when they break up. You guys are kidding me, I said. But the seriousness on their faces told me otherwise. Madison pulled an envelope from among the papers. $5,000 Maya. That’s what I received when I broke up with him last month. Harper received 4.

5,000 in March and Luna 6,000 in January. My head was spinning. But why does he do this? Nobody knows for sure. Harper admitted. Some people say he has trust issues because of his family. Others think he just likes having control over everything, including relationships. And how does it work? I asked, still processing the information.

It’s pretty simple, Luna explained. You approach him, flirt a little, get his number, you go out for two or 3 weeks. You act like a normal girlfriend. Nothing too serious, of course, and then you break up with him. He doesn’t get upset. Actually, he seems relieved. Then he gives you the money and that’s it. Madison leaned forward.

Maya, you’re always complaining about money. This could be your chance to breathe a little financially. But isn’t this wrong? I asked, although I could already feel a part of me considering the possibility. He’s offering,” said Harper. “It’s not like we’re stealing from him. It’s an agreement between adults.

” They told me the details. Ethan liked smart girls, but not two intimidating ones. He always took them to the same amusement park on the first date. Apparently, it was some kind of test. And he had some strange quirks, like always paying for everything and never letting the girls pay for even a soda. “The key is not to seem too interested in the money,” Madison advised.

“He hates when it’s obvious that it’s because of the cash. and don’t try to change him.” Luna added, “Some girls think they’re going to be special, that they’ll be the only one he’ll really want. It doesn’t work that way. I spent the entire night awake thinking about the proposal. $5,000 would solve so many problems. I could stop working at the library, focus more on studies, maybe even get an unpaid internship somewhere nice during the summer.

” The next morning, the girls were waiting for me in the kitchen with coffee and toast. So asked Madison anxious. I’m going to try, I finally said. But if this goes wrong, you guys are the ones who will explain to my parents why I was expelled from university. They laughed and started giving me tips on how to approach Ethan. He always had lunch alone at the corner table in the cafeteria.

Always wore a black leather jacket. Always read some book while eating. He’s handsome, Harper admitted. Very handsome, actually. So it won’t be hard to pretend you’re interested. Just remember, said Luna. Two or three weeks maximum. Don’t try to stretch it because he’ll notice. Two hours later, I was standing at the entrance of the cafeteria watching Ethan from afar. He really was impressive.

Tall, dark hair, slightly messy, and there was something magnetic about him that made other girls look when they passed by his table. I took a deep breath and walked up to him. “Sorry to bother you,” I began, holding my tray tightly. “You’re Ethan, right?” We’re in the same American literature class. He looked up from his book.

He was reading Carowak, I noticed, and gave me a smile that made my stomach do a flip. Maya, you always sit in the second row and ask questions the professor can’t answer. I was surprised he knew my name. You noticed that? I noticed many things, he said, closing the book. Want to sit? And so it all began.

We talked for 20 minutes about Carowak, about the university, about nothing and everything at the same time. He was funny, intelligent, and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. “When I got up to leave,” he asked, “Are you free tomorrow night?” “I am,” I replied, trying to sound casual. “Great. I’ll pick you up at 7.

” He scribbled his number on a napkin. “And Maya, wear something comfortable. We’re going for a motorcycle ride.” As I walked back to the dorm, I still couldn’t believe it had worked. Ethan had asked me out. The girls were right. It had been easier than I imagined, but I still didn’t know that nothing about Ethan would be as I imagined.

The next night, I was nervous like never before. I had chosen jeans, boots, and a leather jacket borrowed from Madison. When I heard the motorcycle noise outside, my heart raced. Ethan was leaning against the Harley with an extra helmet in his hand. He smiled when he saw me. Ready for an adventure? Ready? I lied. Because I had never ridden a motorcycle in my life.

The trip to the amusement park was quite an experience. Ethan drove confidently through the city streets and for a moment I completely forgot why I was there. The feeling of freedom was incredible. First time? He asked when we got off the motorcycle. Was it that obvious? You almost broke my ribs from squeezing so hard. He laughed.

But it was brave to accept even so. The amusement park was full of students and couples. Ethan bought wristbands for all the rides and started dragging me to the most radical roller coaster. Ethan, wait. I said, stopping abruptly when I saw the height of the attraction. I don’t I’m not really a fan of heights. Really? He seemed genuinely surprised.

