Chapter 2

That figurine was a gift Heather gave me on my 18th birthday.

I'd treasured it like a priceless keepsake, holding onto it for all these years. But now, all I could feel was the bitter irony.

I tossed the figurine into the trash without a second thought. A startled look crossed Heather's face. She was about to say something when a clear male voice from the doorway cut her off.

"Heather!"

Heather immediately turned and hurried over to Jake. "Jake, what are you doing here tonight?"

Jake wrapped his arms around her neck, pressing himself snugly against her. "What's the matter? Is there something going on here that I'm not supposed to see?"

As he spoke, his gaze went right past Heather and settled on me. With his arms crossed, Jake sauntered over with a smug smirk of a victor, looking me up and down with disdain.

"Heather, why is this old geezer still here? He's so old, and his skin's all loose and saggy. How can you even bring yourself to kiss him?"

Heather buried her face in his chest, rubbing against him as she gave a soft laugh. "Jake, you're so cute when you're jealous. Don't mind him. He's just here to grab his things. He'll be gone soon."

She tilted her head up to kiss Jake, but he turned his head away. "I don't want to! You touched that old man, so you're filthy. Who knows what kind of disease he might have?

"As punishment, go scrub your mouth out. And until it's clean, you're not allowed to kiss me!"

Far from taking offense, Heather just chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Okay, okay. Whatever you say."

And just like that, she actually headed for the bathroom.

Jake turned to me with a smug grin. He deliberately pinched his nose, his whole face scrunched up in disgust.

"Ew, what's with the old-man smell? Gross! This whole place stinks!"

Vicky came over and affectionately took Jake's hand. "Don't worry, Jake. I'll go get some disinfectant and sanitize this place from top to bottom!"

Jake walked around me, exaggeratedly sniffing as if I reeked. When Vicky brought the disinfectant over, he snatched it from her and started spraying it all over me.

"Oh, so the smell is coming from you, old man. You seriously stink! Just like I thought. You really are in your 30s. You already smell like an old man."

I looked up at him coldly. "So what if I'm 30? What, were you not planning on living that long?"

Jake's smile vanished instantly. He glared at me furiously. "You! Dustin Holman, what's there to be so smug about?"

He abruptly pulled out a piece of paper and waved it around, flaunting it. "See this? A marriage certificate! I'm Heather's legitimate husband. You're just a little homewrecker—oh, my bad, an old homewrecker. So what makes you think you can run your mouth at me?"

Vicky planted her hands on her hips and started going off on me. "Exactly! Ms. Reid is my daughter-in-law now. Get out of here already, you shameless piece of trash!"

As I watched the shameless pair, all I could think was how absurd this all was.

I suddenly remembered how, when Jake first started college, Vicky had cried to me about how hard things were at home and how she couldn't afford his tuition.

Feeling sorry for them, I immediately advanced her six months' wages and even gave her extra money on top of that.

Back then, Vicky had bowed deeply to me, crying her eyes out as she promised she'd repay my kindness one day.

I flashed a mocking smile and stared straight at Vicky. "Vicky Davis, so this is what you meant by repaying me?"

Vicky's gaze shifted uneasily as she took two steps back, too guilty to meet my eyes.

Jake shoved me, snapping arrogantly, "Quit holding that over our heads! You really think you're some kind of savior just because you gave us a bit of money?"

He was about to go on when his eyes flicked past me. In an instant, his whole demeanor changed, and he put on a pitiful expression.

"Mr. Holman, I know you look down on us. My mom may be a housekeeper, but housekeepers have dignity too! Please, don't make things harder for her…"

Jake wiped away a nonexistent tear as he continued resolutely, "You want her to get on her knees to shine your shoes, right? My mom's getting old and can't take that kind of humiliation, so I'll do it!"

Before I could even react, he suddenly threw himself at my feet, then deliberately planted his palm on the glass shards. Blood quickly ran down his hand.

"Jake!" Heather came running over and pulled him into her arms, her eyes red with concern. "Somebody get the doctor!"

Once the private doctor had tended to Jake, Heather slapped me across the face without warning. "Dustin, have I been letting you get away with too much?"