Chapter 3

3

Seeing my temper flare, Piper froze for a second.

Then, she slammed her silverware onto the table and screamed back at me.

“So what if I cooked for Chase a few times? His heart condition flared up because of you! Shouldn’t I take care of him?”

“Besides, I’m working myself to the bone at the office, and I still have to come home and cater to you! How am I supposed to remember every single detail?”

With a few sentences, she twisted the narrative to make me look like the unreasonable villain.

Chase needed care for his fake palpitations, but when I was fighting for my life in the ICU, she was nowhere to be found!

Not to mention her social media showed her partying on tropical beaches all week―she hadn’t stepped foot in the office once!

I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by pure exhaustion.

“And don’t act like you haven’t been hiding things from me!” Piper snapped viciously. “I know you have cancer! You only wanted to marry me so you could secure an heir before you drop dead!”

She grabbed her purse and slammed the door behind her without waiting for my response.

I stared at the closed door in stunned silence.

All this time, she thought I was the one who had cancer.

Even believing that, she had still chosen to throw me aside for Chase.

Five years of building a business together and living under the same roof, yet I had never truly mattered to her.

The very last trace of hope in my heart evaporated into nothingness.

I pulled out my phone and called my aunt overseas.

“Aunt Evelyn, I changed my mind. I want to move abroad.”

Aunt Evelyn didn’t have children of her own and had raised me like her son.

She had repeatedly asked me to move to France to take over her business empire.

Back then, I had politely declined because I wanted to build a future with Piper.

Now, I was simply drained.

I used to spend sleepless nights analyzing client data and securing deals, thinking it was for our shared future.

Looking back, I had weathered all the storms while Piper enjoyed an easy corporate title.

I had spoiled her rotten.

“It’s never too late, Silas! I’ve been waiting for this day!”

My aunt’s warm, loving voice came through the receiver.

“You’ve finally come to your senses, sweetheart.”

After chatting for a bit, Aunt Evelyn had to attend a meeting.

I sank into the empty sofa, staring up at the bare ceiling, a hollow void opening in my chest.

Piper and I had met in college.

She had fallen for me at first sight and pursued me relentlessly for an entire year.

She had made such a scene that the whole department gossiped about us.

At first, I was annoyed and turned her down countless times.

Yet she remained stubbornly devoted, refusing to give up.

Gradually, her persistent presence wore down my defenses.

Once we started dating, she became the center of my universe.

Whenever she was upset or wanted something, I would drive across the entire city just to get it for her.

I never missed an anniversary or holiday, always preparing thoughtful surprises.

Even her friends used to call me the gold standard of boyfriends.

I thought our happiness would last forever.

Somewhere along the way, Piper grew bored.

She began crossing boundaries with Chase, engaging in reckless flirtations.

I had tried communicating with her, but every conversation ended in explosive fights.

Suddenly, my phone rang, shattering the quiet room.

“Silas, get your ass over to Chase’s apartment right now.”

Piper’s icy voice barked through the line with undeniable entitlement.

I didn’t need to guess to know Chase was stirring up drama again.

He still owed me five million dollars.

This would be the perfect chance to settle the debt.

I grabbed my coat and drove straight to his place.