Chapter 3

When my parents realized they couldn't change my mind, they gave me the silent treatment. They told me that no matter what happened, I couldn't get a divorce. If I did, they'd cut ties with me.

I treated their words like background noise.

Once I felt a little better, I took the divorce papers and went to the office myself.

Just as I walked in, a familiar figure entered ahead of me.

The familiar smell of tobacco made me freeze. It belonged to Natasha's secretary, Brandon Reed.

So this was what she'd meant when she said she'd fired him?

My heart clenched painfully. Another lie. Another betrayal. More lies.

So this was what she called admitting her mistake and changing?

The cheerful chatter inside stopped the moment I opened the door.

Brandon's hand rested casually on Natasha's shoulder, far beyond the bounds of any normal professional relationship.

Natasha looked panicked, yet she instinctively pulled him behind her. "Callum, let me explain. It's not what you think."

She thought I'd react the way I always had. She thought I'd lose my mind, break down in tears, and force her to choose between us. She thought I'd demand that she cut him off completely, swear she'd never do it again, and come back to our family. She thought I'd make such a scene that everyone would find out and we'd all end up humiliated.

I really didn't care anymore. If anything, I thought my former self had been an idiot. Cheating happened either once or countless times.

I held out the documents to her. "Sign them. Once you do, the agreement takes effect. These are the divorce papers. You already agreed to this."

Only then did Natasha seem to notice my condition. I was deathly pale.

"Callum, you..."

She had assumed her parents had deliberately exaggerated how sick I was just to get her to come home and appease me. That was why she'd kept putting off going to the hospital.

She wanted to teach me a lesson. She wanted me to be the one who gave in.

Now that she saw me with her own eyes, however, she grew flustered and struggled to get the words out. "Callum, I'm sorry. I... I didn't know you were this sick. I was just too angry at the time."

Brandon's eyes reddened as he put on the same pitiful expression. "Mr. Jones, please don't misunderstand. It's all my fault. Without this job, I really won't be able to survive.

"I know I was wrong. I won't have anything else to do with Ms. Simpson. Please don't read too much into it.

"What happened that day was an accident too. I'm already at the lowest position now. Please, I'm begging you. Give me a way to survive."

The more he spoke, the more pitiful he sounded. He even looked as though he was about to kneel before me.

As he moved, he bumped into the shelf behind him and sent it crashing down.

Natasha immediately stepped in front of me, but the moment she heard Brandon's voice, she forgot all about me and her pregnancy. She pulled him into her arms without hesitation.

She anxiously checked him from head to toe. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?"

I stepped aside. The bookshelf grazed my shoulder as it fell. Dust filled my mouth and stung my eyes until they watered.

A person's instincts never lied. I'd never won. Natasha had never truly let him go.

I lowered my gaze and noticed a used condom wrapper that had fallen from between the books.

The sight instantly triggered my obsession with cleanliness. My stomach twisted violently. A powerful wave of nausea doubled me over, and I dry-heaved uncontrollably.

Only then did Natasha remember me. She hurried over to support me. "Callum, are you okay?"

"No! Stay away from me! Get out!" I screamed in fright and shoved her away with all my strength.

No matter how hard I tried to hold myself together, I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

It was so damn dirty!

I had suffered so much, yet no one had ever stood on my side. Not once had anyone spoken up for me. Everyone just wanted me to be understanding. They told me to let it go and move on.

I shoved the door open and rushed straight to the bathroom, where I vomited until I had nothing left.