Chapter 3

The moment Rhea saw Glen get slapped, she lunged at Myra, and the two of them started fighting.

By the time I rushed forward to break them apart, Rhea already had a red mark across her cheek.

Covering the side of her face, she let out a bitter laugh.

"Is Cassian that good in bed? Is that why you'd actually hit me for him—"

Before she could finish, my hand flew out, and a sharp crack cut through the air. A bright red handprint bloomed on her other cheek.

Rhea's eyes went wide with rage. She raised her hand to strike me back, but Myra grabbed her wrist midair and twisted it away.

Rhea stumbled backward a few steps before steadying herself. Then the first thing she did was turn to check on Glen's face.

After standing under the blazing sun for so long, my eyes felt sore and dry. My throat felt as if something was stuck in it, and even speaking became incredibly difficult.

I asked Rhea hoarsely, "So you and Glen are having business meetings at the mall now, huh?

"If we're not together anymore, what right do you have to question me? And if we are together, then what the hell are you doing with Glen?"

Her expression froze.

Glen's face turned dark as he instinctively touched the fancy watch on his wrist. He stayed quiet while glancing at Tristam with a pitiful look, as if he was begging for help.

Tristram frowned, his little face twisted in anger. He snatched a rock off the ground and hurled it at me.

Myra caught it before it hit.

"I told Mom to come shopping with us to pick out Glen's birthday gift!" Tristram yelled. "Stop picking on him, you demon!"

He puffed up his cheeks, his voice trembling with rage. "Glen isn't ugly like you! You're just some poor nobody! He's the dad I've always wanted; he's a better dad than you will ever be!"

The dad he had always wanted, a better dad than I would ever be…

I forced a faint smile and looked at the boy who looked so much like me. "I see. You're one hell of a devoted son."

Tristram's lips quivered, as if he wanted to argue, but I had had enough.

I turned away, gave Myra a brief nod of thanks, and walked off.

Behind me, Rhea and Glen's laughter faded into the distance. My legs felt as if they were made of lead, with every step heavier than the last.

At some point, the sky opened up, and rain began to fall.

When I touched my face, I couldn't tell if it was rain or tears on my fingers.

By the time I got back to the villa, it was close to 11 p.m.

To my surprise, Rhea was still awake.

The moment I opened the door, a pink blanket was thrown over my shoulders. A soft floral scent filled the air.

"You're soaked," she scolded gently. "Why didn't you find somewhere to stay dry?"

Her voice was sweet, almost tender. It was as if none of the horrible things between us had ever happened.

In my past life, the night before Tristram set the fire, Rhea had spoken to me in that same gentle tone.

Just as I was thinking that, she bent down and clipped something to my sleeve.

I looked and saw a pair of cufflinks. It was the matching set that came with Glen's watch.

In her eyes, I was just a broke guy who didn't understand luxury. She probably thought she was doing me a favor by giving me the free gift that came with Glen's present.

But what she didn't know was that I had majored in jewelry design back in college.

Rhea didn't notice my expression change. She just kept talking softly.

"You've always wanted to spend more time with Tristram, right? Glen's always been the one to take him to amusement parks and school events. I checked the forecast, and tomorrow looks great. Let's go camping at Greenvine Park, the one you've always talked about."

Tomorrow was the last day before I left.

She must have sensed something was off and was trying to fix things.

But I had long lost hope for us.

Still, since she wanted one last memory, I would make sure it was one she would never forget.