Elena stepped out of the bathroom, her hair still damp, a towel loosely wrapped around her shoulders. The room looked unusually empty.
She frowned.
Looks like that man finally left, she thought, letting out a quiet breath of relief.
Just then, her phone started ringing.
The phone kept ringing.
Elena glanced at the screen and felt a familiar irritation rise in her chest.
Jake Wilson.
Not her boyfriend—
but the boyfriend of the original owner of this body.
He never called without a reason.
And that reason was always money.
The original Elena had trusted him blindly, believing his stories about being poor, helpless, and unlucky. Every time she tried to refuse, Jake would switch to his emotional drama—broken voice, fake guilt, helpless promises.
And somehow… it always worked.
Not only did she give him the money,
she gave him more than he asked for.
Elena's lips curled into a cold smile.
Elena answered the call.
Before the person on the other side could even speak, she said sweetly,
"Jake, you called at the perfect time. How about we meet?"
There was a brief pause.
Jake Wilson was clearly confused—but he didn't question it.
"Yeah, baby," he replied smoothly. "I was actually calling because I wanted to see you too."
Of course you were.
"Rinz Café," Jake continued. "Come there."
Elena's lips curved into a cold, unreadable smile.
"Sure. Give me thirty minutes."
The meeting was decided just like that.
She ended the call without another word.
The very next second, her phone vibrated again.
Bank Alert: 2,000,000 credited.
Elena stared at the screen for a moment, then let out a soft laugh.
"So," she murmured to herself, "my kind nature finally got invested in the right place."
Her gaze drifted to the wardrobe as she got ready to leave. Dresses. Long tops. Modest clothes.
She frowned.
"Seriously?" she scoffed. "You're this beautiful, and you hide it under all these full-covered clothes?"
A pause.
Then she smirked.
She chose a red skirt, a black crop top, and boots.
Elena changed into the dress and stood in front of the mirror.
She looked at herself once, then smiled.
"Perfect."
Elena stepped out of her room.
The sound of cooking drifted in from the kitchen, where Evelyn Ross—Elena's mother— was busy preparing the meal. In the hall, her grandmother sat resting on the sofa while her grandfather, a simple and honest man, stood beside her, quietly helping with small household tasks.
The house was calm. Warm.
Elena paused for a second, then continued walking.
The moment Elena's grandmother and grandfather noticed her, both of them froze in shock.
The next second, they were already on their feet, moving toward her with visible panic.
"Ele, why are you out of your room?" her grandmother asked anxiously. "If you needed anything, you should have told us. We would have brought it to you. You just came back from the hospital. You're supposed to rest. You lost so much blood."
As if that wasn't enough, Elena's mother appeared beside her.
"Yes, sweetheart. If you need anything, tell mom."
Care. Worry. Fear.
It was all there, written clearly in their eyes.
Elena watched them for a moment, then gently took her grandmother's hand in hers. Her voice was calm, almost reassuring.
"Grandma, I'm fine now. I just have a small errand. I'll be back shortly."
That single sentence finally eased her grandmother's tense expression.
Then Elena tilted her head slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"By the way, grandma… how do I look?"
Her grandmother studied her face with pure affection.
"You look beautiful."
Her grandfather didn't even hesitate.
"My Ele always looks beautiful."
As if completing a ritual he had practiced his entire life, he reached into his pocket, pulled out some money, and placed it in Elena's hand.
"If you feel like eating something nice, go and treat yourself."
Elena's mother immediately went into survival mode. She's going out. She might need money.
She turned toward her room.
"I'll get more—"
"I already have enough, mom," Elena said quickly.
But of course, that wasn't convincing enough.
"What if you need more? I have some right now, take it—"
Before this turned into a full emotional negotiation, Elena smoothly changed the subject.
"Where's Ivan?"
Perfect distraction.
(If I don't stop her now, she'll hand over her entire savings.)
Her mother paused.
"He went to school."
