Chapter 3

The next morning, Madison showed up at my door.

I was still living in the house we set up as our newlyweds' home five years ago. Everything was frozen in time, exactly as she had left it.

The bright "just married" wedding cutout on the wall, which I had held her in my arms to stick up, had long since turned yellow and faded. The flowers we planted together were still on the balcony, and her rescued little turtle was still swimming in the corner tank.

This place used to be filled with laughter. Now, everything has changed.

She looked around the room, a flicker of pity crossing her eyes.

"I know these past few years have been hard on you. I'll compensate you for it. But on the condition that you drop this whole thing and keep treating Clyde as your brother."

I stared at her in disbelief. Whatever tiny spark of feeling I had left for her fizzled out.

"All of you treated me like a complete idiot. Do you have any idea how I survived these five years?"

I worked under the scorching sun, passing out from heatstroke multiple times, but I never dared to rest. I was terrified of what would happen if I stopped moving.

Once, loan sharks even kidnapped me to sell me off on the black market for my debts. I escaped with injuries all over my body, crawled to Madison's grave, and swore to make the people who hurt me pay.

In my dreams, she had held me gently, telling me not to be scared and that it would all pass.

Maybe a shred of guilt finally hit her. Madison sighed, stepped forward to take my hand, her tone softening.

"Dean, don't be greedy. I can't divorce Clyde. But if you ever need anything, call me."

I looked blankly at this woman I once loved so deeply, now a stranger.

My mind suddenly drifted back to the year Clyde was in the hospital. A nurse on duty had privately asked me about his status. Thinking she was a great catch, I asked Clyde what he thought.

Madison, who was always gentle, threw a massive temper tantrum back then. "Clyde needs to make these decisions himself! You can't just run his life because you're his brother!"

She apologized to me afterward, but she used work as an excuse and didn't come home for an entire month.

I pulled my lips into a bitter smile.

So she had just been hiding her own selfish desires all along.

"Sleeping with my brother behind my back, having his kid... was it thrilling? Don't either of you feel ashamed?"

Right then, Clyde ran in from outside.

"Dean, it's all my fault. Five years ago, on the day of the crash, Madison was carrying your baby. But she said she hadn't signed the marriage papers with you yet, so the baby had no legal standing. She said she only wanted to have my children, so she got an abortion.

"The pregnancy was too far along, so it wasn't an easy procedure. I know it was wrong and that I messed up. If you want, I'm willing to give you my baby in the future to make it up to you..."