I thought after the motorcycle you’d be up for anything. Motorcycle is different. We’re on the ground. That thing there, I pointed to the roller coaster, is a de@th machine disguised as fun. He laughed out loud. Okay, no roller coaster. How about there? He pointed to the drop tower, which looked even scarier.

“Ethan, trust me,” he said, taking my hand. “Sometimes facing fear is the best part.” And then something happened that changed everything. While we were in line for the drop tower, Ethan turned to me with a serious expression. “Maya, can I ask you a question?” “Sure. Did Madison, Harper, and Luna tell you about their system?” My bl00d froze.

“What? You know exactly what I’m talking about,” he said. But his voice didn’t sound angry. The question is, are you here because of that? I could have lied. Could have pretended I didn’t know what he was talking about. But something in the way he looked at me made me be honest. Yes, I admitted, lowering my head. Sorry, I You don’t need to apologize, he interrupted.

I just wanted to know where we stood. When our turn came on the tower, he helped me sit in the seat and leaned in to whisper in my ear. This tower has a nickname on campus. Did you know that? What? Breakup tower? They say all couples who go up together break up before the end of the month. My breathing became heavy. And it wasn’t just because of the height.

Why are you telling me this? Because, he said while the safety guards checked our belts, “I want you to know that I know exactly what’s happening here.” The tower shot up and for a few seconds I screamed, not just from fear, but from total confusion. When we came down, I was shaking and Ethan helped me out of the seat. “Ethan, I can explain.

You don’t need to,” he said, guiding me to a bench. “But now that cards are on the table, how about we talk about how this is really going to work?” 3 days later, Ethan invited me to brunch at the most expensive cafe in the city. I arrived expecting a normal conversation. Maybe him giving me the rules of the game like the girls had described, but Ethan never did anything as expected.

“Maya,” he said as soon as I sat down. “I need to change the rules.” “What rules?” I asked, feigning innocence. You know exactly which rules. He took a sip of coffee. Your friend’s scheme. Two weeks of fake dating, $5,000. Buy and thanks. I felt my face heat up. Ethan, I Listen, I’m not judging. Actually, I’m impressed.

You four created a pretty efficient system. He leaned forward. But I have a different proposal. My heart raced. Different. How? Four months of dating real. Then public engagement. And when it’s all over, $300,000. For a moment, I thought I had heard wrong. 300,000. 300,000? He confirmed. But it’s not the same game as your friends. It would be real dating, Maya.

Going out, meeting friends, meeting my family. You’d have to be available when I needed attend events, be a real girlfriend. My head was spinning. But why? Because, he said, stirring his sugar. My father is pressuring me to settle down. He thinks a serious relationship would make me more responsible.

And you are different from the other girls. Different how? You’re real, Maya. You don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. He paused. And you really need the money, not just to buy expensive purses. I didn’t know whether to be offended or impressed by his honesty. And after the 4 months, we break up. You keep the money. I’m free from my father for a while.

Everyone wins. Public engagement just for credibility. It doesn’t have to be real real, just convincing. He pulled an envelope from his coat pocket. Here’s the contract. You have until dawn to decide. I took the envelope with trembling hands. Ethan, this is crazy. Yes, I know. He called the waiter. But think about it, Maya. $300,000.

You can finish university without worrying about money, go to graduate school, start adult life the right way. I spent the rest of the day reading and rereading the contract. Everything was there. Formally written by some expensive lawyer. four months of exclusive relationship, public appearances when necessary, meeting his family, and in the end, 300,000 clean dollars.

The girls were shocked when I told them. Maya, that’s 60 times more than any of us received, said Madison incredulous. But 4 months? Luna shook her head. That’s a long time to pretend. What if you fall in love? asked Harper. Always the practical one. I won’t fall in love, I replied too quickly. It’s just a job, a very well-paid job.

But as I spoke, I remembered the way Ethan had held my hand on the drop tower, how he had looked at me when I confessed about the plan. There was something about him that intrigued me, something that went beyond the rich bad boy everyone knew. I spent the night awake, calculating and recalculating. $300,000. I could pay all my family’s debts, help my parents with the house, have a secure future.

But four months pretending to love someone that was totally different from what the girls had done. In the morning, I picked up the phone at 6:00 in the morning. Ethan, it’s me, Maya. And his voice sounded tired, as if he hadn’t slept either. I accept. There was a long pause. Are you sure? I am. When do we start? Today.

