My Boyfriend Loves Me... As Does His Mistress

Nolan Shaw is the big shot on campus that everyone is intimidated by. He's also the guy I've been in love with for a while now. Out of nowhere, a new admirer of his pops out. She bears a striking resemblance to me. When I bring him his water, she beats me to it. When I write him a love letter, she tears it up. Finally, I muster up the courage to be honest with Nolan about my feelings—only for her to rush over and kick over the candles I prepared for the confession. That's when I finally lose my patience. "Just what on earth are you doing?" She ignores me and grabs Nolan's arm before saying, "I'll be frank with you. I'm actually here on a mission. You and Nolan will end up in a bitter marriage, hurting each other. So the system wants me to stop you two from being together." I don't believe a word she says, thinking that she's just lying to separate us. But at the very next second, I hear her thoughts. [Just what on earth did this scumbag do to make the 22-year-old Teresa fall so hopelessly in love with him? I bet she'll be heartbroken if she finds out that in the future, he'll find her boring and end up keeping 18 mistresses on the side. And after the divorce, he'll even make it hard for her to earn a living. She ends up dying of exhaustion, too!] Chapter 1 My body went rigid. Meanwhile, Nolan Shaw, the big shot on campus, narrowed his eyes and shook Mia Shaw's hand off. "Don't be ridiculous," he retorted icily. "I'd sacrifice my life for Teresa. Why would our relationship ever fall apart? You're lying on purpose to break us up, aren't you?" I didn't believe it either—that Nolan, who loved me more than anything else, would fall out of love with me so easily. Last year, out of jealousy, someone had shoved me down the stairs. I fell hard. My head split open, and blood was everywhere. Afraid that my injuries might worsen, he used his connections to find me the best doctor in the city, and he also escorted me to the hospital himself. The blood bank at the hospital was running low. Thus, despite fainting from the sight of blood, Nolan didn't even hesitate to donate his blood to save me. He ended up donating 1,000cc of his blood, and I survived. However, he had to spend two weeks in the hospital after that. Even to this day, his health was still frail. He also went all-out to get even with the person who pushed me. Since then, no one ever dared to hurt or bully me again. Once I recalled this, my eyes grew wary. I surreptitiously tugged on Nolan's sleeve and said, "Don't bother explaining anything to her, Nolan. Come with me to the library." He turned his head. Those affectionate eyes of his settled on me, filled with unmistakable tenderness. "Okay." However, Mia grabbed him again. "Nole, I know you don't believe I'm from the future, but you don't even like going to the library with her. You always think she's boring, don't you? "I'm not like her. Why don't you spend the day with me instead? I've got a racing license, you know. Let's go to the racing track!" Caught off guard, I couldn't help but look at Nolan. "Is that really how you feel, Nolan?" Nolan looked like he'd been exposed, and he subconsciously raised his voice. "Don't listen to her crap, Teresa! No matter what you want to do, as long as we're together, I'll always feel happy and not the least bit bored." He turned to Mia. His gaze was cold and sharp. "I'm warning you! If you continue to blabber all of this nonsense, I won't go easy on you!" He violently shook off Mia's hand, took mine, and started to lead me away. At that moment, Mia abruptly sucked in a breath. "It hurts…" Nolan and I paused in our tracks and instinctively looked back. Mia had fallen to the ground. She had scraped her knee, and her eyes were brimming with tears. She looked utterly pitiful. At the very next moment, Nolan's gaze hardened. He immediately let go of my hand and crouched down to check on her. "Why did you fall?" he asked. I froze slightly, and my fingers curled around the emptiness in my palm. It felt like I'd been stabbed in the heart with the finest needle. It stung ever so slightly. Chapter 2 Mia threw herself into Nolan's arms and wept. "You shook me off way too hard just now, Nole! I fell straight to the ground. My knee hurts so much I can't even walk. I might've said the wrong thing, but you shouldn't be treating a young woman like this." Nolan's eyes flashed with guilt. