Chapter 3

3

When I woke up the next morning, I powered on my phone.

Dozens of missed calls popped up on my screen.

Most of them were from Rowena and her mother, Loretta.

Naturally, I ignored every single one of them.

We were officially done, and I had no intention of ever dealing with them again.

The only call that caught my attention was from my father.

My dad rarely called unless something major happened, especially since he was currently out of state managing business operations.

I dialed his number back immediately.

It turned out Rowena couldn't reach me, so she had the audacity to call my father instead.

Apparently, she and Chase went out drinking at an upscale nightclub last night, got into a massive brawl, and completely trashed the VIP lounge.

The venue was demanding astronomical damages, or they would press severe criminal charges.

I almost burst out laughing.

Yesterday was supposed to be our engagement party.

She ran off with her male best friend right in front of everyone.

Now that she had landed herself in deep trouble, she suddenly remembered I existed.

I was honestly amazed by how thick-skinned a human being could be.

"Dad, Rowena and I broke up," I said calmly into the receiver.

The line went dead silent for a couple of seconds.

My father was completely caught off guard.

After all, I used to be blindly in love with Rowena, obeying her every whim and forgiving every mistake she made unconditionally.

I had spent seven years cleaning up her messes.

"Dad, I'm serious. We're completely done. You don't have to deal with her family anymore, and I won't either."

Hearing the resolute tone in my voice, my father let out a hearty laugh.

"Good! That's my boy! I told you years ago that girl was bad news."

"I'm glad you finally came to your senses."

"Tell me what kind of girl you like. Uncle Dawson has been begging to introduce his daughter to you for months!"

While I was on the phone with my dad, Rowena's text messages flooded in like artillery shells.

Her tone was as arrogant and condescending as ever.

"Sean, I'm giving you one final chance."

"Show up in front of me right now, or don't ever bother showing your face again."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Just as I was about to share the good news with my dad, heavy pounding rattled my front gate.

"Sean, I know you're in there! Stop hiding like a coward!"

"Get your ass out here right now!"

I hung up the phone and checked the security camera monitor.

Rowena, Loretta, and Chase were standing outside the iron gate, kicking and pounding on it like lunatics.

I blinked in surprise.

Weren't Rowena and Chase supposed to be locked up at the police precinct for trashing a club?

How were they already out?

To prevent them from disturbing the entire neighborhood, I walked down and buzzed them through the gate.

Smack!

The moment Rowena saw me, she swung her hand to slap me across the face.

"Sean, what the hell is wrong with you? Why didn't you answer my calls last night?"

"Do you have any idea how long I waited at the police station?"

Looking at the furious woman in front of me, I let out a cold sneer.

I must have been utterly blind to have wasted seven years on someone like her.

"Sweetie, you have no idea what this punk did yesterday. He actually hit me!" Loretta chimed in, dropping all pretenses and screeching like a banshee.

"He humiliated me in front of all my friends! How am I supposed to hold my head up now?"

With Rowena standing beside her, Loretta looked ready to tear me apart.

"Aunt Loretta, don't be too sad," Chase sneered, leaning against the doorframe.

"Some people might have money, but they have zero class."

"If you don't discipline a dog like him properly now, who knows what he'll do in the future?"

The three of them acted like they had rehearsed this entire scene beforehand.

They didn't even give me a chance to speak, launching straight into a coordinated verbal assault.

Chase smirked, dropping hints about how Rowena should punish me physically.

"I say we make him strip naked and kneel outside the front gate," Chase suggested with a malicious grin.

"Exactly! This bastard won't learn until he's humiliated. Sweetie, you can't let him off easily this time!" Loretta added.

Listening to their pathetic circus act, I lost whatever patience I had left.

"Are you three done performing?"

"Once you're done, get the hell out."

All three of them froze, their eyes widening in disbelief.

"Security, we have three trespassers refusing to leave my property. What exactly am I paying your company for?"

Without giving them another second to talk, I slammed my hand onto the emergency security button on the wall.

"Sean, what kind of childish game are you playing now?"

"Don't you realize pulling stunts like this only makes me despise you more?" Rowena snapped, her brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Then despise me. Be my guest," I replied flatly.

In the past, a threat like that would have sent me into a panic.

Now, I just wanted them out of my sight forever.

Security guards arrived within minutes and forcibly dragged the three of them off the premises.

Shortly after, I received a call from the precinct.

I had been wondering how Rowena and Chase got released so quickly after causing so much damage.

It turned out the nightclub owner knew about our relationship and let them go out of respect for the Walker family name.

Hearing that, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

I told the officer directly that Rowena and I had zero relationship, and they should handle the damages strictly by the book.

That very afternoon, the police hauled Rowena right back into custody.

When my childhood best friend, Zach, heard the news of our breakup, he called me immediately.

"Well, well, if it isn't our legendary hopeless romantic. You actually broke up with her?"

I rolled my eyes at his teasing.

"Drop the attitude, man. Let's go celebrate your freedom. I'm taking you somewhere fun."

Zach dragged me to an exclusive private lounge, a place I had never set foot in before.

Back when I was with Rowena, she strictly forbade me from going anywhere near nightlife venues.

Just as I was about to tell Zach that this wasn't really my scene, a line of VIP hostesses walked into the private room.

When I saw the woman standing in the far corner, I finally understood why Zach brought me here.