I’ll pick you up at 2 to meet some friends of mine. Maya, yes. Thank you. The first weeks were strange. Ethan really took the real dating part seriously. He picked me up for dinner, introduced me as his girlfriend to everyone. Remembered small details about me that even my friends forgot. “How do you know I like iced coffee instead of hot?” I asked one afternoon when he showed up at the library with my favorite drink.

“You always order iced coffee when we go out,” he replied as if it were obvious. “But you pay attention to these things, Maya. If we’re going to do this, let’s do it right.” He sat across from me. Besides, it’s impossible not to pay attention to you. Moments like this confused me. There was something in his voice, in the way he looked at me, that seemed too genuine to be part of the act.

And then there were the moments when he opened up to me, like the night we were in his apartment watching a movie and he started talking about family. My father never had a normal relationship in his life, he said without taking his eyes off the screen. He always treated love like a business transaction. My mother only stayed with him because of the money and everyone knew it. How terrible, I murmured.

Yeah, I think that’s why I never managed to believe that someone could like me without financial interest. He looked at me. At least with you, I know where I stand. But there was something in the way he said this that made me feel bad. As if our honesty about money was at the same time what brought us together and what separated us.

By the end of the first month, I was completely confused about my feelings. Ethan was funny, intelligent, attentive. He made me feel special in a way I had never experienced, but there was always the shadow of the agreement hovering over us. Maya, he said one night when we were walking around campus, can I ask you a personal question? Sure.

If it weren’t for the money, would you date me? The question caught me off guard. Ethan, just answer. Honestly, I thought for a moment. Yes, I admitted. I think I would, even knowing my reputation. Your reputation is kind of exaggerated, I said. You’re not the bad boy everyone thinks you are. No, no, you’re just a guy with money who’s afraid of being used.

I stopped walking and turned to him. But everyone is afraid of something, Ethan. And you? What are you afraid of? Of not being good enough, I replied without thinking. Of always being the poor girl trying to fit into a world that isn’t hers. He took my hand. Maya, you’re the most real person I know. Never change who you are because of money.

But I’m literally being paid to date you, I laughed. But there was no humor in my voice. No, he said seriously. You’re being paid to stay with me. But the way you are, how you treat me, that’s real. I can feel the difference. That night, for the first time, I allowed myself to think that maybe this was more than a business agreement.

Maybe there was something real growing between us, something that transcended the $300,000. But I still didn’t know that Ethan was fighting with the same feelings and that this was scaring him much more than he let on. On Thursday of the sixth week, Ethan disappeared. He simply stopped responding to messages, didn’t show up at university, didn’t answer calls.

“I didn’t know whether I should be worried or upset.” “Maybe he’s testing you,” Madison suggested when I told the girls. “Seeing if you’ll chase after him, or maybe he got bored,” said Luna. “6 weeks is a long time for him.” But Harper, who knew me better, noticed something different.

Maya, you’re in love with him. I’m not. I lied. You are. Look how nervous you are. If it were just about the money, you’d be irritated, not worried. She was right. I was genuinely worried about Ethan, not about the agreement. After 2 days without news, I decided to go to his apartment. He answered the door looking like he hadn’t slept in days.

Maya, what are you doing here? You disappeared, I said. I thought you might be de@d. Sorry. He stepped aside to let me in. I just needed some time. Time for what? He threw himself on the couch, running his hands through his hair. To think about all this, the agreement? No, Maya. About you? About us? He looked at me with an expression I had never seen before.

About how I feel when I’m with you. My heart raced. Ethan, I know this wasn’t in the contract, he continued. But I can’t pretend anymore that this is just a business agreement. At least not on my part. I sat next to him on the couch. So, what do you want to do? I don’t know. This is the first time in my life I really like someone, and I have no idea how to deal with it.

He laughed without humor. Pathetic, right? It’s not pathetic. It’s human. My father always said that feelings are dangerous in business, that they make you make bad decisions. But this isn’t business, Ethan. Not anymore, isn’t it? He looked at me, “Then explained to me why you’re here, Maya.

Why you’re being so patient with me? Why you didn’t run away when you found out I’m an emotional mess?” The question caught me off guard because I didn’t have a simple answer. Because Because I care about you. Really? Really? I took his hand. Ethan, I entered this agreement for the money. I won’t lie about that. But something changed. I changed.

