Chapter 002

CHAPTER 2.

IVY.

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When I got home around 6:56pm, I was surprised to find that Leon wasn’t there. He was supposed to be back by now; he usually returned from work before that time. I pulled out my phone and dialed his number for what felt like the umpteenth time, but there was still no reply.

With my keys locked inside, I had no choice but to sit on the balcony and wait for him like a beggar.

I needed to talk to him about two things: I wanted him to at least try to defend himself—maybe say that Hailey had seduced him, which might make it easier for me to take him back.

The next morning, my phone alarm jolted me awake at 5:30 AM. My heart sank when I realized I had slept outside.

I walked over to the door and turned the doorknob; it swung wide open, and a gasp almost escaped my lips. Leon had come home last night and hadn’t bothered to let me in.

He was seated on the plush couch in the living room when I walked in. When he saw me, he frowned. “I didn’t get dinner last night. What happened?”

“Dinner?” My brows shot up in disbelief. “You expect me to cook for you after I caught you with Hailey? You owe me two explanations right now!” I snapped, unable to hold back any longer.

“Two explanations?” He paused, scrutinizing me as if he were lost in the conversation. “For what exactly? You mean me having a good time with Hailey?” He grinned as he said that, sending a chill down my spine.

My lips twisted into a deeper frown. “You won’t even apologize, will you?”

He laughed heartily. “Stop acting like some high school teen. Go in there and make breakfast. I ejaculated plenty of times yesterday; I'm starving already. I need to eat and replenish!”

Frustration creased my forehead, and my blood boiled with rage. I might have accepted him back if he had just apologized and blamed it all on my cousin, but that didn’t seem to be in the cards. This wasn’t the first time he’d done something like this; on other occasions, he would come home bearing roses and cheap, tacky perfumes to beg for forgiveness.

I usually didn’t hesitate to accept his apologies. I was in love with him. I had known him for over five years; he was my everything. And I wanted him back.

If I didn’t want him back, I wouldn’t have come here. But where else could I go? I couldn’t return to my uncle’s house after he’d chased me away, and I wouldn’t dare show my face at my former home—I was drowning in debt.

“So you did it intentionally?” I asked hesitantly, still hoping for a lie or a flimsy excuse.

But he sighed.

“I’m a man, and I can do whatever I want! I've chosen what's best for me. Hailey has a lot of business opportunities to offer when we get married, unlike you, who would be a liability. Don’t you see the bigger picture, Ivy?”

“You should be happy for me,” he added.

I could feel my breath catch in my throat, and my expression turned grim almost immediately.

My heart sank. The company my father had built was supposed to be mine if only my uncle hadn’t taken everything. Yet here he was, calling me a liability. The heartbreaking part was that Hailey was the real liability—if only I could inherit my true fortune.

Hot tears rolled down my cheeks, but I struggled to hold them back. He didn’t deserve a single tear from me.

“Are you going to keep crying, or will you go in and make breakfast?” he snapped, his tone icy. “Maybe if you made breakfast, I could think about forgiving you for everything that happened earlier.”

I shot him a glare. Did he think I was that naive? He was choosing Hailey over me and still expected me to serve him breakfast.

And what did he just say? Forgive me? He was the one who should be begging for forgiveness!

At that moment, I realized there was no turning back. I had seen enough; this was the last straw. I’d rather sleep on the streets than become their maid.

“I’m done with you!” I screamed, tears streaming down my face.

He narrowed his eyes at me, amusement glinting in them. “I should be the one using that line,” he said. “I’m done with you, and I want you to leave right now!”

I didn’t care this time. He had slept with my cousin and had been abusive, both physically and mentally. Leaving wouldn’t be my loss, would it?

Leon stepped closer and whispered, “Do you know why I don’t want you anymore? You get slower by the day. I can’t deal with it anymore.”

His words struck a chord deep inside me, and my eyes reddened with anger. I shot back, “But I dedicated my life to you! I dropped out of fashion school to invest in your company and save it from your greedy shareholders! I did all of this for you!”

He laughed. “Did I ask you to quit school? Did I ask you to invest in my company? You did it because you were in love with me. I could have handled it myself, but you swooped in like a Messiah.”

My world crumbled beneath my feet. The realization hit me like a lightning bolt—I was the fool here! I had been a fool all this time, and it pained me to realize it now.

Deep down, I knew I was wasting my time asking him questions. He wasn’t going to change his mind about me, and everything would fall on my shoulders.

My emotions swirled—pain, grief, disappointment, and sadness all at once.

I wiped my eyes and went into my room. A few minutes later, I emerged with my bag and turned to leave, but he stopped me.

“Where are you going?” he asked, surprise evident in his tone.