Chapter 4

Leonard

I heard the door open, then close.

Susan’s footsteps faded down the hall, leaving only the faint echo in my bedroom and the sluggish, uneven beat of my heart. Sweat dampened my forehead as I struggled for air, a dull, suffocating pressure lodged under my breastbone.

This was my curse.The thing that made my life a beautiful nightmare. The world saw Leonard Carter as the untouchable billionaire. The truth? I was just a man slowly being betrayed by his own heart. A rare condition Restrictive Cardiomyopathy with Paroxysmal Arrhythmia made every day feel like a gamble. The muscle in my heart had turned stiff, refusing to fill with blood properly. And the arrhythmia? It could strike without warning, stealing my breath and leaving me on the edge of collapse.

I didn’t want to yell at Susan earlier. But if she’d stayed any longer, she might have seen it the weakness I’ve worked so hard to hide.

With quick, uneven steps, I crossed to the nightstand. From the small box hidden beneath it, I pulled out a single white beta blocker. My hand trembled as I dry-swallowed the pill. The metallic bitterness clung to my tongue, making my jaw tighten.

Only Grandma and Grandpa knew the truth. I made them promise not to tell my parents. If my mother found out, the news would spread like wildfire she’d probably turn my illness into a PR campaign for the company. And my father? He’d back her without question.Susan… she didn’t need to know. She’s been through enough already. Better she think me cruel and cold than pity me. Better she hate me than carry the burden of loving a man whose days are numbered.Because in this world, once you show weakness, people either pity you or they use it against you. Andrew, my assistant, constantly warns me never to skip a dose. I listen mostly. But yesterday… when the maid brought me water and said Susan had sent it, I drank some, saving the rest to take my pills later. The moment I finished it, sleep hit me like a drug. When I woke, I was naked in bed with Susan.

She swears she didn’t drug me. I want to believe her. God, I want to. But that water had to be the reason I blacked out. The maid had said it was Susan who told her to bring it. The only reason I let the matter drop was because my chest tightened when I saw her cry. She thinks I’m interested in Anna. Maybe that’s why she acted impulsively. But Anna… Anna is like a sister to me. We grew up together in this house. After her father, my father’s best friend died, my parents took her in. With no other family, she became part of ours.

Recently, my mother decided she should marry my younger brother, Benedict. I was against it, but my mother always wins. Besides, Benedict has adored her since we were kids, so I had no choice but to accept it. Susan, though… she’s been my weakness since grade four. Back then, I could barely speak to her without making a fool of myself. Years later, nothing much has changed.

Our marriage wasn’t born of love, it was a transaction. My father struck a deal with hers, Reporter West, after he stumbled on a scandal that could have destroyed our family. For three hundred million dollars and my hand in marriage to his daughter, the truth was buried. I was abroad receiving treatment when it happened. My father arranged everything without my consent. Andrew told me the night I returned. That night, I had someone watch Susan. They reported that she cried herself to sleep. Something inside me snapped. I stormed to my parents’ house, ready to tear them apart. Father refused to let me in. Since that day, we’ve barely spoken.

I wasn’t angry because I didn’t want Susan as my wife. I love her more than I should. I was angry because I knew I wasn’t the man she deserved. I can’t give her the life, the love, or the future she should have. That guilt clings to me like a shadow. So I’ve made peace with being the villain in her story. When my heart finally gives out, she won’t be left mourning a good man. She’ll be freed from a bad one. And maybe, just maybe… she’ll be able to breathe again.