Chapter 2

2.

I froze for a second when she mentioned the wedding.

In the past, my greatest dream was to make Hanna Sterling my wife.

Now, she had strangled that dream with her own hands.

A thousand thoughts swirled in my head, but I simply nodded in silence.

I had already made my decision, but announcing it now would only lead to a massive scene.

I was exhausted and didn't want to deal with her drama anymore.

When I got home, I found an anonymous envelope waiting for me.

Inside were several pages of handwritten love poems. Two different sets of handwriting were visible.

One belonged to Hanna, and the other―unmistakably―belonged to Ashton.

Hanna and I had been together for years, and we had never crossed certain lines.

Yet here she was, exchanging erotic verses with Ashton.

The words were filthy and explicit.

Ashton had clearly sent this to me as a silent middle finger, a victory lap.

I let out a sharp, mocking laugh and dropped the letters into the fireplace, watching them turn to ash.

The next afternoon, I met Hanna's family at the restaurant.

The moment we sat down, her father grabbed my hand with fake enthusiasm.

"My boy! We heard about the robbery. You were so brave to put your life on the line for our daughter!"

"But you know, she's our only child. I can't bear the thought of her moving away or struggling. So…"

I looked over at Hanna. She wasn't even listening.

She kept glancing at the door, her mind clearly on someone else while her future was being decided.

I smirked to myself and looked into her father's greedy eyes.

"Sir, I know how hard it was to raise her. Just tell me what you want."

Mr. Sterling was thrilled by my bluntness.

"I'm glad you're being sensible. I'll get straight to the point then."

"We want you to take our last name after the wedding. You'll be a Sterling."

"And since you're joining our family, we won't be providing a dowry. In fact, all your savings should be transferred to Hanna as a gesture of goodwill."

I felt a chill of disgust. These people were trying to strip me of everything.

If I agreed, I'd be a laughingstock who surrendered his name and his bank account.

They knew I was alone in the world with no family to back me up, and they thought I was so obsessed with their daughter that I'd agree to anything.

In the past, whenever I complained about her parents' demands, Hanna would call me dramatic.

"Jude, they only have me. Is it so much to ask for you to take the family name?"

"Besides, a real man shouldn't care about money. Why do you need savings anyway? Just give it to my parents!"

I used to think she was just being a loyal daughter.

But then I remembered a day at the office when the breakroom lady tried to set Ashton up with a rich heiress.

The catch was that Ashton would have to take the woman's last name.

Hanna had lost her mind, screaming at the poor woman for being disrespectful.

"Ashton is a man of honor! How could you suggest he humiliate himself by taking a woman's name? He'd never be able to show his face again!"

So, she knew exactly how shameful it was.

She just didn't care about my dignity, only Ashton's.

I clenched my fists under the table, my blood boiling.

"Well, Jude? What do you say?" Mr. Sterling asked, leaning in.

Before I could speak, the door burst open and Ashton walked in.

"Hanna! There's a problem with that last shipment. The boss needs us at the warehouse now!"

Hanna stood up instantly. She tried to look stressed, but her eyes were sparkling with relief.

As she moved to leave, I grabbed her sleeve.

"We are in the middle of discussing our wedding, Hanna. Are you seriously leaving right now?"

She hesitated for a split second, her expression flickering.

Ashton frowned and put on a pathetic, pouty face.

"I'm so sorry, Hanna. I didn't mean to ruin your big moment. I'll just go handle the thugs by myself."

He turned to leave, tossing a mocking smirk over his shoulder at me.

Hanna violently ripped her arm away from my grip, her face contorted with annoyance.

"Jude, can you give me a break? Not everyone can sit around acting like a frail invalid all day. I have a career!"

"Just finish the details with my parents. Don't bother me with these petty things anymore!"

She ran out of the room to catch up with Ashton without looking back.

I sat there, frozen. I couldn't believe my ears.

She was the one who pushed me into a knife, causing my injuries.

Now, she was mocking me for being "an invalid."

Our entire marriage was nothing more than a "petty thing" to her.

It was sickening.

Mr. Sterling saw my face and tried to smooth things over.

"Now, Jude, don't take it personally. She's just a bit spoiled, you know? I'll make her apologize later…"

I pulled my hand away and stared at him. "Don't bother."

The old man panicked. "Wait! Let's not be hasty. We can negotiate…"

I cut him off with a cold smile.

"I said don't bother with the apology. It's fine."

"I'll agree to every single one of your conditions."

He beamed with joy, having no idea that I was lying through my teeth.

I wasn't going to marry his daughter. I was going to disappear.