Chapter 3

3

I stood frozen, staring at her.

She knew exactly how hard my life was when I was treated as an outcast by the Sinclairs.

They say the person who knows you best knows exactly where to drive the knife to hurt you the most.

I suppressed the ache in my chest and opened the car door.

We returned to the Hayes estate.

Jocelyn's parents were already at the door to greet us.

When they saw Xander, their expressions stiffened for a second before they looked at me.

Her mother was the first to notice I didn't look right.

She supported me and spoke to Jocelyn in a scolding tone. "Jocelyn, what's wrong with you? Caden looks terrible. How could you not notice?"

A brief wave of warmth hit my heart.

The reason I kept funding the Hayes family was largely because of her parents.

Even though Jocelyn was cold to me after the marriage, her parents gave me the family warmth I had lacked for so long.

Her mother saw my pale face and settled me into bed, telling me to get some rest.

I was exhausted from the IV and the illness, so I didn't refuse.

But I was worried about the funding. I wanted to tell them my decision and give them the retirement fund I had set aside for them.

I woke up after only a short nap.

That was when I heard their voices coming from downstairs.

"We always wanted Xander to be our son-in-law. If the company hadn't run into trouble, we never would have forced Jocelyn into that marriage."

"But now that Xander is back, they can finally pick up where they left off."

"Exactly. If it weren't for the Sinclair family's wealth, we never would have married our daughter to that outcast."

"But let's keep the news about Jocelyn and Xander's child a secret from Caden for now."

I stood in the blind spot of the hallway, my hand gripping the railing until my knuckles turned white.

In that moment, I realized I was nothing but a joke to them.

The Hayes family had known all along. I was the only one kept in the dark.

It was hilarious. I had been foolishly playing the role of the dutiful son-in-law.

My gaze fell on Jocelyn.

She was leaning into Xander's arms, smiling tenderly as she stroked her stomach.

I used to dream of having a child with her.

I even thought she was just uncomfortable with intimacy. I had even looked into options like IVF for her.

But she always refused, so I let it go.

It wasn't that she didn't want a child. She just didn't want one with me.

That night, I left under the cover of darkness.

Before leaving, I sent a message to my secretary. I directed the retirement fund I had saved for her parents to be donated to charity instead.

My fever hadn't fully broken, and my head was pounding.

But I forced myself to pack all my things.

I threw everything that reminded me of Jocelyn into the trash.

By the time I was finished, I was so dizzy I just collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep.

The next morning, the harsh sunlight woke me up.

The pain in my head had finally eased a bit.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

Jocelyn's eyes were full of displeasure. "Why did you leave without saying a word? You made my parents worry."

Xander followed behind her, patting her back comfortingly.

"I know Mr. Sinclair is jealous of me. But doing this in front of the elders shows a real lack of class."

I didn't argue. I just said calmly, "You're right. A person like me has no class. I can't compare to high-society people like you."

Jocelyn's voice immediately jumped an octave.

"Caden Sinclair, what is that supposed to mean? So what if your family is rich? You're still just an unwanted outcast!"

The house fell into a deathly silence for a few seconds. Jocelyn seemed to realize she had gone too far. Her voice softened slightly.

"I didn't mean it like that."

But I didn't care anymore. I was done with this relationship.

Xander suddenly blocked my path. A sly smirk played on his lips.

"To be honest, Jocelyn is already pregnant with my child."

"It's actually funny. Eight years, and you didn't even dare to touch her. But after all this time, she's still as obedient as a dog when she's with me."

I finally lost it. I swung my fist and hit him across the face.

He didn't even try to dodge. He just gave me a provocative look.

The next thing I knew, I was tumbling down the stairs. Jocelyn rushed to Xander's side, her face full of concern.

"Caden! What are you doing?"

She shielded Xander behind her, her eyes filled with disgust and impatience.

"You need to know your place. This was an arranged marriage. I've always loved Xander. Who do you think you are to treat him like this?"

I saw the hatred in her eyes. I forced myself to stand up and spoke coldly. "Then let's get a divorce."

"You two can be together openly. I won't be in your way anymore."

Jocelyn froze.

Xander let out a scoff. "Who do you think you are, trying to threaten Jocelyn with a divorce?"

Jocelyn snapped out of it and sneered. "Fine, Caden. Don't you dare regret it."

After they left, I called my secretary. "Get the best lawyers. I want Jocelyn Hayes to leave with absolutely nothing."

Since she didn't care for anything the Sinclair family provided, I didn't need to show any mercy.

From now on, our paths would never cross again.

Once everything was handled, I boarded a plane to Europe.