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Stop crying. I'll take you to the nurse's office." Mia pouted pitifully. After picking her up in his arms, Nolan looked at me. His dark eyes were filled with even more remorse. "I did cause her injury, Tess. Let me take her to the nurse's office first. I'll look for you the moment I'm done, okay?" Curled up in his arms, Mia shot me a smug look, but her thoughts told a completely different story. [What a scumbag! He keeps saying he doesn't care about me, but the second I get hurt, he worries about me more than anyone else. He's not even married to Teresa yet, and he's already neglecting her this way. Is this what he considers love?] The rest of her thoughts were even more shocking. [If this is how he acts before they're married, it's no wonder that he only gets worse after marriage. He even used the fact that he saved her life before as an excuse to force her to donate her blood to save his favorite mistress! [Her health was already fragile, to begin with. She ended up falling unconscious for three days straight after donating her blood, and he was so busy fussing over his mistress that he didn't even check on her. She must've been so heartbroken then.] Before my brain could even process the words, my heart was already clenching hard. The pain was spreading through my body. The blood was slowly draining out of my face as well. Nolan and I were the only ones who knew he'd saved my life by donating his blood to me before. Mia was a new transfer student. There was no way she could've found out about it. Did this prove that the future Nolan would really hurt me for the sake of other women? I clenched my trembling fingers, forcing down my wildly surging emotions. "Okay. You can take her to the nurse's office." "I knew you'd always be kind and considerate of others, Tess. I'll get going then," Nolan said with a faint smile before carrying Mia off. I could still hear her thoughts. [I feel so sorry for doing this to Teresa, but it's better to see things clearly before they're married than suffer after, isn't it? With how smart she is, she'll probably break up with him now, right? Either way, once we get to the nurse's office, I'll get the scumbag to reveal his true thoughts to me. That way, I can help Teresa escape her future hell!] I stood there for a few seconds before, as if under a spell, I followed them. Through the window, I watched the campus nurse treat Mia's wound before leaving. I also saw Mia leaning toward Nolan. "Nole, I know you don't like going to the library. Why not just tell her the truth? Isn't it exhausting to always pretend like that?" Nolan's brows furrowed. He warned her, saying, "I might not like going to the library, but Teresa is the woman I love. If she wants to go, I'm more than happy to accompany her. You'd better keep your mouth shut and stop bringing up things you shouldn't even be mentioning. Otherwise, I swear I'll come after you." Mia smirked, completely unfazed by his threat. "Stop trying to threaten me. I know you better than you can even imagine, okay? You might be devoted to Teresa right now. You might be willing to put up with your own discomfort to be with her. But in the future, you'll find her boring. You'll secretly keep 18 mistresses on the side. "They'll get pregnant and start provoking Teresa. They'll slap her and even kick her in the abdomen, while you just stand there and let them do it. Are you sure that when the time comes, you can still claim that she's the woman you love?" Chapter 3 Nolan was stunned. "How is that possible? I would never do anything to hurt Teresa!" "I'm telling the truth. That's exactly what you're like in the future. I saw it with my own eyes!" However, Mia wasn't annoyed that he was doubting her. She handed him her phone, saying, "This is the livestream to announce the winning lottery numbers. The drawing is in ten seconds. The numbers for this round are going to be 06, 10, 13, 14, 15, 20, and 11. You'll soon be seeing for yourself whether I'm really from the future or not." To verify it myself, I quickly pulled out my own phone and joined the livestream. Meanwhile, Nolan snorted loudly, as if Mia had just cracked a ridiculous joke. "You've got to be kidding me. The winning lottery numbers are randomly generated. How could you possibly know them in advance…" He was cut off by the announcement in the livestream—and the numbers were the exact ones Mia just listed out. My eyes widened, and Nolan's voice died out. Shock flooded his face. Mia took her phone back and smiled sweetly at him. "You finally believe that I'm from the future, right? To be honest with you, I'm one of your 18 mistresses. "If you really only loved Teresa, you'd instinctively refuse to have any physical contact with me, but you’re not rejecting my proximity at all. Would you believe me if I told you that, in the future, you'll also be hurting Teresa time and time again for my sake?" Nolan pressed his lips together, seemingly convinced. It felt as if a knife had been driven