Chapter 4

She used to be moved to tears by his actions, believing they were proof of his deep love.

Now, Chloe stared at him.

"Michael, the motorcycle accident years ago... you arranged that, didn't you? Just to make me give up my fellowship spot."

Michael's massaging fingers froze.

He looked up and met her despairing eyes, completely unbothered.

"What if I did?"

His voice was entirely devoid of emotion.

"Didn't I make it up to you by marrying you? You have the title of my wife and a life of luxury. What more could you possibly complain about?"

Chloe's entire world shattered in an instant.

She stared at him, numb. Every detail she had once deliberately brushed aside flooded her mind like ice water.

She remembered their honeymoon trip. Right before boarding, Sarah popped up behind Michael with a playful smile.

"Chloe, I heard Hawaii is gorgeous! I've never been, so Michael decided to bring me along!"

Once aboard, Chloe realized that the place reserved for her mother had been given to one of Sarah's friends.

When her mother called, her voice was hesitant and quiet.

"Chloe, honey, I'm all packed. When is Michael coming to pick me up?"

At that moment, Michael offhandedly replied, "Sarah wanted to bring a few friends along. Your mom is getting older anyway, no need for her to deal with all that travel hassle."

There was a long silence on the line before her mother forced a faint laugh.

"Oh... alright then. You kids have fun..."

She remembered their candlelit anniversary dinner that she was delayed in getting to.

By the time she arrived, Michael and Sarah were already full, leaving behind a table of mess.

That day, Sarah cooed playfully, "Chloe, you're finally here! Everything looked so delicious I couldn't help ordering too much. Don't let it go to waste!"

Michael chuckled while ruffling Sarah's hair fondly. "Yeah, Chloe, just grab a plate and eat whatever's left."

Chloe sat across from them, swallowing the lukewarm leftovers like ashes.

She listened to them chattering about things she knew nothing about while their laughter rang sharply in her ears.

She wasn't blind.

She had once asked Michael with red-rimmed eyes, "When will we ever have time just for the two of us?"

Michael stroked her hair with a smile. "Chloe, weren't you worried that dating me would make Sarah feel left out? I'm doing this for your sake."

What a flawless excuse.

And she had actually believed him.

But now, none of it mattered anymore.

Chloe took a deep breath. Earlier that year, she had completed the required training and passed the licensing exams to become a pharmacist.

Her mentor was amazed by her talent and had quietly offered her a top research fellowship abroad.

She had planned to find the right moment to tell him as a surprise.

Now she realized there was no need.

"I'm tired. I want to rest," Chloe said softly, pulling her hand away from Michael's grasp.

Just then, the front door burst open. Her lawyer friend, Maya George, walked in with a teasing smile on her face.

"Chloe called me crying her eyes out earlier, insisting she was going to divorce you!"

Maya glanced at Michael with an amused smirk. "So, Michael... does she actually have the nerve to leave?"

Michael's face instantly darkened.

He pulled Chloe into his arms, his voice laced with a subtle tremor.

"Chloe, why divorce? Is it because Sarah and I had a baby?"

He took a deep breath, as if trying his hardest to remain patient.

"You know how much I care about you. You have the title of my wife, and you had a grand wedding. You can't have everything. It isn't fair to Sarah.

"You two have been best friends since childhood. The baby can just call you his godmother, okay? Stop making a fuss."

Chloe went entirely rigid.

Even now, he thought she was just being hysterical?

Beside them, Maya let out an exaggerated laugh and winked at Chloe.

"See? You only act tough over the phone. Deep down, you can't bear to leave him, can you?"

Michael stroked Chloe's right hand, his tone turning pitying.

"Your hand is ruined. You can't hold a surgical knife ever again. If you leave me, what can you even do?"

Chloe yanked her hand back violently.

She couldn't understand how a man could speak so casually of her deepest trauma, as if he wasn't the one that inflicted it.

"What happens to me is none of your concern."

"None of my concern?" Michael chuckled, ruffling her hair dismissively. "Chloe, you don't own any property, and your savings are practically nonexistent.

"Without me, you can't even afford an apartment in this city."

Chloe lowered her eyelashes, hiding the mockery in her eyes.

She never intended to stay in this city anyway.

"Who says!"

Maya's voice suddenly rose.

"Chloe is heading abroad soon! She just got accepted into the prestigious medical fellowship overseas for this year!"

"What did you say?" Michael's voice dropped, each word squeezed out through gritted teeth.

He grabbed Chloe's wrist, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Chloe, when did you apply for that? Why didn't I know anything about this?!"

Maya gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth as she looked at Chloe in horror.

"Chloe, I'm so sorry! I... I didn't know you could keep something that big from Michael. My big mouth…"