Chapter 2

"We have nothing left to discuss."

I turned on my heel and walked away.

Julian's voice boomed from behind me. "Chloe!"

I didn't look back.

The wind picked up, sending rose petals scattering after my footsteps.

The luxury penthouse Julian had bought for me sat in the most exclusive high-rise downtown.

The floor-to-ceiling windows offered an unobstructed view of the river and the glittering city skyline.

I had lived here for three whole years.

Back when we first started dating, he brought me here to see the place.

He stood behind me by the massive glass window, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Chloe, this is your home now."

Later, when we talked about marriage, he bought another villa in the southern suburbs.

"I bought that estate you liked so much."

Back then, I had been touched to the verge of tears, genuinely believing that meeting him was the greatest blessing of my life.

It was only much later that I discovered Natalie owned a villa in the northern suburbs.

Same layout. Same square footage.

And she owned an identical penthouse in this very building.

Same river view. Same floor-to-ceiling windows.

Everything Julian had ever given me, he had gifted to her first.

Before uncovering his betrayal, I had genuinely believed they were just close friends.

After all, they grew up together. It seemed normal for them to be close.

I had even poured her wine and served her appetizers with a warm smile whenever we all hung out.

How utterly pathetic.

Until that evening, when I was nine months pregnant.

I went into Julian's home office looking for a document.

The door was slightly ajar, and his voice drifted out from inside:

"She's nothing more than a glorified housekeeper looking after my estate. Once she delivers the baby, whenever you want to come back, I'll kick her to the curb."

Standing outside that door, a loud buzzing filled my ears.

The glass of water in my hands slipped and shattered on the hardwood floor.

The noise startled him, but Julian merely opened the door and glanced down.

"Why are you being so clumsy?"

When I asked who he had been talking to, he casually lied and said it was a business client.

That night was Natalie's birthday.

While he was by her side helping her blow out the candles, I was in the ICU delivery room, bleeding out.

Those memories were so sharp and raw that standing in this living room made my entire body shudder with cold.

I walked into the bedroom, yanked open the closet, and dragged out my suitcase.

Clothes, passport, IDs, bank cards.

I didn't have much to take.

Over the past three years, nearly everything in this place had been bought by Julian.

Just as I zipped the inner compartment, the front door clicked open.

Julian was back.

The moment he stepped into the bedroom and saw the suitcase on the bed, his face fell.

"What kind of drama are you pulling now?"

He tossed his suit jacket onto the armchair and stormed into the room.

"You said you loved roses, so I spent a fortune on that entire valley just for you today. Why are you still not satisfied?"

My hands paused for a fraction of a second.

Yes, I had once mentioned loving roses.

A long time ago, when we first started dating, we passed by a boutique flower shop.

I had casually murmured that the red roses looked lovely.

He had memorized that offhand remark.

From that day on, every Valentine's Day, birthday, and anniversary came with an ocean of roses.

Back then, whatever I wished for, he would deliver.

If I craved takeout in the middle of the night, he would drive across town to get it.

If I mentioned wanting a vacation, flight tickets were booked by the next morning.

I thought that was love.

Now I realized it was nothing more than a golden cage of control.

Pulling myself together, I continued tossing my clothes into the bag.

"I'm not pulling drama."

"I'm just not marrying you."