Chapter 4

I opened the door.

It wasn't Chase standing outside.

It was his older sister, Camille Calloway.

I blinked in surprise.

Camille smiled and pulled me into a hug.

"What's with that look? It's been so long. Don't tell me you don't recognize me."

Then she saw the injuries on my back, and her eyes widened.

She hurried me inside.

"How did you get hurt this badly?"

Her gaze shifted to Bagel in the cat bed.

"I'm taking that cat to an animal behaviorist later."

I pulled her toward my bedroom.

"Forget it. She's not my cat anyway.

"What are you doing here?"

Camille helped clean and treat the injuries on my back.

"My brother's still abroad. He called and said you needed him. I happen to be here on business, so I came over."

Warmth spread through my chest.

Camille told me Chase had wanted to come home right after we broke up, but their grandfather had refused to let him return until he finished his degree.

For the past four years, Chase had poured his heart out to her more times than she could count.

"My brother really loves you. You know that, don't you?

"Our family doesn't care that you were switched at birth.

"You grew up with us. We all care about you.

"If you're willing, give him another chance."

Camille stayed with me all night.

By the time I woke up, she was already gone.

She'd left me a message saying she'd changed the dressing on my back before she left and that I should get it checked by a doctor when I had time.

I got dressed and stepped out of my room just as Anna walked in.

She smiled brightly, scooped up Bagel, and cooed, "There's my baby! Mommy's here."

I folded my arms and leaned against the doorway. "If you love her that much, why don't you take her home with you?"

Anna paused.

Then she straightened.

"You're the one who added me last night, right? Jealous?"

She stroked Bagel and smiled.

"You really don't need to be. Graham and I have been broken up for more than four years.

"If he really wanted to get back together with me, he never would've agreed to let his family set him up with you in the first place.

"Bagel's used to living here. I can't bear to stay away from her, and Graham doesn't trust anyone else to take care of her. So what's wrong with me coming over to do it myself?"

She stepped closer.

"If anything, you're the one who used saving on rent as a flimsy excuse to move in with him. Weren't you just trying to push him into marriage?

"Too bad Graham puts his career first. Until he's made enough money, he won't even consider getting married.

"Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you. Once he does, I'm the one he plans to marry.

"He only started dating you to get his family off his back about settling down."

So that was it.

So our entire two-year relationship had only been about appeasing his family.

There was a dull ache in my chest, but I couldn't say I was devastated.

Then Anna suddenly pinched Bagel's hind leg.

"Meow!"

Bagel panicked and lashed out, scratching and biting at her.

Anna held on tight.

Within seconds, scratches appeared on her chin and the back of her hand.

My own back started throbbing, and I instinctively stepped back.

The front door opened.

Graham was home.

Anna immediately burst into tears.

"It's okay, Bagel. Mommy's here. Don't be scared."

Then she looked at me through tearful eyes.

"Yes, Graham and I raised Bagel together, but we've been broken up for years. You can be jealous of me, but that doesn't give you the right to hurt her."

So this was how she played it when Graham was around.

I wasn't interested in playing along.

Graham took Bagel from her and pulled Anna against him with his free arm.

"Lauren Hartley, what are you doing?"

Then something seemed to click.

"No wonder Bagel's never liked you. Have you been mistreating her behind my back?"

Me?

Mistreating Bagel?

After two years, did he really not know which one of us had been hurting the other?

I was about to show him the injuries on my back.

But he didn't even give me a chance to explain.

He walked out with Bagel in one arm and the other around Anna.

Ridiculous.

I went back to my room and quietly started packing.

I'd always been good at letting things go, so I didn't have much to pack.

The apartment was cluttered with cat supplies of every kind.

I looked at my clothes, still covered in cat hair no matter how many times I washed them. I shoved them all into the trash, grabbed my suitcase, and left.

Before I went, I pulled up the home security footage and sent Graham the clip showing what had really happened.

Then I removed him as a contact and blocked him on the messaging app.

By the time Graham watched the video, he'd just finished helping Anna clean up her scratches.

He turned to her.

"You were the one who pinched Bagel?"

Anna shook her head as tears rolled down her face.

"No, I..."

Graham didn't bother listening.

He tried to send Lauren an apology, only to find that she'd removed him as a contact.

He froze for a moment, then called her instead.

At least she hadn't blocked his number.

The call connected.

But a man's voice answered.

"You're the cat's owner?

"Good. I'll see you in court. And make sure that fat cat is still around."