Chapter 1

"Shit—"

A sharp pain yanked me out of my thoughts.

While I was lost in thought, the knife slipped and cut deep into my left index finger. Blood dripped onto the loin on the cutting board.

Jayden Jenkins rushed over when he heard me. The moment he saw the blood, his face fell.

"Seriously, Caius? Now there's blood all over the meat. How are we supposed to eat that?"

Jayden gave me a playful punch on the shoulder. "What's with you, buddy? You're really not going to let me have a bite?"

Willow Simpson stood right beside him. She saw the deep cut and my nearly torn-off nail, but all she said was, "Caius, wash the meat. Scrub it clean. I don't want any blood getting on it."

I stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Then, I slammed the knife onto the cutting board and shoved my bloody hand in front of her face. "Willow, take a good look. How exactly am I supposed to wash anything like this?"

She glanced at it once, then calmly looked away.

"It's just a small cut. Put a waterproof bandage on it. Do you really have to make such a big deal out of it?"

"See? Willow's the one who actually cares about me," Jayden chimed in with a sarcastic grin. "Come on, Willow. Help me out here and talk some sense into him."

I whipped around, my expression turning cold. "Jayden, shut the hell up."

Then I turned to Willow and stared at her. "Willow, are you two really that comfortable with each other?"

Jayden froze for a second before bursting out laughing. "So this is what all the drama is about? See, Willow? I told you he was petty."

Willow frowned and gently pulled Jayden away from me, as if she were worried I might actually lose my temper.

Then she turned to him with a soft smile. "You know that, and you still keep provoking him? If he loses his temper and actually hits you, I'm not taking your side."

Jayden raised an eyebrow and tightened his grip on her arm.

"You have to take my side. You know I'm a baby when it comes to pain."

In that moment, watching the quiet affection and effortless understanding between them, I suddenly felt exhausted. I no longer had the energy to argue.

When Willow turned her gaze back to me, her expression had turned cold.

"He's your best friend. I'm just helping you keep him entertained since you're too busy to do it yourself. And now you're really picking a fight over one strawberry, Caius? Are you being serious right now?"

Then she grabbed Jayden and headed for the door. "Forget him and his attitude. We'll eat somewhere else."

Soon, I heard the door slam shut, and the apartment fell silent.

I stood there, listening to their voices fade, and slowly lowered my head.

Three plates of steak sat on the dining table. It was Jayden's favorite, but I'd never been a fan of meat that wasn't cooked through. My stomach simply couldn't handle it. Yet I spent hours sweating over the stove in the sweltering heat, making all of it just for him.

We'd been friends for more than a decade, ever since elementary school. I'd never once been stingy with him or thought twice about sharing what I had.

But Jayden, who proudly claimed he never wanted to settle down, had somehow turned my house into his personal dining hall.

He showed up at my place for two out of every three meals, perfectly comfortable ordering me around—and growing increasingly close to my wife.

But whenever something bothered me, I told myself I was overthinking it, that I was being petty.

I swallowed my jealousy and resentment, convincing myself that if I just put up with it, I could hold on to both my marriage and my friendship.

But now, the hollow ache in my chest was becoming impossible to ignore, making the pain in my finger feel insignificant by comparison.

I wrapped a towel around my hand, but the blood quickly soaked through.

I grabbed my bag, called a cab, and headed to the hospital.

In the back seat, I called my boss. To my surprise, my voice sounded calm. "Mr. Walker, I'll take the assignment in Northpass."

There was a brief silence. He clearly hadn't expected that.

"Caius, are you serious? I thought you said you needed to put your family first."

I replied, "I don't anymore."

I watched the city blur past the window, letting the silence stretch for a moment.

"I'll be getting divorced soon. There won't be anyone left for me to worry about."

After I hung up, I rested my head against the window.

Willow and Jayden had taken more than a decade of my youth, loyalty, and devotion. And now, I didn't want either of them in my life anymore.