Chapter 3

He stood up straight, his striking eyes cold and detached. "I know this sounds cruel, but I don't love you anymore. Let's make this clean. Don't make it ugly."

"Make it clean?"

I hurled the wrapped watch directly at his chest. "How can you say that with a straight face? Look at your shirt! Look at your neck! You went out, screwed around with some mistress, and you want a clean split? Do you have any shame left?"

"Chloe, back off!"

That struck a nerve. His chest heaved as he pointed an accusatory finger at me. "She's not a mistress! She is a thousand times better than you! At least she was untouched!"

"You slept with your ex before me, and now you have the nerve to yell at me? I'm telling you, we're getting divorced whether you like it or not!"

Hearing him say it out loud made the air freeze in my lungs. My blood ran cold.

"Ethan, are you serious right now? Did I ever hide my past from you? We were engaged! Of course we were intimate! Why should I feel ashamed of that? What did you tell me when you proposed? You swore you only loved me, that you didn't care about my past, only our future! And now you're using this pathetic excuse to justify your cheating? You disgust me!"

"Shut the hell up!"

Ethan yanked a folded document out of his briefcase and slapped it hard across my face. "I was an idiot to walk on eggshells trying not to trigger your fragile little feelings. You don't deserve an ounce of sympathy!"

He stormed toward the door. "Sign it and call me. Otherwise, don't ever contact me again!"

He slammed the door behind him, his parting shot echoing in the hallway: "Depressed people are just crazy freaks!"

My mind went blank. Every inch of my body throbbed with pain.

My heart ached the most.

Every sweet memory we shared had turned into a razor-sharp blade slicing through me.

I had foolishly believed Ethan would love me unconditionally, just like Caleb did.

I didn't realize that true, selfless love wasn't something everyone was capable of giving.

I fell severely ill and stayed bedridden for days.

During that time, only my mother-in-law called.

She clearly already knew about the split. Behind her fake concern was plain pressure for me to let go.

"Chloe, honey, I'm not taking Ethan's side, but you can't force a man to stay, right?"

Go to hell.

I hung up. With nothing in my stomach for days, a hollow ache gnawed at my gut.

No. I had to eat.

I hailed an Uber, completely blank about where to go.

"Driver, take me somewhere nice. Somewhere fancy."

"You got it, miss!"

Twenty minutes later, he dropped me off in front of a Michelin-starred steakhouse. The kind of place where a single entrée cost a week's groceries.

I smiled bitterly. Eating here would clean out my checking account.

"Oh my gosh, what a coincidence! Are you eating here too?"