The Boyfriend Test

My best friend has this thing for testing my boyfriends.

I'd fought with her about it so many times, but every time I started dating someone new, she somehow ended up adding him on WhatsApp and flirting with him behind my back.

And when the guy inevitably fell for her, she just put on an innocent face and remarked, "I don't get it. Noreen is such a good girl. Why does everyone always like me instead?"

Later, I secretly dated the young heir of a powerful family.

She started up her act again.

What she didn't know was that I had been waiting for this day for a long time.

*****

"Why are guys all like this nowadays?" Mila Owens remarked. "Noreen's a nice girl. Why does everyone always end up liking me instead?"

Mila's sobs echoed throughout the dorm room.

Stone-faced, I stared at the last message my now ex, Logan Baldwin, had sent me.

[Sorry, but I've fallen for Mila,] Logan wrote.

Counting him, that made fifteen guys who'd been snatched away from me.

"If you didn't shamelessly throw yourself at every guy I date, do you really think they'd even notice you?" I snapped, finally losing it.

Mila looked genuinely startled. Her tears streamed down even harder, making her sweet, innocent face look pitiful.

"Noreen, I-I'm sorry," Mila stammered, "I just didn't want you to get played by some loser.

"I want you to find a guy who only has eyes for you more than anyone else does. I don't know why, but whenever I get involved, guys just end up falling for me without me even trying."

"Without you trying, huh?" I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

I grabbed a classic Victoria's Secret bra and hurled it at her.

"After what you did two exes ago , you still have the nerve to act innocent? Seriously, Mila, you're shameless," I said.

"Seriously, Noreen, you're so ungrateful." The dorm leader frowned, quickly stepping forward to wipe Mila's tears away, then shot me a disapproving look.

"If Mila wasn't always helping you dodge losers, you'd just get played again and then blame her for not giving you a heads-up," she snapped.

My chest felt tight with anger I could barely breathe.

With Mila snatching up every guy before I even got attached, I hadn't even had the chance to get my heart broken by a jerk.

But the rest of the girls in the dorm weren't listening to me anymore. They all rushed to Mila's side to comfort her.

"Seriously, why do you even bother helping Noreen? If she gets played, serves her right. She wouldn't even be grateful anyway," one of them scoffed.

"Yeah! You treat her like your bestie, but she doesn't think the same for you," another added.

Mila just kept crying, even as everyone fussed over her. Her eyes were red, and she looked like a long suffering heroine in a drama.

"Noreen, I'm never going to test your boyfriends again. Good luck dealing with it yourself," Mila declared.

Before I could say a word, my phone started ringing.

I picked up, putting it on speaker, and a deep, magnetic male voice filled the room.

"You ready, baby? I'm waiting for you downstairs," the voice said.

All at once, Mila, who'd been acting all pitiful a moment ago, suddenly had her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Alright, I'm coming down now," I said.

With that, I hung up, gave Mila a glare, and strode straight for the door.

"Wait, Noreen! Did you get a new boyfriend?" Mila called out, then suddenly grabbed my arm.

I snapped, "What's it to you?"

"But you literally just broke up with Logan!" Mila exclaimed.

I gave her a frosty stare. "He was history to me the second he added you on WhatsApp. If you're into guys who can't stay faithful, he's all yours."

With that, I flung the new bag Samson Newburn got me over my shoulder and strode out.

"Wait!" Mila yelled, snatching my phone right out of my hand before I could react.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, reaching for my phone. But she dodged me and started scrolling through my call history.

Before I could grab it back, Mila was already matching Samson's number with one from a flyer she'd pulled out.

Her eyes went wide with disbelief as she stared at me, totally stunned.

"Samson Newburn? Noreen, are you seriously dating the golden boy of the capital's elite circle?" Mila gasped.

I went out of my way to find a guy with standards so high that Mila wouldn't be able to snatch him from me this time.

After having fifteen boyfriends stolen from me for as long as I could remember, I was honestly terrified.

Only a guy who had seen every trick in the book wouldn't fall for Mila's usual games.

"Noreen, guys like him are never faithful. Maybe I should help you out," Mila said.

"Don't bother," I snapped, snatching my phone back. "Guys like him have seen every kind of woman there is. Don't even try your usual games on him."

With that, I turned and walked out, ignoring her suddenly cold expression.

Samson was picking me up so I could be his date at a party.

He wanted to introduce me to the elite crowd he hung out with.

Before the party even started, my phone rang. It was Mila.

"Noreen, are you over on the west side?" Mila asked.

