Chapter 3

Jayden's POV

My questioning had clearly upset Gianna.

"You need to give me time. Stop pressuring me," she said.

I'd given her eight whole years. Wasn't that enough?

Everett suddenly pulled a box out of his bag and shoved it into my hands.

"We all went to school together, and we're all friends. It hurts to see you two upset. Gianna gave me this for my birthday, but I'm giving it to you."

I opened the box. Inside was an expensive belt engraved with Everett's name.

"She bought it for you. I'm not taking it."

With that, I turned and went back to my room.

…

Gianna didn't come in until that evening.

"Dinner's ready. Come eat."

For the first time, I didn't respond to her.

She walked over and stood in front of me. "Everett's mom was in such high spirits that day, and Everett couldn't drive. I couldn't just let her down, so I went on the trip with them."

I looked up at her. "When I needed you most, you chose someone else."

Gianna frowned deeply, impatience written all over her face.

"Fine. I admit I was wrong about this. I'm sorry, and I'll make it up to you."

I fell silent for a moment.

"Gianna Connor…"

Gianna looked taken aback when I suddenly called her by her full name.

"Let's break up."

Those three words drained the color from her face. She stared at me in disbelief.

"We've been together for eight years. Are you sure you want to break up over something this trivial?"

Trivial?

I let out a bitter laugh. "If a fractured leg means nothing to you, then I have nothing else to say. I'll pack my things and leave right now."

Gianna grabbed my wrist.

I pulled my hand free. "I'm already 28 years old. I don't want to spend another eight years with a woman who won't give me a future. Besides, I'd like my parents to have a grandchild while they can still enjoy spending time with one."

Gianna was about to say something when Everett called out from outside the room, "Gianna, the fish chowder you made me is about to burn."

Gianna saw the cut on my finger from the broken picture frame, but… she merely glanced at it before turning and walking away.

Exhaustion and disappointment washed over me all at once.

By the time I entered the dining room, Everett was already seated in the spot that had always been mine. Gianna was using a small handheld fan to cool down his fish chowder.

Everett smiled. "Your fiancee is the very picture of a devoted wife. You've got great taste, buddy."

Looking at the thumbs-up he gave me, I said quietly, "I do have great taste. Otherwise, when your dad was forcing you to marry a 50-year-old woman and you begged me for help, Gianna and I wouldn't have driven for hours through the night to get you away from him."

I didn't know if Everett caught the jab. I simply took the seat farthest from the two of them.

Gianna gave me a long look and set a plate of pork ribs in front of me. "I made these especially for you."

I glanced at the plate. They were the ribs I liked, but every piece was a bony rib end with barely any meat and was hard to gnaw.

They stood in stark contrast to the meaty, glistening spicy ribs in front of Everett.

Gianna looked slightly embarrassed. "Everett has bad teeth."

I stood up and dumped the ribs straight into the trash.

"From now on, I don't like ribs anymore."