Chapter 4

That only made Callum angrier. He looked around, grabbed a stick that happened to be nearby, and raised it over his head, ready to bring it down on my skull.

"Enough, Jonas!"

Imogen couldn't bear to watch anymore. Seven years was a long time—even if she'd been raising a dog, she'd probably have grown attached to it.

Seeing me in such a battered state, she finally seemed reluctant to let things go any further.

"You've always wanted to make our marriage official, haven't you?" she asked. "Apologize to Callum, and we'll go to the city hall tomorrow and register our marriage."

I knew exactly what she was thinking. She just wanted to make sure I'd fall back in line. After all, there was a basic rule when raising a dog—it had to know who was in charge.

"I already told you," I said, laughing. "I'm not apologizing unless he's dead. And we're already over. Marry a woman who's been with someone else? Are you not disgusted by that? I already feel sick just thinking about it."

She stared at me in shock, clearly unable to believe what she'd just heard. I'd never spoken to her like that before, and she'd never seen me so determined to end things.

"Jonas, are you sure?" she gritted out, furious that I actually stood my ground.

"Do I really have to say it again?" I shot back with a sneer. "Is the CEO of Steele Group really that desperate for someone to marry her?"

"Jonas, don't push your luck," Imogen warned. "Before you say another word, think about your mother. Without me, she couldn't even afford an ICU bed!"

I'd stayed silent while Callum beat me. But the moment she brought my parents into it, I finally broke down in tears.

If I hadn't been so blindly in love with Imogen back then, my parents and I never would've ended up in this situation.

Mom wouldn't have died carrying all that grief and regret simply because Imogen never showed up to our wedding. Dad, on the other hand, wouldn't have been so devastated that he was admitted to the ICU and died along with Mom.

I regretted everything now, but there was no way to turn back time. I'd lost the two people who had loved me more than anything in the world for good.

"Stop crying. Just apologize to Callum, and we'll put this whole thing behind us," Imogen said, breathing a sigh of relief as she thought I'd finally given in.

"Are you deaf?" I spat. "I'll say it one last time. If you want me to apologize, then he'll have to die!"

I looked straight into her eyes and enunciated every word clearly, making sure she heard every syllable.

Imogen froze. She clearly hadn't expected me to refuse even now. I always listened to her before, and she never had to ask twice.

"Immy, you heard him," Callum cut in. "Jonas is being completely unreasonable."

Imogen's expression hardened. She walked over until she was standing directly in front of me. "Jonas, don't push me!"

"By the way," I whispered, leaning toward her ear. "If you're going to do it with him, remember to use a condom. Wouldn't want you catching something."

She then slapped me across the face. Her expression turned icy as she pulled out her phone and made a video call to Dr. Langdon right in front of me.

She deliberately chose a spot where I could see the screen clearly.

The call connected, and Dr. Langdon's face appeared.

"Ms. Steele, I'm sorry," he said, an ingratiating smile spreading across his face. "I was busy and didn't see your message. Is there something you need?"

"Dr. Langdon, I'd like you to cancel the VIP treatment for Jonas and his mother immediately. From now on, they'll have to pay for everything themselves."

As Imogen spoke, she looked at me with a mixture of triumph and warning. She thought I would eventually yield and apologize to Callum for Mom's sake.

But the docile smile on Dr. Langdon's face suddenly disappeared, replaced by an awkward expression.

"Um… Ms. Steele, are you joking?" he asked tentatively. "Mr. Beckett's mother passed away from a sudden heart attack seven days ago. It happened at your wedding."

Imogen went rigid.

"And Mr. Beckett's father was so devastated by the loss that he was admitted to the ICU," Dr. Langdon added. "The doctors tried to save him, but he died there as well."