I said impatiently, "What do you want?"

Mila said, "Hey, don't be so cold. Relax, I'm not going to mess with your love life anymore. It's just that the girls in the dorm are having dinner tonight, and I wanted to see if you"

"Can't make it. Maybe next time," I cut her off and hung up.

Samson waved off his friends who tried to toast me, handing me a glass of orange juice instead. He gently ruffled my hair.

"Roommate?" he asked.

I hesitated for a second, then nodded.

Samson chuckled. "Maybe you can introduce me to them sometime. I should get to know your friends, right?"

Introduce Mila to him? No way.

I took a sip of my orange juice and didn't respond.

But as I swallowed, someone crashed into me out of nowhere. A glass of wine splashed on Samson's suit.

A woman gasped, "Oh no! I'm so sorry. I was so clumsy!"

I knew that voice.

I looked up. It was Mila Owens.

"Oh no, the stain just won't come off," Mila exclaimed.

She quickly snatched some napkins and started wiping at his suit, bending over in her low-cut dress. If Samson glanced down, he'd get an eyeful.

I glanced at Samson.

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes flashing knowingly, like he'd seen this trick a thousand times before.

With his looks and status, who knew how many women had tried this move on him already.

He pushed Mila aside as she kept fussing over his suit.

"No need to bother," he said.

Then he threw his arm around my shoulders, ready to leave, only to have Mila suddenly grab his hand.

He froze for a second, caught off guard. He looked down at Mila's hand clutching his.

"I'm really sorry. Let's exchange WhatsApp contacts. If there's any problem with the suit later, I'll pay for it," she said.

With that, she held out her phone.

Mila was asking for WhatsApp contact again. I frowned. This was Mila's classic opening move.

Once she made that first move, every guy I'd ever dated would end up completely under her spell.

"Sorry," Samson said. He brushed her hand aside, his eyes flashing with a bit of contempt. "I don't make a habit of adding other girls on WhatsApp."

Mila was stunned.

Out of my fifteen exes, even if some of them said no at first, one could never miss the way they looked at her. They just couldn't hide their attraction to her.

Every time, Mila would act like she was giving up because she knew those guys would go back and sneakily add her on WhatsApp later anyway.

Logan was the only one who held out for three months, but she still managed to reel him in.

But Samson? He turned her down flat, and there was nothing but contempt in his eyes.

He slung his arm around my shoulders and walked away with me, not even glancing back.

"Now that you've met my friends, how about meeting my folks next?" he said. "They can't wait to meet you."

I flashed a smile, raising my voice just enough for Mila to catch every word. "Sure, I'll come meet your parents sometime!"

I thought I'd finally found a boyfriend who wasn't swayed by looks.

But the moment I pushed open the door to Samson's house, I was totally floored when I saw him cutting fruit for Mila.

"Oh, you cut it way too big. My mouth is tiny. I can't fit this in." Mila pouted, refusing to take the watermelon Samson handed her.

When he saw me, Samson just set the watermelon on the plate in front of her and strode over to me.

"We've been working on a deal with the Owens family lately, so she sometimes stops by to hang out," he explained.

Mila took a tiny bite of watermelon, then shot us a look, her eyes all sultry.

I didn't say a word.

Samson let out a sigh, slung his arm around my shoulders, and turned to Mila, his voice indifferent.

"My girlfriend's here, so I won't be keeping you company. If you need anything, just ask Daisy," he said.

With that, he led me upstairs, and didn't care about Mila's annoyed look.

Once we were in the bedroom and the door was closed, he let out a long sigh.

"Noreen, I honestly had no idea she was the Owens family's daughter. The deal is really important, and my parents want me to treat her well. There's really nothing I can do," he said.

I sighed. "It's fine. You"

Just then, his phone chimed with a WhatsApp notification.

Samson took out his phone, and as soon as I saw the screen, I recognized Mila's ID right away.

"You added her on WhatsApp?" I demanded.

I was in total disbelief.

Samson looked awkward. "Noreen, my parents were sitting right there when she asked. I couldn't say no."

I didn't say a word.

He immediately pulled up Mila's chat, set it to Do Not Disturb, then handed me his phone so I could see for myself.

"Don't worry, Noreen. Nothing's going to happen between me and her. Look, I've already blocked her," he said.

Seeing him, usually so composed, now flustered like a kid, I couldn't help but give a resigned smile.

"Alright," I said.

He still looked upset, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Don't worry, Noreen. You're the one I want to marry. Once we've met my parents and finalized the details, we'll get married right away," he promised.

