Chapter 3

A dry laugh escaped my lips.

"I worked myself to the bone, starving and saving every penny.

Only for you two to blow it on multi-thousand-dollar dinners and luxury penthouses.

And now you expect me to smile and thank you for it?"

Rachel shrank behind Ethan, looking utterly devastated.

"Chloe, that dinner was a complimentary VIP meal I won from a promotion, and the hotel stay was a raffle voucher...

I was planning to invite both of you along once we saved enough..."

I nearly laughed out loud at the absurdity.

Her story had more holes than a sieve, yet Ethan swallowed every single word without hesitation.

Ethan immediately chimed in, eager to validate her.

"Did you hear that? That's what happened! Rachel is just blunt, stop assuming the worst of people!"

Seeing that I remained silent, his tone softened slightly, offering a patronizing concession.

"Alright, that's enough fighting. I know these past few months of budgeting have been hard on you. You've had it rough.

How about this: tomorrow night, I'll take you to that high-end Japanese place you love so much, okay?"

I stared into Ethan's face, finding him utterly unrecognizable.

"Do you know what I hate most in this world?"

He paused, caught off guard. "Nuts, right? What does that have to do with anything?"

"What I hate most is being treated like a fool."

Right at that second, my phone buzzed in my hand.

"I'm here. Downstairs outside your building."

I grabbed the handle of my suitcase, ready to walk straight past them.

Ethan grabbed my wrist in a vice grip.

"Let go," I said, my gaze icy.

He held on tighter, his knuckles white.

"Chloe, did you already line up your next guy behind my back?"

I threw his words right back in his face: "What if I did?"

Smack!

A sharp, violent slap whipped my head to the side. The sting flared across my cheek like fire.

Ethan froze, staring down at his own raised hand in dazed horror.

"Chloe, I didn't mean to... I just lost my temper..."

He reached out to touch my cheek, but I shoved him back with all my might.

Rachel let out a dramatic gasp, quickly clinging to his arm.

"Ethan, are you out of your mind?! How could you hit Chloe?!"

Her voice was full of manufactured concern, but the glint in her eyes was pure, venomous satisfaction.

I refused to give them another second of my time and turned to walk out.

Ethan suddenly lunged forward, yanking hard on the strap of my tote bag!

The seams tore, and the contents spilled across the floor.

A small velvet pouch unraveled, and an antique silver bracelet rolled across the hardwood, stopping right at Rachel's feet.

My chest seized with terror. I dropped to my knees, lunging forward.

"Don't touch that!"

Rachel acted as if she hadn't heard a thing. She bent down, picking up the delicate bracelet and weighing it in her palm with a smirk.

"Chloe, what is this cheap flea-market junk? It's so tarnished and worn out.

Don't be mad, okay? I'll have Ethan order you a brand new one on Wish tomorrow, deal?"

As she spoke, her fingers clamped down with deliberate force.

Snap.

The bracelet broke into two pieces.

She gasped with exaggerated innocence.

"Oh no! This thing is so cheap, it just broke with a tiny touch."

The last thread of my sanity snapped. I lunged and grabbed her wrist.

Ethan shoved me hard, pulling Rachel protectively into his arms as he snarled:

"What is wrong with you?!"

The impact sent me sprawling backward onto the hard floor.

I pushed myself up and screamed at the top of my lungs:

"That was the only thing my grandmother left me!"

Ignoring the bruising ache in my back, I dropped to the floor, desperately gathering the broken metal pieces.

Ethan stood frozen, an unreadable storm of conflict swirling in his eyes.

The final trace of warmth in my heart froze into absolute ice.

"How did I waste five whole years of my life on someone like you?"

I picked up my suitcase and walked out the door.

Behind me, Ethan's furious, defensive roar echoed down the hallway:

"If you walk out that door, don't you dare come crying back!"

Stepping out into the biting night wind, my head Instagramtantly cleared.

Parked quietly on the curb downstairs was a sleek black Bentley.