Chapter 2

I looked at Nick bitterly.

When Ruby's heart acted up, he lost his mind with worry. But when I worked back-to-back overtime until I nearly went into cardiac arrest, all he gave me was a cold look. He even accused me of copying her to get his attention.

The ambulance arrived quickly, and soon Ruby was lying in a hospital bed. Nick gently tucked her in, his eyes filled with a tenderness I had rarely seen.

Without warning, he snatched up the equity agreement and hurled it at me.

"Chloe, you shouldn't have brought this out," he hissed. "You scared Ruby so badly she had an attack!"

I tilted my head, letting the papers graze my ear before hitting the floor.

I knew he was only taking his anger out on me because Ruby was sick.

How ironic. He was always so cold and distant with me, yet Ruby brought out a completely different side of him.

In the past, I would have been furious and jealous. We would have fought and left on terrible terms.

But now, I just felt too drained to care.

"My bad," I said flatly.

Nick raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

After a moment, he handed the agreement back to me and finally bothered to explain himself.

"It was just a sip of her drink. She has a heart condition. If I'd refused her in front of everyone, she couldn't have handled it. Don't bring this agreement out again. Let this be the last time."

He stood there looking polished and superior, as if forgiving me was an act of charity.

I knew he was giving me a way to back down. But this time, I didn't want to compromise anymore.

"Is that all?" I asked coldly. "If you're done, I'm leaving."

Nick stared at me for a long moment before finally saying, "I'll send you some money. Go buy yourself a piece of cake."

He took out his phone and started tapping.

A moment later, I got a notification that a transfer of $20 had arrived.

For years, Nick was worried I'd be reckless with money, so he took control of my paychecks and gave me a meager 200-dollar monthly allowance. Every single expense had to be approved by him.

I handled everything from our meals and household bills to all the little things we needed day to day.

Whenever I went over budget and had to ask him for more money, he'd give me a suspicious look that made me feel like I was constantly under a microscope.

Even now, sending me an extra 20 dollars for cake was like pulling teeth for him.

Yet Ruby only had to act sweet, and he'd hand her a credit card and let her spend as she pleased.

When I confronted him about it, he'd just look at me coldly, claiming Ruby needed the money for entertaining clients, then blame me for being needy and dramatic.

With no other choice, I took on side jobs to cover my own expenses. I worked nonstop until it took a toll on my health.

I stared at the number on my phone and couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it.

Meanwhile, Nick was still talking about how he'd give me a promotion and a raise when the opportunity came.

Without a word, I transferred the $20 back to him.

I didn't need his money, and I certainly didn't care for it anymore.

"Got it," I said calmly, ignoring his rambling as I walked out of the room.

Once outside, I dialed a number I hadn't called in years.

"Hey, Greg. I want to come home."

There was a long silence on the other end.

When my brother finally spoke, his voice was thick with emotion.

"Good. I'm so glad you've finally come to your senses! Mom and Dad have been living abroad all these years, afraid that coming back would stir up painful memories. Go see them."

Back then, my family warned me that Nick came from a poor family and that I'd suffer with him.

They had opposed our relationship from the start. I cut ties with them to be with Nick anyway.

Then Greg told me something shocking.

To keep me from suffering, my family had been quietly backing Nick's company all along. They were actually the biggest investors in the company's upcoming IPO.

As the sun began to set, I hung up the phone with a smile.