Chapter 2

The next morning, I was jarred awake by the buzzing of my phone. Notifications kept popping up one after another. There were screenshots from social media posts and forwarded group messages, as if everyone was afraid I might miss them.

The moment I tapped open the first photo, my breath hitched in my throat. Veronica and Ian stood outside the courthouse with their marriage certificates, grinning ear to ear. The comments below were a wall of well-wishes.

I kept scrolling and came across a post from Bridget. "It's been a long journey. I wish you all the happiness you've dreamed of!"

She'd attached photos of Veronica and Ian, along with pictures from last year's wedding. I tapped on the group photo, and my hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

There were so many familiar faces in the photo.

Bridget was there. Irene Miller was there. Even Ma and Pops were there.

Pops had a smile on his face, while Ma stood beside him, handing out wine glasses. Everyone looked completely at ease.

Then, there was me—the fool who was left out of the loop from day one.

I placed my phone facedown on the bed, a dull ache tightening in my chest. However, my phone wouldn't stop ringing.

Someone in the company group chat had shared a video from the private room the night before. It showed only the most chaotic part of what had happened.

I was standing there, my expression grim. Ian was weeping pitifully, while Veronica stood in front of him as if she was protecting her husband from someone who had wronged him.

The caption was even more sickening. "A certain someone was exposed as a homewrecker and went berserk, splashing wine at them."

Before long, my colleagues recognized me.

"Isn't that Jesse?"

"Wow, you really can't judge a book by its cover."

"No wonder his girlfriend never made their relationship public. Turns out, he's the side piece."

"Hurry up and tag her husband and tell him to come get him!"

The blood in my fingers ran cold as I sat there. Veronica knew perfectly well that I wasn't a side piece. Yet, she didn't utter a single word to defend me.

Her silence was as good as an admission.

It took me a long while to pull myself together before I finally got up to wash my face. I still had to go to the hospital to visit my younger brother, Julian James, that day.

His condition had been unstable lately, and the last thing I wanted was for him to see any of this. However, before I could even step out the door, a billing notification from the hospital popped up on my phone. I was still short on the funds needed for his next round of treatment.

I stared at the amount for what felt like an eternity and, ultimately, decided to head home.

Veronica and I had lived here together for four years.

I had put so much thought into making this place feel like home. I had even planned to pay off the mortgage once I'd saved enough money.

I had genuinely thought about our future. Sadly, there was no future for us anymore.

I had just stepped into the living room when I heard the front door click open. Veronica and Ian walked in together. Both of them were still dressed in the formal attire from their wedding photoshoot.

My heart went numb as I took them in. "Do you have any idea what your photos have done? Now, everyone thinks I'm the one who came between you two," I jeered.

Veronica frowned. "Everyone knows we're married. I just made a post about it."

Ian chimed in impatiently, "Can you stop blaming us for every little thing, Jesse? Everyone's happy for us. What's the big deal?"

I found it absurdly laughable when I heard that. I took a deep breath. I had nothing left to say. "Get the hell out!"

Veronica looked as though she'd just heard a joke. "Did you just ask me to leave? I paid for most of the renovations, maintenance fees, and parking space over the years. Do you really think you could have afforded to live here on your own?

"Ian and I are going to live here from now on. If you can't accept that, pack your shit and leave!"

I stood frozen in place for what felt like forever. The down payment for this place came from every single cent I had scraped together since my very first job.

On the day I signed the contract, I was so happy that my hands were shaking. Veronica had wrapped her arms around me and said that this would be our home from then on.

I had proudly shown Ian the keys, and he had replied, "That's great." It seemed that he was already lying in wait back then.

I didn't waste another breath on them. I quickly packed up my belongings.

When I crossed the threshold, Veronica's voice sounded behind me. "If you take one step out that door, I won't give you another cent!"

Standing in the elevator, my knuckles turned white as I tightened my grip on the handle of my luggage. I'd bitten the inside of my mouth until I tasted blood, but I couldn't feel the pain; all I could feel was an overwhelming sense of humiliation.

Ultimately, I left without looking back. I wanted to get as far away from them as possible.