Chapter 2

After hanging up, my mom, Brenda, pushed open my bedroom door.

"Where are those sapphire cufflinks your dad left you before he passed?"

I remained silent, not answering.

Mom frowned, annoyed. "What's with that attitude? Noah just thinks they're exquisite and wants to borrow them for his formal wear. Hand them over. Don't be so petty!"

My adopted brother, Noah, clung to Mom's arm, looking forlorn. "Never mind, Mom. Leo never saw me as a real brother. If he doesn't want to, then he doesn't have to. I won't force him."

"He dares not to recognize you! Those cufflinks belonged to my husband, they're your father's. Today, I'm making the decision to give them to you."

Mom hugged Noah, glaring at me sternly. "If you don't hand them over now, don't blame me for having someone search your room."

I stared at her, stunned, then curved my lips into a smile that was uglier than a cry.

The gentle, understanding mother I remembered had long become unrecognizable.

But, I was about to leave this place forever.

Unwilling to engage in another meaningless argument, I silently retrieved the velvet box containing the cufflinks from the back of my drawer and handed it over.

Mom nodded, satisfied. "That's right. Noah is your brother; you should naturally take care of him more."

After she left, Noah fastened the cufflinks onto his shirt right in front of me, raising an eyebrow. "Bro, don't blame Mom for being biased. Honestly, these cufflinks look better on me."

"Just like Chloe is a better fit for me as a girlfriend."

"What's mine, no one can ever take away."

I watched Noah's smug expression, saying nothing.

With people like him, the more you engage, the more they cling.

I grabbed my backpack and walked straight to the stairs, ignoring him completely.

"Ah! Why did you push me… "

Noah suddenly darted in front of me, pretending I'd shoved him, stumbling backward.

Though I loathed him, I instinctively reached out to grab him—twenty-some steps was no small fall.

"Leo, don't you dare lay a hand on him!"

Chloe rushed up, violently swatting away my hand reaching for Noah.

My hand slammed hard against the metal railing with a dull thud, instantly swelling and bruising.

The sharp pain made me break out in a cold sweat.

"Chloe, good thing you came…" Noah cowered in Chloe's arms, trembling with teary eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm here." Chloe gently patted his back, then shot me a cold glare. "You know he's fragile, yet you'd be so cruel?"

I looked down at my rapidly swelling hand, then back at Noah, carefully shielded by Chloe.

The irony felt like ice water splashed on my face.

This woman, who had sworn to love me forever and was supposed to marry me in three months, how had she become so utterly unrecognizable?