Chapter 3

It was as if Zac had just remembered that his girlfriend was still here.

Snapping back to reality, he quickly let go of Wendy’s waist and took a step back, as if waking from a dream.

His friends, realizing the awkwardness of the situation, immediately jumped in to smooth things over.

“Come on, let's keep playing! Wendy, your stomach isn't great—skip the drinks. Just do truth or dare instead.”

“Yeah, truth or dare works!”

Zac, now composed again, returned to the couch.

He thought Charlotte would be jealous, maybe throw a small tantrum.

But she said nothing.

That complete indifference unsettled him more than anger ever could.

For some reason, he had this nagging feeling that Charlotte felt different tonight.

A strange silence stretched between them.

Zac hesitated, wanting to say something, to explain.

But just then, the room burst into laughter and cheers again.

“Wendy lost again! Truth or dare?”

Charlotte didn’t even need to turn her head to know that Zac’s attention had already shifted.

“I’ll do dare.” Wendy smirked, then turned to Zac, eyes gleaming with something unreadable.

Someone handed her a stack of folded slips.

“Here, pick one.”

She casually pulled a paper from the pile. The moment the guy next to her unfolded it, his eyes widened.

His gaze flickered between Wendy, Zac, and Charlotte.

A curious girl peeked over his shoulder.

“What did she get? Let me see!”

The second she read it, she gasped sharply.

The room buzzed with excitement.

“What is it?”

“Come on, what’s the dare?”

The guy cleared his throat, then announced—

“Kiss a random guy in the room.”

As soon as the words fell, Zac’s entire expression darkened.

The temperature in the room dropped instantly.

Wendy, however, seemed completely unfazed.

With a playful grin, she turned toward a good-looking guy sitting nearby.

“Ethan, would you mind kissing me?”

Ethan Lincoln snuck a glance at Zac, whose expression looked murderous.

He didn’t even dare to breathe.

Seeing that he wasn’t responding, Wendy stepped closer, reaching up to hook her arms around his neck, about to press her lips against his.

“Enough!”

Zac’s sharp voice rang through the room.

Unable to control himself any longer, he grabbed Wendy’s wrist and yanked her away.

Without another word, he stormed out, dragging her with him.

The room fell into stunned silence.

Slowly, all eyes turned to Charlotte.

She picked up a glass of juice, took a sip, and smiled lightly.

“Why are you all looking at me?”

The group quickly looked away, some pretending to drink, others casually chatting—acting as if nothing had happened.

Charlotte took another sip, and with it, she felt the last bit of warmth drain from her heart.

In all the years she had known Zac, he had always been calm, composed, and indifferent to everything.

Tonight was the first time she had ever seen him completely lose control.

*

After finishing her drink, Charlotte got up and went to the restroom.

Just as she was about to step out of the stall, she heard voices by the sinks.

“Is Zac crazy? He just left his girlfriend behind and ran off with Wendy!”

“Ugh, isn’t it obvious? Wendy’s the one he actually cares about.”

“Right? Did you see his face when Wendy almost kissed Ethan? He looked like he was about to kill someone.”

“Poor Charlotte. She just had to sit there and watch her own boyfriend lose his mind over another woman.”

“Honestly, she’s just a stand-in.”

“Yeah, at this rate, they’ll break up soon. Anyone can see Zac is still in love with Wendy.”

“Yeah, I—”

The girl’s words caught in her throat.

Through the mirror, she saw Charlotte step out of the bathroom stall behind them.

She shut her mouth immediately.

The other two girls saw her too. Without another word, they lowered their heads and hurried out.

Charlotte walked up to the sink, calmly washing her hands.

Yes.

She and Zac were indeed close to breaking up.

But this time—

It wouldn’t be because he left her.

It wouldn’t be because he didn’t want her anymore.

It would be because she no longer loved him.

Because she didn’t want him anymore.

*

By the time Charlotte returned to Zac’s villa, it was already past eleven at night.

She was exhausted. She showered quickly, crawled into bed, and fell asleep almost instantly.

Zac didn’t come home until the following afternoon.

Pushing open the bedroom door, he immediately noticed the open suitcase lying on the floor, clothes neatly stacked beside it. His brows furrowed in confusion.

“What’s all this?”

Charlotte peeked out from behind the wardrobe. “Oh, you’re back. I’m heading home for a bit in a few days.”

She had lived here for two years. There were plenty of clothes, shoes, and random things she wouldn’t bother bringing back to Jersey City, but she still needed to sort through them and pack up what she wanted to take.

When she left, she wouldn’t leave a single trace of herself behind.

Just as she finished speaking, her eyes landed on the faint red marks peeking out from Zac’s collar.

For a moment, she froze.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she looked away.

She no longer cared.

Who he spent the night with had nothing to do with her anymore.

Zac frowned at her response. “Why are you suddenly going home? Are you still upset about last night? Are you trying to avoid me?”

“No,” she replied casually. “I just miss my parents. Thought I’d go see them.”

Hearing this, Zac was relieved. “That’s good. It’s been three years. You should go visit.”

She had never gone home once in all this time.

Even on holidays, she spent them alone.

Of course, he wouldn’t have accompanied her. Leaving his family behind for her had never been an option.

Bringing her home to meet his parents? Even more impossible.

His mother would never accept a woman without status or background.

After a brief pause, he added, “I’ve been busy lately, so I won’t be able to go with you. What day’s your flight? I’ll have my driver take you to the airport.”

Charlotte carefully folded a dress and placed it inside the suitcase.

“No need. I’ll get a car myself. Someone’s picking me up.”

At that, Zac exhaled subtly, though he wasn’t even aware of it himself.

He had been worried she might ask him to go back with her to meet her parents.

After three years together, for an average couple, it would be time to talk about marriage.

But he wasn’t an average man.

He was Zac Gibson, the only heir to the Gibson family fortune and the sole successor to Gibson Corporation.

And the gap between their worlds was one that could never be crossed.

Deep down, he had always known they had no future.

There was no point in meeting her parents, no point in discussing marriage.

Thankfully, Charlotte seemed to understand this too. She never clung to him, never asked him to take her home.

Thinking about it now, Zac once again felt a sense of appreciation for how obedient and understanding she was.

Even after last night, when he had recklessly left her behind to chase after Wendy, she didn’t throw a fit, didn’t cry, didn’t even question him.

She made things so easy.

For the past three years, she had never checked up on him, never gotten jealous, never fought with him over his flings.

Just then, his best friend’s voice echoed in his mind—

“Just keep dating both. And if you feel guilty about Charlotte, buy her some gifts. Women are easy to please.”

Maybe he really could marry Wendy and keep Charlotte as his lover.

After all, a woman like her would never find another man like him.

She loved him too much to ever leave him.

Yes, he would wait until she came back from Jersey City, and then he would talk to her properly.

Zac glanced at her packing and said casually, “Take care on the way. Let me know when you get home. And when you’re back in Harbor City, I’ll come pick you up.”

Charlotte lowered her gaze and replied softly, “Alright.”

I won’t be coming back.

She said it only in her heart.

Zac seemed like he had more to say, but just then, his phone rang.

After answering the call, he turned back to her. “I have to head out. Last night was my fault. I shouldn’t have left you there alone. I bought you a gift. My assistant will drop it off soon.”

Charlotte responded with a simple, indifferent, “Mm.”

Zac didn’t linger. He turned and walked out.

Moments after he left, her phone lit up with a message from Sean.