But all I could think about was him cutting watermelon for Mila earlier.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. Still, I wrapped my arms around him and softly replied, "Okay."

After that, Samson didn't really talk to Mila anymore.

Mila never had to deal with a guy like him before.

It only made her even more intrigued.

She even started showing up at our hangouts with Samson's friends, always trying to butt in.

Whenever we were with a group of friends, Samson would have his hand on my waist, looking totally bored.

"Overseas distribution? What's so hard about that?" Mila said, swirling her wine glass with an unhurried, confident smile.

She'd overheard the bunch of trust fund kids talking about the group's recent problems.

I noticed Samson's eyes were fixed on her.

"I majored in economics, and when I was an exchange student, I made some friends who are now experts in this field. If you're interested, I can help you get in touch with them," Mila said, her gaze drifting to Samson.

As she spoke, her eyes lingered on Samson.

I noticed Samson paused mid-drink.

Samson was tempted.

His dad had just given him a company to manage, and he was stuck on the overseas distribution part.

If he messed this up, it wouldn't look good for his future as the heir.

"Really? And who exactly are these friends of yours, Miss Owens?" Samson asked.

His voice was smooth and inviting, like a gentle breeze on a spring day.

I froze, turning to look at him.

"Noreen, this really means a lot to me. I need her help," Samson said.

He let go of me, looking a little apologetic.

"But trust me, it's strictly business between me and her. Once this is all behind us, I promise I'll marry you," he added.

"You're interested, Samson? Care to step aside for a chat?" Mila said.

She walked over, swirling her wine glass with a captivating grace.

Samson gave my shoulder a quick pat and walked off with her.

I was left standing there, surrounded by people I didn't know, feeling lost.

For days after that, I didn't see Samson.

He was jetting off to different countries, and we only kept in touch via video calls.

I even spotted Mila in the background a couple of times.

She'd just casually stroll by in her pajamas, acting as though it was nothing.

"Sometimes she pops into my room to borrow stuff," Samson explained, letting out a sigh. "She's the Owens family's daughter, and I still need her to help me reach out to business partners. I can't just ignore her.

"Seriously, Noreen, there's nothing between me and her."

"That's right, Noreen. There's really nothing between me and him," Mila chimed in.

The next moment, she casually slung her arm over Samson's shoulder, bent down, and grinned at the camera.

"Your boyfriend's solid as a rock. Looks like you really picked the right guy this time," Mila joked.

I didn't say anything because I noticed Samson didn't shrug off Mila's arm like he usually did.

I wondered if it was because he didn't want to embarrass Mila or because he still needed Mila for the business stuff, so he couldn't push her away yet.

When I finally stopped overthinking, the video call was already wrapping up.

I hung up and forced myself to sleep.

*****

A couple of weeks later, Samson came back.

He seemed to be in a great mood.

As soon as we met, he took out a necklace and handed it to me.

I was floored.

This was a handcrafted piece by my favorite foreign artist. Only ten existed in the whole world, and one couldn't even buy one unless the artist personally approved the buyer.

"H-how did you even get your hands on this?" I stammered, excitement bubbling up inside me.

He gave a soft smile. "Mila really came through for me. I had to show my appreciation, you know?"

I was stunned.

I hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, "This isn't for me?"

He smiled and patted my head. "Hey, don't worry. When I get back, I'll take you out and get you something you really like.

"Just help me give this to her, okay? I don't want any rumors starting about her and me."

Suddenly, I felt a hollow ache in my chest.

He appeared to have really stayed away from Mila, but deep down, I just couldn't shake this uneasy feeling.

Still, I went to see Mila as Samson's girlfriend.

When I saw Mila, I dialed up Samson.

"There's no need to give her the necklace anymore. Her ex already got her the same one," I said.

His voice was as calm as ever, but I could still hear the edge of annoyance he didn't bother to hide.

"His ex? He's really pushing his luck, huh?" Samson replied.

I watched as Logan, someone I once knew all too well, argued with Mila.

I let out a wry, jealous laugh. "It's my ex. He's fallen for Mila, but Mila seemed to have fallen for someone else, so she's not interested in my ex anymore," I said.

Samson didn't seem to pick up on the jealousy in my voice. He just scoffed, sounding a little smug.

"So that guy went out of his way to get the same necklace, thinking he could keep Mila around?" he said.

I kept quiet.

He probably didn't even notice the way he was talking sounded exactly like a guy staking his claim.

"You're at Union Caf, right? I see you," Samson said.

I froze for a moment.

