Chapter 1

I stood in the shadows. It was midsummer, but my whole body was covered with cold sweat.

What happened in the past instantly crossed my mind, and the depression and fear still seemed to linger.

But I suppressed my urge to rush inside and kill those two people. I immediately turned around and walked back to the employees’ canteen near the warehouse.

The supply warehouse manager hosted a banquet today. The banquet should have ended already, but since it was so rare that he was able to invite many distinguished guests, he was in high spirits, and he kept urging everyone to drink into the night.

After I walked back to the canteen, I sat at the employees’ table. When I lifted my glass to my lips, someone patted me on the back.

“Why are you still drinking here? Your wife is running away with someone else!”

My childhood friend, Kevin Cooper, stood behind me. He leaned close to me and whispered into my ear. His voice was filled with impatience.

I snorted and said without turning back, “Stop this nonsense! She’s not my wife yet.”

I was afraid that if I turned back, I would reach out and strangle him.

In the past, he took the university spot that was rightfully mine. When he returned home for winter break, he made a point of visiting my house and showing off. That always set off a huge fight between Karli White and me.

“Shane Carter, why would I marry a trash like you? All you do is eat and sleep like a lousy pig!”

Before, I would have defended myself.

“Didn’t you know how my university spot was taken away?”

“Oh my! What a waste of my loyalty! Did you want me to tell someone that the factory director’s son was harassing me?

“If I did that, your family and my family would be ruined! You might as well admit that you’re so useless that you can’t even protect your woman! You’re trash! You only blame me! I can’t live like this anymore!”

She even went to the courtyard, sat on the ground, and pulled her hair. She cried and claimed that I abused her. The neighbors had beaten me ruthlessly. They even dragged me to the local women’s shelter and shamed me in public.

Later, I stopped defending myself. No matter how viciously she insulted me, I just silently took every ugly word.

When I was knocked down by a brick wall and lay dying, Kevin ran up to me in his trendy leather jacket and bell-bottoms to show off.

Only then did I realize that he had known that Karli and Jeremy had been into each other. He intentionally sent me over that day just to steal my only university spot.

I would not fall into his trap again this time.

When Kevin saw that I remained seated, he anxiously walked over and pulled my arm.

“I saw a man dragging Karli into the warehouse! If anything happens to her, how’re you going to explain it to her family?”

I pushed away his hand in irritation.