straight into my heart. I couldn't listen to this any longer. With my body just barely holding steady, I turned and left. Mia really was from the future. And in that future, Nolan and I… would really end up bitter and hateful toward each other. We would torment each other—or rather, it would be a one-sided torment. He would be the one tormenting me. An indescribable emotion filled my heart. I returned to my dorm room, only to meet the mocking gazes of my roommates. One of them, Olivia Reed, remarked, "Look who's back at last. You were reported for plagiarizing Mia Shaw's work in your submission to the national art competition. Professor Dorsey wants to see you in her office." It was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over my head. I snapped out of my heavy emotions in an instant. "Me? Accused of plagiarism? Who reported me?" Olivia rolled her eyes. "As if that matters. Mia published her work ages ago, and you submitted the exact same piece to the competition. Anyone with eyes can tell that you plagiarized her art." My expression was dark. I turned on my heels and headed straight to the office of my faculty advisor, Professor Dorsey. Once I got there, I solemnly explained to her, "I didn't plagiarize anyone, Professor Dorsey. Nolan Shaw was with me the whole time I was creating my artwork. He can be my witness." Professor Dorsey rubbed her forehead. "I've already notified Mia to come over. When she and Nolan get here, I'll get to the bottom of things." Not long after, Mia walked in. She was eating ice cream. Pulling Nolan along into the office, she said with a cheerful smile, "You wanted to see me, Professor Dorsey?" Professor Dorsey looked at her and said, "I called you here to ask you about a situation. You and Teresa both submitted identical artwork. I want to know which one of you copied the other." Nolan frowned and immediately said, "There's no way Teresa plagiarized anyone. I can testify that she drew her artwork herself." I looked at him, and some of the tension in my heart eased. Even when everyone else was doubting me, he chose to believe me. However, after finally finishing her ice cream, Mia pulled up a website and said pointedly, "You shouldn't slander me just because of your relationship with her, Nole. "I published my artwork a month before she submitted hers. Go on. Check the time of publication. I have no beef with her, so there's no reason for me to set her up. I don't care if anyone else doubts me, Nole, but you can't." Chapter 4 At the same time, Mia's thoughts rang out again. [I feel bad that I have to do this to Teresa. I did plagiarize her artwork. I just hope this makes her understand that no matter how much Nolan loves her right now, he's only drawn in by her talent and not her soul. [They'll get married and have a daughter, and she ends up becoming a full-time housewife. Once that happens, she'll get bogged down by the chores of daily life, and he will start having a change of heart. That's when her true suffering will begin. [I'll be his mistress in the future, one of the women he carefully chose to keep him company. I know he'll constantly hurt Teresa because of me.] My heart jolted. Sure enough, Nolan's expression wavered, and his brows drew together. "Tess, the publication date for Mia's artwork really is earlier than yours. Did you see her work during that week when you were creating your submission?" Nolan questioned me. My expression froze, and my heart clenched painfully. "I didn't. Weren't you with me the entire time when I was working on it?" Nolan pressed his lips together. "I was by your side, but I didn't pay full attention to your creative process. You could've easily won this sort of competition without plagiarizing anyone, Tess. I have full faith in your abilities. Come on, then. I'll go to the library with you, and you can come up with a new artwork. There's still time." It sounded like he meant well when, in reality, his words made it a certainty that I was guilty of plagiarism. A spectating crowd had gathered outside Professor Dorsey's office, and they immediately started whispering among themselves. "I can't believe the top student of her class would actually plagiarize someone else. How shameless of her! I guess grades don't reflect a person's character after all." "Look at her. She makes it seem like she's the one being wronged. Nolan loves her more than anything else in the world. He would even pluck the stars out of the sky for her, and even he admits that she plagiarized Mia's work. So, what does she have to feel bad about?" Even Professor Dorsey sighed. "Teresa, I know you're a good student and a smart young woman, but you shouldn't be plagiarizing just to secure the top prize in a competition. I