"When you come back, meet him. He wanted to see you today, but I didn't let him. You were sleeping."
A quiet warmth settled in Elena's chest.
She smiled softly.
"Okay, mom."
"Alright, I'm leaving now," she said, turning away.
Her family watched her go, their eyes following her until she disappeared from view.
Her grandmother smiled and spoke softly to Elena's mother.
"Since she woke up… Elena seems different. She speaks more openly now. She smiles brightly."
She sighed, almost like a prayer.
"May God keep my child smiling like this always."
Elena's mother smiled in agreement.
"Yes… I noticed that too."
Slowly, they returned to their work—
After stepping out of the house, Elena walked ahead calmly.
I'll take back every bit of money that scum beggar took from the previous owner of this body.
She opened her purse while walking.
Inside were several IOU notes, clear proof of every amount he had taken. Elena glanced at them once, then closed the purse.
A faint smile curved her lips. Inside her bag were several IOU notes.
He had written them carefully—one for every amount he took. Not because he planned to return the money, but to convince the original owner that he didn't want to take it… that he was forced to.
He knew she cared for him. Maybe even loved him.
Those IOUs were never meant to be used. They were just props—words on paper meant to earn trust.
And the original owner had believed him.
She had kept those IOU notes carefully, not as proof, but as memories. Something she never intended to use, something she protected because they reminded her of him.
Elena looked at the notes quietly.
Then she smiled.
This time, those memories were finally going to serve a purpose. Elena soon reached Rizz Café.
The moment she stepped inside, heads turned again and again. People glanced at her, then looked back, admiration clear in their eyes. Some stared openly, others tried not to—but failed. Elena noticed, yet she didn't react. She walked forward as if she were used to this kind of attention.
Once inside, she spotted him.
A man in his late twenties sat at a table, already placing his order. He looked relaxed, almost careless. After all, he knew one thing very well—he wouldn't be paying.
In all their past meetings, the original owner had always paid the bill. She had never let him spend a single coin. He had grown comfortable with that habit.
Elena walked toward his table slowly and pulled out the chair across from him. She sat down without a word.
The man had already ordered and was now focused on his phone. A few seconds passed before he sensed someone sitting in front of him.
Frowning slightly, he lifted his gaze.
The moment his eyes met hers, he froze.
Elena looked different. No—she looked stunning. Calm, composed, and impossibly beautiful in a way that made it hard to look away. For a brief moment, he simply stood there, staring at her—completely stunned.
He had always known Elena was beautiful. That wasn't new.
But today… today she looked different. More radiant. More captivating. Beautiful enough to make him pause without realizing it.
And yet, beauty wasn't the real reason he was still with her.
Elena paid the bills.
She always agreed with him.
She gave him money without questions.
She was convenient. Easy to handle.
That was exactly why he hadn't broken up with her yet.
Whenever he touched her, her body would stiffen almost imperceptibly. She never pushed him away, never created a scene—but she never allowed more than holding hands or a brief, distant hug.
Whenever he tried to go further, she would gently pull back, her voice calm but firm.
"After marriage," she always said. "We can wait until then."
And he waited—not out of respect, but because, for now, Elena was still useful.
Jake smiled, clearly pleased with himself.
"Ele… you look very beautiful today."
Elena looked at him without a hint of warmth.
"I want all my money."
The smile on his face froze.
She opened her bag, unhurried, and took out every IOU he had ever given her. One by one, she placed them on the table, like receipts of his failures.
Jake immediately slipped into his favorite role—hurt, misunderstood, helpless.
"I want to give you money too," he said softly.
"I know you work hard—small roles, long hours, saving every penny. But what can I do? I can't even get my life together. I can't earn properly. I even have to ask you for money."
Elena watched him the way one watches a bad actor overacting in a cheap drama.
Taking her silence as encouragement, he continued.
"Ele, I actually called you today because someone in my office is getting married. I want to give a good gift—he's my boss."
He sighed dramatically.