How did you change? I started caring more about being with you than about what I’m going to get in the end. I took a deep breath. I think I fell in love with you. For a moment, the silence was total. Then Ethan smiled, and it was the most genuine smile I had ever seen from him. Maya, he said, “You’re incredible.” Incredible how.

Incredible because you managed to do something I thought was impossible. You made me believe that maybe I’m more than just my money. We talked until late at night, finally admitting our feelings to each other. When he asked if I wanted to spend the entire weekend there, I said yes without hesitation.

Are you sure? He asked. Don’t you have other things to do? I do, I admitted. But I don’t want to do other things. I want to stay here with you. It was the first time I stayed with him by my own choice, not by contract obligation. And it was the best weekend I had ever had. But good things never last long when you’re in college and the campus is too small for secrets.

On Monday morning, my phone started ringing non-stop. messages, calls, Instagram notifications. When I opened the app, I felt my stomach turn. An anonymous profile had posted a photo of me and Ethan kissing in front of his building, accompanied by a devastating caption. Maya, Ethan’s new girlfriend. Does she know she receives 75K per month to pretend she likes him? Or is this time true love or gold digger or rich boy’s problems, fake relationship? In the comments, people speculated about the real value of the agreement, about

my reputation, about whether I was different from the other girls. Someone had even posted photos of me from work at the library with the caption, “From poor to princess in one relationship.” I ran to Ethan’s apartment, who was already dealing with the situation. He was on the phone with someone, probably a lawyer.

“No, it’s not defamation if it’s true,” he was saying. “But it’s invasion of privacy, and I want to know who did this.” When he saw me, he hung up the phone. Maya, I’m so sorry. How did this leak? I asked, still in shock. I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. He pulled me to the couch. Listen, this will pass.

In a week, everyone will have forgotten. Ethan, everyone at the university knows. My professors, my co-workers, my family is going to see this. Your family? My cousin texted asking if it’s true that I’m dating for money. I felt tears in my eyes. How am I going to explain this to my parents? Ethan was silent for a moment. Maya, can I tell you something about myself? Sure.

My mother did the same thing to me when I was a child. She used me as bargaining chip with my father. Whenever they fought, she said she would take me away if he didn’t give her more money. He stopped as if the words were difficult. I grew up thinking that love was something you bought, not something you felt.

Ethan, when I started making these agreements with girls at university, I thought I was being smart, that I was controlling the situation instead of being controlled by it. He looked at me, but you showed me I was wrong. How? Because you never treated me like a bank. Even knowing about the money, you always treated me like a person. He held my hand.

And when you said you fell in love with me, I believed it because I saw how you look at me. And it’s not how someone looks at a bank account. But now everyone will think I’m like the others. No, Maya. Everyone will think what they want to think, but the people who matter will see the truth. He kissed my forehead.

And the truth is that you’re the most genuine person I know. We spent the rest of the week dealing with staires, whispers, and malicious comments. Some professors treated me differently. Some friends avoided me. But Ethan was right about one thing. The people who really mattered stayed on my side. Harper. Madison and Luna supported me completely.

Maya, everyone who knows you knows you’re not like that, said Harper. You’re the most honest person we know. Besides, added Madison, if you manage to make Ethan really fall in love, you’re a magician. Do you guys think he’s in love? I asked. Maya, said Luna. I dated the guy. He never looked at me the way he looks at you. Not even close.

But even with the girl’s support, I knew the leak had changed everything. It wasn’t just about us too anymore. It was about our reputation, about how people saw us, about how this would affect our future. And I was starting to suspect that someone had leaked the information on purpose, someone who wanted to separate us. The question was, who? The answer to my question came in the form of an envelope left under my room door.

Inside were photos of Ethan with several different girls. Some I recognized from campus. Others were completely unknown. On the back of each photo, someone had written dates and amounts. Sarah, March 2023,4500. Jessica, August 2023, 5200. Along with the photos was a note. Do you really think you’re special? He did this with dozens of girls.

You’re just another one. Leave while you still have dignity. My first instinct was to throw everything in the trash. But something bothered me. The photos seemed too intimate, too personal to be from an outsider. Whoever had done this had access to Ethan’s private moments. The next day, another envelope appeared. This time with prints of text messages supposedly from Ethan’s phone, conversations about payments, and next candidate.

