Chapter 3

The next morning, my phone dragged me awake.

Chloe told me to get to the mall. No reason.

When I got there, she was at a counter, checking out luxury watches.

She turned, smiling. "Babe, I guess my Remington contact didn't like the bag. Help me pick a watch instead?"

She was glowing.

My eyes dropped to the Rolex in her hand. I glanced at the fake on my wrist and let out a quiet, self-mocking laugh.

She caught it. Took my hand, all serious. "Babe, don't worry. Once I get into Remington Group and work hard—after I'm cured—I'll buy you an even better watch than this."

I met her eyes and nodded.

"What about this one? It looks more high-end. Or this one? I heard my Remington contact is pretty low-key—maybe the darker one fits better?"

She kept going.

My chest just went cold.

For someone she'd never even met, she put in all this thought. I gave her three years—and got a fake watch.

I snapped back. She was holding up two watches.

"Babe, you're a guy too. You decide!"

One platinum. One dark green. Both shining under the lights.

I watched for a second, then pointed. "This one."

The platinum.

Truth was, I liked the dark green.

Chloe lit up and told the clerk to wrap it. She moved in close beside me, voice soft. "Babe, I got you something too."

Like it was treasure, she pulled out a silver ring.

I knew it. Some dollar-store spot a couple miles away. Ten bucks.

"Babe, once I'm making real money, I'll get you the best."

She slid it onto my middle finger, smiling to herself, talking about how good it looked.

The clerk handed over the boxed Rolex and the card. Chloe thanked them, grabbed my hand, and we headed out.

"I'm hungry. Let's get a seafood boil." I stopped.

She was still smiling. "Sure, let's go."

Finding the "perfect" gift had her in a great mood. It wasn't peak hours, so the place was almost empty. Our food still wasn't out.

I sat across from her, watching her tap away on her phone.

Finally, she looked up. "Babe, wanna try the watch?" She glanced at the Rolex.

I shook my head. "No. Don't wanna mess it up."

She'd already opened the box. "It's fine. Try it. You're not getting another chance to wear something this expensive."

I froze. Her words kept looping in my head.

The cold metal hit my wrist. She fumbled with the clasp—and something in me pushed back. I yanked my hand away.

Next second, the watch dropped straight into the pot of spicy broth.

I didn't even move before Chloe grabbed the tongs and fished it out.

By the time she got it back, it was slick with red chili oil. No clue how much got inside.

Her face went cold.

She said nothing. Packed it up and stood to leave.