My Girlfriend Betrayed Me—Yet I Became the World’s Hero!

The Curtain Rises

At the party—

A massive crystal chandelier cast shimmering patterns across the pristine marble floor. A jazz band played softly off to one side, while the air carried the sweet scent of champagne. Heirs of the great families, dressed in perfectly tailored suits, exchanged polite smiles and hollow toasts.

Yet their attention never strayed from the center of the hall—

where beautiful women were displayed like cheap commodities.

Among them, Lily stood out the most.

The most striking face. The most alluring figure. Naturally, she drew the most attention—and the most discussion. Under the weight of men’s possessive gazes, Lily lowered her head, helpless.

Around her neck hung a humiliating silver collar. She wore a revealing black dress, thin and tight, the hem barely reaching mid-thigh. It clung to every curve of her body, radiating a dangerously seductive allure.

The other women brought in to “entertain” tonight were dressed the same way, barefoot on the cold marble floor—stripped of even the most basic dignity.

I hope… this sacrifice is worth it…

Jones, you have to live well with Mom…

Lily’s fingers dug deep into her palms. Even the sharp pain couldn’t ease the humiliation burning inside her.

Catherine had promised her—if she performed well tonight, she would earn at least two million. If she wanted more, she would have to do everything she could to please the powerful figures present. After all, every guest here belonged to one of Dusk City’s major families, known for their extravagance.

For the money.

For her mother’s medical treatment.

For Jones’s five-million debt—

She could only grit her teeth and endure.

Lost in her thoughts, Lily suddenly caught the rising buzz of conversation around her.

A young man in a high-end suit spoke excitedly,

“Have you heard? A top-tier powerhouse appeared at Blackwater Trading Company. A beam of light shot into the sky—it lit up half the city. It drew the attention of every strong figure in Dusk City. Even the mayor is sending people to investigate.”

“I heard that person is coming to this party tonight. According to Catherine, they already accepted the invitation!”

“Unbelievable! Ever since that light appeared, countless invitations have been sent to Blackwater. My father is still waiting outside, hoping to meet them. And yet Catherine actually managed to invite them here!”

But how did she do it?

All eyes turned toward the center of the party—to Catherine.

She wore a white evening gown worth two hundred fifty thousand, adorned with dazzling jewelry. Dozens of young elites surrounded her, eager to win her favor.

“Catherine, you’re a genius!” one heir exclaimed. “How did you pull it off? That powerhouse turned down everyone else!”

“Most people couldn’t even find a trace of them! And now their final appearance is at this party? Miss Catherine, you never fail to surprise us!”

Catherine maintained a mysterious smile. She said nothing—and didn’t need to.

In truth, she didn’t know why the invitation had been accepted. But right now, silence only made her seem more impressive.

As for the process?

No one cared about the process. Only the result mattered.

The endless praise made her narrow her eyes in satisfaction. Ever since awakening an A-rank Titan, her beauty and talent had made her the most desired woman among Dusk City’s young elite.

She felt incredibly fortunate to have broken up with Jones.

That useless man had never been worthy of her.

And tonight proved it.

One of the heirs raised his glass in a flattering toast.

“To Miss Catherine—for finally getting rid of her worthless ex-boyfriend, Jones!”

The crowd echoed the toast.

“Jones? I’ve heard of him. Used to be a genius at Norman Academy, right? And then he awakened some useless Titan—what a joke!”

“I heard he even damaged the awakening crystal and tried to demand two million from Miss Catherine to pay off his debts. When she refused, he even attacked her. Disgusting.”

“He probably won’t last another month anyway. Some people are just born rotten.”

Catherine dabbed at her eyes as if holding back tears.

“I trusted the wrong person… someone like Jones…” she said softly. “But I’m lucky to have met all of you. Cheers.”

No one here knew the truth.

The two million had always belonged to Jones.

The betrayer had always been Catherine.

But who would care about a man on the verge of death?

Who would seek justice for someone like him?

The words made Lily tremble uncontrollably.

She thought of her brother—his failed awakening, the crushing five-million debt. She thought of their family, pushed into a corner with no way out.