Some messages specifically mentioned Madison, Harper, and Luna. Maya said one of the fake messages found the next one. It’ll be easy to convince. She really needs money. I knew they were fake because I knew Ethan’s way of writing and that wasn’t him. But whoever was doing this was very good at creating convincing evidence.

On the third day, it got personal. My phone started receiving messages from an unknown number. You’re ruining everything. He doesn’t love you. You know that. How long do you think this will last? Leave quietly before everyone finds out you’re a fraud. I told Ethan everything. Who was furious? This has crossed the line, he said, examining the fake photos.

Someone is deliberately trying to separate us. But who would do this? I have some suspicions, he murmured, but didn’t elaborate. The answer came on Thursday when I was studying in the library. A tall blonde girl with a confident posture approached my table. I recognized her immediately. Natasha, Ethan’s ex-girlfriend from the previous year.

Maya, she said, sitting in the chair across from mine without being invited. We need to talk about what? About the system you’re destroying. Natasha leaned forward. You know, there was a perfect balance working here. Girls needed money. Ethan needed temporary company. Everyone wins. And you came and messed everything up. 2 weeks became 4 months.

5,000 became 300,000. Worse yet, you made him believe this is real. I closed my book and stared at her. Natasha, why do you care so much about what Ethan and I do? Because, she said, lowering her voice. Other girls depended on this system. And because Ethan isn’t the type of guy who falls in love, he might be pretending very well, but in the end, he’ll discard you like he discarded all of us.

All of you? You think you were the first to receive a special proposal? Natasha laughed. Maya, honey, he offered me fake marriage, too. 8 months, half a million. I was the one who refused because I knew it would end badly. I felt my stomach turn. You’re lying. Am I? She pulled out her phone and showed me Prince of old conversations.

Here’s his proposal to me. Here’s him saying exactly the same things he probably said to you. The messages were devastating. Ethan offering fake marriage, talking about how Natasha was different from the others, promising it would just be a business agreement. Maya, Natasha continued, I’m not doing this to be mean. I’m trying to protect you.

You seem like a nice girl and you don’t deserve to be humiliated when he eventually gets tired. Why should I believe you? Because I’ve been in your place. And because unlike you, I didn’t make the mistake of falling in love with him. When she left, I sat in the library for hours looking at the prince of the conversations.

Were they real? Had Ethan really made the same proposal to Natasha? That night, I confronted Ethan about Natasha’s accusations. She said, “You offered fake marriage to her, too.” Ethan sighed deeply. Maya, sit down. I should have told you this before. My heart sank. So, it’s true. Yes and no. He ran his hand through his hair. I offered a similar deal to Natasha, but she refused.

And no, they weren’t the same words I used with you. What was the difference with Natasha? It was purely commercial. I needed a fake girlfriend for some family events. She needed money. Simple as that. He looked at me. With you, Maya? When I made the proposal, I already knew there was something different. How will I know you’re not just saying that? Because, he said, pulling a drawer, I can show you both contracts.

He put two documents on the table. The contract with Natasha was cold, technical, purely commercial. Mine had different clauses, more personal, more flexible. See this part? He pointed to a section of my contract. This here says that either of us can cancel the agreement if we develop real feelings. This wasn’t in Natasha’s contract.

Why did you put that in mine? Because even in the first conversation, I already suspected this could become real, and I wanted to give us an out if that happened. I looked at the contracts, comparing line by line. They really were different. But there was still a question I needed to ask. Ethan, how many girls received proposals like these? Two. Natasha and you.

Natasha refused. You accepted. And Maya? He held my hand. There was never anyone like you. I wanted to believe him. Wanted to believe we were different, that our relationship had transcended the original agreement. But Natasha’s words echoed in my head. Maya, Ethan said, noticing my hesitation. I know this is confusing.

I know it seems suspicious, but if you can’t trust my words, trust your own experiences. How do I treat you? How do I look at you? Does this seem fake? He was right. The moments we shared, the way he knew me, how he cared about me, none of it seemed like acting. Natasha is trying to separate us, I concluded.

Why? Because she never got over the fact that I didn’t insist when she refused the proposal and because she lost control over the situation. Ethan stood up. Maya, we need to do something about this. She’s not going to stop. What do you suggest? That we turn the game around. If she wants to play dirty, let’s show everyone who she really is.

We spent the weekend investigating Natasha. We discovered she had done this before. spread rumors about other girls who got involved with her ex-boyfriends. There was a pattern of vindictive behavior whenever she felt threatened or rejected. Look at this. Ethan showed me old Instagram posts.