"But you know how incompetent I am. All my money goes to my mother and household expenses. Even if I want to help myself, I can't…"
That was when Elena stood up.
Jake smiled inwardly.
She fell for it.
She walked up to him.
"I'm breaking up with you," she said.
SLAP.
Shock hit him instantly.
"Elena! What are you saying? Everything was fine between us!"
SLAP.
Sharper. Louder. Final.
"These two slaps are the price you pay for wasting the care and love the original owner once gave you." She thought
"You drained me dry. Tell me—did you ever bring me even a single gift? Or did you ever, even once, pay for anything with your own money?"
She let out a soft, mocking laugh.
"Ah, right. Why would you? After all, my money was always more convenient than your pride." "No, Elena, it's not like that. I was going to return all your money—"
Elena let out a soft laugh, her eyes icy.
"When?" she interrupted. "At my grave?"
He frowned, annoyed. "What nonsense are you talking about, Elena?"
Her smile faded instantly.
"Tell me," she said calmly, "did you ever call me without money being the reason? Even once?"
Her voice sharpened.
"I've been in the hospital for a week. You didn't know. And don't lie—you didn't even try to find out."
She took a step closer, every word cutting deeper.
"You only called when you needed money. That was the only time I existed for you."
Elena straightened, her gaze cold and final.
"But now I understand."
A faint, mocking smile curved her lips.
"A scum like you was never worthy of me."
"That's why I came today—to break up with you…"
She paused, then added casually,
"And to take back every single penny you so shamelessly took from me."
"No, Elena. I don't want to break up." jake said
Elena looked at him as if she'd just heard the most ridiculous joke of the day.
"Of course you don't," she replied lightly. "Why would you?"
Her lips curved into a faint, mocking smile.
"Breaking up means losing your personal ATM, doesn't it?"
She tilted her head, eyes sharp.
"Listen carefully," Elena said coldly.
"I'm breaking up with you."
Her voice carried through the café.
"You never paid for a single date. Every bill was mine. Every excuse was yours. And returning money?" She gave a small, sarcastic smile. "That was never part of your personality."
She pointed at the IOUs.
"I want every penny back—not even one less."
She walked back to her chair and sat down calmly. "If you don't return my money within two days…"
Elena paused, her gaze calm yet terrifying.
"I'll make sure the whole world knows exactly how a grown man survives by leeching off a woman."
"I'll take these IOUs first to your office," she said casually,
"and then to the police."
She lifted her glass, took a slow sip.
"You have two days," she added sweetly.
"After that, these papers will speak for me."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"And what happens to your reputation and your job after that—well, I'm sure you're smart enough to imagine."
She stood up to leave, then stopped at the billing counter.
"Please make sure that man pays for whatever he ordered," she said loudly.
"He borrowed money from me too and never returned it. Keep an eye on him—he might try to leave without paying."
The café turned into a judgment hall.
Whispers spread. The café, which had been pretending not to notice, suddenly found its voice.
A man at the next table shook his head.
"Pathetic. Living off someone else's money and calling it struggle."
Another scoffed.
"Men like that don't want love. They want a wallet with emotions."
Someone laughed quietly.
"No wonder he looked confident while ordering. He wasn't paying."
A woman leaned toward Elena.
"You did the right thing, leaving him. These people never change."
Another added, a little louder,
"Today it's money. Tomorrow it's dignity."
An elderly auntie clicked her tongue.
"Dear, such men cry only when the money stops."
One girl smiled at Elena.
"Honestly? Respect. Not everyone has the courage to walk away like that."
Advice followed freely, unsolicited but sincere.
Jake stood there, invisible and exposed at the same time.
Every word felt like a slap he couldn't return.
Elena listened quietly, nodding once or twice—not because she needed validation, but because the truth sounded louder when spoken by strangers.
"Thank you," she said calmly.
"I've already wasted enough time. I don't plan to waste my future too."
With that, she picked up her bag and walked out.