Chapter 3

Back then, I had a day job, and I spent nights taking on part-time jobs to earn even more money. I never got more than four hours of sleep each day.

Eventually, Lynette found success and became a renowned fashion designer.

I'd heard before that when all was said and done, love came down to a person's conscience. My life was now proof of that.

The movers were halfway through taking Lynette's things out when she suddenly showed up with a garment bag in hand.

After angrily stopping the movers, she confronted me. "Evan Stewart! What's this supposed to mean, huh? You actually called off the engagement just because I was busy with work? And you're throwing my things out of the house?"

"Work, you say?"

I wanted to laugh at that. Staring her straight in the eye, I told her, "The story about you and Zac has already gone viral online, Lynette."

Despite hearing that, however, she didn't show the slightest trace of guilt. Instead, she snapped at me, "Do you even know why I did that? Why are you always so self-centered, Evan?

"You always act like whatever you think of me is the absolute truth, and you refuse to believe me, no matter how I try to explain myself!"

"Go on, then. Explain yourself. I'm listening."

I was curious to hear what kind of explanation she could give this time.

"Zac has cancer!" Lynette shrieked at me. "His dying wish is to own a suit I designed."

"So because he has cancer, he's more important than me now, and you'd readily skip out on our engagement party for his sake."

I eyed her coldly.

It hurt me to see her act this way. Honestly, it broke my heart. Even though we'd been together for so many years, that still meant nothing compared to Zac, who'd suddenly appeared in her life.

"Why are you stubbornly insisting on your twisted logic?" Lynette snapped, her teeth gritted from anger.

This was always the way she reacted. Whenever I brought up Zac, she'd lose her temper.

"You're almost 30 years old now, Evan! Don't you know how important it is to cherish every person's life? How can an engagement party be more important than someone who's about to die?" she continued screaming at me.

"Zac has cancer! He doesn't have much longer to live. Every day that passes is one less day I'll get to see him."

Lynette's principles had long since fallen out of alignment with mine. At that moment, it finally hit me that she and I could never go back to what we had before.

With a self-deprecating chuckle, I replied, "Let's just assume I don't know any of that, Lynette. Either way, I'm breaking up with you. Let's not keep in touch anymore."

A loud crash rang out. Lynette had grabbed the vase off the coffee table and thrown it to the floor, her eyes alarmingly bloodshot.

"Can you stop throwing a tantrum?" Lynette fired at me. "I've already rushed back overnight because of you. I know you're upset about the suit because I'd promised to give it to you, but it was an emergency. Besides, it's just a suit. I can just give you another one."

She tossed the garment bag she'd brought with her at me.

"I designed this suit, too. Now stop causing a scene. I'm tired. I want to get some sleep."

The garment bag came flying at me, but I didn't catch it. It fell to the floor, and the suit slipped out.

I saw the label. It belonged to a small brand that sold good-quality items at a pretty affordable price. Many people were loyal customers of that brand.

Why did I know about it?

Well, I bought from the same brand, too, and I'd seen that suit before. It cost 600 dollars.

I looked into Lynette's eyes once more and still saw no flicker of guilt in them. For the life of me, I couldn't understand how she had no qualms pulling such a sickening stunt.

She'd clearly bought the suit off the rack, yet she claimed she'd designed it herself.

Reminded of all those years of my life I'd wasted on her, I could no longer hold back my emotions.