She did the same thing to Jessica when she found out I had gone out with her. How did you never notice this behavior when you were dating? Because when I was with her, she had no reason to be like that. The problem started when we broke up and she realized I wasn’t going to beg her to come back. We decided to act.

If Natasha wanted an information war, we were going to give her an information war, but in a way that showed the truth about our relationship, not lies about hers. Maya, Ethan said Monday morning, would you be up for doing an Instagram live, telling our real story? Are you sure? Once we do this, there’s no going back. I’m sure.

I’m tired of hiding. Tired of letting other people control our narrative. He took my hand. Besides, if we’re going to stay together for real, people deserve to know the truth. Stay together for real, Maya,” he said, smiling. “Do you really think after all this I’m going to let you escape because of a contract?” “On Wednesday night, Ethan and I did the live that would change everything.

” “We were in his apartment, nervous, but determined to tell our side of the story.” “Hi, everyone.” Ethan began looking at the camera. “I’m Ethan, and this is Maya, my girlfriend. You’ve probably seen the posts about us in recent weeks, and we decided it was time to tell the truth. In 15 minutes, we already had over a thousand people watching.

Comments exploded on the screen. Some supporting, others criticizing, many just curious. Is it true you have a contract? Someone asked. We had, Ethan replied. In the beginning, yes. Maya accepted a financial agreement to date me for 4 months, but what happened went far beyond what either of us expected. Why did you do this? Another question appeared.

Why pay girls to date you? Ethan took a deep breath. Because I grew up in a family where love was treated like a business transaction. My mother stayed with my father for the money and he knew it. I learned that relationships worked that way. You pay, you get what you want. Everyone knows where they stand.

But that changed, I added, finally finding courage to speak. At least for us, it changed. How so? Appeared in the comments. Because Maya showed me there’s a difference between being with someone for money and being with someone despite the money, Ethan explained. She never treated me like a bank. She treated me like a person.

We told about our first date, about how feelings evolved, about how the agreement had become irrelevant compared to what we felt for each other. And the money, someone asked. Maya never asked for a penny beyond what was in the original contract, Ethan said. Actually, she tried to refuse several times. And now,” he paused dramatically.

“Now I’m going to do something I should have done a long time ago.” He went off camera for a moment and came back with a large envelope. This envelope contains $300,000. It was the final payment of our agreement. He looked directly at the camera. Maya will never receive this money. Instead, I’m going to donate it all to our university’s mental health programs. My mouth dropped open.

Ethan, you can’t. Yes, I can. Because what we have is priceless, Maya, and I want everyone to know that. The comments exploded. Some calling him an idiot for throwing money away, others applauding the romantic gesture. There’s one more thing you need to know, I said, looking at the camera. Someone is trying to separate us, spreading lies, creating fake evidence, sending threats.

Natasha, Ethan said the name clearly. Ex-girlfriend who didn’t accept when our relationship ended. She did the same thing to other girls before. That’s a serious accusation, someone wrote. It is, and we have proof, I replied, showing some of the anonymous envelopes to the camera. Manipulated photos, fake messages, text threats.

Why would she do this? Another question appeared. Because she can’t accept that someone changed, Ethan replied. She wants me to keep being the guy who treats relationships like business because that way she feels better about our past choices. We ended the live with Ethan kissing me in front of 1500 people.

declaring he was officially canceling our contract and asking me to date him for real. “Maya,” he said, still looking at the camera. “Do you want to date me without any contract, without any money involved?” “Just because we love each other.” “Yes,” I replied, crying and laughing at the same time. “Yes, I want to.” The next few days were a roller coaster.

The live video went viral. First on campus, then in the city, then nationally. We appeared on gossip blogs, local TV shows, articles about millennial relationships, and love in the digital age. But most importantly, the strategy worked. Public opinion completely turned around. Instead of being seen as a gold digger scheme, we came to be seen as a couple who overcame the strange circumstances of the beginning of the relationship.

Natasha, on the other hand, was exposed. Other girls started coming forward telling similar stories about her. The university opened an investigation into cyber bullying and harassment. Within a week, she was suspended for a semester. I almost feel sorry for her, I told Ethan one night when we were reading some of the articles about us. Sorry. Yes.

