Chapter 5

Chloe's POV

On the drive back to the city, my body gave out.

I passed out in the car. Later, I heard the staff carried me inside and took me back to Julian's downtown penthouse.

I burned with a fever for two straight days.

When I opened my eyes, Julian was sitting by my bedside.

The sky outside was gray. I twitched my fingers; every single inch of my body ached.

Seeing him there, my heart softened for a brief second, until he spoke: "How do you manage to mess up walking down a path?"

My heart turned to ice instantly.

He wasn't sitting here out of concern for my injuries.

"Mia pointed me toward that path," I said, staring at him, speaking each word deliberately. "The one she showed me wasn't a shortcut at all."

Julian's face instantly darkened.

"Chloe." His voice went cold. "Mia is timid. She was terrified that night, barely able to speak. You got yourself lost; don't go throwing dirt on her."

"It was pitch black on the mountain that night," I struggled to sit up. "Why was she conveniently waiting at that exact fork for me?"

"She was worried about you."

"Worried about me, so she sent me down an abandoned trail?"

"Stop falsely accusing people," he cut me off, standing up. "I don't want to hear that nonsense a second time."

He turned and walked away.

I had spoken the raw truth, and this was the reaction I got.

For days after that, he never showed his face again.

Meals were delivered to my door on time, mostly just plain, cold bread and water.

I didn't complain. I ate every bite of the cold food.

I needed to get back on my feet. I needed to walk on my own, to carry my own luggage.

I tore the calendar pages off one by one. Every page meant one day closer to the end.

The day I was finally able to stand, I used the wall for support and made it to the doorway, just as the door was pushed open from the outside.

Mia stood there in a brand-new dress, holding a designer purse.

"Oh, you can walk now?" She smiled sweetly. "I heard about what happened. Julian felt so bad for me, saying I was traumatized, so he's taking me to the beach to relax."

She stepped closer, leaning in, her voice dropping into a smug whisper. "Chloe, why bother fighting it? Can't you see who runs this house now?"

I held onto the doorframe, remaining silent.

"Why so quiet?" Mia stepped closer still. "Too ashamed, or too scared?"

"Mia," I spoke softly. "Anything you can steal isn't real."

"I don't care if it's real or fake," Mia laughed. "Right now, I have your man. Julian only has eyes for me. If you had any self-respect left, you'd pack your bags and leave."

Suddenly, someone rushed in from the end of the hallway—hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot, screaming someone's name as they lunged straight at Mia.

Mia shrieked and scrambled backward.

Julian rounded the corner almost at the exact same second.

With a casual yank, he shoved me directly in front of Mia.

Before I could even react, the attacker slammed me violently against the wall.

Their nails dug deep into my arm, raking bloody gashes across my skin.

In the ensuing chaos, someone finally wrestled the frantic attacker away.

I slid down the wall, hitting the floor, looking down at my arm as blood welled up from the cuts.

I lifted my head.

Julian already had Mia wrapped tightly in his arms, rubbing her back, asking frantically if she was hurt. He didn't spare me a single glance.

In my past life, I refused to accept it, refused to believe it. I always blamed myself, wondering if I said the wrong thing or did something poorly to deserve this treatment.

Today, I didn't need to wonder anymore.

His reflex was to shield Mia. I was the one tossed out as a meat shield.

When he shoved me, there wasn't a millisecond of hesitation.

When life was on the line, I had watched him make his choice across two lifetimes. Today, I saw it with total clarity.

Someone stepped over to help me up, handing me a tissue. I waved them off and pulled myself up using the wall.

No one asked if I was in pain.

I didn't expect anyone to.

I tallied those bloody gashes in my mind. Every mark brought me one step closer to leaving.

I pulled my sleeve down, hiding my arm.