And then—

That powerful figure, the one all of Dusk City’s elite were desperate to please—

A wild, impossible hope rose in her heart.

What if… what if that hero… were my brother?

But reality was cold. She knew that better than anyone.

When she heard that Catherine had broken up with Jones—and was now openly slandering him—Lily suddenly snapped back to her senses.

She knew her brother.

Catherine had to be lying.

Lily had come tonight because she trusted her. Catherine was Jones’s girlfriend—and the one who introduced this opportunity. Lily had placed all her hope in her.

But now—

Everything felt uncertain.

Unease swelled in her chest. She rushed forward, trying to confront Catherine, only to be stopped by bodyguards.

“Let me go! Let me go!” Lily struggled desperately. “Catherine, what’s going on? Why did you break up with Jones? And the two million—I remember clearly, he earned it! He only left it with you!”

Catherine’s expression turned cold.

Lily was the beauty she had carefully prepared for that powerful guest. She had spent three million on this party—she would not allow anything to go wrong.

“Lily,” she said with a thin, false smile, “think about Jones’s debt. I suggest you stay where you are.”

“No! If you don’t explain, I’m leaving right now!” Lily shouted, still struggling.

“Bitch. Do you really think you can leave after coming here?”

Catherine dropped the pretense, her eyes cold and cruel. She wouldn’t hesitate to use drugs if necessary—to break Lily down and teach her obedience.

Nothing could be allowed to ruin her chance of winning that powerful man’s favor.

Lily froze.

The words sent a chill up her spine. The last trace of trust in her heart shattered, leaving only dread.

She struggled again, trying to break free.

Slap!

Catherine struck her hard across the face.

“Women like you from the bottom need to be taught your place.”

She grabbed Lily’s chin roughly, forcing her to look up.

“Whore. If you don’t behave, we have plenty of ways to make you obedient.”

Lily fought wildly, but the guards held her fast.

“Jones! Jones, help me!” she cried.

Catherine scoffed.

“Jones? That useless trash with a failed Titan? You think he can save you? Forget the powerhouse arriving tonight—he’s not even worth anyone in this room.”

She gestured for the guards to release Lily, then said coldly,

“Go ahead. Leave if you want. But think carefully—walking out now means offending every powerful figure here. Can your family afford that?”

“And if you lose tonight’s opportunity? Even if you sell yourself on the streets—thirty clients a day—you still won’t make five million in a few months. And when that time comes…”

Lily’s hand froze midair.

Faced with Catherine’s threats, she didn’t know what to do.

“Jones… Mom… what should I do…?” she sobbed, covering her face.

After a long, painful struggle, she finally lowered her head.

For her family—

She gave in.

“Smart choice,” Catherine said, a surge of confidence rising within her.

Everything was going perfectly.

Awakening an A-rank Titan.

Taking the two million Jones had left with her.

Hosting this party and inviting that mysterious powerhouse—

And if she could win his favor tonight, her path as a hero would be effortless.

A perfect life. Praise from the elite. Admiration from countless young men.

It felt as though the world itself lay at her feet.

Like a queen.

Lily lowered her head, her face pale with despair.

In that moment, she wished for a hero—a knight from a fairy tale—to appear and take her away from all this.

But she knew better.

This was reality. Cold and unforgiving.

Catherine turned away and stepped onto the stage, raising a hand to quiet the room.

“I am honored to announce,” she declared, “that the powerful figure who created the pillar of light will arrive at this party any moment!”

Cheers erupted. Guests lifted their glasses and hurried toward the entrance.

“I think I see headlights!” someone shouted.

Outside, a formal welcome rang out. The band shifted into a more dignified tune.

The doors opened.

No—

They were kicked open.

What appeared was not the mysterious powerhouse everyone expected—

But Jones.

His face burned with fury, his presence cold and untouchable, radiating a power no one dared challenge.

The noise in the hall vanished instantly.

The flattering smiles of the elites, the arrogance of the guards, the shock on Catherine’s face—

All froze in place.

Even the air seemed to solidify.

Only silence remained.