Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After canceling all of Lana's classes, I let out a long breath and looked around the apartment.

The living room wall was covered from top to bottom with her certificates and trophies.

Blessed with my genetics, her posture, physique, and facial features were exceptional. Through years of rigorous modeling training, she had collected dozens of accolades, always serving as my greatest pride.

Yet she never valued any of them, believing they were useless because they could not help her marry a wealthy man.

She seemed to have completely forgotten how, at three years old, she watched a runway show on television and declared in her sweet, baby voice that she wanted to be a model when she grew up.

Back then, her eyes sparkled like a sky full of stars.

Her pure passion had moved me deeply, making me vow to support her dream no matter the cost.

Now, she had long abandoned those innocent words.

Her ultimate goal in life had become identical to Patrick's mindset: land a rich man and never work a day in her life.

I shook my head and sighed softly.

This was her own choice, and I had no interest in stopping her anymore.

I stepped forward and tore the certificates off the wall without an ounce of hesitation. I ripped them down the middle, crumpled them into tight balls, and threw them all into the trash can.

From this day on, she was no longer my pride.

After clearing the wall, I pulled out several large cardboard boxes and headed into her bedroom.

I had bought this downtown two-bedroom condo near her high school after my divorce, using up most of my life savings. It had two bedrooms, a living area, and a tiny storage room.

Lana had claimed both bedrooms―one as her personal bedroom and the other as her walk-in study. My room was converted from the tiny storage closet, which could barely fit a single twin bed and a narrow wardrobe, forcing me to do all my work on the living room coffee table.

Even today, while resting at home between chores, I was sitting by the coffee table designing presentation slides on my laptop to earn extra cash.

Back then, I intended for us to each take one bedroom. But she had thrown a massive fit, screaming that if she did not get both rooms, she would have her father take her away immediately.

No matter how I reasoned with her, nothing worked, and I had eventually given in.

Yet even after taking up almost all my space, she still treated me like an eyesore. Every time she walked through the living room, she would snap at me, telling me to get lost out of her sight.

I opened her massive wardrobe and pulled out her designer dresses one by one, tossing them straight into the worn cardboard boxes.

Next came her shoes, hats, scarves, and loungewear.

Once the bedroom was cleared, I moved into the study.

In a single afternoon, I cleared out every single item belonging to Lana, packed them into four massive boxes, and gave the rooms a quick clean.

Then, I moved all my personal belongings out of the cramped storage closet and arranged them neatly across the two spacious rooms.

Finally, I stacked the four heavy boxes inside the storage closet.

If she wanted to sleep in there, she could; if not, she was more than welcome to move in with her father.

None of it mattered to me anymore.

Having finished organizing, I sprawled out comfortably on the plush queen-sized bed and ordered a feast through a delivery app.

In my previous life, to save up for her coaching fees, I pinched every single penny, rarely eating out and never ordering delivery.

Now, I could finally indulge myself.

The money I earned was meant to improve my own life, not to be wasted on an ungrateful viper.

Halfway through my dinner, the front door swung open, and Lana walked in.

Seeing the takeout containers spread across the table, her eyes widened in shock before instantly turning into furious outrage.

"Look at you, you selfish old hag! You did this on purpose, didn't you?! When I'm home, you act like a cheapskate, but the moment you're alone, you order all this gourmet food?!"

"This, this, and that one! You are ordering the exact same spread for me tomorrow!"

She pointed aggressively at her favorite dishes, barking orders at me with total entitlement.

I let out a quiet chuckle and set down my fork.

"Lana, you seem to be confused about something."

"I bought this food to treat myself. Why on earth would I ever order anything for you?"