Chapter 2

I didn't move. I wasn't going to just leave like this. I was going to take back every single thing that belonged to me.

The doorbell rang ten minutes earlier than Naomi had said. They seemed pretty eager.

When I opened the door, I saw Jared—the business tycoon I saw smiling brightly on the financial news—standing on the doorstep. He had a man and a woman with him, both in business suits. They were probably the lawyers from Sullivan Group.

"How nice to meet you, Mr. Lewis," Jared said, his voice cool and calm.

He didn't come across as arrogant or overbearing. Instead, he surveyed me with a pitying look.

"The past five years must've been hard on you. To be honest, you did a lot better than I'd anticipated. Your acting was… very realistic," he remarked before brushing past me.

He strode right into the living room as if he owned the place.

"Shane, Daddy's here."

Shane immediately dropped his robot and scampered into Jared's arms, nuzzling against him. "Daddy Jared! You came!"

After Jared snapped his fingers, someone who looked like a secretary handed Shane a box that contained the latest limited-edition toy.

"Of course I'd come here. I promised you that once Mommy's 'game' ended, I'd take you home. Let's go to Dreamyland this weekend, okay?"

"Yay! I love you and Mommy the most, Daddy Jared!" Shane squealed.

They were blissfully engaged in their happy conversation, as if no one else were around. It seemed as though they were a family, while I was just an actor who'd completed my part and was supposed to get off the stage.

My heart had grown so numb that it no longer stung in pain.

Jared scooped Shane into his arms before taking a look around. His eyes landed on the upholstered couch I'd bought secondhand. His brow creased as if he'd just spotted something dirty.

"What was Naomi thinking? How could she stay in a dump like this and use such cheap furniture? None of these things is good enough for her."

Turning to one of the lawyers, he said, "Make a note of this, Mr. Meyer. Get a cleaning company to come over and toss out all the furniture. Cheap trash doesn't have a place in Naomi's house."

"Understood, Mr. Lewis."

Every word Jared said had explicitly canceled out all of the effort I'd put in throughout the last five years.

I'd stuck to a frugal budget only for the sake of the "shared future" of the family, but in his eyes, I was sullying his sophisticated fiancee's life with cheap trash.

The lawyer came up to me. After introducing himself as Edwin Meyer, he handed me a pen, saying, "Mr. Lewis, kindly sign the divorce agreement. The five-million-dollar compensation is already the highest industry standard for a roleplay project such as this. Ms. Sullivan and her fiance are being very generous with you."

"The highest industry standard?" I repeated with a look of incredulity.

They were basically reducing my life to a business transaction.

"That's correct," Edwin said before adjusting his glasses. "Apart from that, being a decent and kind-hearted man, Mr. Jared Lewis has asked me to give you a reminder not to engage in any form of continued harassment.

"Any such behavior will be regarded by the legal team as malicious provocation against the entire Sullivan family. I'm sure you wouldn't wish to bear the consequences of such an act."

It was an undisguised threat.

Jared came over with Shane in his arms and a courteous smile on his face.

"Please don't get the wrong idea, Ian. We're not threatening you. You're a smart man. I'm sure you know what the right choice for you is, right?" Jared said.

Looking down at Shane, he said gently, "Shane, say goodbye to this… man here. He's moving out of our home."

Shane lifted his head from Jared's shoulder and looked at me. He used to stare at me with a look of dependence, but now, his gaze was impatient and distant.

"Let's go, Daddy Jared. I don't want to see him. Mommy said that his poor-man energy and stingy attitude would rub off on me."

Poor-man energy and stingy attitude?

That completely destroyed what little warmth remained in my heart.

Staring at Jared and Shane, I laughed.