Chapter 2

I was utterly humiliated.

Chloe's eyes were hazy with tears as she questioned me. "Leo Thompson, tell me! Why did you cheat?"

I let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh. "You know why."

"Was I not enough for you? But that closet full of lingerie, I bought all of it for you! What more do you want?"

Chloe cried even harder, almost screaming in despair.

That was all the provocation the crowd needed. Their fury ignited.

"Chloe, this bastard is hopeless. Today, I'll make sure you get your revenge."

Alex first wiped away Chloe's tears, then picked up a branch from the ground and savagely lashed me.

"You rotten scumbag!"

Again and again he struck, until my body was a mess of bloody welts.

And the crowd cheered.

"Hit him harder!" Chloe's family yelled. "Don't let him off easy!"

Only Chloe stopped Alex. "Leo, we've been together for ten years, it wasn't easy.”

"If you admit your mistake and promise in front of everyone that you'll change, I'll give you one last chance."

The crowd praised her for her kindness, lamenting that such a wonderful woman was wasted on a man like me.

"Admit my mistake?"

I ground my teeth until I thought they would crack. "Chloe, doesn't this scene look just like the day our daughter, Lily, died?"

Chloe's pupils immediately constricted. "You... you remembered everything?"

“It was over a hundred degrees," I pressed on, seeing her freeze. "Lily was surrounded, being screamed at by a crowd."

"Your favored and beloved intern, Alex, didn't help. He locked her in a dog cage to 'teach her a lesson'."

"Do you have any idea how desperately she cried?"

Chloe's fists clenched tightly, and she murmured, "Alex didn't mean to."

Hearing her words, a few blood-tinged tears slid from my eyes.

"Chloe! Lily was your own daughter! How could you be so heartless?"

"That day, Lily couldn't even get a sip of water. The sun peeled her skin, and her lips cracked and bled."

"When you saw her dead, didn't your heart ache?"

My accusations rang out.

Chloe trembled all over, and Alex beside her looked nervous.

The residents of the complex all stared at them, their gazes becoming strange.

"Her own daughter was killed by her intern, and the mother still keeps him around? Is she sick?"

"They probably have something going on."

"No wonder the husband cheated for revenge, his heart must have turned to ice."

Besides that.

Mrs. Thompson also glared at Chloe, demanding, "Didn't you say Lily's death was an accident?"

"Alex, what exactly happened?"

Mr. Thompson glowered at Alex, waiting for an explanation.

"It's all my fault..."

Alex slapped himself, feigning remorse and sobbing, "That day, I took Lily out to play. I just went to buy water for a second, and when I turned around, Lily was gone."

"Later I found out she ran into a bakery to steal bread, was caught by the store owner, thrown into a cage, and put on the roof as punishment."

"During that time, Chloe was busy with surgery. I sent messages and called Leo, but no one answered."

"I'm sorry, I didn't watch Lily properly, I deserve to die!"

After saying that, he wildly slapped himself again.

"Okay, stop hitting yourself."

Chloe was heartbroken and quickly stepped forward to stop him.

"I didn't get any calls or messages from you that day, you killed my daughter..."

Before I could finish.

Chloe turned and slapped me, raging, "How many times have I told you? It has nothing to do with Alex! It was the bakery owner who committed the evil act, and he's currently wanted by the police."