won't put it in your permanent record this time. Just destroy your previous artwork and submit a new one—but remember, this mustn't happen again." Malicious gazes came from all directions, burning into me. My face was pale. I clenched my hands and straightened my back, declaring, "Thank you, Professor Dorsey, but I won't be submitting a new piece of artwork. I never visited the site where Mia posted her artwork. I'll get someone to check all of my browsing history as evidence to prove my innocence. "I didn't plagiarize, and I refuse to admit to something I've never done. I won't stop defending myself and clearing my name!" As Professor Dorsey looked at me in shock, I turned to Nolan. I would've been fine if anyone else doubted me, but he shouldn't. He knew full well that Mia was from the future. If she could memorize the winning lottery numbers, what was stopping her from remembering my artwork? "Don't ever come near me again, Nolan," I said. His expression stiffened. "You're telling me not to come near you ever again just because I told the truth? It's perfectly normal for people to make mistakes sometimes. It's not like I doubted your talents. "I was even willing to accompany you while you made a new piece of artwork, so why are you getting mad at me? Either way, I won't allow it. I refuse to accept this." As I listened to his haughty tone and words, he suddenly seemed like a complete stranger to me. I even felt a little relieved. I was relieved that Mia let me see his true colors sooner rather than later. I hadn't fallen in too deep yet. It wasn't too late. "Come near me again, and I'll call the police," I warned him before leaving Professor Dorsey's office. Once I was outside, my emotions started getting the best of me. Nevertheless, I resisted the urge to cry and immediately wiped away any stray tears that fell from my eyes. I wasn't going to show any weakness. I'd gone all the way to the lake when someone patted me on the shoulder. Mia's head popped out from the side, and she flashed me a smug smile. Chapter 5 "I told you I'd break you two up eventually. Now you believe me, right?" Mia said. She deliberately tried to make herself seem rude and obnoxious, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to hate her at all. "You said you're from the future. Doesn't that mean you know everything about what happens between Nolan and me?" I asked. Mia nodded smugly. "That's right." Since I didn't get to hear her thoughts this time, I broached the subject from a different angle. "You said Nolan and I had a daughter. Since our marriage fell apart, who did our daughter stay with?" Mia's smile stiffened briefly before returning to normal. "You two did have a daughter. After the divorce, custody was granted to Nolan. He didn't really take care of her, though. But since the Shaw family is rich, your daughter's needs were all met. "Oh, by the way, Nolan will propose to you during the graduation ceremony in three days. You two will end up in bed that night, and that's how you get pregnant with your daughter. Because of that, you'll end up getting married young and becoming a full-time housewife. "I can't let you two have a child together. The only way for me to fully replace you as his wife is to break you two apart for good." I frowned. "I've already cut ties with Nolan." "You call that cutting ties with him? You two are madly in love with each other right now. Who knows? Maybe you'll get back together with him within the next couple of days. I'm determined to make sure you give up on him completely!" Mia declared. "I heard from him that you can't swim, right? Well, if we both fall in the water at the same time, who do you think he'll save first?" Mia cackled sinisterly, and before I could fully process her words, she dragged me into the lake with her. I couldn't believe it. Panic surged as I struggled desperately to stay afloat. As my head bobbed in the water, I saw Nolan jump straight into the lake and grab Mia before swimming toward the shore. He really did choose her yet again. I felt suffocated. The lake water flooded my nose. I couldn't breathe. My body slowly began sinking beneath the water. … When I finally regained consciousness, it was late at night. Three whole days had passed. I was lying in a hospital bed, with Nolan sitting beside me. "Tess! You're finally awake," he called out hoarsely. "You've been sleeping for three days now. You scared me to death!" I looked at him. He was gazing down at me. The usual arrogance in his demeanor was gone. Right now, he looked like a sweet little puppy. "I'm sorry. I didn't take good care of you. Mia was closer to the shore, so I saved her first. By the time I jumped back in to save you, you'd already