Chapter 2

2.

Tessa became incredibly clingy after her drinks. Once we were settled in bed, she started moving her hands over me.

Her warm, smooth leg rubbed against mine, trying to spark a flame. I felt a wave of pure revulsion.

In the past, this would have driven me wild. I would have folded into her embrace instantly.

But now, I pushed her away with force and got out of bed.

Tessa looked stunned. "Honey, what's wrong?"

I realized I had reacted too strongly. "Nothing. My throat is dry. I'm going to get some water."

I threw on my robe and hurried out of the bedroom.

Before the door closed, I caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were cold and indifferent.

I opened the living room window to breathe in the freezing air. I needed to kill the irritation in my gut.

A phone buzzed on the coffee table. It was Tessa's.

She usually turned it off at night to avoid being disturbed. I used to think she was just being considerate of my sleep.

Now I realize she was just hiding the thirsty texts from Merrick.

The notifications were scrolling across the screen. I saw enough.

To give Merrick a better shot at winning the rally, she had gifted him a custom carbon-fiber Aston Martin.

I looked down and let out a bitter laugh.

For Merrick, a five-million-dollar car was a casual gift.

For Merrick, a custom designer suit was a given.

But for me? I hadn't even received a three-hundred-dollar tie in three years.

I grabbed my own phone and sat on the sofa.

I lit a cigarette and opened my message requests.

Merrick had been trying to add me for months. I had always ignored him.

Tonight, I felt a twisted urge to see what he was posting. I accepted the request.

His feed was exactly what I expected. Besides the mansion and the cars, it was all about Tessa.

I scrolled through the posts. It finally clicked why Tessa "traveled for business" every week.

She was taking Merrick on luxury trips all over the country.

I was about to close the app when I saw a post of him showing off a mansion.

The caption read: 【Thank you, Ms. Vanderbilt, for the gift. I love this Baroque estate.】

I tapped the photo. My eyes widened as my body went stiff.

That house... it was my childhood home.

It had been renovated, which was why I didn't recognize it at first.

I had lived there for ten years.

When my family's company hit a financial crisis, my mother sold it with tears in her eyes. She planned to buy it back once we recovered.

But she died in a car accident shortly after.

Before she passed, she begged me to get that house back. It was the only thing her parents had left her.

When our company finally got back on its feet, the realtor told me a mysterious tycoon had bought it.

I tried everything to contact the owner. I offered anything I had to get it back.

I never got a response.

Now, finding out the truth this way felt like a sick joke.

I couldn't tell myself it was a coincidence.

Tessa knew. Merrick knew. They both knew what that house meant to me.

They did this on purpose to spit on my memories.

The pain was so sharp it turned into a dull numbness.

I dropped my finished cigarette and collapsed onto the couch.