Chapter 4

I said to Charlotte calmly, "Then throw me out."

Her body trembled slightly. The hand gripping my collar loosened without her realizing it.

When she saw me soaked through, with a red swelling already rising on my forehead, her expression softened.

She pulled me into the bedroom, where there were only the two of us.

Her voice sounded tired and disappointed, and she pressed it low as she struggled to keep her emotions under control.

"No matter what happened, that still doesn't give you a reason to hurt Victor. He's young. Even if he did something wrong, you should've talked to him properly. Besides, I only asked you to make dinner. Look how long it's been, and you haven't made anything. Victor only acted out because he got frustrated."

By the time she finished that sentence, her tone had clearly hardened.

It was as if she had finally found a reason to blame me, and once she had it, she started in on me.

"Gregory, I'm very disappointed in how you acted today. Even if you don't like Victor, you can at least pretend, can't you? If this keeps going and everyone ends up upset, how long do you expect it'll take before Victor agrees to let us get married again?"

I listened quietly, but the sadness in my chest only sank deeper.

Since when did our marriage depend on Victor's approval?

I had to admit, though, that Victor held a place in Charlotte's heart that no one else could touch.

My face stayed calm as I answered flatly, "I'm sorry. I understand."

The moment I apologized, a smile appeared on Charlotte's face again.

She went to the closet, found a few pieces of clothing, and handed them to me.

"I'm glad to hear that. Go out in a minute and apologize to Victor, and we'll let this whole thing slide."

My head snapped up as I looked at her.

A bitter, broken smile tugged at my mouth.

"He started this, and somehow it's all my fault? Now I have to apologize to him?"

Charlotte's face stiffened, and the calm in her voice vanished at once. Her brows drew tight, and her eyes turned painfully cold.

"I'm not discussing this with you. If you still want to live here in peace, then do exactly what I tell you. After you apologize to Victor, make dinner as fast as you can. Otherwise, get out."

With that, Charlotte turned and left the bedroom.

I stood there for a long while, a bitter smile frozen on my face.

Every word Charlotte said had cut straight through me.

But she was right. Every brick, every wall, every inch of this place belonged to Charlotte. What did any of it have to do with me?

When we were married, I could still pretend I had a right to stay here. Now that we weren't even husband and wife, what right did I have left?

If she wanted to kick me out, all it took was one sentence.

I thought back to three years ago, when my mentor, Emma Rivers, introduced us. Charlotte and I met, fell in love, and eventually got married.

Back then, Charlotte's company had just started, and she needed Emma's help. She had promised Emma with complete sincerity that wherever she was, I would always have a home.

But now, I could see that every promise had been a lie.

Feelings change. People change. The only person who wouldn't betray me was myself.

All at once, I regretted marrying Charlotte and choosing to stay home full-time to take care of her.

I had given up my career and abandoned everything I had worked for.

Now, I had become someone anyone could discard and humiliate at will.

After thinking it over, I took out my phone and shamelessly called Emma again.

Once Emma gave me her answer, I started packing my things.

A short while later, a knock sounded from the living room.

"Excuse me. Is Gregory Wells here? I'm looking for him."

When Charlotte saw a strange woman suddenly show up asking for me, her heart lurched, and a bad feeling rose in her chest.

She was just about to speak when I came out of the bedroom, pushing my suitcase behind me.

"Maeve, I'm here."

As I reached the door, Charlotte suddenly clamped a hand around my wrist, fear and panic filling her eyes.