Chapter 2

"Logan, is this how you keep your promise to me?"

Forget a grand wedding—he had gone and married another woman entirely.

"Everything in the past was just a misunderstanding. Her brother is my brother-in-law now. We're family."

"Don't come around disrupting our happy life anymore."

I bit my lip so hard it bled, shaking my head in utter refusal to accept his words.

I grabbed his arm, demanding answers.

"Did someone threaten you?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

Those two children looked nothing like him.

He shoved my hand away in disgust.

Logan used so much force that I hit the pavement hard.

A sickening pop echoed from my shoulder, hinting at a dislocated bone.

"Have you had enough, Serena?"

"Open your eyes and look! Madeline and I are genuinely in love. Back then, I was just lonely and wanted someone around. That's all it ever was!"

"You were the one desperate to cling to me. You were the one who offered to take the fall and do the time. I just went along with it."

"As for saying I'd marry you—I was caught up in the moment. Don't take it so seriously."

"After all, everyone knows you can't trust sweet talk from a man."

I stared at him in utter despair, desperately wishing I could find an excuse for his cruelty.

The throbbing pain in my arm was unbearable, forcing hot tears to pool in my eyes.

Logan delivered his final ultimatum.

"Don't ever look for me again. I won't let you ruin my family."

"This card buys out every last shred of history between us."

Over a decade of devotion was reduced to a flimsy piece of plastic.

Clutching my chest, I let the tears stream freely down my cheeks.

Ten years ago, we were each other's entire world, huddling together for warmth inside a tiny, leaky studio apartment.

Even when our protruding ribs dug into each other's chests, we never let go.

We were so broke that a single meal had to be split between us.

Yet Logan would always turn his head away, claiming he wasn't hungry just so I could eat a few extra bites.

"Serena, you've suffered so much with me. Once I make it out there, I promise I'll make all of this up to you."

Back then, his eyes were always filled with genuine guilt.

Words would choke up in his throat, stopping him mid-sentence more times than I could count.

I knew it was love and heartbreak for me.

And now, I had indeed lived to see him become wealthy and successful.

Yet all he offered me was a bank card to sever all our ties.

I shoved the card into my bag.

Ten years had passed, and the world outside had changed beyond recognition.

Whenever I applied for a job, people looked at me like I was a freak.

With a felony record, not a single company was willing to take a chance on me.

Still, I sent out resumes everywhere, desperate for anything that would keep a roof over my head.

Persistence finally paid off when I received an interview invitation.

Without hesitation, I hailed a cab and rushed over to the company.

The position was for a costumed performer at a local theme park. During the audition, the interviewers repeatedly humiliated me, ordering me to bark like a dog and crawl on the floor like a beggar.

It wasn't until laughter drifted from behind the one-way glass that I realized it was all a sick setup.

The owner of the company was Madeline. She had deliberately orchestrated this mockery just to degrade me!

"Logan, what do you think? Our park seems to be short on hands."

Logan replied in an icy tone, "Next. She has a criminal record. Hiring someone like that would reflect poorly on our brand."

Upon hearing his response, Madeline cupped his face and planted a kiss right on his cheek.

"That's my husband. You always think of everything!"