Chapter 2

Eric's POV

I spent the entire night sitting in the living room in a daze, my mind flashing back to the past.

As far back as I could remember, Jared, Zoey, and I had been inseparable. We lived close to one another, went to the same school, and were even in the same class. Our neighbors used to joke that the three of us were so close, we could practically share the same pair of underwear.

13 years ago, I had just graduated from high school. My little sister, Talia Landry, was about to celebrate her 5th birthday then.

Jared and Zoey took her swimming. They had gone during the high tide, and she ended up drowning in the sea.

My mother went insane, and my father walked out on us.

Jared and Zoey had knelt before me, begging for forgiveness, but I knew I couldn't blame them entirely for Talia's death.

At the time, Jared swore to me, "I've already pleaded with my parents, Eric. I'll have them find the best psychiatric facility for your mother. I'll look after her as if she were my own mother."

Zoey's eyes were red from crying as she held me. "We'll get married whenever you want. I'll be with you for the rest of my life."

But now, the two people who had once made those solemn promises to me had forgotten about them completely.

When daylight started coming in through the windows, I recalled that I was supposed to visit Mom at the psychiatric hospital today. I quickly wiped away my tears, got in my car, and drove to the hospital. However, when I arrived at her room, the caregiver refused to let me in.

"You can't go in right now, Mr. Landry. Your mother had an episode, and the doctor just gave her a sedative."

Through the window, I saw Mom strapped to the bed, struggling against her restraints as she mumbled incoherently.

My head rang with a deafening roar. I grabbed the doctor and questioned in a trembling voice, "Didn't you say her condition had stabilized considerably? She's been taking that specialized medication every month. Why is she like this now?"

The doctor frowned, clearly annoyed by my confrontational tone. "Your mother's supply of the specialized medication was cut off last month. It's perfectly normal that her condition has worsened again."

It felt as though my blood had stopped running.

Every month, I deposited my entire salary into my bank account, and Zoey was the one who held the debit card to that account. Every cent was meant to go toward paying for Mom's specialized medication, which cost 2,000 dollars per dose.

Mom's cries kept ringing out from inside the room, stabbing me in the heart.

The doctor continued, "She's only receiving regular medication now. We contacted your wife about it, and she agreed to it."

I clenched my fists so hard that my nails dug into my palms, the pain barely enough to keep me rational. I didn't even stay to hear the rest of the doctor's instructions. I marched out of the hospital and went straight to Zoey's company.

Zoey's assistant, Isabel Dunn, chased after me. "Mr. Landry! You can't go in right now. Ms. Hanse is..."

The door to Zoey's office was shut, and the office had pretty good soundproofing. Still, it was silent enough outside for me to hear faint sounds coming from inside.

When I opened the door, Zoey hastily climbed off Jared's lap.

Isabel, who'd followed me over, had an awkward expression on her face. She gave me a sympathetic look before leaving.

Zoey's face was a little chagrined from the humiliation, but she screamed at me, "Eric Landry! Are you doing this on purpose?"

My chest heaved violently. Without looking at her, I slapped the report on Mom's deteriorating condition down on the desk.

"The money in that account comes from my salary. You know full well that in order to keep my mother's condition stable, she needs to continue taking the specialized medication. Why did you do this?"

Zoey's lips parted, but before she could speak, Jared stepped forward. The choke marks I left around his neck were still visible. Since the affair was already out in the open, he seemed to think he no longer had to pretend.

"Eric, my family has already done more than enough for you. We paid your college tuition back then, and we covered your mother's medical expenses. Most of the money came from my family, so now that I've run into some issues with my investments, what's wrong with me taking some money from you?"

My stomach churned so violently that I felt the bile rising in my throat. Talia had died because of them. They were the ones who made those promises, yet now, they were acting like I'd been the one who'd guilt-tripped them into everything.

"I've paid back every cent your family gave to me. When your studio went bankrupt, I used most of my savings to help you! Is this how you repay me?"

Jared looked somewhat guilty and averted his gaze, but Zoey let out a heavy sigh.

"It's just a loan. It's not like you're not getting the money back. Besides, wasn't it Jared who got you this job in the first place?"

My hands trembled. A profound sense of disappointment settled over me.

Zoey pulled another debit card from her desk drawer and slid it toward me, as if she were tossing me a handout.

"Quit making a scene. When all is said and done, you should be grateful to Jared."