Imagine living with so much hatred inside you that you can’t see other people happy. Maya, he said, pulling me closer. You’re incredible. Even after everything she did, you can still have empathy. It’s just that I understand where her anger comes from. Until a few months ago, I also thought people like you couldn’t be interested in people like me without something suspicious involved.

And now, now I know that love is more complicated than that. That sometimes it starts in the strangest places. But if it’s real, it finds a way to flourish. With Natasha out of the way and our story public, we could finally focus on what really mattered, our relationship. No contracts, no money, no external pressure.

But there was still a practical question we needed to resolve. The original contract ended in 3 weeks and even though we had publicly declared it was canled, there were still legal and financial implications. Maya, Ethan said one Saturday morning, we need to talk about the future. What kind of future? The kind where we officially decide what we’re going to do when the original contract deadline arrives.

I thought we had decided we’re going to continue together because we want to be together. Yes, but what about the $300,000? What if you changed your mind about university, about your career plans? I had thought about this. With or without Ethan’s money, my life had changed dramatically.

I had internship offers I never would have gotten before the media exposure. There was even a publisher interested in my story for a book. Ethan, I got a summer internship at a magazine in New York. I said, “They pay well, and it’s going to be an incredible experience.” That’s great. I’m proud of you. But New York is far from here.

It is. He was quiet for a moment. Maya, will you accept? Depends. On what? On whether you’ll miss me. He laughed. Maya, I’ll miss you if you go by coffee and take more than 15 minutes to come back. Then maybe you should come with me to New York. Why not? You can study anywhere, and that way we can figure out how our relationship works in the real world, away from all this university drama.

Ethan looked at me as if he were seeing a solution to a problem he didn’t even know existed. “Maya,” he said slowly. Are you asking me to move in with you in New York? I am. Do you accept? I accept, but with one condition. What? That we do this the right way. No financial agreement. No contract. Just you and me figuring out together how real love works.

Deal, I said, and kissed him. The last days before the official end of the contract deadline were strange. Even knowing we had decided to continue together. There was tension in the air, as if we were waiting for something to go wrong at the last minute. Ethan was acting different, more distant, more thoughtful.

I tried not to read too much into it, but it was hard not to notice he seemed to be preparing for something. Are you okay? I asked on a Thursday when he barely touched the dinner we had made together. I am just thinking about what about how things will change when there’s no more contract between us? When it’s just us? I felt a chill in my stomach.

Ethan, are you having second thoughts? It’s not that, Maya. It’s just, he sighed. What if when all this is over, you realize you don’t actually like me that much? What if what you feel is just gratitude or Stockholm syndrome or whatever? Stockholm syndrome? Seriously, you know what I mean? What if you only think you love me because the whole situation was so intense? I looked at him incredulous.

Ethan, after everything we’ve been through, do you really think I don’t know the difference between love and emotional confusion? I don’t know, Maya. Sometimes I look at you and I can’t believe someone like you would choose someone like me without something else involved. Someone like you? Someone like me? What are you talking about, Maya? You’re incredible.

You’re intelligent, funny, genuine, kind. You have a bright future ahead of you. And I I’m the guy who pays girls to date him. You were the guy who did that. I corrected. And by the way, you’re much more than that. You’re gentle, generous, loyal. You made me feel special in a way no one ever has.

But what if Ethan, I interrupted him, stop trying to guess what I feel. If you want to know if I really love you, ask me. Okay, Maya, do you really love me? Yes, I love you so much that sometimes it scares me. I took his hand. And you? Do you really love me? More than I thought it was possible to love someone. Then what’s the problem? The problem is that in 2 days, our contract officially ends.

And after that, there won’t be any excuse for you to stay with me if you don’t want to. I finally understood what was happening. Ethan was scared. Scared that when the agreement ended, I would discover I didn’t need him anymore. Ethan, I said softly, do you want me to prove to you that this is real? How? Come with me tomorrow.

I have a surprise. The next morning, I took Ethan to the park where we had our first date. I had organized a complete picnic. Sandwiches, fruits, that iced coffee he always remembered. I liked. Maya, what is this? Our first real date, I said. No contract, no money, no expectations. Just you and me choosing to be here.

We spent the afternoon talking about everything and nothing. About our plans for New York, about our families, about the books we wanted to read, and the places we wanted to visit. Maya,” he said when the sun started to set. Can I ask you a question? Always. If you could go back in time and never have accepted that first agreement, would you do it? Never, I replied without hesitation, because then I never would have met you, the real you.

