Chapter 5

Joshua's POV

Renee didn't come home for an entire week. Still, I knew exactly what she was up to. Chad loved posting everything on social media, so it was impossible not to know.

They went to hot springs, visited the beach, and posed for pictures together as they watched a sunrise. Through his posts, I discovered a side of Renee I'd never seen before.

As it turned out, she was perfectly capable of acting like a woman in love. She just couldn't be that way with me.

I didn't go out of my way to keep track of where they went or what they did. Every time Chad's posts appeared on my feed, I'd glance at them, then quickly scroll past.

While they were away, I had plenty of ways to keep myself busy.

There was so much stuff in the house that it took me several days to sort through it all and pack it up.

I also made time to visit my parents and tell them I'd soon be leaving for the laboratory. Once I got there, I wouldn't be able to contact the outside world for a long time.

Upon hearing about my plans, my father, Henry Downey, looked surprised.

"You and Renee are getting married soon. Doesn't that mean you'll be living apart?" he asked.

My mother, Lily Hayes, looked worried, too. Taking my hand, she urged, "Are you sure you've thought this through? You and Renee have come so far together. What if she doesn't want you to go to the lab? What'll happen to the wedding then?"

I understood where they were coming from. They'd watched me pursue Renee for years, and they knew perfectly well that she had never felt the same way about me.

Even before I proposed, they'd gently tried to talk me out of it. They knew I didn't mean as much to her as she did to me, and they urged me to reconsider. But back then, I'd been convinced I could change her mind and make her accept me completely. In the end, they'd respected my decision.

Now, with the wedding just around the corner, they were worried that if I joined the laboratory, she might call off the wedding and break up with me.

They didn't want me to get hurt, so they needed to be sure that I knew what I was doing. But unbeknownst to them, I was the one calling off the wedding.

When I told them, neither of them said anything for a long time.

Afraid that the news would be too much for them to take, I didn't tell them that Renee was pregnant with another man's child. Instead, I simply told them I wanted to keep contributing to the field of scientific research.

Dad sighed and patted me on the shoulder. "As long as you're sure you won't regret it."

I nodded.

…

When I got home, I called my childhood friend, Kevin Linton, and asked him to help me throw away the things I'd packed up.

The boxes took up a good deal of space in the living room. So, once we'd gotten rid of them, the place suddenly felt empty.

Kevin looked around with a rueful smile.

"I didn't think you'd actually go through with it. I thought you were just joking when you said you were calling off the wedding," he said. "I've watched you chase after Renee for years. What on earth happened?"

As he spoke, he fetched himself a beer and tossed me one too.

I wasn't sure if it was because I was leaving soon, but for once, I felt the urge to get everything off my chest. So I told Kevin everything that had happened over the past month—including that Renee was pregnant with Chad's child.

Kevin had witnessed everything that'd happened to Renee and me over the years. After hearing the whole story, he couldn't help but cuss.

"After everything you've done for her, she cheats on you right before the wedding and expects you to be okay with it? What the hell is she thinking?" he snapped.

I shook my head and let out a bitter laugh. "Who knows? She said Chad saved her life, so she needed to fulfill every single one of his wishes."

Kevin looked extremely displeased. "You saved her life, too! What gives her the right to treat you this way?"

I took a sip of my beer and said nothing more.

Maybe she simply didn't love me, but none of that mattered anymore. Soon, I'd be leaving her for good.