Chapter 3

Cameron's POV

I stood there in a daze, my vision going black around the edges. The marriage certificate I had kept carefully tucked away in my bag all this time had been fake.

Even now, I could still remember how she had cried like a little kid, overwhelmed with happiness, when she proposed to me.

And yet she had given the three most important things in a person's life—our son, our wedding, and our marriage—to Thomas.

The pedestrians on the street outside began to blur and warp before my eyes. Unable to hold myself up any longer, I passed out.

…

When I opened my eyes again, upbeat music was drifting up from downstairs. Still groggy, I forced myself to get up.

The house was packed with guests, celebrating Noah's third birthday.

April and Thomas stood together, holding Noah between them, posing for photos like a real family of three.

When the guests saw me stumble down the stairs looking completely disheveled, whispers broke out around the room.

"He hasn't been a father to that child for even a single day, and he still has the nerve to show up to his birthday party?"

"He ruined a perfectly good family. Who knows? He'll probably have another episode later. What if he hurts someone?"

Hearing them, April glanced over at me, her expression complicated.

"Cameron, you just woke up, and you're still weak. Go back upstairs. Come back down when the party's over."

Thomas came over to persuade me as well.

"If Noah starts crying again, you might have another episode. We're only watching out for you."

As he stepped closer, I noticed the heirloom ring on his finger—the one reserved especially for the Carter family's son-in-law.

April had once put that ring on my finger. But later, she told me she was afraid I might scratch myself with it during one of my episodes, so she took it back for safekeeping.

As it turned out, it had been on Thomas' finger the whole time.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but when I spoke, my voice was utterly calm.

"The two of you got married a long time ago, didn't you?"

Thomas froze for a moment before reaching for my hand, trying to explain.

"Cameron, we did all this because we were trying to—"

I smacked his hand away, hard. To my surprise, he fell backward without warning.

"Cameron Getz!" April shrieked.

She pulled Thomas into her arms before turning to look at me with pure disgust.

"You've completely lost your mind, Cameron!"

There wasn't the slightest trace of guilt in her eyes for deceiving me. No, there was nothing but heartache for the man in her arms.

Cradling his scraped knee, Thomas shook his head weakly.

"I was the one who decided to throw a birthday party for Noah. It's only natural for him to blame me. Haven't we all gotten used to him acting like this by now?"

As he spoke, he casually exposed his arms, causing the crowd around us to gasp in shock.

His arms were covered in ugly purple and blue bruises.

One glance was enough for April's heartache to show plainly on her face. When she looked at me again, all I saw was disappointment.

"Thomas has given you his absolute all. He's always tried to protect you whenever you try to kill yourself. And this is how you repay him?"

How could those pathetic-looking bruises compare to the five years I had spent being lied to? How could they compare to the three years I had spent trapped in agonizing illness?

"I didn't touch him!" I practically roared.

The next second, April lunged forward, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me back to the bedroom.

"Isn't ruining my whole life enough for you? Can't you just let us have a moment of peace?"

The words had just barely left her mouth when I heard the door being locked shut.

My claustrophobia immediately kicked in. I pounded on the door desperately, screaming until my throat was raw.

"April, we're done!"

Her footsteps paused outside for three seconds, followed by a cold scoff.

"It's always either a suicide attempt or a divorce threat from you. Are you really not tired of playing these games yet?"

I slowly slid down to the floor. "I mean it this time."

"Mr. Balfour collapsed! He was saying that his head was hurting earlier!"

My words were drowned out by the shouting from downstairs.

April's hurried footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Meanwhile, my breathing grew weaker and weaker.

Just when I thought it was all over, the smartwatch on my wrist—the one linked to Noah—suddenly began blaring an alarm.