Chapter 3

Although Jonathan and I were about to get married, my parents had always raised me to believe that we should sleep in separate rooms until then.

Now that he was moving out, I needed to clear out his room.

I was halfway through packing when a picture suddenly fell from a hidden compartment in the bookshelf.

Curious, I picked it up, only to stare at the picture in disbelief.

It showed Jonathan and Isabelle when they were younger, smiling brightly at the camera.

His arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, and the way they held each other made it clear that their relationship had been anything but platonic.

What made it even worse was the background.

There I was, crouching on the floor and picking up the trash Jonathan had casually thrown away.

They'd been involved with one another behind my back for that long.

Meanwhile, I'd been completely oblivious to their affair and had almost thrown away my entire future for him.

The thought made me tremble with anger.

How could I have been so blind? I'd actually believed them when they insisted they were nothing more than friends.

Just then, Jonathan's backup phone began ringing.

When I saw "Izzy" on the caller ID, I hesitated for a moment before answering.

Jonathan was already with her, so why would she be calling a phone he'd left at my house?

I soon got my answer.

The moment I picked up, I heard the sounds of two people getting intimate.

"Jonathan, you just saw Mikayla, and now you're getting intimate with me. Isn't that a little too much?"

Isabelle's voice was soft and teasing.

Jonathan answered impatiently, "Don't bring that bitch up. She's so boring, and all she ever does is piss me off. If her family didn't have money, I would've dumped her a long time ago!

"You're so much better, Isabelle. You're smart, and you understand me. I wish I could spend the rest of my life with you."

Isabelle sighed. "If Mikayla finds out, she'll hate me even more. I don't even know what I did to deserve that."

Jonathan scoffed.

"Who cares what she thinks? She's been throwing herself at me for years. She can't live without me! She didn't dare make a scene when I got you pregnant, and I bet I could even bring our baby home and make her raise it without getting a word of protest."

I'd already prepared myself for the worst, but hearing the man I'd loved for so many years speak about me with such contempt still hurt more than I wanted to admit.

I'd wasted the best years of my youth on someone who had never deserved them.

After spending a long time in bed, Jonathan reluctantly got up to take a shower.

Isabelle seized the opportunity to pick up the phone and gloat.

"You heard all that, didn't you? If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of the way."

I smiled faintly.

"If he loves you so much, why didn't he get together with you all those years ago? Actually, never mind. You two deserve each other. I'll gladly get out of your way. After all, just looking at Jonathan makes me sick!"

Isabelle's voice went shrill with anger. "Why, you—"

I ended the call right then and there.

Then, I packed everything Jonathan owned and threw it all out. I couldn't stand the thought of having his belongings under my roof for even another second.

Just then, my phone lit up with a message from my boyfriend.

"Tomorrow seems like a good day. Shall we get married?"

I was a little surprised. "Isn't that a bit too soon?"

His reply came almost immediately.

"I just can't wait to make you my wife. I'm afraid you might change your mind, and then I'll be the one crying my eyes out."

I couldn't help smiling as I shook my head.

That man really was something else.