sunk underwater. I was so scared. Thank God you're okay," he said. "I'll make it up to you, Tess. Will you marry me? I swear I'll treat you even better from now on. I'll spend my whole life making it up to you!" He held up a familiar ring, and his eyes were earnest. A memory surfaced in my head. Some time ago, we walked past a jewelry store together. Jokingly, I'd pointed at a beautiful pink diamond ring in the display window. "That's so pretty. If we ever get engaged, I want this ring." At the time, Nolan said nothing. I never thought he'd remember that, yet here he was, holding that very ring to propose to me. Once again, Mia's words had been proven true. If everything had remained the same, I would've agreed to Nolan's proposal today. I would've gotten pregnant, had a child, and gone down a path of no return. A chill slowly spread through my veins, but my expression remained calm. "I'm sorry. I don't want to marry you. I've thought about a lot of things these past few days. Since you'll fall in love with so many women in the future, you can be with them instead. I don't want to be a part of that farce." Nolan's hopeful expression stiffened before anger colored his face. "I risked my life to save you, Teresa, yet you insist on rejecting me because of a stranger's instigation?" Chapter 6 "Aren't you the one who has been constantly abandoning me for a stranger? Don't be such a hypocrite, Nolan," I retorted. Now that I'd humiliated him like that, Nolan scowled. His hand was clenched tightly around the ring. "Fine, Teresa. You'll regret not marrying me!" He stormed out of the hospital room and ran straight into Mia, but he didn't slow down at all. Mia glanced at him before walking into the hospital room with a smile. She sat down on the chair. I looked at her, and my pale lips curved up slightly. "Aren't you in love with Nolan and eager to be with him? I've stepped aside now. If you want him, go after him." Mia gave me a genuine smile. "Who'd be interested in that scumbag? I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy." I raised a brow in surprise. Her eyes crinkled as she grinned at me. "We can talk about him later. I've got something important to tell you! Remember that plagiarism scandal? The artwork I uploaded was actually in your name." She tapped on her phone and showed me that my name really was listed as the creator of the artwork. Looking pretty pleased with herself, she declared, "This piece will be the one you're most proud of in the future—and your daughter's favorite too." I looked at her in confusion. "Why did you do this?" Mia blinked before replying, "Because you're a good person, and it was your artwork, to begin with. All the honor and glory should go to you." I was even more confused now, but she didn't seem inclined to explain any further. Gripping my hand tightly, she continued, "You know, in the future, even though many of Nolan's mistresses kept humiliating you, you chose to grit your teeth and put up with it—until one of them hurt your daughter. "That was when you lost it. You gave the mistress a good beating and even ended things with Nolan. Even though it meant leaving the marriage with nothing, you insisted on taking your daughter with you. "But you were in frail health the whole time. And to force you into getting back with him, Nolan made it hard for you to earn money. Your only option was doing the most tiring odd jobs that no one else wanted to do, just so you could raise your daughter. "You were so silly, you know. With how attractive and intelligent you are, you could've easily had a fresh start if you had chosen to give up on your daughter. But even though it meant working yourself to the bone, not once did you think about letting go of her. "You did a great job raising her. She became an upright citizen and even a great contributor to the nation." The more I heard, the more puzzled I became. "Didn't you tell me before that Nolan got custody of our daughter?" Mia froze and didn't speak. My heart trembled as an inconceivable possibility occurred to me. "Are you… my daughter?" Mia's eyes filled with tears. After glancing at the time, she suddenly threw herself into my arms. Her smile was bright and earnest. "Teresa, that scumbag can't hurt you anymore. In this life, you'll finally be free to pursue your dreams. I have faith in you. I know you'll become the best designer to ever exist." She kissed my face. Her eyes were wet, and her smile never faded. "I love you, Teresa. I love you the most in this entire world. This time around, live a happy, healthy life. And if there's ever a chance… I hope we'll meet again." The moment she finished speaking, the clock struck midnight. Her body began to turn transparent. "No! Mia—"