Chapter 3

3

When I got home, I hired a professional packing service to box up all my belongings.

“Ma’am, do you want to keep this silver ring?” the mover asked, holding up a small piece of jewelry.

Looking at the plain silver band, a dull ache pierced my chest.

Back in college, Leanne and I shared a dorm room. Gavin often brought breakfast for Leanne, and after we got acquainted, he began courting me relentlessly.

I grew up in a wealthy family and owned plenty of fine jewelry, yet Gavin only gave me handmade trinkets.

He gave me hand-knitted tote bags, homemade silver rings, and little carved crafts.

Leanne constantly whispered in my ear about how deeply Gavin loved me and how thoughtful he was. Eventually, I agreed to be his girlfriend.

Right before graduation, a single frantic phone call from Gavin lured me into an alley where I lost my dignity to a group of violent thugs.

Afterward, Gavin repeatedly professed his eternal gratitude, quickly proposing and marrying me.

Remembering it now, I hated myself, and I despised Gavin even more.

I could not fathom how his tender care over the past three years had all been a calculated performance.

Was he truly that brilliant of an actor, or was I simply blinded by my own devotion?

“Ma’am?”

The organizer’s voice snapped me back to reality. I walked over to inspect the pile.

They were all worthless trinkets that I had treated like precious treasures for years.

“Throw all of it into the trash,” I said quietly.

“All of it?”

“Yes. It’s just cheap garbage anyway. Dump it.”

Those words were meant for myself as much as the movers.

It took two solid hours to pack everything into boxes.

While waiting for the moving truck, I collapsed onto the couch and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Nightmares instantly consumed me. Shadowy men chased me down a dark alley while I screamed for Gavin’s help, but he only grabbed Leanne’s hand and walked further into the light.

A blaring ringtone jolted me awake.

Drenched in cold sweat, I grabbed my phone, and an enraged voice exploded in my ear.