Chapter 2

2.

Caleb didn't come home until two in the morning.

The living room was already filled with several suitcases. They were all his things.

I glanced at his messy collar and saw a faint, blurred mark that looked suspiciously like a hickey.

He frowned, his tone dripping with annoyance. "Aria Moore, what the hell is this?"

I stopped packing and looked at him with icy eyes. "We're over. Move out."

"Is this really necessary?" he scoffed.

"I just forgot the engagement. You know how busy I've been lately."

I laughed in his face. "Busy enough to forget your own wedding prep but not busy enough to go for a midnight swim?"

"Where is my grandmother's gown?"

A flash of guilt crossed his face, and he pressed his lips together.

"I don't know where that old dress went. Probably lost it. I'll pay you back."

He pulled out his phone, ready to send a transfer. "Is twenty thousand enough?"

The fire I had been suppressing all night finally exploded.

"It's not enough! You know how much that dress meant to me!"

"It was my grandfather's last gift to me. You can't put a price on that!"

He let out a dismissive snort.

"So what? Fine, I'll add another ten thousand. Is that enough to stop the crying?"

My phone buzzed. A notification showed thirty thousand dollars had been deposited.

He looked at me with complete indifference. "There. I'm tired. Let's just cool off tonight."

He walked into the guest room and slammed the door.

Looking at that closed door, the last spark of warmth in my heart died.

I picked up my phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Jack. Help me find a reliable moving company for tomorrow morning..."