Chapter 3

3

By graduation, Jenna had saved enough to rent a decent apartment. But as a design major, her work was being ignored by the big firms.

I knew this was her dream, and I was determined to make it happen.

I took her to my aunt, a world-renowned designer, and begged her to take Jenna on as an apprentice.

My aunt eventually agreed. With her mentorship, Jenna's brand exploded overnight. She became the industry's rising star.

We got married shortly after, with my aunt acting as the matchmaker.

"Bennett, why are you so good to me?" Jenna asked on our wedding night.

"Because I love you, Jenna. I'll take care of you forever," I promised, holding her hand against my chest.

I imagined a life of bliss and harmony. I was a fool.

After the wedding, Jenna treated me like a stranger. She used her studio as an excuse to see Hunter Cross constantly.

She spent nights away from home. Even when I caught her and begged her to stay for our anniversary, she gave me nothing but coldness.

"You're pathetic, Bennett. Your clinginess is disgusting," she spat.

My devotion was nothing but a nuisance to her. I became paranoid and desperate for any sign that she actually cared.

"Jenna! I've done everything for you! Is this how you treat me?!" I screamed one night, my heart breaking.

She stopped and turned, her expression more robotic than ever.

"So what? Am I supposed to wag my tail like a dog just because you have money?"

"You tried to trap me in a gilded cage. It won't work."

By then, she was already pregnant with Hunter's child.

Jenna had become a powerhouse in the fashion world. She didn't need me anymore. She wasn't the girl selling plasma just to eat.

A year after my aunt passed away, Jenna slapped the divorce papers onto the table.

"If you don't sign, we'll just live apart for two years until it's automatic," she said.

I lost my mind and tore the papers to shreds. I loved her as much as I hated her.

I couldn't let her go off and play house with Hunter and their kid while I was left with nothing.

I even got down on my knees, begging her. "Jenna, please. Let's make this work. I'll do anything. Just don't leave me."

She just looked at me with pure revulsion and walked out. We didn't speak a word after that.

I spiraled into a haze of alcohol. I let my father's business empire crumble.

Finally, when I decided to end it all and write my will, I discovered she had been systematically stealing my assets for years.

Before I could confront her, my villa was engulfed in flames. I died in the twelfth year of loving her.