Chapter 3

3.

A bitter choke escaped my throat before I could stop it.

“Chloe, you took eleven years of devotion, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it. All because you were so sure I would never leave, right?”

She went silent, her quietness confirming my words.

“I loved you in high school with the purest feelings I ever had. I stepped back because of Heath, but when he abandoned you, I stepped up and pursued you for two years. If you didn’t want me, you could have said no. But you accepted my ring.”

“I am your legal husband, Chloe. Yet I cannot understand how you put Heath first in everything without a single shred of guilt.”

“Did you honestly believe that marrying me was some kind of charity award?”

Chloe whispered faintly, “I never thought that.”

“That is exactly how you treated me! All these years, I treated you with the same passionate love as when we first dated. I never took you for granted. I loved you, protected you, and waited on you hand and foot.”

“And what happened the moment Heath came back? Did you ever look at me like I mattered?”

“Did you think about my feelings for even a single second?”

The suffocating resentment I had swallowed for months finally burst out of me.

Tears hit the hardwood floor with quiet splashes before I even realized I was crying.

A long silence stretched across the line before Chloe spoke in a subdued voice.

“Come to the broadcast studio tonight. I’m filming a show there. We can talk in person.”

When I arrived at the studio, a production assistant was already waiting to escort me inside.

Chloe had clearly set this up.

The assistant pushed open the dressing room door, and I stepped inside.

The first thing I saw was not just Chloe, but Heath sitting right next to her on the velvet couch.

They were sitting intimately close, looking far more like a loving couple than Chloe and I ever had.

“Heath and I are filming the same variety show tonight, so we were assigned the same dressing room,” Chloe explained, putting down her script as she looked at me.

She picked up an iced caramel macchiato from the side table and held it out to me. “I had my assistant get your favorite.”

Heath chuckled softly beside her.

“Gavin, I had no idea you liked sweet drinks like a teenage girl. What a coincidence. Chloe used to buy this exact brand for me all the time back in college.”

Holding the cup, I mirrored Heath’s polite smile.

“It’s not a coincidence. This is Chloe’s favorite drink. It’s way too sugary for me, and I’ve always hated it.”

The smile on Chloe’s face froze instantly.

Heath looked noticeably awkward, clearing his throat before forcing out an excuse.

“Gavin, are you still upset about the photo Chloe and I posted the other day?”

“We honestly did it to protect you. Chloe was terrified her toxic fans would target you, and she knew you couldn’t handle the heat.”

“Please don’t take it out on Chloe.”

I noticed the touched expression softening Chloe’s face at Heath’s little speech.

I looked down and let out a cold chuckle.

“That makes total sense. After all, if a veteran celebrity like you is fragile enough to jump off a roof over one comment, a normal guy like me would probably drop dead on the spot.”

Heath’s expression soured rapidly as my words hit home.

“But you got one thing wrong,” I continued evenly. “I’m not angry with Chloe. I’m divorcing her.”

“In fact, I brought the divorce papers with me today. Heath, why don’t you convince her to sign them? That way, you two can walk onto the stage holding hands.”

“More importantly, you won’t have to worry about some random hater calling you a homewrecker and driving you to the rooftop again.”

“Because jumping off a building on national television would look a bit tacky, wouldn’t it?”

My smile remained calm, but Heath looked like he was about to combust from humiliation.

He turned to Chloe with trembling shoulders and tear-filled eyes.

Chloe shot up from the sofa, glaring down at me furiously.

“Gavin, you’ve crossed the line! Apologize to Heath right now!”