Chapter 3

3.

Eight years ago, Evangeline wasn't this proud or cold.

She had cried on the street, begging me not to leave her because she was scared.

I took her to the police, but she wasn't on any missing persons list.

She wouldn't trust anyone but me, so I took her in.

To give her a good life, I quit my stable job and worked myself to the bone.

When I bought her new clothes, she used to cry, telling me she hated seeing me so tired.

On my birthday one year, she gave me an expensive watch.

She had secretly worked a part-time job for months just to save up for it. I cherished it for a long time.

Before she showed up, my life was boring and predictable. She brought color to my world.

She used to sit quietly and sketch me while I worked. We took so many photos together.

Since she didn't know her real birthday, we used our anniversary instead.

Every time she blew out the candles, she made the same wish.

"I want Caleb to be happy and healthy, and I want to be with him forever."

On our eighth year, her wish was, "I want to marry Caleb."

But the first thing she did after getting her memory back was try to erase me.

Everything that used to make us happy was now something she looked at with disgust.

She stopped coming home, treated me like dirt, and got engaged to another man.

I finally woke up. I numbed the pain and decided to let go.

Mrs. York sent me a text saying I could leave the next day.

She promised to wipe all my records so Evangeline could never find me.

That was fine by me. A clean break was what I needed.

Before I went to quit my job, I went to the mall to buy farewell gifts for my coworkers.

I wasn't surprised to see Silas and Evangeline outside a high-end tuxedo shop.

The news said their wedding was only a few days away. It made sense they were shopping.

What I couldn't stop staring at was the massive diamond ring on Evangeline's finger.

That spot used to be reserved for the ring I made her.

I felt the custom-made diamond ring in my own pocket. It pressed against my palm.

I had bought it with so much joy before visiting the York mansion, thinking her mother's call meant she approved of us.

Now, that ring would never be worn.

I laughed at my own stupidity and tossed the ring into a nearby trash can.

Evangeline turned and saw me. Her happy expression instantly soured.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"You can't afford anything in this place. Don't tell me you've been following me."

I looked at her with total indifference. "I'm just passing through."

She narrowed her eyes, clearly not believing me. She looked terrified that I might talk to Silas.

Silas walked out and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"What are you doing out here, babe? I'll take this suit. Let's go try on your wedding dress."

Evangeline's coldness vanished. She smiled sweetly at him and adjusted his tie.

"You look handsome in this. Let's get the others you tried on too. Put it on my card."

I felt a surge of irony. I wondered if she remembered saying those same things to me.

When I was working myself to death to support her, I treated her the same way.

Evangeline had learned a lot from me―especially how to love someone.

With me, she was always a bit stubborn and proud. With him, she was soft, sweet, and full of praise.

The only difference was that I wasn't the one she was loving.

Silas gave her a smug kiss. "Thanks, wifey."

He said it loud enough for me to hear. I took a deep breath and looked away, pretending I didn't care.

Evangeline giggled and leaned into him. "Stop it, we aren't married yet..."

Silas called out to me, his smile full of malice.

"You're the guy who saved Evangeline, right? I heard you went to the York house the other day. You must have walked away with a lot of cash."

Evangeline's face twisted with disgust as she looked at me.

"I didn't realize you were so greedy. Did eight years of our life really have a price tag for you?"

I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and played along.

"Yeah, I'm that kind of guy. The Yorks paid well for her life. I'm satisfied."

Evangeline sneered. "You're pathetic. Your greed makes me sick."

She stormed into the store to pay. Left alone with Silas, he got even more arrogant.

"You're welcome to the wedding. Oh wait, I forgot. A loser like you doesn't have the clearance to get past the gate."

I finished my resignation and walked out, only to see Evangeline's car waiting.

She honked and signaled for me to get in. She looked conflicted and held out the ring I had thrown away.

"Did you buy this for me?" she asked, a mix of guilt and hope on her face.

I nodded numbly.

"I'm sorry, Caleb. I've been ignoring your feelings lately. Once this busy season is over, I'll make it up to you."

"Once the company is stable, let's go to Finland like you always wanted, okay?"

I gave her a non-committal answer just to get her to leave.

She dropped me off at the house and told me to wait for her to come home.

I didn't. I went straight to the airport with my bags and texted Mrs. York.

[You can delete all my information now.]

I boarded the plane without a single look back.