Chapter 3

The second wedding date had fallen apart when three younger men Celeste was keeping showed up together and made a scene, turning me into the laughingstock of our entire social circle.

Before the third, she'd forced me to perform procedures on the men she kept on the side, indulging another of her humiliating whims.

After that, one lover followed another through my operating room.

Arguments and screaming matches became ordinary parts of our life.

Eventually, without ever discussing it, we stopped mentioning the wedding at all.

I'd waited ten years for a ceremony I never got.

Nolan had asked once, and it was his.

Suddenly, every year I'd spent fighting for Celeste, hesitating, forgiving, and refusing to walk away felt like one enormous joke.

My eyes burned, but I managed a small smile.

"Sure. He can have it."

Celeste looked stunned. She obviously hadn't expected me to agree.

She took my hand gently.

"Adrian, I know this isn't fair. I promise we'll have the perfect wedding someday."

I slipped my hand free.

"I'm tired."

I closed my eyes and stopped responding.

Perhaps out of guilt, she didn't get angry. Instead, she tucked the blanket around me.

"Get some sleep. I'll stay with you tonight. The whole night."

I said nothing.

Five minutes later, her phone rang.

She rose almost before the first ring ended.

"Nolan? What's wrong?" she murmured.

I felt the air shift as she walked away.

Opening my eyes, I watched her disappear. Then I looked down at the texts Nolan had sent me.

"You're divorced. Pack your things and get out. Stop freeloading in the house Celeste and I share."

"You're too old for this pathetic innocent-act routine. Still trying to seduce somebody else's wife?"

"Want to bet I can snap my fingers and make Celeste come running?"

I glanced toward the door and gave a humorless smile.

Of course she wasn't coming back tonight.

Nolan had updated his social media account.

In the photo, Celeste knelt on one knee, washing his feet.

His caption read, "Can't move after surgery. Good thing I've got the CEO herself to take care of me."

He'd tagged me deliberately.

Underneath, Celeste's friends were calling him her future husband as if they already welcomed him into the family.

I recognized every person who'd liked or commented on the post.

Celeste had introduced Nolan to her relatives and friends a long time ago.

I was the only one left out.

In the past, I would have stormed into an argument over it.

This time, I simply liked the post and turned off my phone.

I didn't care about Celeste anymore. Why would I care whose feet she stooped to wash?

The next morning, Nolan barged into my hospital room.

He threw a copy of the divorce settlement at my face.

"What gives you the right to take half of Celeste's assets?"

His face twisted with fury.

"She promised everything she owns would belong to our son! You're not stealing a cent of my money!"

I took my time picking up the pages and looking them over.

"I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed."

I met his glare.

"The apartment you're living in is in my name, too."

Then I added, "I forgot to answer your message last night. You're the one who needs to move out."

Nolan's face went scarlet.

"You bastard!"

He pointed a finger inches from my nose.

"You can't even give her a baby, you sad excuse for a man! You're a jinx. You've buried three kids, and you still think you deserve her money? Maybe your kids died because you were such a greedy piece of trash!"

Blood roared in my ears.

Before I knew it, I'd punched him in the face.

A split second later, someone slapped me hard enough to fill my mouth with the taste of blood.

Celeste pulled Nolan into her arms, her eyes blazing.

"How dare you touch him?"