Chapter 3

I was discharged three days later. Until the moment I walked out, Caleb never showed up.

I took an Uber home and started packing.

I searched the house for things that belonged solely to me, only to realize that everything in this house was tied to him—remnants of our past love.

It made sense. I had come to this world entirely for Caleb. My entire existence had revolved around him.

Staring at the empty suitcases, I let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Just as I finished a call with my divorce lawyer, the front door clicked open.

Caleb walked in, carrying a thermal lunchbox.

Whether out of guilt or compensation, he always brought me home-cooked food whenever he returned from Serena's place.

An awkward smile tugged at his lips. "Chloe, you're home?"

"I actually went to the hospital to pick you up, but the front desk said you were already discharged."

"I made some warm broth for you. You need to regain your strength. Come on, drink some."

I pushed the soup container aside, staring at him blankly without a trace of warmth.

"It's been three days since my surgery. I'm already discharged. Why are you only showing up now? Where were you?"

Panic flickered across his face, quickly masked by defensive irritation.

"Nowhere special. Besides being at the office, I was just looking after Serena. She’s completely alone, and her mental state is terrible."

"I took her to the doctor earlier. She was diagnosed with mild depression."

"She has suicidal tendencies, Chloe. I was just worried about her."

Listening to his pathetic excuses, I couldn't help but chuckle.

If she were genuinely suicidal, a psychiatrist wouldn't diagnose her with mere "mild depression." And judging by the radiant smiles she flaunted on social media every day, she was far from depressed.

Her so-called illness was nothing more than an act to keep Caleb wrapped around her finger.

As for being alone in this city... wasn't I?

The System gave me an orphan identity. When I first told Caleb about my past years ago, he had held me tight and wept for me all night.

Maybe he really loved me back then, hurting when I hurt.

Now, he had tossed everything about me into the trash.

"Right. She’s all alone. What about me?"

"When I lay half-dead in that hospital bed, there wasn't a single soul beside me."

"Seems to me like Serena is your wife, not me."

Caleb’s brow furrowed tightly.

"Chloe, why are you talking like this?"

"You have to believe me. I've always loved you."

I smirked, pulled out my phone, and held the screen up to his face.

"Did you forget? Back when you still loved me, you linked your primary credit card to my Apple Wallet."

"I get instant alerts for every dollar you spend. You said it was to give me peace of mind."

"Turns out, it was meant to kill whatever love I had left."

Last night, a notification pinged on my phone: Caleb had booked a luxury suite at the Ritz-Carlton.

And the guest checking in alongside him was his precious "little sister," Serena Cross.

The calm expression on Caleb's face shattered completely. His eyes darted between guilt, shame, and sudden fury.

What right do you have to be angry, Caleb?

Shouldn't I be the furious one?

I was the fool. I poured my entire soul into this man, spoiled him rotten, to the point where the moment I stopped obeying, I became the villain.

It didn't matter anymore. I was leaving anyway.