Chapter 2

2

I was unconscious for a long time.

In the depths of my dreams, I saw flashes of my past self.

Madeline and I had once been childhood sweethearts.

When I first arrived at the Sterling estate, I spent every day walking on eggshells, terrified of being sent back to the streets.

Perhaps my desperation to be liked was too obvious, or my poverty-stricken background made me stand out like a sore thumb.

At school, the other kids constantly humiliated me, using my status to order me around.

I didn't want to cause trouble for the Sterlings, so I swallowed my pride, but the bullies only became more aggressive.

They dragged me into the restroom, holding me down as they threatened to strip me.

The ringleader mocked me with a sneer. “Caleb, I’ve never seen anyone as pathetic and poor as you. Perfect, today we’re going to give everyone a show.”

The group erupted in laughter.

Even though I had a high threshold for pain, I felt pure, burning rage.

I fought back with everything I had, breaking free for a split second.

But the next moment, I was pinned back to the floor.

There were too many of them, and I was powerless.

I felt hands pulling at my trousers, and I held back tears, wishing for the humiliation to end.

That was when Madeline appeared.

She burst into the boys’ restroom, scaring the group of bullies so much they scrambled back, and she tossed the boy on top of me away like a ragdoll.

She pulled me up and spoke with righteous fury. “Damien, you’re picking on classmates again? I’m telling your father!”

Damien was intimidated, but he stood his ground to save face. “Cousin, we’re just playing around. Why do you have to be such a nuisance?”

Madeline didn't care for his excuses. She shook her fist at them and threatened, “If you don’t leave right now, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

Recalling Madeline’s reputation for fighting, the group quickly scampered off.

She turned to me, looking like an angel, and asked with genuine concern if I was hurt.

She patted her chest and promised to protect me, vowing that no one would ever bully me again.

Perhaps that was when the seed of my devotion to her was planted.

After that, we became close friends, and the walk to school turned into a trio―me, my sister, and her.

True to her word, she never let me suffer under bullies again.

Later, the Sterling family faced a crisis. I stopped going to school to focus on the company, and I saw her less and less.

I could only track her progress through others, a small comfort in my lonely life.

We met again at a business gala, and I recognized her immediately.

By then, I had established my position at the firm, but whenever I saw her, I still felt a sense of inadequacy.

She was just as fiery as before, though she seemed troubled.

She got drunk, kissed me in a way she never had before, and asked if I wanted to marry her.

I was ecstatic, my judgment clouded by sheer joy.

I hadn't noticed the regret and confusion in her eyes once the alcohol wore off.

I married the woman I loved, and after the wedding, I catered to her every whim, hoping she would eventually return my feelings.

Everything seemed to be looking up until Jasper Croft returned to the country.

That was when I realized the words she’d spoken that night weren't meant for me.

She had fallen for someone else years ago, long before I had moved on.

From the moment Jasper returned, everything changed.

She grew indifferent, stopped coming home at night, and eventually appeared in public with Jasper.

I stood by like a fool, dreaming that she would eventually turn back to me.

But today, I finally let that dream die.