Chapter 3

“Lucas, are you sure?”

The voice on the other end of the line sounded surprised.

I gave an absolutely certain answer.

“Good. As I said before, as long as you’re willing to come back, there’s always a spot for you on the team.”

I smiled and hung up the phone.

That was right.

I really should return to where I originally belonged.

Not long after I hung up, Hannah sent me a message.

[Dwade sprained his ankle. Stop by the hospital when you get a chance, and cook him some food while you’re at it.]

[He likes his food mild. Go easy on the salt, skim off all the grease, and no scallions.]

So, she actually had a good memory after all.

I had been married to her for three years, and every one of the three birthday cakes she gave me had mango in it.

I was allergic to mango.

The first year, she had said she was too busy, hugged me, apologized, and made me a new cake on the spot.

What happened the second year was that she forgot to leave a note and had the bakery send a new one to the house immediately.

The third year, she said there was nothing to make a fuss about. Just tell Dwade and have it swapped out.

I finally understood.

The problem was never the cake. She was just never the right person for me.

The next day, I sent her the divorce papers.

She swiftly called me and told me to stop making a scene.

But I told her I was not making a scene. I was doing it of my own free will.

“Your own free will?” Her voice was flat and mocking.

“Have you forgotten how you groveled in front of my mother just to marry me?”

I was shocked when she brought it up.

When I was dating Hannah, her mother, Lily Neate, was not pleased with me.

She thought I was from a lower-class family. She made me take photos of her dog at a family dinner, saying I was only fit to be a dog photographer.

At the time, I did not want to embarrass Hannah, so I obliged.

Hannah had taken my hand and walked out of the family dinner right then and there. She told Lily that I was the man she had decided to spend her life with.

Back then, she was willing to cut ties with Lily just to be with me. Yet at that moment, she was using that very thing to humiliate me.

She said that I had schemed to marry her and be part of a higher-class family.

An uncomfortable silence settled between us. She seemed to remember something too and cleared her throat.

“Anyway, stop making a scene.”

I lowered my hand. Before I could come up with another plan, she spoke again.

“Dwade is having a photography exhibition next week. It’s his first time doing something like this, so he’s bound to be nervous. Come along and help him feel more at ease.”

My chest tightened. I was about to refuse, but she continued speaking before I could.

“Lucas, I’m warning you. Don’t pull any of your tricks this time.

“Show up, and then I’ll consider having a real conversation with you about us.”

She acted like she was doing me a huge favor, remaining just as condescending as ever.

I let out a long sigh. To talk things through with her face to face and cut things off completely, I had no choice but to attend the exhibition as promised.

But I did not expect Hannah to be far crueler than I had imagined.

My blood ran cold the moment I stepped into the exhibition.

Every single photograph displayed along the corridor was my work.

On the stage, Dwade was smiling with smug confidence as he pointed to a photo beside him and said, “This one here, ‘Grassland in the Morning Light,’ is something I shot recently. It’s my most special piece...”

I had risked my life for that photo. I had taken it three years ago in a war zone in Kondara.

I rushed onto the stage and slapped him hard across the face.

“Say that again. Who shot this photo?”