The man in front of Erica was just average-looking. He was less than 1.75 meters tall and had single eyelids. He was wearing thick glasses with a black frame, a dark red plaid coat, and a pair of dark blue canvas shoes with white soles.
On his wrist was a bracelet made of south red agates. It was a gift from Erica on his 18th birthday. He had been wearing it since then.
Hyatt timidly smiled while he said, "I just transferred to this school. Actually, I'm also in the Department of Photography like you."
Erica was taken aback for a few moments. She blinked her eyes a few times, refusing to believe what she just heard. However, what she knew for sure was that it was not good news to see him in her school. Placing a small smile on her face, Erica composed herself. "Dude, I married someone from this city so I didn't have a choice but to continue my studies here. But you, didn't you have a great life in A Country? Why did you insist on coming to Y City? Does your mother know about this?"
"She knows," Hyatt plainly responded.
"Did she approve of it?" she wondered. There was no way his mother would agree to something like this.
Hyatt shook his head in embarrassment. "No, I transferred by myself."
'I knew it!' Erica exclaimed in her mind. She then flicked his forehead. "I didn't expect that you would have the guts to do that. I couldn't transfer to another school by myself. How did you do it?"
Hyatt rubbed his head where she had playfully flicked him. With uttermost honesty, he said, "My uncle is a professor of this school so I asked him for help."
"Well, that's just great! I guess your mother will not only hate me, but she'll also beat me to death the next time she sees me! There's no doubt about it!" Erica helplessly rolled her eyes at him.
Back in A Country, Hyatt had ignored his mother, aka Erica's headteacher in junior high, just so he could be admitted to the Department of Photography with Erica. His mother had been so angry that she had wanted to disown him.
Now, he had actually followed her to Y City. Erica could assume that Hyatt was having a hard time before he came here. Why else would he go through all the trouble of moving to another place?
Hyatt didn't like Erica's reaction so he complained softly, "Since you left, Reese and her companions had been bullying me every single day. Not once did anyone help me. Finally, I had enough. I didn't want to be alone there. I was so scared."
Erica and Hyatt had known each other since they were in middle school. For the longest time, they had been the best of friends. They were so close that Erica would always beat him up.
But Erica never allowed any other person to bully him. She had even warned the whole student body that if anyone would dare to bully Hyatt, it meant that they were bullying her as well. And she would definitely make them pay! She vowed that they wouldn't be able to walk for weeks.
Therefore, after Erica's threat, no one dared to lay a finger on the pitiful Hyatt again.
However, since Erica suddenly disappeared in A Country, Hyatt had been bullied badly. Those who didn't dare to offend him in the past came for him the moment they were sure that Erica wasn't going to come back.
Erica realized that the Hyatt in front of her was as weak and miserable as before. It made her really furious. She slapped him on the head. "How many times have I told you not to be a weak shit of a human being? Why are you so scared? If they were bullying you, why didn't you call me? So stupid!"
Hyatt felt maltreated, so with a pout on his face, he said, "When you disappeared that year, even your father couldn't get in touch with you. So how would it have been possible for me to call you?"
He was right. Erica just remembered that when she disappeared, she changed her phone number so no one would be able to contact her.
It was only on her wedding night when Hyatt finally got in touch with her. He had just found out that she had moved to Y City because of her marriage. He didn't dare to tell her in advance that he had transferred to her school. He knew what she would say, so instead, he chose to wait for her at school. And that day, she finally showed up.
While they continued to catch up, Erica remembered one thing. "Did my brother pay you back?"
"Yes, he even gave me ten thousand more. I didn't want to accept it, but he said I always treated you to hot and sour rice noodles and wantons so he insisted that I take it. I took it but I haven't spent a single cent of it. How about I give it to you?" Erica was thankful that Hyatt was honest. He actually told her all she needed to know.
Back then, Hyatt's mother, Lilith Zhuang actually beat him up because she said that Erica deceived him and ran away with his money. It was tens of thousands of dollars, so Lilith Zhuang was very furious. She told his son that he just wasted his money and he would never be able to get it back.
Although Hyatt completely trusted Erica, he didn't have the courage to talk back to his mother. He could only keep his mouth shut and listen to her complaints and insults.
Erica casually pressed her elbow on his shoulder. "No, you keep it. Money is not a problem for me anymore. Didn't you know that I'm rich now?" Ever since she married Matthew, she had become a wealthy woman. She didn't have to worry about money ever again! After all, she owned assets worth tens of billions of dollars.
Those times when she didn't have a lot and had been continuously bullied by Wesley were all in the past now. She would never have to live that kind of life anymore.
Hyatt thought about what she said. "You have always been rich. Why are you saying that you're rich now?" Everyone in A Country knew that Erica was born in a wealthy family.
She was a kind princess in a rich family. However, she was defamed by wicked and greedy people.
"That's different! The Huo family— Gee! They're so wealthy that you and I can't even imagine how much money and properties they have!" When she was studying in A Country, Wesley didn't give her much money. Her monthly allowance was fifteen thousand dollars at most.
Fortunately, her grandparents and siblings always helped her out. With their support, she would have tens of thousands of dollars.
But her life took a 360-degree change after she married Matthew. He was the richest man in the city after all. That morning, he had actually put two bank cards on their bedside table. At first glance, she could already tell that the black card was not an ordinary one. When she looked closer, it turned out to be a VVIP diamond card of ZL Group. Her instincts were telling her that there was a lot of money on it. Erica, who didn't really want to get up so early was suddenly awake.
So on her way to school, she went to a bank in order to check the balance of the card.
When she entered the bank, a security guard welcomed her like any other customer. But when she took out the two cards, a VVIP private client manager received her in an instant.
The manager was so kind and accommodating to Erica that she was too embarrassed to tell the manager that she just came in to check the balance of the card.
To avoid an awkward situation, she made an excuse. "I'm on my way to report to school and want to withdraw some money for my allowance."
"Okay, ma'am. How much do you want? I have to tell you, though, that we only have $300, 000 in cash because you didn't make an appointment in advance. Will that be enough?"
'Three hundred thousand?' Erica was so shocked that she couldn't respond for a few moments. "Yes, that's e-enough. I just want three—" Erica tried to speak but the word "thousand" was too hard for her to say. She thought that if she were to only withdraw a little amount, it would disappoint the manager who had treated her with so much warmth and enthusiasm. After a short pause, she made her decision. "I'll withdraw 30, 000 dollars first. It's not convenient to bring too much cash to school."
"You're right. Please wait a moment, ma'am. I will just get your cash. It shouldn't take too long."
So when she talked to Hyatt, Erica's bag was loaded with thirty thousand cash.
She didn't have a choice after all.
Meanwhile, disappointment filled Hyatt's eyes. "Erica, out of everyone I know, you're the one who didn't care the most about money. So why did you get married for money, to a man who doesn't love you?"
"Who told you I married Matthew Huo for money? I have to raise Ethan. I had no choice but to marry him. Do you understand?" It was true that she loved money and she had often been short of money before. But her family was rich, so how could she have possibly married a man she didn't love, just for money?
"It's okay for you to have Ethan. I didn't mind that. But you promised that you would marry me!" Hyatt looked at her seriously.
Erica awkwardly scratched her ear. "You know I was kidding. I wouldn't have even been friends with you if it weren't for your mother!"
Erica and Hyatt's friendship had a long story behind it. Back in middle school, Erica had been a mischievous kid. She was always playing tricks on people and making trouble everywhere she went. Lilith Zhuang had been so angry that she publicly scolded Erica in class. She told the girl that if she continued to act like that, no one would marry her in the future.