I turned and saw a Rolls-Royce pull up nearby. The door swung open, and Samson strode over, his long legs closing the distance in no time.

He caught sight of Logan and Samson arguing through the glass right away.

He also noticed the identical necklace Logan was trying to give Mila.

Smack!

The necklace was snatched right out of my hand. Samson stormed into the caf, heading straight for Logan.

He grabbed Logan by the shoulder, spun him around, and socked him hard in the face.

"Mila told you she doesn't like you. Why can't you just leave her alone?" Samson yelled.

By the time I ran over to them, Samson was lecturing Logan furiously, who'd just been knocked onto the couch.

The necklace Logan had meant for Mila was tossed to the floor and crushed under Samson's foot.

Mila instinctively slipped behind Samson, like she'd been protected by him countless times before. Her eyes were red, and she looked so pitiful.

"Samson, look what he did..." Mila whimpered, her voice trembling with grievance.

Samson didn't even bother to turn around.

I saw how he gently patted Mila's hand behind him.

Logan's lip was bleeding. He spat out blood and grinned at Samson. "Didn't think it'd be you," he said.

He glanced past Samson at Mila, still cowering behind him. "So, I really don't stand a chance, huh?" Logan said.

"I already told you my heart belongs to someone else. Why are you still bothering me?" she said, her voice trembling.

Samson's eyes sparkled for a moment but he quickly returned to his usual calm.

Logan wiped the blood from his mouth, grinning like he didn't care.

He got up, brushed past me, and walked out of the caf.

Neither my ex-boyfriend and current boyfriend even spared me a glance.

Samson glanced at me at last and said, "Noreen, don't be mad."

I realized he'd only just noticed how left out I felt.

He reached out and softly ruffled my hair. "Things happened so suddenly, I had to act," he explained.

Mila was already wearing the necklace Samson gave her, her smile meaningful.

"See, Noreen? Samson really is a good guy," she remarked.

She had never even been with him so how would she know that?

Watching the two of them exchange a look, I knew Samson was probably under her spell now too.

Guess it didn't matter if the guy was a total rookie or a seasoned player. If he was a man, he'd end up wrapped around Mila's finger.

I turned and watched Logan's back as he left.

Out of sight from everyone else, my lips curved into a satisfied smile.

This was great. Logan did a wonderful job. It was what I intended. I wanted Mila to fall right into the web I'd spun for her.

*****

For a while after that, Samson was so swamped with work he hardly ever came back home.

If things went smoothly, he'd be running the family business all on his own soon enough.

Since Mila was helping him out, she tagged along every time he traveled for work.

At the same time, Samson would send me links to wedding dresses, telling me to pick whatever I liked.

"I've been so busy lately, I haven't been giving you enough attention. Don't be mad, okay? Mila and I are just like siblings. Once things settle down, you and I will get married," he said gently.

Whenever I gave him the cold shoulder, he'd just start buying fancy stuff from all over the world and have it shipped straight to my door.

Within two weeks, my place was overflowing with luxury goods.

But I knew for him, it was just something he did without a second thought.

Maybe Mila, the person he actually bothered to keep close, was someone he'd put in some effort for.

The day I found out he'd been lying to me was at an exclusive industry event.

I caught Samson pressing Mila up against the wall, kissing her like he'd never let go. In that instant, I realized the guy who kept saying he was off doing business overseas had actually been in the country with Mila the whole time.

He was so lost in the kiss that he didn't even notice I was standing right behind them.

I turned around, wanting to get out of there, only to run smack into a solid chest.

Looking up, I saw Logan, his gaze icy as he stared off in Samson and Mila's direction.

"Wanna talk, victim?" Logan said.

It was the first time he'd spoken to me since we broke up.

I stepped aside. "Let's talk somewhere private."

The moment the door to the private room shut, Logan pinned me to the wall at once.

His breath was hot against my neck, his voice low, barely holding back.

"So, how much longer do I have to keep up this act?" he asked.

He tore my clothes off in a frenzy, couldn't even wait long enough to unzip them.

When we were both completely spent from lovemaking, he buried his face in the crook of my neck, gently nibbling me.

"So, when are you taking me back?" he murmured.

I let out a soft laugh and gently patted his head. "Already can't wait, huh?" I teased.

"Not even a second," he growled, his voice rough and low.

I rolled over to face him.

"Alright, you can cut off Mila's allowance now," I said.

His eyes lit up, and he pulled me closer. "So my undercover mission's finally over?"

I smiled and gently stroked his face. "Yeah. Good boy."

He took my hand from his face, then leaned in and kissed me.