Even knowing all the drama it caused, Ethan, every relationship has drama. At least our drama was interesting. I laughed. Besides, look where we ended up. How many couples can say they overcame a business agreement and three sabotage attempts to stay together? When you put it like that, we seem invincible. We are. At least together we are.

That night when we returned to his apartment, Ethan disappeared for a few minutes and came back with the envelope of $300,000. Maya, he said, offering the envelope to me. This money is yours. You fulfilled all the terms of the contract. Ethan, no. Let me finish. This money is legally yours. You can take it and leave, or you can take it and stay, or you can refuse it and stay.

The choice is entirely yours. No pressure, no expectations. I looked at the envelope for a long moment. $300,000. Enough money to completely change my life, to pay all my family’s debts, to have financial security for years. I took the envelope, opened it, and looked at the check. Then I looked at Ethan, who was obviously nervous, waiting for my decision. I tore the check in half.

Maya, what did you do? I did the only thing that made sense. I threw the pieces in the trash. Ethan, if we’re going to stay together, it has to be because we want to be together. Not because I owe you something. Not because you owe me something. It has to be a free choice. But it was so much money. It was.

And you know what’s more valuable than $300,000? I kissed him, knowing I chose you for you, not for anything else. On the last official day of the contract, a Monday in May, Ethan showed up in my room with flowers and a nervous expression I hadn’t seen in weeks. “Maya,” he said, kneeling beside my bed. “I know technically our agreement ended at midnight, but I wanted to mark the moment somehow.

” “Ethan, what are you doing?” “Maya,” he said, pulling a small box from his pocket. “Will you marry me for real this time?” I looked at him at the little box, at his nervous smile. “Ethan, this is crazy. I know. But I also know I don’t want to spend a single day of my life without you. And I know that when two people love each other, it doesn’t matter how it started.

What matters is where it leads. What if people say it’s too early, that it’s too crazy, Maya? People have already said everything they could say about us. And we survived. I think we can survive a few more opinions. I looked at the ring. Simple, elegant, perfect. It wasn’t about the ring. It was about what it represented. A choice.

a promise, a future that had nothing to do with contracts or money, just with love. Yes, I said. Yes, I want to marry you. Months later in New York, both of us living in a small but cozy apartment in Brooklyn, I finally had perspective on everything that had happened. The internship at the magazine had become a full-time job.

Ethan had transferred to Colia and was loving studying away from family pressure. Our relationship had found a natural rhythm, away from curious staires and campus comments. Madison, Harper, and Luna visited us regularly. Madison had started dating a guy from the law class with no money involved. She made sure to emphasize Harper was focused on finishing graduation with honors and Luna had gotten an incredible internship at a tech company.

Natasha never tried to contact us again. We heard through the grapevine that she had transferred to a university in another state after the suspension. Do you regret anything? Ethan asked me one night when we were on our small balcony looking at the Manhattan skyline. What would I regret? Accepting that first agreement, all the confusion it caused.

I thought about the question seriously. It had been quite a journey. It had started with a questionable decision motivated by money and had turned into the most real relationship of my life. No, I finally replied. Because it brought me to you and because it taught me that true love can start in the most unlikely places. What if someone offered you a time machine to start everything over but in a normal way? Normal is overrated, I laughed.

Besides, our story is much more interesting this way. It really is, he agreed, pulling me closer. Maya H. Thank you for giving a chance to the guy who paid girls to date him. Thank you for becoming the guy I chose to love. A few months later, Ethan really proposed to me again, this time during my graduation in front of our families and friends.

It wasn’t a fake proposal for a business agreement. It was a man in love asking the woman he loved to spend the rest of her life with him. And I said yes, not because he was rich, not because he offered me financial security, not because we had a contract. I said yes because somewhere in the middle of all that confusion, we had found something real.

Today, 3 years later, we still laugh about the absurd way we met. We still joke about who was smarter, him for creating the agreement or me for having turned it into something real. But in the end, we know we were both very lucky. Lucky because sometimes love finds a way to flourish even in the strangest circumstances. Lucky because we learned that what matters is not how a story begins, but how you choose to write it.

And our story, well, our story proved that sometimes the best things in life start with the most questionable decisions. But in the end, it’s always about choice. And every day, I choose Ethan and he chooses me. No contracts, no money, just love. And we discovered that’s more than