Chapter 2

2

Caleb froze, realizing I had leaked his post to the family chat. His face went bright red as he scrambled to delete it.

"I've taught you better than to have no shame since you were a child. Stop acting like your mother, doing these disgraceful things! You haven't even married her yet, and you're sleeping with girls and posting it for the world to see? Do you have any respect for the Sterling family name?" Grandpa was spitting with rage.

"I thought you were being well-behaved, and I was even thinking of introducing you to a friend's granddaughter. Is this how you fool me? What have you been doing behind my back?"

"Enough, enough. The doctor said you need to keep your blood pressure down. Don't get worked up over this nonsense." Grandma shot a side-eye at Caleb. She had never liked him, though she stayed quiet for Grandpa's sake.

Caleb turned pale, his mouth working, but no words came out. Just as I expected, he had set that post to be visible only to me.

He gripped his hands tight, shooting a venomous glare in my direction. I sneered inwardly. You're still way too green to try and disgust me.

I used to leave the house early because I couldn't bear to share a roof with the bastard son who drove my mother to her grave. But this time, I was going to make sure that little punk understood: some things aren't yours just because you want them.

I told Chloe that Grandpa's health wasn't great, so I would be staying at the estate for a few days. I told her I'd pick her up once her competition was over. She nodded thoughtfully, promising to visit Grandpa as soon as she finished.

Chloe's piano competition was at her alma mater. When I drove in, she was chatting with her classmates, as eye-catching as ever.

Seeing me, she affectionately took my arm and introduced me to her friends.

She loved showing off her handsome, wealthy fiancé to others. As expected, her classmates were green with envy, and she looked smug.

I had always satisfied her vanity. After all, she was just a girl, and a little vanity was harmless. Plus, I was her fiancé, wasn't I?

She had often told people she would only ever marry me. And, naturally, I enjoyed that feeling.

Even though we were engaged, I was traditional at heart. I wanted to wait until we were married to finally become intimate.

Even when she moved in, I restrained my desires, afraid of moving too fast.

I never imagined that the girl I cherished so much would sleep in another man's bed without a second thought.

Especially when that man was Caleb, the one person I loathed above all others.

After saying goodbye to her friends, she happily climbed into my car.

When we returned to the estate, I watched Caleb's reaction, but Chloe didn't change her expression at all. No wonder I hadn't noticed before; this woman was a hell of an actress.

Grandpa and Grandma had always favored Chloe, having watched her grow up.

After dinner, Grandma held Chloe's hand and teased us.

"Liam is worried about his grandfather, so he moved back to help out. He's been neglecting you, Chloe. Liam, go home with her later. It's not like your grandfather is deathly ill."

"Exactly. Liam is just being filial. Some people, no matter how much you teach them, will always be small-minded."

Chloe looked confused by Grandpa's sudden grumpiness, so I quickly stepped in.

"Caleb has a new girlfriend and was careless enough to post a photo of them in bed. Grandpa's upset about it. Caleb, you're an adult now. Try to behave."

Caleb stood there, his face turning gray. He kept his head bowed, not daring to utter a word of complaint.

I watched Chloe's expression shift slightly before she pulled herself together. I had a much clearer understanding of her psychological fortitude now. Let's see how much longer you two can play around.

At the Monday board meeting, Caleb sat at the end of the table, fidgeting with a braided bracelet. When someone asked if he had happy news, he just smiled and looked at me.

I couldn't have cared less about his pathetic little games. That was all he was capable of. He was like a cockroach that wouldn't die.