Chapter 1

A clear, cheerful female voice cut through the noise.

“Javier, I’m not too late, am I?”

I looked up, smiled, and stepped forward to wrap my arm around her waist. “Of course not. You’re right on time.”

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The smile vanished from Sophie’s face. Her voice turned cold and hard.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

I smiled and addressed the crowd. “Cassy Cowell, my good friend.”

Cassy stretched out a leg and straddled my thighs.

She blinked innocently at Sophie.

“Sophie, please don’t be jealous. Javier and I grew up butt naked around each other.”

She paused. Her smile deepened. “After all, I know his… measurements from every stage of his life.

“I measured him just last week. It’s exactly the same as when we were in college.”

Yohan Sander’s smile froze on his face.

Sophie’s cutlery fell to the floor.

I raised an eyebrow and chimed in.

“Shut up. Your technique is nowhere near as good as my wife’s.”

“Javier Tate!”

Sophie slammed her wine glass down on the table. Red wine splashed everywhere.

She pointed at Cassy. Her fingertips trembled.

“What do you mean by that?”

In an instant, the entire private room fell deathly silent.

Cassy seemed oblivious to the murderous glare directed at her. She calmly reapplied her lipstick before meeting Sophie’s gaze with full composure.

I shrugged and looked at Sophie with an innocent expression.

“What’s wrong? Honey, why are you losing your temper on such a wonderful day?”

Sophie’s face was red with anger. Her eyes were dark and menacing. The veins on her temples throbbed faintly.

Her knuckles had turned white.

“What on earth did you two do?! How could you have the nerve to ask me that?!”

I let out a soft “Oh.” As if suddenly realizing something, I said, “Are you jealous?

“It was just some friendly banter between good friends. It’s all just a joke. Don’t take it seriously.

“The relationship between me and Cassy is exactly the same as the one between you and Yohan.”

Sophie’s chest heaved violently. Her face was painted with a mix of shock and disbelief.

“What do you mean ‘good friends’? She’s a woman!”

She practically growled the words through clenched teeth. Her voice echoed through the private room.

Looking at the face I had loved for seven years, I could not help but laugh at myself.

So, it was a blatant double standard, was it?

Yohan’s amused expression instantly froze as he gently patted her back.

“Calm down. I’ve told you before. You need to hold on tight to a man as outstanding as Javier.

“He and Cassy have been childhood sweethearts. Their bond is deep and naturally different from others, but surely he wouldn’t cheat, would he?”

At those words, Sophie’s face darkened instantly. Her voice turned as cold as ice.

“Come back with me, and I’ll let this slide.”

“No way.”

I laughed out loud, but my eyes remained calm.

“If you’re bothered by my relationship with Cassy, then I’ll just leave.”

I turned around, grabbed Cassy’s hand, and started to walk away.

“Javier Tate!”

Sophie was thoroughly enraged. She rushed toward me in a couple of strides and slapped me across the face.

“I’ll say this one last time. Come back with me!”

In the blink of an eye, Cassy suddenly flung the champagne in her hand at Sophie.

“Don’t you get it? Javier doesn’t want to go with you.”

Sophie wiped the drink from her face and looked at me with utter disappointment.

“Are you done causing a scene yet? Could you stop making a mountain out of a molehill?”

I glanced at Yohan, who was sitting with his legs crossed. There was a smug look on his face.

“Sophie, let’s get a divorce.”

I dropped my cynical smile and spoke those words calmly.

The air froze once more.

Sophie scoffed as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.

“Divorce? Are you threatening me with that again?

“Javier, don’t push your luck. Fine, we can get a divorce. But don’t expect to see a single penny from the hospital!”

At the sight of her mocking expression, I sneered coolly.

My father had been bedridden since a car accident six months ago. The medical bills were astronomical.

Sophie controlled the family finances. Even my entire salary had to go through her.

In the previous timeline, I was suddenly imprisoned and eventually died a miserable death in jail. I never even got to see my father one last time.

I would never let that tragedy happen again.

I looked at her solemnly.

“Fine.”

Sophie froze. The mockery on her face instantly turned stiff.

“I’ll have my lawyer contact you regarding the divorce.”

After saying that, I took Cassy by her hand and turned to leave.

The glare from behind felt as though it could kill me.